The Bridegroom Read Free

not?”
    “I am a lady, an innocent—”
    “Your innocence is a bit of a problem.” He brushed a knuckle across her cheek. “But that can be remedied.”
    Reggie jerked away, unable to speak, she was so incredulous.
    He laughed. Again. “You are much too naive, my dear. And predictable. I am afraid we would never suit.”
    “What if I said I accept? What would you say then?” she demanded, incensed at his dismissal of her as unworthy of his regard.
    His eyes narrowed. “I wish I were as true a blackguard as you have painted me. But even such miscreants as I have scruples.”
    “Are you refusing me?” she asked in disbelief.
    “I will take a kiss,” he said. “As the price of your foolishness in playing such games.”
    “I will never—”
    His lips were firm and damp on hers, eliciting a moanof pleasure before she could squelch it. His tongue traced the seam of her mouth, but she kept her teeth tightly clenched, determined not to give more than he had already taken.
    He let her go and stepped back, his eyes gleaming in the moonlit darkness. “You are a tempting morsel, my sweet. But it is time we returned to the ballroom. Our absence will no doubt have been noticed.”
    Reggie’s eyes went wide. It was odd enough that she had danced with Carlisle. Their exit onto the balcony most certainly would have been remarked upon. Her continued absence with such a notorious figure would already have been the cause of speculation. “Was scandal your purpose all along?”
    “You elicited the invitation to dance, my dear.”
    Reggie knew he spoke nothing but the truth. Her behavior over the years had crossed the line beyond propriety on occasion, but being a great heiress—and the Duke of Blackthorne’s daughter—had given her a great deal of latitude and smoothed a great many important ruffled feathers. This time she might have gone too far.
    “Reggie? Are you out there?”
    “Is that you, Becky?” Reggie replied in response to the whispery voice.
    “Where are you?”
    Reggie walked along the gravel path, trailed by Carlisle, until she met her sister coming from the opposite direction. “What are you doing out here?” Reggie asked.
    “Looking for you,” Becky said in exasperation. “Ifollowed you out onto the balcony almost as soon as you left, hoping to prevent gossip.”
    “That was cleverly done, Lady Penrith,” Carlisle said. He turned to Reggie and said, “Thanks to your sister’s quick thinking, you may escape with your reputation. All we three need do is return to the ballroom together.”
    “I would not accompany you—” Reggie began.
    “For my sake,” Becky said. “Please do as Lord Carlisle asks.”
    Reggie remained silent and did as she was told. Her sister would bear the brunt of the blame if she were found to have been compromised. There was no telling what penalty Penrith would exact from his wife if he heard of Reggie’s unchaperoned escapade. “Very well,” she conceded. “We will return to the ballroom together.”
    “Smile,” Becky hissed as they moved from the dark balcony into the candlelit ballroom, where the waltz was just ending.
    To Reggie’s surprise, Carlisle was the soul of propriety, bowing over her hand and thanking her and her sister, in words loud enough to be heard by those assembled, for the pleasure of their company during the dance. “I will look forward to calling on both of you tomorrow,” he said.
    Reggie was appalled by Carlisle’s obvious intention of furthering the acquaintance, considering how outrageously he had behaved during their
tête-à-tête
, but with so many gossips about, there was no way she could voice her objections.
    “We will look forward to your visit, my lord,” Becky replied with a smile.
    She and Becky were left standing arm in arm as Carlisle made his way back across the ballroom. Reggie snapped open her fan and used it to cool her face. “I want to go home.”
    “I am afraid that is not possible just yet,” Becky