The Viscount's Sweet Temptation Read online

  “Not surprising at all, given I avoid balls and the usual entertainments.”

  “So does Lee. Or maybe he only avoids the ones where Mama will be attending with Miriam and me.”

  “Well.” His lips thinned and he grasped his thighs so tightly his knuckles whitened. “Lady Eleanor has been out for two years. Have you also?”

  “Yes.”

  “And have either of you found yourselves a beau? I imagine the young bucks must be fighting over both of you in the ballroom.”

  Harriet giggled. “We are having so much fun we refuse to consider anyone for at least another Season. Oh, but you mustn’t let on to Lord and Lady Wrenthorpe. Ellie would be so angry with me for telling you.”

  His smile might have warmed her heart if she had been able to see it more clearly, but as it was, it sent butterflies skittering about in her belly. If he would only make an appearance at one of the balls, it would surely become a crush. She recalled having seen a miniature of Archie a few years ago and giggling with Ellie about how handsome he was. Perhaps she was lucky they were in the dark carriage. Actually experiencing that roguish smile he was known for would certainly ruin her heart for any of the other young men she would meet.

  Then she remembered the reason she was in such a predicament. Grandpapa’s summons. She might not have the opportunity to meet more young men if the duke had his way.

  And the Duke of Danby always had his way.

  Harriet sighed and turned back to the empty blackness beyond her window.

  “Such a heavy sigh for one so young. I imagine you are beginning to realize the depth of your father’s distress upon discovering you missing.”

  She swallowed the lump that suddenly threatened her ability to breathe. Papa would order her locked in her room for months, she was certain. Assuming he didn’t simply hand her over to the duke’s chosen bridegroom. “It’s not my papa I fear. He will forgive me eventually, once Mama reminds him how she defied her father, the duke, by marrying Papa. But the duke…I’m not at all certain what he’ll do.”

  As if the duke had far-reaching powers, the carriage suddenly began to sway and the back end seemed determined to pass the front. Harriet hit her head on the window, the blow ringing slightly louder in her ears than the crack from outside.

  Harriet flew onto the floor when the right side of the coach dropped to the roadway. She tried to catch herself, fearing the door would fly open. The heavy weight of her companion slammed into her, knocking her breathless.

  When the conveyance finally stopped moving, she tried to crawl out from beneath Lord Morley. He also scrambled to right himself.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, helping her onto the tilting bench.

  Pain pounded above her right ear, and her elbow ached. “I’m not certain. My head hurts but I’m speaking, so it mustn’t be severe. What happened?”

  “I would guess we lost a wheel.” He braced with a hand against the carriage wall when he opened the door. “Smithers!”

  “I’m sorry, my lord. The wheel hub seems to have cracked when I lost control in the mud.” The driver moved with a slight limp as he rounded the carriage and inspected the damage. “We can’t go anywhere until the wheel is replaced.”

  Cold, damp wind blew in around Archie, sending a chill over Harriet that only worsened with the ominous news. She pulled the blankets around her. Her scheme had gone so horribly wrong! What would they do now? How would she get out of this without everyone knowing what she’d done?

  Her companion ran his fingers through his hair in a manner more indicative of stress than concern for his appearance. He glanced over his shoulder at her before speaking again to Smithers, who stood shivering in the rain, his hat drooping severely. “Take one of the horses and ride on to the next town. See what sort of coach you can acquire there.”

  The man tugged his limp hat brim and nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

  Archie pulled the door closed and staggered across the space to the front bench where he perched on the edge of the seat and braced a hand against the window to keep from falling. “It would appear we are delayed a bit.”

  Somehow, Harriet couldn’t find it in her to be disappointed.

  Chapter Four

  Morley felt his backside sliding on the smooth leather bench and he pushed his heels into the floor in a futile effort to retain his seat. “It’s no use.” Bracing his hand against the side, he rose and nearly fell into Lady Harriet’s lap.

  He caught himself against the back of the bench, his face inches from hers. He held his breath. She gasped but did not flinch, as if she trusted him not to hurt her. Foolish chit. She was obviously unaware of all the things that could happen while alone in a carriage with a man, even beyond the chance of freezing to death before Smithers appeared with the hired coach.

  Or had she intended just this sort of misadventure? Her father could be ten minutes behind them, growing angrier by the minute at being forced to travel in this storm. Would he appear at any moment, threatening Morley’s life if he didn’t marry Lady Harriet the instant a special license could be acquired?

  Realizing he was still staring into her eyes, he pressed against the wall and straightened as much as possible, given the angle of the conveyance. “As this corner is the low point, it would seem I must share this bench with you.”

  “Oh. Yes. Of course.” Her words had a breathy, dreamy air. She smelled as innocent as her wide eyes proclaimed her to be. Her lower lip trembled, tempting him to nibble it.

  Tearing his gaze away, he reached out a hand. “I believe I should sit in the corner, there, as I am so much larger than you.” He lifted the blankets and helped her up. She had such a slight build; he easily lifted her and held her away while he took his seat.

  Lady Harriet struggled to keep some distance between them on the bench, but it was impossible. She slid towards him, and tried to push herself up the slippery slope they sat upon.

  He smiled. “I’m afraid you’ll have to sit next to me, at least until Smithers returns. Just think of me as your brother.”

  Her eyes stole a glance down his person before she turned her head away and clutched the blanket to her bosom. “Oh, but you look nothing like Lee.”

  The emphasis on that word intrigued him, bringing out his foolish, flirtatious mood. “Oh? And is he three feet tall and equally wide?”

  Her laugh sent warmth coursing through him. There was nothing artful or scheming about the light ring of her tone. “No, that wasn’t what I meant. Lee is quite fair where you are dark. And quite slender, where you are—”

  “If you dare say that I am the rotund one, I shall dump you out into the mud to wait with the horse Smithers left behind.” He had to fight to keep his brows drawn together. He wanted to smile with her. Wanted to pull her to his side and discover all the ways he could make her laugh.

  She pushed at his arm as if to distance them, the effort useless given his position against the wall. “You are as cruel as Ellie always said! I was going to say you have a much more—oh! But I mustn’t say such a thing.”

  Now he was dying to know what she meant to say, which completely surprised him. She seemed too inexperienced in intimacies to mean anything suggestive, flirtatious. He rarely considered whether a woman found him attractive. He received enough attention from widows, and a few matrons whose husbands were still living, to know he was not lacking in whatever it was that women found desirable in a man. What did Lady Harriet look for in a husband?

  That question stopped him cold.

  Smithers had better be riding like the devil. Remaining in close quarters with Lady Harriet Thornhill could be dangerous to Morley’s freedom.

  Lady Harriet’s laughter slowed, and she let loose a sigh. “This is all my fault. I do apologize, Lord Morley, for damaging your carriage.”

  Anger flared again in his gut and he thought of the scheming Lady Susan. At least she had only threatened his freedom. “You? What did you do, sabotage the wheel?”

  “Of course not. I wo
uld never risk anyone’s live, and certainly not my own, no matter what the situation. I merely meant if I hadn’t hidden in here, you wouldn’t have had any problems. All my schemes end up going awry. I don’t know why I even considered trying to thwart Grandpapa.”

  He clenched his teeth and tried to ignore the bitter emotion overwhelming him. While he was upset with the chit for putting him in such a compromising situation, he was reasonable enough to know where her blame ended. “If the wheel was damaged, it would have broken whether or not you were aboard. Now relax. I will not bite, out of anger or any other unfettered emotion.”

  Her weight settled against him. He adjusted the blankets to cover them both and tried to ignore the scent of sweet pea blossoms that stirred whenever the blankets moved. He inhaled deeper and ignored the stirrings in his groin. Her perfume managed to be both virginal and seductive at the same time.

  Sweet temptation.

  Morley shifted on the bench, but that only served to bring Lady Harriet more firmly against his side. His arm, pinned between them, had the agonizing sensation of pins and needles. He lifted it and placed it on her shoulders. “Forgive me, but there is nowhere else to put my arm.”

  “It’s all right.”

  No, it wasn’t all right. There was nothing about the evening that was right, or about the thoughts stirring from her nearness. He wanted to kiss her. Merely a quick peck on those trembling lips to discover if she tasted as sweet as she smelled. Nothing untoward, nothing scandalous. A kiss.

  He must try to distract himself. “When do you suppose your father will discover your absence?”

  She yawned. “Not until morning. I placed the pillows under the bedding so my mother’s nurse will assume I am sleeping.”

  He smiled. “I didn’t know that was a talent many young women required. The ability to slip out unnoticed late at night.”

  “Why, those of us with brothers have the opportunity to learn the most intriguing skills. We simply must work harder at not being discovered in our studies.”

  He considered his summers at home as a youth, and all the trouble he stirred up. “I shudder to think what my parents must suffer, if my sisters followed in my footsteps.”

  “Ellie said—oh, I shouldn’t tell you. She didn’t swear me to secrecy, but I’m certain she never imagined I’d be talking to you.”

  A thought struck him then that could explain this entire matter. “Did my sister put you up to this? Was she conspiring with my mother, perhaps?”

  “What, hiding in your carriage? But I told you, I thought she was traveling to London, not you.”

  “So you said. Why is it you were fleeing your family in the middle of the night? And in the middle of nowhere?”

  “It’s Grandpapa’s fault. The Duke of Danby summoned us to his home. One might assume he is on his deathbed and wishes to spend his final Christmas with all of his grandchildren. But I know that isn’t true.”

  Morley recalled Nick mentioning a similar summons recently. Perhaps the duke was a sickly man? “Has he been ill?”

  “Not that I am aware. He claims to be dying rather often, but he has made a miraculous recovery each time we arrive.”

  “Perhaps he’s lonely.”

  “Ha! He could easily command an audience to attend him if that were all he required. No, I know why he demands our presence. He has chosen a man for me to marry.”

  That explained everything. Morley imagined his sisters’ reaction to being told whom they would marry. They would not quietly slip away. Not Eleanor, at least. She would stand up to their father and refuse him outright.

  And their father would comply with her wishes. While he gave no quarter where men were concerned, he had a soft heart for his daughters. All six of them.

  The weight of the young woman at his side grew heavier, and his body responded as expected. He hardened uncomfortably and wished she were one of the widows of his acquaintance. How satisfying it would be to lift her onto his lap and ease inside her.

  Bollocks! Not only was she a lady, she was his sister’s friend. He must do everything in his power to make certain she found her way back to her father untouched. Yet he couldn’t help looking down at her.

  Wide-eyed, she watched him. Her innocence was painfully apparent. Did she fear he’d kiss her?

  Would she kiss him back?

  As he thought the words, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Her gasp was muffled and of short duration. She lifted herself to meet him. He caught her face in his hands, sweeping back the loose locks that had fallen free of their pins, while tasting her one more time.

  Sweet. He was correct. And more temptation than a man should have to bear. But bear it he must.

  He must.

  Looking into her eyes as he drew back, he wished for light to interpret her thoughts. “I am sorry, Lady Harriet. I should not have done that.”

  “You shouldn’t?”

  “Most certainly not. In the garden at a ball it might be permissible, or understandable, even if not advisable. But alone in a carriage…most certainly not.”

  She pressed a hand to her lips. “I see.”

  “Forgive me?”

  “Yes, yes of course.”

  He dreaded having to return his arm to her shoulders, but there was no other place for it. Still, he wore his coat and she her pelisse, so there was that hindrance between them. He must put his mind to other things until he fell asleep.

  Lady Harriet yawned softly, her head coming to rest against his shoulder. Her breaths slowed. Morley couldn’t help himself; he buried his nose in her curls and filled his senses with her fragrance. His own lack of sleep was becoming apparent, but the warmth of the young woman had him wishing for a bed to share with her.

  Before he could fight off that thought, he rested his head on hers, closed his eyes, and drifted off.

  Chapter Five

  The sound of an approaching carriage made Harriet stir, but only enough to snuggle closer to the warmth beside her. Her bed was so cold, so uncomfortable.

  Someone pounded hard on the door. “Hallo, inside.” The man’s voice was not one she recognized. She tried to pry open her eyelids and clear her head. Who would be beating on her bedroom door?

  “Who’s out there?” came a masculine voice from her side.

  The rumble of his chest beneath her cheek combined with the unfamiliar voice brought her fully awake. Where was she and what had she done? Pushing back the limp locks of hair that covered her eyes, she recognized Lord Morley. The previous night came back to her in a rush. The memory of their brief kiss brought instant heat to her face.

  Daylight peered in around the carriage curtains, allowing her to see a very disheveled Lord Morley lean over and open the door. He barked at the man outside. “Yes, what is it?”

  “Lord Alderford’s daughter was taken from the inn at Bloomingham during the night. He was told this carriage was the only one to leave the inn.”

  Harriet gasped, hearing the words from the young man she now recognized as her father’s tiger. They thought she was kidnapped! Of course they would assume that. She had never done anything as foolish as this. She must do whatever was necessary to protect Archie from her father’s wrath.

  Lord Morley’s hand motioned behind his back, and she assumed he wanted her to remain quiet. He cleared his throat before speaking. “We did stop there briefly. Perhaps I should speak to Lord Alderford. Is he back at the inn?”

  “No, sir. He and Lady Alderford are in their carriage.” He motioned up the road.

  “Yes, well, tell him I shall speak to him momentarily.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Wet footsteps sounded from outside as the youth ran away. Harriet bit her knuckle in trepidation. Should she go to her parents now? Was there any way Archie could forestall the inevitable meeting?

  He yanked the door closed and turned to face her, his countenance dark and threatening. Harriet pulled the blankets up even higher on her person and tried to sink back into the padded bench
seat. “What will you say?”

  “What else can I say but the truth? It’s what you will say that concerns me.”

  “Me? Must I speak to him now? Can’t you take me to Bath with you? I will write to him from there and not even mention your name. I’ll just say I obtained a ride with a friend, whose family I’m staying with until Grandpapa’s ridiculous notion passes.”

  The corner of Archie’s mouth twitched, and for a moment she thought he would smile. Then his eyebrows pulled together. “The duke’s ridiculous notion? And what notion is that? The expectation that his granddaughter will come when he bids her?”

  She shrugged and answered, her voice sounding thin to her ears. “No, the one where he’ll have me marry against my wishes.”

  “Lady Harriet, perhaps my sister has filled you with her own romantic imaginings, but very rarely are a young lady’s wishes considered in matters of marriage. Your father is an earl, your grandfather a duke. There are expectations about your future.”

  “Precisely. That is why I can’t go to Yorkshire. Please. As Ellie’s brother, you must help me.”

  “As Eleanor’s brother, I must return you to your father. Just as I would expect your brother to do for her, should she prove herself as ridiculous as you are behaving.”

  Ridiculous? How could she have believed they had an understanding? She was certain he’d been planning to help her escape her fate. She had even dreamed they met again in a ballroom and he asked for two dances. She dreamed they shared a mad passion, and he had kissed her in the gardens at Vauxhall.

  And such a kiss it had been!

  With a heavy sigh, she admitted to herself she had been ridiculous, at least in her dreams. She felt for the pins remaining in her hair and attempted to straighten the wild mess. Her father was going to shout, she was certain, and her mother would probably faint. Would they believe Lord Morley the innocent victim of her scheme?