Every Time We Kiss. Christie Kelley
this may be harder than I assumed,” Nicholas commented. “She’s a haughty bitch and her daughter no better. For a woman whose husband left her a fortune from illegal activities, I would have thought she’d be more open to an introduction.”
If that was the reaction from her, he could only imagine the response from the others. After several more attempts at introductions, Mr. Seymour allowed him to dance with his daughter. He walked to the dance floor with the quaking Miss Sarah Seymour and thought the pale woman might just faint dead away.
“Are you enjoying the ball?” he asked.
She could only nod with her big doe eyes blinking madly. She continually glanced to the side of the dance floor where two young ladies stood watching their every move. They looked as if they might beat him with their fans should he make one improper move.
As they danced, he attempted a few more times to get the mute Miss Sarah to speak. Nothing worked. The poor girl with her watery brown eyes and pale skin appeared scared to death of him. When the dance ended, he quickly returned her to her father without a word.
Tired of the music and overly loud whispers, he headed to the garden. A beautiful full moon lit his way as he avoided the secluded nooks taken by couples looking for a bit of privacy. The soft whispers and moans of the couples only increased his frustration.
It wasn’t supposed to be this difficult. He had thought with inheriting the title the ton might have forgotten his reputation. Damn them all. Here he’d done the honorable thing for a friend and no one even knew. Not that he was looking for accolades on being a good friend and chivalrous man.
But could no one see the truth?
Other than the accident, he had been an upstanding citizen. He never seduced an innocent young lady and rarely even chased the widows. He much preferred the companionship of a steady mistress.
He sat on an iron bench and stared out into the dying garden. Soon all the leaves would be gone, the flowers dead, and he’d still be in this damned situation. After a long talk with his solicitor this afternoon, he knew he had enough money to last until the end of the year. Ten weeks at most. Then the property he legally could let go of would have to be sold. The tenants possibly put out on the street in the middle of winter.
He couldn’t let that happen to them.
To him.
There had to be another way out of this mess. But he had no time. Even if he took a job (as if anyone would hire an earl), the money earned would never cover his expenses.
It was all her fault.
Vanessa’s words haunted him. There was one woman who could fix his problems. And cause him untold others.
It was all her fault.
She should have accepted responsibility. Except, for all he knew, his words had caused her actions that day. He should have kept his mouth firmly shut.
Besides, it wasn’t all her fault. He’d never given her the chance to take the blame. She had done only what he told her to do, play the frivolous lady with no cares, except of course the current fashion of the day.
He closed his eyes and pictured her raven-black hair, sparkling blue eyes that always held a hint of humor, and legs so long he’d wanted to kiss every inch of them. He wondered how much she might have changed.
Shaking his head, he attempted to rid his mind of these errant thoughts. He couldn’t see her again. He’d promised to stay out of her life, leave her and her family alone as penance for his part in what happened that day.
And yet, now he had no choice but to reenter Society. Interact with her friends and, quite possibly, her. He’d paid his dues so now she would have to accept his presence at balls and whatever else he decided to attend. If he actually were invited to a ball, which at this point seemed very unlikely.
He still hadn’t determined how he would integrate himself back into the same Society that shunned him years ago. The reactions so far had not given him any encouragement. Embers of anger flamed to a red heat again.
He had paid his reparations for his small part of what happened that day. And he didn’t even know if his words had affected her. For all he knew, she might have scorned his heartfelt speech. She’d certainly rejected his kiss that morning. While he spent five years in purgatory for his action, she’d done nothing but go back to her prosperous life of shopping, painting, and socializing.
No one knew of her part in the destruction of his life.
Vanessa thought she knew the entire story, but she did not.
No one knew everything, except him.
Chapter 2
“Come along, it’s your turn now,” Sophie demanded.
Jennette stood by the refreshment table and looked over at Sophie. The fancy-dress ball was in full swing. Sophie had dressed like a gypsy in bright-colored skirts with her dark hair falling upon her back and a red mask covering half her face. Jennette had chosen the white gown of an angel to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday.
“But my guests,” Jennette protested.
“They will be fine without you for a few minutes.”
“I promised Lansing a dance and Colby one after that,” Jennette tried again.
“We need to do this now before the musicians take their break. Once that happens, I’ll be too busy.”
“But…”
“No more protests. You invited me to keep everyone entertained with my fortune-telling.” Sophie grabbed Jennette’s hand and tugged her toward the doorway, down the hallway to the salon. The small room had been set for Sophie to read people’s fortunes, and she’d been doing a brisk business all evening.
“Yes, keep them entertained, not me. I don’t even believe in such things as fortune-telling.”
No one could predict the future, even if her friend was quite recognized for doing just that. Especially her matchmaking fortunes. The last thing Jennette desired was anyone telling her of her future. She didn’t want to know, not when she’d tried so hard to forget her past.
“I know you don’t believe in this, which is why I can’t understand your vehement protests. It’s just for fun. After all, it is your birthday.”
Jennette had waited five long years for this day. After signing more legal papers than she’d ever imagined today, she was free. With the inheritance from her grandmother, she finally had the money to do what she should have done years ago.
“Besides, you will be leaving to study with that master in Florence soon. You should want to know if everything will go as expected.”
Sophie motioned for Jennette to sit in the yellow damask chair while she took the seat across from her. “I will, of course, come visit you. But I shall miss you dreadfully.”
Study with a master in Florence. The lie she’d told everyone from her mother to her best friends. No one knew the truth. No one could ever learn why she had to leave England. She had only waited so she could gain her inheritance and live comfortably. Now it was his turn to have a chance at happiness, even if it meant her misery.
With her gone, the memory of what happened that day would slowly leave the minds of the ton. He would be able to come back into Society, find a lovely woman, and marry. He was the type of man who would want a family and he deserved one, especially now that he held the title.
She had to leave now—for him. He had given her the past five years of peace. This was the least she could do for him.
“Now take off your mask and give me your hand,” Sophie demanded.
Knowing it was useless to argue with her stubborn friend, Jennette did as commanded. In seven years of friendship, she had never let Sophie read her tea leaves, her palm, or any other thing the medium might want. But there seemed no dissuading