brought up presently, my lord.”
“Thank you.”
Victoria walked to the window and looked out at the large expanse of grounds. As the door closed behind the footman, Anthony expected her to start talking about the house. Instead, she remained quiet.
Slowly, he walked closer to her. “Is everything all right?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“What is wrong?”
“Everything! I don’t belong here. This place is for ladies and I am not one.”
He turned her to face him. “Maybe Victoria Seaton is not a lady, but Mrs. Anne Smith is. Do not forget that.”
She closed her eyes and nodded. “I shall do my best.”
Grabbing her shoulders, he gave a little shake until she opened her eyes. “You shall do much better than that. You will make everyone in the rooms downstairs believe you are Mrs. Smith, and Mrs. Smith is the widow of a squire.”
“I know my job,” she retorted, pulling out of his grip. “That doesn’t mean I have to feel comfortable with it.”
“Exactly what are you not comfortable with?” he demanded.
She turned away and mumbled, “Pretending to be your mistress.”
“And why is that?” She’d all but admitted to having been a prostitute. Why would pretending to be his mistress be all that difficult?
“It matters not. I will do my job, and you will pay me my wages when we are finished.”
Anthony released a frustrated sigh. “Victoria, just for once, could you be truthful with me?”
“Very well.” She walked back to the window and glanced out. “Because I cannot abide being in the same room as you.”
Why did this surprise him? He’d wondered how the woman could stand to be near him after what happened ten years ago. Now at least, she’d admitted the truth.
“You have nothing to fear from me, Victoria. I shall do nothing to cause you any pain. In fact, I will do my best not to come into the room until you are asleep.”
Turning back toward him, she grimaced. “We both know that will only cause talk. I will get over my abhorrence of the situation and make the best of it.”
“How will you do that?”
“I shall endeavor to enjoy the company and the food.”
He stepped closer. “And if I am forced to touch you in front of others?”
One blond eyebrow arched at him. “I shall do my best to act as if I am enjoying it.”
It suddenly struck him that she was lying. Perhaps it was his gambler’s intuition, but he knew a bluff when he saw one. And Victoria Seaton was bluffing.
“And if I’m forced to kiss you?” The soft tone of his voice underlied the anger he felt at her lying to him again.
“I shall be forced to endure it.”
“Shall we see just how you do at enduring my kisses?”
Before she could back away, he pulled her close and brought his lips down on hers. The anger that he felt at her lying softened as her lips opened slightly. Taking advantage, he deepened the kiss, savored the tentative touch of her tongue against his.
She pressed her body to his and lifted her arms to wrap around his neck. He still had some lingering doubts about her bluffing. For some reason she acted as if she wanted to push him away, but her kiss told him the opposite. But was her reaction a learned response from her profession? Did she like to play the innocent prostitute?
As she responded to him, his body begged him to walk her to the bed. He couldn’t do that while there was still the incident of ten years ago between them. She would hate him forever if he did. And for some odd reason, he didn’t want that.
Slowly he lifted away from her and smiled down at her bemused face. The look on her face was not the look of a woman enduring his kiss.
He lifted her chin upward. “If you keep kissing me like that, I might even believe you want me.”
At precisely six o’clock, they closed the door to their room and walked silently down the steps. The past three hours had been awash with tension for Victoria. After a kiss that nearly made her knees give out, she had attempted
“Thank you.”
Victoria walked to the window and looked out at the large expanse of grounds. As the door closed behind the footman, Anthony expected her to start talking about the house. Instead, she remained quiet.
Slowly, he walked closer to her. “Is everything all right?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“What is wrong?”
“Everything! I don’t belong here. This place is for ladies and I am not one.”
He turned her to face him. “Maybe Victoria Seaton is not a lady, but Mrs. Anne Smith is. Do not forget that.”
She closed her eyes and nodded. “I shall do my best.”
Grabbing her shoulders, he gave a little shake until she opened her eyes. “You shall do much better than that. You will make everyone in the rooms downstairs believe you are Mrs. Smith, and Mrs. Smith is the widow of a squire.”
“I know my job,” she retorted, pulling out of his grip. “That doesn’t mean I have to feel comfortable with it.”
“Exactly what are you not comfortable with?” he demanded.
She turned away and mumbled, “Pretending to be your mistress.”
“And why is that?” She’d all but admitted to having been a prostitute. Why would pretending to be his mistress be all that difficult?
“It matters not. I will do my job, and you will pay me my wages when we are finished.”
Anthony released a frustrated sigh. “Victoria, just for once, could you be truthful with me?”
“Very well.” She walked back to the window and glanced out. “Because I cannot abide being in the same room as you.”
Why did this surprise him? He’d wondered how the woman could stand to be near him after what happened ten years ago. Now at least, she’d admitted the truth.
“You have nothing to fear from me, Victoria. I shall do nothing to cause you any pain. In fact, I will do my best not to come into the room until you are asleep.”
Turning back toward him, she grimaced. “We both know that will only cause talk. I will get over my abhorrence of the situation and make the best of it.”
“How will you do that?”
“I shall endeavor to enjoy the company and the food.”
He stepped closer. “And if I am forced to touch you in front of others?”
One blond eyebrow arched at him. “I shall do my best to act as if I am enjoying it.”
It suddenly struck him that she was lying. Perhaps it was his gambler’s intuition, but he knew a bluff when he saw one. And Victoria Seaton was bluffing.
“And if I’m forced to kiss you?” The soft tone of his voice underlied the anger he felt at her lying to him again.
“I shall be forced to endure it.”
“Shall we see just how you do at enduring my kisses?”
Before she could back away, he pulled her close and brought his lips down on hers. The anger that he felt at her lying softened as her lips opened slightly. Taking advantage, he deepened the kiss, savored the tentative touch of her tongue against his.
She pressed her body to his and lifted her arms to wrap around his neck. He still had some lingering doubts about her bluffing. For some reason she acted as if she wanted to push him away, but her kiss told him the opposite. But was her reaction a learned response from her profession? Did she like to play the innocent prostitute?
As she responded to him, his body begged him to walk her to the bed. He couldn’t do that while there was still the incident of ten years ago between them. She would hate him forever if he did. And for some odd reason, he didn’t want that.
Slowly he lifted away from her and smiled down at her bemused face. The look on her face was not the look of a woman enduring his kiss.
He lifted her chin upward. “If you keep kissing me like that, I might even believe you want me.”
At precisely six o’clock, they closed the door to their room and walked silently down the steps. The past three hours had been awash with tension for Victoria. After a kiss that nearly made her knees give out, she had attempted
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