artifice even once.
“Philip,” Eugenia said softly. “I am willing to admit I made a mistake. Come back with me. Let me show you that I am very sorry, and obedient to you.”
She would have so many ways to do so. Eugenia repentant was Eugenia inventive. Philip’s body was already reacting to the possibilities. There were so many times she had taken him between her hands, whispering how she loved the feel of him. She’d knelt naked in front of him, begging him to take her, kissing and licking and praising the skill of his hands . . .
On any other night, with his body this ready to play, Philip might easily have shelved his pride and gone with her. He would have been amused, demanding, even rough. But as he thought on a woman kneeling in front of him, flushed with desire and reveling in obedience, it was not Eugenia he saw. Not this time. Instead, he saw a mysterious woman who wore white gloves on her hands and a white lily in her hair.
“I’m sorry, Eugenia,” Philip said. “I have another engage-
ment.”
Eugenia blinked her wide eyes slowly. “Already? I don’t believe it. You’re playing games with me.”
Coming from her, these words were one step too far. “Eugenia, when last we spoke, you gave me to understand you were tired of me. You said I was free to leave you, and I have.” Philip bowed again, and turned away.
But before he had gone three steps, Eugenia’s hand closed tightly over his elbow. “You know I did not mean it!”
“Then why did you say it?”
“To tease you, silly man!” She moved closer, so close her breast brushed his arm. Her smile was wonderfully bright, but not bright enough to mask the cold light in her eyes. “You love to tease your ladies so much and you cannot tell when one of them is teasing you?”
A muscle in Philip’s throat twitched uncomfortably. “Yes, I can,” he answered. “You were not teasing, Eugenia. You were in earnest. The only question I have now is, what changed your mind?”
“Nothing has changed, Philip. Nothing ever changed.” Her smile was bright as sunlight and hard as diamonds, and it still did not reach her eyes. “I only wanted to make you jealous, so you would understand how much you need me.” She pressed closer, wrapping her hands tightly around his arm. “It was a mistake, and I see that now. Come home with me,” she breathed. “Come back to my bed, and I will show you how sorry I am.”
Philip hesitated for a single heartbeat. He could be so much more certain of his welcome in Eugenia’s house. He could right now put aside the secrets of Lady Caroline, and the uncomfortable thoughts that came with them. He could return to the well-worn paths of his rake’s existence and never bother his head about what mysteries might have brought Caroline to him.
Gently but firmly, Philip lifted Eugenia’s hand off his arm. “You must excuse me, madam. I’m afraid my appointment will not wait.”
He bowed, turned up the street, and walked away, but not quickly enough that he missed the words Eugenia spoke to his back.
“No, Philip, I don’t believe I will excuse you at all.”
Eight
“C aro! I’m so glad you’re at home.” Fiona brushed straight past Mrs. Ferriday and flew to embrace Caroline.
Caroline had been taking breakfast in the little sitting room in the back of the house. The pleasant room, decorated in shades of green and white, afforded a view of the little back garden through its bow window and shelter from the traffic noise on the street.
“Good morning, Fi.” Caroline hugged her back earnestly. “How are you this morning?”
“I’m perfectly well.” Fi removed her straw bonnet and dark blue cloak to hand to Mrs. Ferriday. She waited until the maid had closed the door again to draw up a chair and seize Caroline’s hand. “And you, Caro? What about you?”
Caroline was not in the least surprised at the question, or that Fiona had arrived so early. She’d barely spoken to her friend after she’d
“Philip,” Eugenia said softly. “I am willing to admit I made a mistake. Come back with me. Let me show you that I am very sorry, and obedient to you.”
She would have so many ways to do so. Eugenia repentant was Eugenia inventive. Philip’s body was already reacting to the possibilities. There were so many times she had taken him between her hands, whispering how she loved the feel of him. She’d knelt naked in front of him, begging him to take her, kissing and licking and praising the skill of his hands . . .
On any other night, with his body this ready to play, Philip might easily have shelved his pride and gone with her. He would have been amused, demanding, even rough. But as he thought on a woman kneeling in front of him, flushed with desire and reveling in obedience, it was not Eugenia he saw. Not this time. Instead, he saw a mysterious woman who wore white gloves on her hands and a white lily in her hair.
“I’m sorry, Eugenia,” Philip said. “I have another engage-
ment.”
Eugenia blinked her wide eyes slowly. “Already? I don’t believe it. You’re playing games with me.”
Coming from her, these words were one step too far. “Eugenia, when last we spoke, you gave me to understand you were tired of me. You said I was free to leave you, and I have.” Philip bowed again, and turned away.
But before he had gone three steps, Eugenia’s hand closed tightly over his elbow. “You know I did not mean it!”
“Then why did you say it?”
“To tease you, silly man!” She moved closer, so close her breast brushed his arm. Her smile was wonderfully bright, but not bright enough to mask the cold light in her eyes. “You love to tease your ladies so much and you cannot tell when one of them is teasing you?”
A muscle in Philip’s throat twitched uncomfortably. “Yes, I can,” he answered. “You were not teasing, Eugenia. You were in earnest. The only question I have now is, what changed your mind?”
“Nothing has changed, Philip. Nothing ever changed.” Her smile was bright as sunlight and hard as diamonds, and it still did not reach her eyes. “I only wanted to make you jealous, so you would understand how much you need me.” She pressed closer, wrapping her hands tightly around his arm. “It was a mistake, and I see that now. Come home with me,” she breathed. “Come back to my bed, and I will show you how sorry I am.”
Philip hesitated for a single heartbeat. He could be so much more certain of his welcome in Eugenia’s house. He could right now put aside the secrets of Lady Caroline, and the uncomfortable thoughts that came with them. He could return to the well-worn paths of his rake’s existence and never bother his head about what mysteries might have brought Caroline to him.
Gently but firmly, Philip lifted Eugenia’s hand off his arm. “You must excuse me, madam. I’m afraid my appointment will not wait.”
He bowed, turned up the street, and walked away, but not quickly enough that he missed the words Eugenia spoke to his back.
“No, Philip, I don’t believe I will excuse you at all.”
Eight
“C aro! I’m so glad you’re at home.” Fiona brushed straight past Mrs. Ferriday and flew to embrace Caroline.
Caroline had been taking breakfast in the little sitting room in the back of the house. The pleasant room, decorated in shades of green and white, afforded a view of the little back garden through its bow window and shelter from the traffic noise on the street.
“Good morning, Fi.” Caroline hugged her back earnestly. “How are you this morning?”
“I’m perfectly well.” Fi removed her straw bonnet and dark blue cloak to hand to Mrs. Ferriday. She waited until the maid had closed the door again to draw up a chair and seize Caroline’s hand. “And you, Caro? What about you?”
Caroline was not in the least surprised at the question, or that Fiona had arrived so early. She’d barely spoken to her friend after she’d
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