Louise Allen - Regency Pleasures and Sins Part 1

Katherine paused in Nick’s dressing room and tied the sash of her wrapper. The tender skin below her collarbone seemed so sensitive that it might have been scalded. She stared, wide-eyed, into Nick’s dressing mirror and could only hope that her tumultuous breathing and flushed face could be put down to her outburst of temper just now. With a deep breath she pushed open her own bedchamber door and walked back in with rather more decorum than she had shown leaving it.

Madame LeBlanc turned from where she had been making polite conversation with Jenny. The sewing girls kept their heads down. Doubtless, she thought bitterly, only strict discipline kept them from giggling openly.

‘I beg your pardon, Madame,’ she said coolly. ‘I remembered something I needed to say urgently to his lordship.’

‘Of course, Miss Cunningham,’ the modiste said graciously just as Katherine realised that she had admitted storming, in her undergarments, into a gentleman’s chamber. She saw Jenny rolling her eyes in despair at such a faux pas. Oh, well, there was nothing to be done about it, she could only hope that Madame was discreet. There would be no doubt just what she was thinking.

‘Now, Miss Cunningham, if you could just slip this on.’ Madame advanced, her arms full of silk, and Katherine gave up thinking about anything except her ball gown.

But, after the final pin had been placed and the confection lifted tenderly away by the seamstresses to one of the bedchambers where they were going to work on the final adjustments, Katherine realised that there was a very good chance that she would soon find herself alone with Nick. And after that stormy encounter in his bedchamber she was not at all certain how she was going to react to that, or how she wanted him to. The feeling that had throbbed between them for those few seconds had been so intense, so … carnal that it had shaken her out of the feeling of safety she had slipped into. It had been a tense and unhappy sort of safety, but now even that had vanished.

She would certainly be dining alone with him, for they had agreed to stay at home that evening. Still, the presence of two footmen would ensure the conversation stayed on strictly impersonal lines and perhaps by the end of the meal she would be feeling a little more composed.

But that left luncheon and the whole of the afternoon. Katherine glanced at the clock. It was noon. If she went to the House she could eat there and that would give her the opportunity to ask the Duke if there was anything she could do to assist with the preparations for the ball. Not that she had ever had to plan such an event, or even attended anything that might approach the magnificence of a ducal entertainment. Still, she was a guest and it behoved her to make the effort to be useful.

‘Jenny, please lay out my riding habit and ring for Paulson.’

The senior footman who was doing duty as butler until Nick engaged his own staff received with some concern his mistress’s request to have her pony saddled and a groom standing by to accompany her to the House.

‘Without his lordship, my lady?’ he queried, shooting an anxious glance in the direction of Nick’s rooms.

Katherine hid her amusement at the contrast between Paulson’s nerves and Heron’s imperturbable approach. ‘Certainly. And would you tell Cook that I will be taking luncheon there.’

‘Yes, my lady.’ He backed out and Katherine was seized by a sudden qualm that he might ask Nick for his opinion before obeying her orders. But when she hurried downstairs in her flowing habit the groom was waiting patiently, Lightning and his own hack by his side.

He gave her a careful lift into the saddle with cupped hands under her foot and waited while she settled herself. Katherine felt a momentary stab of nerves: was she really ready for this without Nick?

‘We will walk the entire way, please,’ she said, missing the look of relief on the groom’s face. He did not want to be the man in charge when the mistress fell off, that was for sure.

In the event the ride was completed successfully and Katherine toyed with the idea of asking Nick to teach her to trot soon. When they were talking again, that is.

Heron assured her that it would not be the slightest inconvenience if she partook of luncheon and ventured that he expected his Grace downstairs at any moment. Katherine hastened along to the small dining room, concerned not to be late and irritate the Duke. In the event she arrived at the same time as virtually the entire household, including Lady Fanny and a pale young man she did not recognise.

‘My dear, you are joining us. Delightful.’ His Grace seemed pleased to see her.

‘Thank you, your Grace.’

Robert pulled out a chair for her on the Duke’s right hand and beamed at her. ‘I have not seen you for what seems like an age. Where has Nick got to?’

‘He is at the Dower House with his tailor,’ Katherine helped herself to bread and butter. ‘I rode over with a groom.’

‘Then the riding is going well?’

She wrinkled her nose. ‘Very well, provided we only walk. Although I have to confess to thinking I might venture to trot soon. The reason I came over today is because I wanted to ask if there is anything I can do to assist with the preparations for the ball.’

‘Not a thing, my dear, but it is good of you to ask.’ The Duke nodded in the direction of the pale man who was sitting silently beside Katherine. ‘Jeremy has everything entirely under control as usual. Ah, perhaps I have been remiss—can it be that you have not yet been introduced to Mr Greene, my secretary? Jeremy, Lady Seaton.’

‘Ma’am,’ he murmured, blushing.

‘Are you resident here?’ Katherine asked. He was very self-effacing, but surely she would have noticed him before?

‘No ma’am. I live in the village with my mother, who is widowed, and his Grace is good enough to allow me to come in daily—’

He broke off with a start as the door opened and Nick strode in, looking thunderous. ‘Katherine! So here you are.’

‘What the devil are you doing, jauntering about the countryside by yourself without a word to anyone?’ He appeared to become aware of the other occupants of the room, but his frown did not abate. ‘Cousin Fanny, I beg your pardon. Well, Kat?’

A swift glance in the Duke’s direction warned her that he was about to take exception both to his son’s entrance and his speech. She said brightly, ‘Oh, did Paulson not tell you I was riding over here?’

The Duke relaxed and sat back in his chair; Katherine had the distinct feeling that he was amused.

‘You could have broken your neck!’ Nick was not about to be appeased.

‘I had a groom with me,’ Katherine riposted with sweet reasonableness.

‘And what good would he be if you fell off?’

‘He would have helped me up, I trust. And I am pleased I came over today, for I have just met Mr Greene.’

The shy secretary appeared to be attempting to wriggle backwards out of his seat. Katherine favoured him with a warm smile that made her husband’s eyes narrow. He said abruptly, ‘May I join you, sir?’

‘Please do,’ his brother begged, before their father could speak. ‘You are giving me acid indigestion fuming just behind my shoulder. Here, have some sirloin and stop lecturing Katherine, we do not want you putting her off coming to see us.’

‘Have your tailors gone?’ Katherine asked with what she hoped might be seen as a proper wifely concern.