Mitford sighed.
So far, Juliet had had to wonder, too, but he’d given her a few clues. Curse him. If he’d do that for those other women, why wouldn’t he do it for her?
“Then, after a while, he’d acquire some other ‘friend,’” Lady Mitford said. “The odd thing was, not every one of them was a beauty.”
“Really?” Millie said. “With his looks, he could probably have any woman he wanted.”
“Certainly,” Lady Mitford said. “But he seems to favor women with a brain. More than anything, he enjoys wit and intelligence in his lovers.”
As she didn’t love the man, Juliet could give him all the wit and intelligence he wanted. In exchange, he could give her the lessons in sexual intercourse she needed. How to get him to strike that bargain?
“Some were good at chess and cards. Others could paint or play the piano. One was fluent in three languages,” Lady Mitford said.
“What about the dowager countess?” Juliet asked.
“Brilliant mind, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at her,” Lady Mitford said. “She would have gone to university if she’d been a man.”
“I hate her,” slipped from Juliet’s mouth before she’d known it was coming. She hurriedly put her hand over her lips.
Lady Mitford laughed. “Every woman in London does.”
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
“I’m sure she hates you more.” Lady Mitford set her cup down and placed her hand over Juliet’s. “You have the man she wants.”
“Why me?” Oh, dear. She probably shouldn’t have said that, either. “If he can have any woman he wants, why would he settle on me?”
“My dear Mrs. Marlow, you’re every bit the woman Madeline Stuart is and more,” Lady Mitford said.
“I hope you can convince her of that,” Millie said. “I’ve never been able to.”
“You’re just as beautiful as the countess, and taller, too,” Lady Mitford said. “And as for wit…I’ve never seen anything quite like your lecture on orchids. Derrington was in fits.”
“Not in a good way,” Juliet said.
“The rest of us laughed until we could hardly breathe after he dragged you off,” Lady Mitford said.
Juliet stared at Millie. “You, too?”
“It was funny,” Millie confessed.
Lady Mitford gestured with her teacup. “You have him off balance. Men like that, although they’ll never admit it. As long as you keep him guessing, he’ll never get you out of his mind.”
To hell with that. She didn’t want his mind but his body. Still, if she could continue to torment him, he’d have to snap eventually and give her what she’d asked for. She’d promised him not to make a spectacle of herself in front of the others—or at least, not as big a spectacle. But he’d visit again for dinner tonight, and lots of things could be done under the table without anyone else seeing. He deserved torment after how he’d scolded her today. Take her over his knee, indeed.
On the other hand, that had sounded interesting.
“Oh, my dear,” Lady Mitford said. “What are you planning for him next?”
“Nothing, really. I just had an idea for a little game.”
The clock in the back of the tea shop chimed the hour.
“We’d better run along. It’s time to dress,” Lady Mitford said. “For dinner and your little game.”
***
The woman had behaved herself for the rest of their time at the orchid nursery. When Lady Mitford invited Derrington to dinner, he took the opportunity to see how long her good behavior would last.
Juliet had modified her dress. Although the sapphire gown still showed her bosom to good effect, it didn’t plunge as her ball gowns had. It hardly showed any more flesh than Lady Mitford’s did, and he’d never considered her particularly disreputable. The way she’d enjoyed Miss Foster’s frankly sexual discussion of orchids might force him to revise that opinion.
Lady Mitford started the conversation over the soup course. “How kind of you to round out our table, Lord
So far, Juliet had had to wonder, too, but he’d given her a few clues. Curse him. If he’d do that for those other women, why wouldn’t he do it for her?
“Then, after a while, he’d acquire some other ‘friend,’” Lady Mitford said. “The odd thing was, not every one of them was a beauty.”
“Really?” Millie said. “With his looks, he could probably have any woman he wanted.”
“Certainly,” Lady Mitford said. “But he seems to favor women with a brain. More than anything, he enjoys wit and intelligence in his lovers.”
As she didn’t love the man, Juliet could give him all the wit and intelligence he wanted. In exchange, he could give her the lessons in sexual intercourse she needed. How to get him to strike that bargain?
“Some were good at chess and cards. Others could paint or play the piano. One was fluent in three languages,” Lady Mitford said.
“What about the dowager countess?” Juliet asked.
“Brilliant mind, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at her,” Lady Mitford said. “She would have gone to university if she’d been a man.”
“I hate her,” slipped from Juliet’s mouth before she’d known it was coming. She hurriedly put her hand over her lips.
Lady Mitford laughed. “Every woman in London does.”
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
“I’m sure she hates you more.” Lady Mitford set her cup down and placed her hand over Juliet’s. “You have the man she wants.”
“Why me?” Oh, dear. She probably shouldn’t have said that, either. “If he can have any woman he wants, why would he settle on me?”
“My dear Mrs. Marlow, you’re every bit the woman Madeline Stuart is and more,” Lady Mitford said.
“I hope you can convince her of that,” Millie said. “I’ve never been able to.”
“You’re just as beautiful as the countess, and taller, too,” Lady Mitford said. “And as for wit…I’ve never seen anything quite like your lecture on orchids. Derrington was in fits.”
“Not in a good way,” Juliet said.
“The rest of us laughed until we could hardly breathe after he dragged you off,” Lady Mitford said.
Juliet stared at Millie. “You, too?”
“It was funny,” Millie confessed.
Lady Mitford gestured with her teacup. “You have him off balance. Men like that, although they’ll never admit it. As long as you keep him guessing, he’ll never get you out of his mind.”
To hell with that. She didn’t want his mind but his body. Still, if she could continue to torment him, he’d have to snap eventually and give her what she’d asked for. She’d promised him not to make a spectacle of herself in front of the others—or at least, not as big a spectacle. But he’d visit again for dinner tonight, and lots of things could be done under the table without anyone else seeing. He deserved torment after how he’d scolded her today. Take her over his knee, indeed.
On the other hand, that had sounded interesting.
“Oh, my dear,” Lady Mitford said. “What are you planning for him next?”
“Nothing, really. I just had an idea for a little game.”
The clock in the back of the tea shop chimed the hour.
“We’d better run along. It’s time to dress,” Lady Mitford said. “For dinner and your little game.”
***
The woman had behaved herself for the rest of their time at the orchid nursery. When Lady Mitford invited Derrington to dinner, he took the opportunity to see how long her good behavior would last.
Juliet had modified her dress. Although the sapphire gown still showed her bosom to good effect, it didn’t plunge as her ball gowns had. It hardly showed any more flesh than Lady Mitford’s did, and he’d never considered her particularly disreputable. The way she’d enjoyed Miss Foster’s frankly sexual discussion of orchids might force him to revise that opinion.
Lady Mitford started the conversation over the soup course. “How kind of you to round out our table, Lord
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