you to rest today,
Nicole."
She set her mouth
firmly. "I want to ride with you and Chad."
"Absolutely
not." He looked at her, and she knew better than to argue.
After she had eaten
breakfast, Nicole felt tired and drained. When Chad and the Earl left, she
returned to her bedroom and flopped on the bed, suddenly exhausted. The Duke's
handsome golden image swam before her. She clenched her fists and closed her
eyes. "Go away, damn you to hell!" It was the most shocking curse she
knew.
A knock on her door
brought her out of a heavy, much needed sleep. Nicole blinked, startled to
realize that she had dozed for some time. It looked to be late morning, nearly
noon. Groggily she sat up. "Yes?"
Aldric appeared. "I
know you are not feeling well, my Lady, but the Viscountess Serle is here.
Shall I tell her you are indisposed?" His kindly eyes were worried,
although his tone was formal and impassive.
"Martha is
here!" Nicole cried, delighted. "No, no! I'll be down in a
moment!"
"Very well,"
Aldric said, looking relieved as he backed out.
Nicole flew from the bed
and quickly washed her face, retying her hair into one long tail. Then she ran
down the stairs. "Martha!"
The Viscountess Serle
was a small woman, somewhat plump, with thick chestnut hair and ivory skin. She
had been sitting demurely on the golden velvet sofa in the parlor, a cup of tea
in her small hands, dressed in a green and pink striped ensemble. She set her
cup down and leapt to her feet with a cry of delight. The two girls hugged
enthusiastically.
"I have missed you
so!" Martha cried.
"I am so glad you
are back," Nicole returned, beaming.
Martha sat, pulling
Nicole down beside her. Her smile faded as she stared at her friend.
"Nicole, your eyes are puffy. Have you been crying?"
Nicole's expression
turned somber. "No, although I thought I would."
"What
happened?"
Quickly Nicole jumped to
her feet and firmly shut the parlor door, turning back to face her friend.
Suddenly she was overwhelmed with the urge to cry. Aghast, she covered her face
with her hands and fought to stem the rising flood tide.
"Oh, dear,"
Martha gasped, hurrying to her. "Come sit down, tell me what has happened
to upset you so!"
"I'm sorry,"
Nicole said, once she had a grip on her raw emotions. She looked at her best
friend. "I am an utter jackass, Martha!"
Although Martha was used
to Nicole's unconventional attire, mannerisms and language, she blushed
slightly. "You are no fool."
"I made a fool of
myself with the Duke of Clayborough," Nicole cried.
Martha gasped.
"With the Duke of Clayborough!"
Nicole nodded grimly.
"I went to the masque the other night at the Adderlys'. It was in his
honor. I looked at him and my heart stopped, Martha. How stupid I was."
"He is very
handsome," Martha said, her tone cautious.
"We talked. When he
looked at me his eyes were like flames. He invited me to Chapman Hall."
Martha gasped. "He
invited you to Chapman Hall! But that does not sound like the Duke of
Clayborough, not at all! He must have been very taken with you."
Nicole looked at her,
her eyes glittering like ice. "Oh, he was quite taken, let me assure you
of that! He assumed I was married! He invited me there for a—a—a .. ."
Martha gasped again.
"He thought you were married!"
"I thought he was
taken with me." Nicole looked away, color rising. "I even
thought," she stopped. "I thought he was courting me." She stole
a glance at her friend, whose expression was stunned. "He kissed me,
Martha."
"Oh dear," was
all Martha could say.
"I liked it."
Thinking about what had happened between them brought a deeper flush to
Nicole's golden complexion. Worse, her heart began to hammer erratically, and
she could feel his hot, hungry lips on hers as if he were kissing her again.
"I kissed him back."
"Nicole,"
Martha began, but Nicole interrupted.
"Now I know why he
hustled me out of the house and did not let me have tea with his mother!"
Nicole cried, furious and humiliated all over again.
"The
Nicole."
She set her mouth
firmly. "I want to ride with you and Chad."
"Absolutely
not." He looked at her, and she knew better than to argue.
After she had eaten
breakfast, Nicole felt tired and drained. When Chad and the Earl left, she
returned to her bedroom and flopped on the bed, suddenly exhausted. The Duke's
handsome golden image swam before her. She clenched her fists and closed her
eyes. "Go away, damn you to hell!" It was the most shocking curse she
knew.
A knock on her door
brought her out of a heavy, much needed sleep. Nicole blinked, startled to
realize that she had dozed for some time. It looked to be late morning, nearly
noon. Groggily she sat up. "Yes?"
Aldric appeared. "I
know you are not feeling well, my Lady, but the Viscountess Serle is here.
Shall I tell her you are indisposed?" His kindly eyes were worried,
although his tone was formal and impassive.
"Martha is
here!" Nicole cried, delighted. "No, no! I'll be down in a
moment!"
"Very well,"
Aldric said, looking relieved as he backed out.
Nicole flew from the bed
and quickly washed her face, retying her hair into one long tail. Then she ran
down the stairs. "Martha!"
The Viscountess Serle
was a small woman, somewhat plump, with thick chestnut hair and ivory skin. She
had been sitting demurely on the golden velvet sofa in the parlor, a cup of tea
in her small hands, dressed in a green and pink striped ensemble. She set her
cup down and leapt to her feet with a cry of delight. The two girls hugged
enthusiastically.
"I have missed you
so!" Martha cried.
"I am so glad you
are back," Nicole returned, beaming.
Martha sat, pulling
Nicole down beside her. Her smile faded as she stared at her friend.
"Nicole, your eyes are puffy. Have you been crying?"
Nicole's expression
turned somber. "No, although I thought I would."
"What
happened?"
Quickly Nicole jumped to
her feet and firmly shut the parlor door, turning back to face her friend.
Suddenly she was overwhelmed with the urge to cry. Aghast, she covered her face
with her hands and fought to stem the rising flood tide.
"Oh, dear,"
Martha gasped, hurrying to her. "Come sit down, tell me what has happened
to upset you so!"
"I'm sorry,"
Nicole said, once she had a grip on her raw emotions. She looked at her best
friend. "I am an utter jackass, Martha!"
Although Martha was used
to Nicole's unconventional attire, mannerisms and language, she blushed
slightly. "You are no fool."
"I made a fool of
myself with the Duke of Clayborough," Nicole cried.
Martha gasped.
"With the Duke of Clayborough!"
Nicole nodded grimly.
"I went to the masque the other night at the Adderlys'. It was in his
honor. I looked at him and my heart stopped, Martha. How stupid I was."
"He is very
handsome," Martha said, her tone cautious.
"We talked. When he
looked at me his eyes were like flames. He invited me to Chapman Hall."
Martha gasped. "He
invited you to Chapman Hall! But that does not sound like the Duke of
Clayborough, not at all! He must have been very taken with you."
Nicole looked at her,
her eyes glittering like ice. "Oh, he was quite taken, let me assure you
of that! He assumed I was married! He invited me there for a—a—a .. ."
Martha gasped again.
"He thought you were married!"
"I thought he was
taken with me." Nicole looked away, color rising. "I even
thought," she stopped. "I thought he was courting me." She stole
a glance at her friend, whose expression was stunned. "He kissed me,
Martha."
"Oh dear," was
all Martha could say.
"I liked it."
Thinking about what had happened between them brought a deeper flush to
Nicole's golden complexion. Worse, her heart began to hammer erratically, and
she could feel his hot, hungry lips on hers as if he were kissing her again.
"I kissed him back."
"Nicole,"
Martha began, but Nicole interrupted.
"Now I know why he
hustled me out of the house and did not let me have tea with his mother!"
Nicole cried, furious and humiliated all over again.
"The
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