Kate Pearce - Educating Elizabeth

She was not sure whether to be pleased or disappointed when the play ended. The duke moved away from her to aid Eloise and Madame Bonnet with their possessions. Elizabeth stretched to relieve the tension in her shoulders and felt the silk lining of her bodice ripple over her tender, aroused flesh. She shivered as the duke ushered Eloise and Madame Bonnet out of the curtained doorway and then turned back to her.

Her throat went dry when he held out her cloak and beckoned her forward. She moved obediently toward him and stood still as he encircled her with his arms and tied the black silk ribbons at her throat. She sighed as his knuckles brushed the sensitive skin he had brought to life. His eyes narrowed and within a heartbeat he had her pressed against the back wall of the box. His lips found hers and his tongue thrust deep inside her mouth.

She realized with a faint stab of unease that she didn't want to fight him or push him away, even when he slid his hand under her skirts. His mouth continued to possess hers as he reached the apex of her thighs and fitted his gloved palm to her heated flesh.

"Your Grace?"

The interruption had Elizabeth fighting to be free and the duke muttering a curse against her neck. He turned, shielding her and accepted his hat and cloak from the maidservant. He shrugged into his cloak, jammed on his hat and offered his arm to Elizabeth with a wry smile.

"May I escort you to the carriage?"

"Thank you, Your Grace. It has been a most enjoyable evening."

She tried not to grip his arm too tightly as they threaded their way through the crowds that lingered on the grand staircase. She glimpsed Eloise's dark head at the door and the sheen of the duke's sleek carriage beyond her.

"Darling!"

A petite blonde woman dressed in the height of fashion attached herself to the duke's free arm, blocking Elizabeth's view of Eloise and safety. Elizabeth released the duke but not before the other woman shot her a venomous glare.

The duke disentangled himself from the blonde woman and with remarkable dexterity managed to keep a grip on Elizabeth's elbow.

"Lady Masterton. How delightful. Are you here with Captain Draycourt or did Lord Clevedon escort you tonight?"

Elizabeth cringed as she registered an edge to the duke's voice, a tone she remembered from their first unpleasant encounter.

Lady Masterton pouted, which did nothing to dim her extraordinary beauty, and leaned forward, her fingers resting on the duke's forearm, her bosom propped up alongside.

"You have not been near me for a week, Gervase. Do you expect me to pine away?"

Even Elizabeth recognized the deliberate provocation in Lady Masterton's question. She tried to ease out of the duke's grasp but he refused to release her. He smiled and Elizabeth felt almost sorry for the woman in front of her.

"I believe I mentioned that I had been indisposed?"

Lady Masterton's pointed nails dug into the duke's immaculate coat, creasing the fine cloth, and he frowned.

"I received your note." She wriggled the fingers of her right hand and a huge diamond caught the light. "And your gift. Thank you darling."

The duke removed her hand from his arm and crushed her fingers within his own.

"Consider it a parting gift, my dear. I don't share, especially with a man like Lord Clevedon, who boasts of his conquests in his cups."

He kissed Lady Masterton's rigid fingers and dropped them with deliberate haste as though he had picked up something unclean. Elizabeth looked away from the naked fury in Lady Masterton's celestial blue eyes.

"You are a fool, Gervase. You will never find a woman as talented as I am in bed," Lady Masterton hissed. "You will never find my equal."

The duke bowed and half-turned, displaying his indifferent profile to Elizabeth. "I hesitate to contradict you Emilia, but I don't believe I shall have to look far." He paused and lowered his voice. "In fact, my dear, I will set out for the docks now." He raised an eyebrow. "Who knows what slut I will find to better you in the nearest doorway?"

Lady Masterton stood as if rooted to the spot. Two patches of red stained her cheeks and clashed with her pink rouge. The people around her began to whisper and titter as the duke's words were passed from mouth to mouth with the speed and velocity of fast flowing water.

Elizabeth felt the duke tug at her hand and she followed him out into the crowded street. A capricious movement in the crowd threw her up against him.

"You did not have to make me witness that appalling display of bad manners, Your Grace."

"Do you wish me to bed her whilst I instruct you? I meant what I said. I don't share and I don't bed more than one woman at a time."

"This is not about your peculiar code of ethics. You simply wanted me to see how you dispose of troublesome women."

For a long moment, he held her close as the press of people flowed around them. "I forget how astute you are, my dear Mrs. Waterstone." He brushed the corner of her mouth with his thumb. "Perhaps you are right. I can only hope it has left the correct impression on you."

Elizabeth excused herself the moment they entered the suite at Grillons and went to her bedroom. Her head had begun to pound and she sought relief by dismantling the fashionable hairstyle the maid had arranged for her earlier. Thanks to the duke's attentions, her breasts ached. She crossed her arms around herself in an attempt to relieve the pressure.

The soft click of her door lock made her spin around to find the duke leaning against the wall. His silver gaze swept over her before he walked further into the room.

"It is interesting, is it not, how your body has begun to accept me and even grow used to my attentions whilst your mind still struggles?"

"I don't know what you are talking about, Your Grace."

The duke sat down on the patterned silk chaise lounge beside the fireplace.

"You have a lot to learn, Elizabeth, and as you made such an excellent start tonight I thought I would continue the lesson."

"Yes, Your Grace? What do you wish of me?"

He smiled and to her dismay her body stirred in anticipation. "That is an interesting question, my dear, and one that you, as a courtesan, should be able to answer if you wish to anticipate and provide for your lover's every whim."

"I think that a good mistress would offer you a drink and then discuss the play." She smoothed down her skirts. "What would you like to drink, Your Grace?"

His appreciative gaze followed her across the room. "I would like a brandy, my dear and I suggest you have one yourself." He waited while she poured the drinks with a remarkably steady hand and patted the seat beside him.

Walking carefully, so as not to tip the brandy, Elizabeth sat next to him. He murmured his thanks as he took the glass and brought it to his lips. She sipped at her own brandy and then placed the glass down on the table.

"You judged my mood well, Elizabeth. If I had wished to bed you, I would not have bothered with conversation. I would simply have placed you on the bed, unbuttoned my breeches and had you."

She pressed a hand to her cheek and felt the heat flare on her skin.

"Luckily for you this evening, I wish to be amused. Tell me what you thought of the play."

Almost giddy with relief, Elizabeth forgot her shyness as she argued with the duke about the themes of the play and its current production. In her enjoyment, she cast off her slippers and tucked her feet up underneath her skirts. It was not until she heard the clock strike one that she realized how late it was.

She glanced uncertainly at the duke when he made no move to leave and her constraint returned.

"Are you wondering what I will do to you now, my dear? Does your mind still fear what your body accepts?"