don’t understand. No one does. My life is over! I’ll never love another man. It’s just too hard to face such devastating rejection.” Her words were said between hiccupping sobs.
Desmond rose and knelt beside her. “There, there. Don’t despair. You’re wrong, you know. All is not lost. Broken hearts have been known to mend. Yours will, too, I promise you. You’re far too lovely to be left to grieve for very long.” He helped her to her feet and held her, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. How well he knew the sting of rejection, he thought bitterly.
After her tears subsided, she disengaged, picked up a napkin, and dabbed at his waistcoat. “Sorry.” Helena giggled. “I’ve cried all over your coat.”
“That’s better. You have a lovely giggle. Do it more often for me, won’t you?”
Helena kept dabbing ineffectually at his coat. As if she hadn’t heard him, she said, “You see, I’ve had no one to talk to about that horrid night. I couldn’t tell my family the real reason for crying off, could I?”
“No, I suppose not.” He caught her hand and took the cloth away. “If it will ease your heart, you may talk to me about what is troubling you anytime you please. I’ve suffered the pain of rejection myself, though that was a long time ago. But I haven’t forgotten the pain. It hurt like the devil and left a wound that took a long time to heal.” He led her to the small settee opposite the dining table and sat down next to her.
“I feel such a fool! I’ve loved Darlington since I was twelve years old, you see. I’ve never wanted anything more out of life than to be his wife and bear his children. Why did I never realize he was the wrong man for me? He doesn’t even think me desirable. I disgust him, he said. I’m such a failure.”
“No, you’re not. What you did that night wasn’t so horrible. Most men would have been flattered by your attentions. I would have been flattered if you had meant them for me.” He lifted her chin. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re very desirable.”
“Am I? Then prove you mean it, my lord. Kiss me.” She leaned toward him, closed her eyes and parted her lips.
But he stopped her. “Open your eyes, my dear. I gave my word to your brother-in-law that I would never take advantage of your innocence. That takes precedence, you see. Especially now.”
Helena’s eyes flew open at the sudden vision of the marquis without his clothing. “Why especially now?”
“I’ve become Marquis of Waverley. I have a duty to repair my reputation.”
She turned her face away to hide her flaming cheeks. He was right, of course, yet she couldn’t help feeling rejected once more. What was wrong with her? Had she no appeal at all?
“You’re blushing again, ma’am. Why?”
“I feel like an ugly old crone. Undesirable and unwanted.”
Waverley laughed. “I suppose I shall be forced to kiss you just to prove you wrong, but I shan’t do so without your permission.” He touched her cheek, turned her face toward him, then raised her chin until they were eye to eye. He leaned closer until his mouth was inches from hers.
Helena ran her tongue over her dry lips and closed her eyes in anticipation. Nothing happened again. “Get on with it, if you don’t mind,” she said, trying to ignore the mixture of fear and desire that his closeness had unleashed.
“I cannot bring myself to break my promise. How odd, considering my past. I don’t even want to do so.”
“What harm is there in one kiss?”
“Just one, then. An antidote to relieve your mind of any doubt as to your appeal to men.”
He took her in his arms in spite of his reluctance. She breathed him in, the linen of his cravat tickling her nose, the wine on his breath drowning her senses. He smelled like man. No perfume or pomade, just man.
Waverley began his redemptive kiss by brushing his lips across hers.
Heat rippled through her body. She felt his tongue tease her lips apart,
Desmond rose and knelt beside her. “There, there. Don’t despair. You’re wrong, you know. All is not lost. Broken hearts have been known to mend. Yours will, too, I promise you. You’re far too lovely to be left to grieve for very long.” He helped her to her feet and held her, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. How well he knew the sting of rejection, he thought bitterly.
After her tears subsided, she disengaged, picked up a napkin, and dabbed at his waistcoat. “Sorry.” Helena giggled. “I’ve cried all over your coat.”
“That’s better. You have a lovely giggle. Do it more often for me, won’t you?”
Helena kept dabbing ineffectually at his coat. As if she hadn’t heard him, she said, “You see, I’ve had no one to talk to about that horrid night. I couldn’t tell my family the real reason for crying off, could I?”
“No, I suppose not.” He caught her hand and took the cloth away. “If it will ease your heart, you may talk to me about what is troubling you anytime you please. I’ve suffered the pain of rejection myself, though that was a long time ago. But I haven’t forgotten the pain. It hurt like the devil and left a wound that took a long time to heal.” He led her to the small settee opposite the dining table and sat down next to her.
“I feel such a fool! I’ve loved Darlington since I was twelve years old, you see. I’ve never wanted anything more out of life than to be his wife and bear his children. Why did I never realize he was the wrong man for me? He doesn’t even think me desirable. I disgust him, he said. I’m such a failure.”
“No, you’re not. What you did that night wasn’t so horrible. Most men would have been flattered by your attentions. I would have been flattered if you had meant them for me.” He lifted her chin. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re very desirable.”
“Am I? Then prove you mean it, my lord. Kiss me.” She leaned toward him, closed her eyes and parted her lips.
But he stopped her. “Open your eyes, my dear. I gave my word to your brother-in-law that I would never take advantage of your innocence. That takes precedence, you see. Especially now.”
Helena’s eyes flew open at the sudden vision of the marquis without his clothing. “Why especially now?”
“I’ve become Marquis of Waverley. I have a duty to repair my reputation.”
She turned her face away to hide her flaming cheeks. He was right, of course, yet she couldn’t help feeling rejected once more. What was wrong with her? Had she no appeal at all?
“You’re blushing again, ma’am. Why?”
“I feel like an ugly old crone. Undesirable and unwanted.”
Waverley laughed. “I suppose I shall be forced to kiss you just to prove you wrong, but I shan’t do so without your permission.” He touched her cheek, turned her face toward him, then raised her chin until they were eye to eye. He leaned closer until his mouth was inches from hers.
Helena ran her tongue over her dry lips and closed her eyes in anticipation. Nothing happened again. “Get on with it, if you don’t mind,” she said, trying to ignore the mixture of fear and desire that his closeness had unleashed.
“I cannot bring myself to break my promise. How odd, considering my past. I don’t even want to do so.”
“What harm is there in one kiss?”
“Just one, then. An antidote to relieve your mind of any doubt as to your appeal to men.”
He took her in his arms in spite of his reluctance. She breathed him in, the linen of his cravat tickling her nose, the wine on his breath drowning her senses. He smelled like man. No perfume or pomade, just man.
Waverley began his redemptive kiss by brushing his lips across hers.
Heat rippled through her body. She felt his tongue tease her lips apart,
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