Page 64 of It's All About the Duke
“Rath,” she whispered against his lips. “You are making me feel things I never knew existed.”
At the sound of her whispering his name, a shiver stole over him. He had visions of her waking in the bed beside him in the morning, leaning over his bare chest and softly calling his name. Rushing down the stairs in the afternoon when he returned home from his duties at Parliament, calling his name. Lying beneath him during the culmination of their passion and tenderly whispering his name.
Those thoughts jolted Rath. He wasn’t ready to thinkthat way about Marlena or any lady. And yet he wanted Marlena more than he’d ever wanted any other woman. He didn’t know why but he felt differently about her than all the others.
He didn’t know what he was going to do. The problem was that he didn’t know who was risking more if they continued on the course they were on.
Marlena or him.
Chapter 16
He could be a rake if he kisses you and makes you swoon, and then never calls on you again.
MISSHONORATRUTH’SWORDS OFWISDOMANDWARNINGABOUTRAKES, SCOUNDRELS, ROGUES, ANDLIBERTINES
Marlena stood on a box and looked at herself in the tall wall mirror of Mrs. Musgrove’s Dressmaking Shop. The famous modiste was, indeed, a French woman who had married a Londoner a year ago. At his insistence, she’d changed the name of her shop to suit her new husband. Lady Vera claimed she was still the person to use in Town, because she could work miracles with fabrics, colors, and trims.
After little more than a whirlwind of a week of choosing fabrics, ribbon, lace, and a host of other things, Marlena was trying on her fifth gown of the day. The one she had on was exquisite. Her underdress was a simple dark-pink satin shift. The fine silk overskirt was a gossamer layer of the palest pink froth Marlena had ever seen. The high waist, short capped sleeves, and hem were banded with dark-pink velvet ribbon. Tiny little sweetheart bowshad been sewn all over the skirt. Marlena looked at the overly adorned dress and wondered if there was any way she could get out of ever having to wear it. She wasn’t adverse to bows, but there must have been fifty on the gown.
And she’d certainly never had a dress cut so low. Lady Vera and Mrs. Musgrove insisted she not be shy about showing off to all the gentlemen, those available and those not, what nature had beautifully given her. Marlena would have to get used to that, along with the abundance of bows.
Still staring into the mirror, her gaze strayed to what was behind her. More gowns. More ruffles, flounces, ribbons, and delicate, handmade silk roses sewn onto skirts that were sprigged, tufted, gathered, or scalloped at the hem. And all of them had been made for her in a short span of time.
It was almost too much for her to take in.
Her dresses had always been good fabrics, well stitched but simple, void of what she considered unnecessary frippery. Marlena’s clothing was always very wearable. In the house, in the garden, or in the park. The gown she had on and the ones hanging on the wall behind her looked as if they were far too fragile to touch, let alone wear anywhere outside her bedchamber.
One thing Marlena had learned during the past week was that when Lady Vera spoke, people listened and acted. Mrs. Musgrove had more than a dozen women working for her, too. As soon as a pattern and fabric had been chosen, the dress was assigned to a seamstress and it was started immediately.
Marlena looked at herself in the gown again. It did make her look pretty. Made her feel pretty. She turned her body and watched the skirt float and swish delicately from side to side. Maybe there weren’t too many pink bows on it after all.
She’d never worn a ball gown. She’d never been to a ball. And why-oh-why, now that she was going to be attending them, did she want to be on the arm of the Duke of Rathburne. Why did she want to be in his arms again? Held tight. Feeling his lips on hers, his warm breath on her neck. If she was going to fall in love, why did it have to be with this man?
Fall in love?Heaven have mercy on her. Had she fallen in love with the duke?
Fate must be punishing her for writing the scandal sheet. Writing about innocent people like the lovely Lady Vera and causing them worry about what might be said about them next.
Marlena closed her eyes, as she had so many times in the past few days, and remembered the duke’s passionate kisses in the cover of the fog. His body had been so warm. His mouth and lips had tasted so good. She’d felt as if her body were melting into his as they kissed and kissed, and then kissed again. But then her eyes opened. The duke’s sudden, whispered words that he must go had left her feeling shocked, empty, and bereft as he’d quickly disappeared into the gray mist.
And he hadn’t been back to her house.
She’d done something wrong. But what? Had she allowed him too much liberty? Did he think her a loose woman because they’d kissed so deeply and touched so freely? She shouldn’t have allowed it but she wasn’t sorry she had. The memories were too important to her. She wouldn’t want to give them up.
What upset her most of all was that she must continue to write about him for now even though he was trying to help Veronica and Eugenia. If Eugenia made a good match during the Season perhaps her husband could then help her take care of Veronica.
Marlena swallowed past a tight throat. She didn’t know what she was going to do about herself. The duke was going to expect her to choose a husband as well. That chilling thought was too disturbing to dwell on.
“You look quite stunning in that gown, Miss Fast, but you are also looking pensive,” Lady Vera said, walking into the fitting room with all the elegance one would expect from the sister of a handsome duke.
“Thank you for the compliment,” she answered softly. “And I suppose I am pensive. I’m not sure I’m ready to look for a husband, and I can’t figure out where I would ever go that I’d need so many gowns, carriage and day dresses, and traveling outfits. Not to mention all the gloves, capes, headpieces, and underthings to go with each one. I know the Season is several weeks, but surely I can wear a gown more than once.”
“Indeed, you can. Are there pins in the one you are wearing now?” Lady Vera asked.
“No. Mrs. Musgrove said it was perfect.”
“I think so, too.” She reached her hand out for Marlena. “Let me help you step down. Come sit on the settee with me while we wait for Justine to finish looking at the fabrics and lace.”
Marlena took her hand and stepped down from the box.
