A Haughty Courtesan, page 8
“My customers have stopped visiting me, Molly,” Rose said.
“Then you go and visit them,” Molly said.
“What if someone notices I am gone?” Rose asked.
Molly had lost her mind. It was insanity she was proposing. If Olivia knew she had gone in the middle of the night to find a benefactor for herself, she would be in a lot of trouble. Who knew what the matron would do to her for that act of defiance?
Molly smirked at her. “Don’t return empty handed.”
Chapter 12
William had gone on a trip to his estates after what happened between him and the beautiful courtesan. He felt bad for treating her harshly for something so minuscule and insignificant. He fully intended to apologize to her, but the trip had taken more time than he had assumed.
Her attitude towards her fellow courtesans was a bit harsh, but considering how she welcomed him every time he visited the brothel, he knew she was not a bad person. She was proud of her beauty and she had every right to be.
She was and will forever remain, the prettiest girl in the whole world in his eyes.
After winding up his trip, he went to meet his parents who were residing in London’s house for the season.
His mother was sitting with his father on their lawn while his siblings were nowhere in sight.
“Here comes my son who makes my chest swell with pride,” his father said in greeting.
Against many warnings from his colleagues, William had made an investment in the shipping business. No one believed that profit would be an option, but the fortune he made in just one month proved everyone wrong.
“Our son, my lord,” his mother said.
His father met the narrowed eyes of his mother and grinned at her. His parents were not the conventional sort. Despite an arranged marriage, they loved and respected one another.
“That business mind comes from my side of the family, woman,” his father said.
William sat on a lawn chair and let his parents continue their usual banter.
“Oh, hush now,” his mother responded. “Your side of the family is a bunch of morons.”
His father’s face turned scarlet and William knew it was time to interrupt. He did not listen to their banter, but he was weary from his journey. He required some much-needed rest.
“Where are Henry and Beatrice?” William asked.
“Henry escorted Beatrice to the seamstress shop,” his mother responded.
“Since when did he become so responsible?” his father asked incredulously.
“Those two baffle me,” his mother said, shaking her head. “They bicker all the time.”
William knew the comment was not directed at him, but he could not stop himself from defending his siblings. They gave him a hard time whenever they meet, but he knew it was their way of showing love.
“Henry and Beatrice share a special bond, Mother,” William said. “Henry would go to any length to protect her.”
His father nodded his head in agreement and a serene silence fell. William poured himself tea and closed his eyes as the hot liquid soothed the ache in his head.
“Did you call upon Lady Lillian yet?” his mother asked, breaking the silence.
William was getting weary of the topic. He did not want to talk about Lady Lillian. He did not despise the lady because he had yet to meet her. He just wanted a few moments of peace from his responsibilities.
“I was busy, Mother,” William stated.
His mother looked at him with concern. His voice must have given away his true feelings.
“No worries,” his mother said. “You will meet her at the ball in three days.”
The ball was the main reason he was in London and not for the reason of courting a lady. He wanted to witness how his sister fared at her first ball.
“I know her father,” his father commented. “He is an honest person.”
William took a deep sigh. So many responsibilities.
“Something on your mind, my son?” his mother asked.
Shaking his head, he gave his mother a smile. He felt bad for making her worried.
“Nothing of import, Mother,” he said. “I am merely tired from the long journey.”
“I will ask the maid to prepare your chamber.”
The more time he spends with his parents the more they will remind him of his responsibilities. He needed time a quiet place to unwind before playing her role as a dutiful son and a charming suitor.
“I would prefer staying at our other residence in London,” he said. His parents looked at him with concerned eyes. “My books are there. I would like to finish my work in a quiet place.”
Believing his excuse for a valid reason, his parents granted him permission to leave.
He was tapping the pen against the desk, looking at the ink on the paper, but his mind had wandered someplace else. Unbeknownst to him, he was thinking about Rose and wishing he could see her. Her mere presence could bring a smile on his face.
He relived the moments when they had joined their bodies. When she had made those wanton noises, he did not believe for a second they could be fake. She was a courtesan and faking those noises was a norm for a courtesan, yet a voice in his head was telling him that Rose was enjoying herself as much as he was enjoying the carnal act.
There was a soft knock on the door followed by a voice he had been dreaming about for God knows how long.
“My lord, may I have a word with you?”
He almost fell from his chair in disbelief. Could he be that lucky? Or was she a figment of his imagination?
How was it possible that Rose of all people was standing before him?
“I hope I am not intruding,” Rose said hesitantly. “The footman allowed me inside the house.”
He realized he had been staring at her without responding. He instantly came towards her and stood a few inches away from her. He wanted to take her in his arms, but his guilt was stopping him from touching the lovely creature he had treated with disdain.
“Not at all, my lady,” he said. “Your presence brings me joy.”
She looked away from him and it broke his heart to see the flash of pain in her eyes. He did that to her. He broke the spirit of a lovely creature.
“I know you do not wish to see me,” she said.
“May I speak first?” he interrupted her.
She looked up at him in bewilderment and softly said, “Yes, my lord.”
William braved the two steps that were separating them and held her hands. She looked down at their joined hands and then at him.
He took a deep breath before looking straight into her eyes. The violet eyes that had brought countless men to their knees were lacking their spark. There were confusion and something akin to fear in her eyes.
“Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?” he finally asked.
“I don’t understand, my lord,” she said softly and unsurely.
She looked down and it increased his guilt to see her getting speechless. The Rose he remembered would have bested anyone in conversation. This was all his doing.
He tipped her head upward with a finger and tried his best to convey his emotions through his words. He desperately wanted her to believe his guilt and forgive him for being obnoxious to her.
“In my anger, I lashed out at you unnecessarily,” he said. “Please, accept my apologies.”
A hint of a smile tugged on her lips and he tried to rein in his galloping heart. She could influence him with such a small gesture. He should be concerned that a courtesan had the power to make his heartbeat erratic, but when it came to Rose, he forgot she was not a lady of noble birth.
“You don’t think I am a shallow person and an imposter?” she asked.
He held her face in his palms and found it hard to resist bending his head and capturing her mouth with his own. She had a rule for not kissing her customers and he respected her for it.
“Not at all,” he said. “I believe you are a lovely girl with a beautiful brain.”
“My lord,” she sighed.
“Am I truly forgiven, my lady?” he asked.
She wrapped her hands around his torso and hid her face against his chest.
He felt the warmth of her tears seeping through his shirt and realized she was sobbing silently. He pulled her closer to himself and kissed her on the top of her head.
“Make love to me,” she said, looking up at him. “I want to know what it feels like being loved by someone.”
He was conflicted. He should think about the maiden he intended to take as his wife, but he could not turn down Rose when she was feeling this vulnerable.
He smiled at her before picking her up in his arms and taking her to his chamber. She was the first woman he had allowed in his private space and it did not feel strange to him at all. He was feeling content. Only Rose was meant to share his bed and no one else.
He deposited her on his large four-poster bed and with nimble fingers, untied the laces of her cape and traveling gown.
He took his time in undressing her and felt gooseflesh rising on her skin when his hands touched her bare skin. By the time she was fully undressed, she was breathless, and her eyes had regained the spark that was missing only moments ago.
“May I feel your skin too, my lord?” she asked.
“Of course, you can,” he said.
He let her undress him and watched enthralled as she took in his body with a look of devotion in her eyes.
“You are handsome, my lord,” she said.
She was a courtesan who had seen countless naked men, yet she found him worthy. His chest swelled with pride at the notion.
“Your praise makes me happy, my lady,” he said.
He gently pushed her shoulder and she fell to the soft bedding on her back. Taking her foot in his hands, he kept a close eye on her reactions as she moaned and arched her back when he softly nibbled it and then trailed a path of kisses to the back of her knee.
After repeating the same process to her other foot, he placed both her legs over his shoulders and positioned himself between them.
“I bet you will taste better than the sweetest honey in the world,” he said.
She was not given a chance to come up with a response when he placed his mouth on her cunny. He suckled her folds into his mouth and grazed his teeth along her clit.
“My lord,” she hissed.
She grabbed the bedspread in both hands and thrashed and groaned as he lapped and licked and nibbled at her sensitive tissue. She was gyrating her pelvis against his mouth, seeking release for the pressure building inside of her.
He let go of her legs and she whined in protest, but her disappointment was short-lived because he replaced his tongue with his hardened member in the next instant.
Lying atop her, he pushed his member slowly inside her to the very hilt and then withdrew slowly. He repeated the same gesture once more and tears formed in her eyes.
“Please, my lord,” she begged. “This is torture.”
He grinned before thrusting deep inside her. Her words died on her lips as he plundered her with slow but hard thrusts.
He dipped his head towards her chest and worried the tips of her breasts between his teeth. She screamed loudly and fell apart as her body started trembling and quivering.
Her cunny tightened around his member and milked him dry. He shot his load inside her after a few more long, hard thrusts.
When she came back from the feeling of intense pleasure, he was lying to her side, breathing hard.
“I have a proposition for you,” she said.
“I am listening,” he said, looking up at the ceiling.
“I want to become your mistress,” she said.
He placed an elbow on the bed and raised his head on his palm. He looked down at her and found her looking expectedly at him.
His brows furrowed because he had assumed it was some sort of joke on her part, but clearly, she was serious.
“You told me you love the freedom that comes with your lifestyle,” he said. “You abhorred being tied to one man.”
She grinned at him the way he remembered her doing every other time she was enticing a customer. He knew it was not a genuine smile, but his heart rate increased, nonetheless.
She was a goddess who could make anyone kneel with a simple smile.
“I would not mind taking orders from you,” she responded mischievously. “You can lord over me all you want.”
She held her hands above her head, offering herself to him. He leaned towards her face, but then remembered what was at stake for him if he accepted this offer.
Rose was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, and her mind was just as beautiful. She would make a spectacular mistress he had no doubt, but the time was not right for that decision.
“Tempting, but I am afraid I have to decline the offer,” he said, and her face fell. “I am courting another. Taking a mistress at this time would jeopardize my chances of winning the lady.”
His own heart rate plummeted down as he declared his decision. He wished he could take her as his mistress, but he had to listen to reason.
A heart is a silly thing and listening to it would not be a wise idea.
“Oh,” she said softly.
“I will visit you daily,” he said, kissing her shoulder. “I promise.”
She smiled at him, but the emotion did not reach her eyes.
“You have my undying gratitude for making love to me just now,” she said.
She kissed him on his face and then descended from the bed on silent feet.
He watched her pick up her discarded clothing. She dressed and then walked out with confidence from his room.
He was adamant that what he felt for her was not love. Surely, when his mother had mentioned future heirs he might sire, he had imagined a future with Rose, but that did not mean he was in love. It was just his mind losing the track of reality and musings. He could not possibly think about taking Rose for his wife.
It was insanity.
It was his mind envisioning an impossible future.
Chapter 13
Rose traveled in the hired carriage towards her next destination. She was dejected by Lord Clifford’s refusal to take her as his mistress, but she could not give in to despair so soon. She had finally accepted that she might never become his, albeit with a sad heart. He was in love with someone else and he did not wish to hurt his beloved by taking her as his mistress.
For his devotion towards the lady, Rose was feeling a strange emotion she had never experienced before.
Respect
She respected him for honoring the love he felt for the lady. The old Rose would have been envious of that unseen lady, but she had changed considerably over the past couple of months. Lord Clifford had taught her humility.
The carriage halted near the house of her last hope. She had wished she would not have to come begging to this person, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She refused to go back to her old life. She had finally realized how shallow her life really was.
She was done living life like driftwood.
After introducing herself to the footman standing at the gate, she was allowed inside the house. She waited for the host of the house in the living room for half an hour before the servants roused him.
“What a lovely surprise.”
She turned towards the man descending the stairs in his nightshirt. He was barefoot and was grinning the way he always did… like a wolf.
Lord Franklin Doris
He was a libertine, a rogue and a scoundrel, but she had nowhere else to go. He was not a good person, but neither was she. She had come to accept that too.
“My lord, I apologize for intruding at such an ungodly hour.”
She was holding her breath and counting random numbers in her head to hide her feelings from showing on her face. After meeting with Lord Clifford, she had become a bundle of nerves. She was a mess, but to onlookers, she was still the beautiful Rose who could entice anyone with a mere look.
“I take it you want something from me,” he said suspiciously.
She was shocked, but then again, he was a keen observer. Nothing escaped his notice. Despite her valiant try to hide her feelings, he had seen right through her.
She squared her shoulders and plastered the smug look on her face she had mastered over the years.
“I was hoping you would make me your mistress,” she said sweetly and coyly.
The smile dropped from his face and he almost stumbled on the stairs but righted himself, holding the railing. He looked at her in shock and bewilderment.
“I beg your pardon?” he asked.
Her morale dropped. He was obviously not interested in taking her up on the offer. Where will she go after this?
“It was a terrible idea,” she said, whirling around and wiping the tears from her eyes. “I will take my leave now.”
He called after her, but she did not turn around. She walked briskly towards the entrance, but then a hand was wrapped around her wrist.
“I accept your offer,” he said.
She looked over her shoulder at him.
“Really?” she asked with disbelief.
He gave her his roguish smile. “Only a fool would reject something so precious.”
She should feel joy and happiness for being called precious, but instead, she felt sorrow and melancholy. She was reminded of the rejection she faced an hour ago at the hands of the one man she truly loved.
She smiled to hide her grief and looked the wolf straight in the eyes.
“My lord is very kind,” she said.
“I will draw up a contract first thing in the morning,” he said and tugged on her wrist. “Now, come along. I want to seal the deal in my private chamber.”
She pulled her hand from his grasp and put some distance between them. Her heart was racing and a sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead.
“It’s late and I would like to return before someone notices I am gone.”
He looked at her in puzzlement. “Why do you want to leave when you and I both know you will come with me tomorrow?”
