Regency Surrender: Passion And Rebellion. Louise Allen

ado, he pulled her into his arms, and kissed her again. And this time, there was nothing gentle, or tentative, about it. This kiss was one that claimed her, body and soul. She had no more chance of escaping him than a snowball did of surviving in the kitchen fire.

      She melted into him, swept away by his ardour, her own body’s clamouring and the joyous thought that if she agreed to his proposal, she would have a place of her own. Money to spend as she wanted.

      And kisses like this.

      She came out of her blissful haze to the sound of Dotty and Lotty, shrieking.

      And opened her eyes to see them speeding across the ice towards her.

      Lord Havelock spun round to face them, his arm snaking round her waist as they offered their congratulations on a betrothal she hadn’t actually voiced her agreement to.

      But she couldn’t very well say so. Why else would she have been kissing a man, in broad daylight, unless it was because they’d just become engaged?

      Then something struck her. ‘You can both skate. You don’t need Mr Morgan to stop you falling over at all!’

      Dotty and Lotty, completely unabashed, giggled, took her by an arm each and towed her away from her...well, she supposed she had to call him her fiancé.

      ‘If he’d known we could skate, do you think he would have let us hang on to him like that? He’s the most hardened case in town. Girls have been trying to get him to the altar since...oh, for ever, and nobody has yet got as far as either of us did today.’

      She blinked at them in shock. They’d been pretending they couldn’t skate, just so they could get close to him?

      She’d never heard of anything so...unscrupulous!

      Unless it was letting everyone think she’d just accepted a proposal, when she had no intention of doing any such thing.

       Chapter Five

      He held her hand, in the carriage, all the way home.

      She could have tugged it free, she supposed, but then she would have to explain herself.

      And she had no excuse. None. She couldn’t very well claim Lord Havelock had forced those kisses on her. She’d put her arms round him and kissed him back. With some enthusiasm.

      And Dotty and Lotty looked so pleased for her. Even Mr Morgan had a twinkle in his eye, and a smile that softened that stern mouth whenever he glanced at their clasped hands.

      Her stomach clenched into a cold, hard knot. If she made any attempt, now, to tell them they’d all made a terrible mistake, then...well, she wasn’t sure quite what would happen, but there was bound to be a dreadful scene. She’d upset everyone badly enough by shouting at a man in public. What would they make of her kissing one?

      It would be better to wait till they got home. She’d beg a few moments alone with her aunt, and try to explain what had happened. And then...

      And then the carriage stopped, and Lotty and Dotty leapt out and went bounding up the front steps, shrieking out the news of her betrothal.

      And when Aunt Pargetter came to the front door, it was to Lord Havelock she held out her hands. Even when Mary made frantic signals, behind his back, to try to convey her need to speak with her, she paid no heed.

      ‘In a moment, Mary,’ she said. ‘His lordship wants to have a private word with me first. Since Mr Pargetter is not at home just now. Though I can guess what you want to say,’ she finished, shooting him an arch look.

      ‘No, no, I don’t think you could possibly...’ she said, though her voice was drowned out by Lord Havelock saying, ‘My behaviour has been a little unconventional. I should have approached you, that is to say, Mr Pargetter, first, and asked your permission to pay my addresses.’

      ‘Not at all,’ said Aunt Pargetter, ushering him into her husband’s study. ‘We aren’t legally Mary’s guardians, you know. She is free to make her own choices.’

      ‘Nevertheless...’

      And then the study door closed on whatever he’d been about to say, leaving Mary on the wrong side of it.

      Free to make her own choices! If only that were true.

      And then Dotty and Lotty were shooing her into the front parlour and divesting her of her coat.

      ‘She’s in a complete daze,’ said Dotty, untying the ribbons of her bonnet.

      ‘No wonder,’ said Lotty, pushing her into a chair. ‘His lordship swept her completely off her feet.’

      ‘No, he didn’t, it was the opposite. He stopped her slipping over,’ quipped Dotty with a giggle. ‘Got his arm round her waist and held her so tight she couldn’t possibly have lost her footing.’

      ‘Oh, I’ve never seen anything so romantic.’

      ‘Romantic? No! I...’

      ‘Oh, but it was,’ sighed Dotty, pressing her hands to her heart and flinging herself backwards on to the sofa as though in a swoon.

      ‘Aren’t you cross with me? Why aren’t you cross with me? When the whole purpose of going skating at all was to try and...and... Well, you were both trying so hard to attract Mr Morgan....’

      Who was nowhere in sight, she suddenly realised. The moment they’d gone into the house, he’d slipped away, unnoticed in all the excitement.

      ‘Oh, that’s so sweet,’ said Lotty. ‘And so like you, to think of us, rather than yourself.’

      Dotty bounced off the sofa, and flung her arms round her neck. ‘You mustn’t feel bad because you got a proposal, today, and not us. And as for Mr Morgan...’ She made an airy gesture with one hand. ‘When a man as wealthy as that, and single, comes your way you simply have to make a push to get him interested. But it’s not as if either of us developed a tendre for him, did we, Lotty?’

      Lotty shook her head so hard her ringlets bounced.

      ‘Yes, but...’ As she floundered to a halt against the impenetrable barrier of her own behaviour, Lotty and Dotty both collapsed in giggles again.

      And then they heard the front door slam, and Aunt Pargetter came in, beaming all over her face.

      ‘Mary, I’m so proud of you,’ she said, enveloping her in a lavender-scented hug.

      ‘No...you shouldn’t be. I didn’t mean to...’

      ‘Well, I dare say that is what won him round. You are so very...modest. And...and, oh, everything a lady ought to be, I’m sure. A viscountess,’ she exclaimed, sinking on to the sofa next to Dotty, gazing at her with starry eyes. ‘You will be presented at court...’

      The girls both squealed with an excitement that passed Mary by completely.

      ‘And you will go to all the most tonnish events.’

      ‘But...’ Mary attempted to protest.

      ‘And then,’ she carried on, regardless, ‘once you are established, you will be able to invite all those tonnish people to parties you throw.’

      Mary blinked, completely unable to envision herself ever throwing any kind of party.

      ‘And I just know you are too kind-hearted to forget my girls. This will be a foot in the door to a world they’d had no hope of entering otherwise. And with both of them being so pretty—no offence to you, my dear, but if you managed to land yourself a viscount, without even trying, only think what my girls could accomplish. I shouldn’t wonder at it if this means an earl, or perhaps even a marquis....’

      No wonder they’d let Mr Morgan escape without a twinge of regret. The girls now had visions of getting themselves a title apiece.

      ‘Aunt