LITMIR.BIZ

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sucking that finger into the heated moisture of his mouth, of the way his devilish silver eyes had held her gaze captive as he did so … It was an act so stirringly intimate that for some minutes Pandora had completely forgotten the surrounding disarray of her bedchamber.

      She moistened her lips before speaking. ‘We met on the terrace the evening of Sophia’s ball. Quite by chance,’ Pandora added hastily; she had preferred not to confide in Genevieve and Sophia that an unknown person, or persons, had broken into her home several times this past year and she did not now intend to recount to Genevieve the details of Lord Sugdon’s unpleasant attentions towards her the evening of Sophia’s ball, either. Pandora deeply appreciated the friendship Genevieve and Sophia had given her this past month and she wasn’t going to bother either of those ladies with the less acceptable details of her life. ‘Talking of which … have you seen or spoken to Sophia since that evening?’

      Genevieve’s curls gleamed deeply red as she shook her head. ‘Both of you have left me quite bereft of your company this past two days. Why?’ Her interest quickened. ‘Has something happened to her, too, which I should know about?’

      It would perhaps be indiscreet of Pandora to mention the comments she had overheard the evening of the ball indicating Dante Carfax’s long-term interest in Sophia. ‘I merely wondered if she had been pleased with the success of her ball,’ she said lightly.

      ‘And I believe you are merely trying to distract my attention from telling me of this new friendship of yours with Devil Stirling.’ Genevieve pouted prettily.

      ‘Not at all,’ Pandora assured with a soft laugh. ‘Indeed, I am as surprised by that gentleman’s … attentions towards me, as you appear to be.’

      ‘I don’t see why. You are beautiful, and charming—’

      ‘And surrounded by such scandal that most gentlemen tend to give me a wide berth in company and attempt to bed me in private!’

      Genevieve gave an indelicate snort. ‘That particular gentleman is no stranger to scandal himself!’

      ‘Well … no.’ Pandora frowned slightly at mention of Rupert’s less-than-pristine reputation even before he began living so openly with his stepmother. A relationship he had seemed to completely disregard in Pandora’s bedchamber the evening before! ‘But it is not the same for a gentleman as it is for a lady.’

      ‘Nothing in life ever is.’ Genevieve grimaced.

      Pandora eyed her curiously. ‘You’ve not told me of your own progress in taking a lover.’

      ‘Because there is nothing to tell as yet.’ Genevieve looked deeply aggrieved by the fact. ‘Now for heaven’s sake, cease your delaying, Pandora, and tell me all!’

      Pandora didn’t tell her friend quite all of her acquaintance with Rupert, preferring to omit the reason for their initial conversation, as well as those moments of intimacy in her bedchamber. But she did relate everything else to the eagerly listening Genevieve.

      That lady’s blue eyes were wide with excitement by the time Pandora had finished her tale. ‘And have the two of you had chance to speak again today?’

      ‘Not as yet, no.’ But Pandora knew that Rupert had called this morning, whilst she was out at the shops, leaving his card and promising to return this afternoon. Which was the very reason Pandora had chosen to pay a visit to Genevieve. Although she seriously doubted she would be able to avoid him for ever. ‘What do you think it can be that he wishes to discuss with me?’

      ‘Can you not guess?’ Genevieve’s eyes glowed with mischief.

      During the hours since Pandora had last seen Rupert Stirling she had taken several guesses as to what the subject of that conversation might be—each of them more fantastic than the first!—which was why she had sought counsel of one of her friends.

      ‘He is going to ask you to be his mistress, of course!’ Genevieve announced excitedly.

      Exactly the conclusion Pandora had come to.

      ‘Would not such a request make his bed a little overcrowded, when there is already another lady occupying it?’ she reminded Genevieve sharply.

      ‘That is just too, too wicked, Pandora!’ Genevieve laughed gaily at what she obviously took to be Pandora’s dry humour. ‘Obviously he has finally tired of Patricia Stirling and now seeks to replace her with you.’

      ‘How flattering!’ Pandora’s scathing tone showed that she meant exactly the opposite.

      ‘But is this not exactly what we discussed previously, Pandora?’ her friend cajoled. ‘For each of us to take an exciting lover, or lovers, before this tedious Season comes to an end?’

      Yes, that was certainly what Genevieve had proposed, Pandora recalled all too clearly. A daring and scandalous suggestion, which Pandora had preferred not to answer directly at the time. She had since realised that Sophia had not seemed particularly enthused about it, either.

      She stood up restlessly. ‘That doesn’t mean I would ever choose Rupert Stirling to be that lover.’

      ‘Why on earth not?’ Genevieve looked up at her incredulously. ‘He has the looks of a Greek god. A fallen angel. A veritable—’

      ‘Devil in disguise—and it is a thin disguise at that!’ Pandora put in firmly.

      ‘Did I hear someone mention my name?’

      Pandora spun around so quickly at the sound of Rupert’s amused voice that she felt quite dizzy. Even more so as she looked upon his handsome ‘fallen angel’ face as he stood slightly behind Genevieve’s obviously disconcerted butler. Her heart seemed to cease beating as she took in his impeccable appearance in a superfine of charcoal grey fitting perfectly to his wide shoulders, beneath which he wore a pale-grey waistcoat over pristine white linen, with black pantaloons moulding to his long and muscular legs.

      Rupert Stirling’s tailor must weep with joy at how finely this gentleman wore his clothes, whereas Pandora found herself barely able to breathe at his sudden disturbing appearance in the doorway to Genevieve’s parlour!

      Rupert’s earlier feelings of frustration with Pandora at her continued and surely deliberate elusiveness, receded slightly as he enjoyed the shocked expression on her face.

      Having called at her home this morning, and then again this afternoon, and both times been informed that ‘her Grace is not at home’, Rupert had lost no time in ascertaining exactly where her Grace had gone to this afternoon. Noting how disconcerted Pandora was by his unexpected appearance here, he couldn’t help but feel a certain sly sense of satisfaction!

      ‘His Grace, the Duke of Stratton,’ the butler announced with obvious apology to the mistress of the house for not having managed to inform her of the identity of the visitor before he had appeared in her parlour.

      But that had been deliberately manipulated by Rupert; after chasing around after Pandora for most of the day, he hadn’t wanted to give her the opportunity of escaping him yet again—for instance, by trying to leave the house by another route than the front door.

      Having a woman avoid his company, in the marked way Pandora had today, was a new experience for Rupert altogether; usually he was the one who had to avoid the company of women whom he had no wish to see or speak to.

      ‘Stratton.’ Genevieve Forster had now risen to her feet in order to effect a graceful curtsy, that elegance of movement accompanied by a mischievous twinkle in her deep-blue eyes as she gave a glance in the direction of the obviously still-stunned Pandora.

      Rupert handed his hat and cane to the butler before striding into the small, intimate parlour in which the two ladies had chosen to sit and converse. ‘Your servant, ma’am.’ He bent solicitously over the hand the Duchess of Woollerton extended to him. ‘And Pandora,’ he added deliberately as he turned to look down the length of his nose at her.

      Pandora gave herself a mental shake as she saw the unmistakable mockery

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