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THE SILVER PLATTER in the foyer was still empty, just as it had been the dozen times she had checked it before. All morning, Rachel had been checking, hoping for some sign that her night had been a success. Instead there was only the blatant proof of her failure. She finally just stood there, staring at that spiteful little tray.
"Are you hoping to frighten the silver into producing something for you?" Alex stepped into the foyer from his study, smiled at her as he put his coat on.
"I can't believe there isn't a single card. I'm starting to think you made the whole thing up."
"I'm afraid not."
"I couldn't have made a bad one. I barely got to talk to any of them long enough to say something wrong."
"Sometimes they decide not to like you before you say anything."
"That's hardly fair."
"Most things aren't."
Rachel frowned at the empty tray, then at her smug-looking husband. "Have you come to collect you winnings?"
"No. I wouldn't waste it on an afternoon activity. I prefer to do things after dark."
A shiver ran through her at the sultry sound of those words. She should have made more stipulations on what wasn't going to be allowed.
"I have to go out for a little bit and take care of some business with a few men I owe money to."
"Leaving me alone in the house?"
"Daphne is here and I have invited a few friends over to keep you both company."
That surprised her. "Gentlemen?"
"No."
"I didn't think you would have any lady friends."
"I'm full of surprises."
The grin he gave her was so sweet and boyish that her heart fluttered a little. She reminded herself that he was her competitor, but she was smiling back at him.
"I won't be late getting home. I have something very special in mind to claim my winnings."
"Will I be scrubbing the floor naked?"
She hoped he said no.
"That would be interesting, but I have something better in mind."
"Oh?"
His hand was on the door, but he stopped and turned around slowly. The smile was gone and those green eyes were burning with intensity. Rachel's breath caught as he swept her up in his arms, pressing their bodies together tightly. She couldn't tell if the heart pounding she felt was his or her own. She was too surprised to say anything before his mouth tasted her, both hot and firm.
At first, Rachel was unable to do anything but allow him to have his way with her lips. Alex knew exactly what to do to make her knees go weak, and she melted against him. All the barriers she had been holding up seemed to fade away form the heat of his mouth.
Soon what he was doing wasn't enough and she became more active in the kiss they shared. She slid her hands up from the edges of his jacket to the nape of his neck. She felt his hair under her palm as she dug her hands into the thickness of it and pulling him in deeper. She opened her mouth and let her tongue dance with his. The rest of their story was forgotten as she became wrapped up in this moment.
He was suddenly pulling away from her, leaving the taste of him on her lips.
"We will be finishing this later."
Rachel was still wobbly when he left the house. She leaned her forehead against the door, gulping for air. Thoughts about what he might have meant by that swirled in her mind. She remembered him undressing in front of her and how he could remove her clothing in the same way. Once they were both bare, he could touch her and taste her with the same vigor he kissed her. All of the ideas she had made her skin flush.
She returned to the parlor where a cup of tea still waited for her. As she sat, she heard the door. The butler came in to announce guests, the Duchess of Ashford and her cousin.
Her mouth fell open slightly as the two women walked into the room. The first one was the perfect example of English beauty with big blue eyes and soft blonde hair pinned up under a dainty hat decorated with daisies. She wore a white and blue striped day gown with daisies decorating the collar of her coat. She was smiling warmly, but Rachel immediately felt on edge. Another woman entered, but Rachel was focused on the beauty in front of her.
"Your Grace." Rachel attempted to curtsy, uncertain the proper response for such a guest. "I’m afraid I’m not prepared for your visit."
The woman that came in second stepped forward, giving Rachel a better view of her tall and elegant appearance. Her dress was a plain gold silk without any embroidery, but it was cut to accentuate her narrow hips and long legs. Her face and hair were nothing to be described as beautiful, but she had a friendly expression and a sharp intelligence in her brown eyes.
"I thought my husband had sent word I was going to be calling on you." The Duchess of Ashford said. "Please call me Eloisa. This is my cousin Sarah."
Rachel couldn't help but be surprised. Eloisa didn't look like Rachel's expectation of a duchess, but that made her feel more at ease. Perhaps that might make Eloisa an easier ally than any of the other ladies in society.
"Alex told me there would be guests, but not who." Rachel straightened and found that she and the duchess were about the same height.
"Most likely he didn't think it would matter."
"He was mistaken."
"Am I frightening?" Eloisa smiled in a bright way that left Rachel unable to say anything.
"Like a kitten with a ball of yarn." The other woman said. "I'm constantly looking over my shoulder."
Eloisa and Sarah could not have been more different but the way they talked revealed how close they were. Rachel envied them that kind of close friendship. She had grown up without any siblings and hod only had servants to spend time with. Now she seemed to be collecting friends quickly.
"Hello?"
Daphne stood at the door looking confused at the two guests. She had spent the morning in her room, no doubt as disappointed by the outcome of he previous night as Rachel was. This was supposed to be her introduction to society, and so far, it wasn't going very well.
"Daphne! I'm so glad to finally meet you." Eloisa was the first to rush forward, pulling the younger girl into a hug. "I have heard so many wonderful things about you from my husband and your brother. I was greatly disappointed we haven't met before now."
"Your husband?"
"Thomas Powell, Duke of Ashford. He's a friend of your brother's."
Recognition lit up her expression and Daphne smiled. "Alex told me about you. He is very impressed with the way you handled society last season."
"Come in and sit. We have much to discuss."
Eloisa pulled Daphne by the hand and the ladies all sat in the comfortable chairs in the parlor. Rachel was the last one to be seated, still a little unsure about why her guests were there. She wished she had told the servants to prepare something to serve but she hadn't. She should have dressed better for company. Rachel was beginning to realize how ill prepared she was for hosting society ladies.
"I heard that you didn't enjoy your time at the ball last night and I wanted to give my sympathy. I know how difficult it can be when you don't have a friendly face." said Eloisa.
"There wasn't a problem." Rachel tried to sit up a little straighter in her seat. "I think both of us did fine. Don't you, Daphne?"
Daphne nodded but her eyebrows were drawn together, confused about Rachel's answer. They both knew it was a complete failure.
"I heard that you slipped away into the garden with another man and when he came back he was injured."
"He fell." Rachel said quickly.
"So he said."
The corners of Eloisa's lips turned up, and her cousin giggled behind her hand.
"How did you know about that?" Rachel didn’t think anyone in the ballroom had noticed. No one had said anything to her about it as she said her good-byes before leaving.
"Gossip moves faster than money in this city. It's very valuable and can be traded for almost anything."
"I didn't mean to cause a scene. I was only defending myself."
"I know and I don't judge you for it. Other people aren't so understanding."
"It's too late for me to change that now. They have decided to cast me out and I will have to accept that."
"Not necessarily."
Now the duchess and her cousin were both smiling. Rachel had seen that kind of grin before, when a card sharp had very good hand.
"I think we have a way to get you back into good favor with the ton. It will just require an afternoon of your time."
Daphne cast Rachel a look, asking for her approval. At first Rachel wanted to say no, having trouble trusting that it could be so easily fixed, but seeing that hope in Daphne’s expression changed her mind. Rachel nodded and Daphne lit up with joy.
"What do we need to do?" Rachel asked.
Daphne was sitting on the edge of her seat, leaning forward with wide eyes, her hands clutched in her lap. Rachel had forgotten that she wasn't the only one who had suffered the night before. Daphne had a lot more to lose if she wasn't accepted.
"You will accompany us this afternoon for a few of our social calls.”
"How will that help?" Daphne asked Eloisa.
"Once the right people know you are both wealthy and good friends with some influential people, they will be clamoring for your attention. We can make you both the most popular people of the season."
"In one afternoon?"
Eloisa just smiled back at her and Rachel felt like she was being pulled in by her confidence. Everything after that happened in a blur. Sarah and Eloisa took the lead, directing Daphne and Rachel to the home along St. James. They made sure to make the proper introductions and include only the most flattering information. They let it slip that Rachel had money to spend and how she was such a good friend to them. Each lady they met suddenly pretended they were the best of friends as well. Rachel grew tired of the false smiles and insincere compliments, but Daphne was glowing from it. She didn’t seem to realize it was all for show
By the time they were finished the ladies had spent met more people than Rachel was ever going to be able to remember, but Eloisa was beaming with pride. She firmly believed that their efforts would prove to be successful. Rachel had her doubts but didn't want to be the only one in the group.
As they got into the carriage to return home, Rachel spotted her father watching her from down the street. She smiled and waved. He didn't do either of those things. He shook his head and he turned, walking down the street in the opposite direction.
"Did you know that man?" Eloisa asked as she came up beside Rachel.
Tears were stinging her eyes and her throat was tight. “No, I don't think I do."
Rachel was not in the mood to continue playing hostess as they arrived home. She fought back the tears as long as she could, but she excused herself and hid in her room. She fell into her bed and let the sadness flow from her. Tears soaked her pillow, and her breathing turned to moans. She couldn't form coherent thoughts, just feel pain and loss that her father’s unexpected rejection brought. As she sobbed into the bedding, Rachel lost track of time and eventually she fell into an exhausted sleep.
The sound of footsteps in the room brought Rachel awake. It was dark, and she suspected it was well past sunset. Her head felt heavy as she lay against the pillow, curled up with her hands tucked under her chin. She couldn't see who it was moving around the bed, but there was only one person it could be.
"Alex?" The sound of her voice was horse to her own ears and her throat ached.
"Daphne said you weren't feeling well." He sounded concerned.
"I must have had something that didn't agree with me."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Rachel could feel the tears filling hers eyes once again and the sob in the back of her throat. She didn't want him to have box seats to her misery.
"I just need to be alone."
She held her breath and listened to his footsteps go in the direction of the door. They stopped and she gasped as she felt the bed behind her sink from his weight. The warm length of his body wrapped around hers, and his arms pulled her in close. His face was against her cheek, and she knew he could feel the tears that were falling along them. She should have pushed him away but she nestled in closer.
"Want to tell me the real reason you're upset?"
"No."
"I can wait."
The two of them lay there together in the dark, holding each other. Rachel struggled to remain calm, but her resolve quickly vanished. She was sobbing again, only this time, there was someone whispering comforting words into her ear and rubbing his hands over hers. Finally, she was able to gain control of her emotions, and she wondered why he had stayed.
"How did you know?"
"That it wasn't just an upset stomach? Daphne said you were both too busy to eat before dinner, but you retired before the meal was served."
"I could have insisted you leave."
"There was no way I was willing to let you cry alone."
Rachel had to admit that it felt nice to be held like this. He was so strong and secure that she was coming close to falling asleep in his arms.
"What happened?"
Those softly spoken words against her ear in a tone that held genuine concern almost brought her to tears again.
"I saw my father today." Her voice was shaking. "He saw me and he just walked away. He avoided speaking to me."
Alex nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, pressing soft kisses on her skin to comfort her.
"I don't think he meant to hurt your feelings."
"Why would he avoid me?"
"I'm not sure, exactly, but you owe him a chance to explain."
“What if he refuses to speak to me?”
She felt his arms tighten around her. "I don't think he will, but you have never shied away from a risk."
"This is hardly the same."
"Don't be afraid."
The deep, smooth sound of his voice soothed her, and she found herself thinking about the vibration of his chest against her back. Every inch of her backside was touching him, some in intimate places. He was growing hard against her. She couldn’t help that her pulse quickened.
"Did you come to collect from me tonight?" Rachel asked, breathless.
"No, I had given up that thought when I heard you were not feeling well. I wanted to make sure you were taken care of."
"You are welcome to still redeem my marker."
"Not when you are so upset. What kind of villain do you think I am?"
He was the best kind. The kind that could tempt you with smooth words and a soft touch. Right now, Rachel would be willing to do almost anything if he suggested it with a whisper in her ear.
"I want you to enjoy when I come to collect as much as I do. That isn't going to be tonight."
"What will we do all night?"
"This feels nice. More of this, I should think."
She didn't need to say anything, because she was comfortable with that. She could easily spend the night wrapped in his arms like this. Her body was beginning to grow as tired as her emotions and she was falling asleep.
"Did you enjoy meeting Eloisa and Sarah?"
She had almost forgotten about her new friends. "They were wonderful. It was very considerate of you to invite them to the house."
"I've known Thomas for a very long time. I met his wife last season, when the two of them were married. She's a bit unusual for a duchess."
"Like I'm unusual?"
"You are exceptional." He placed a kiss in her hair. "She knows what it's like to not be accepted at first. I knew she would know how to help."
"She claims I should be receiving endless invitations tomorrow."
"I have never known her to be wrong."
Rachel wasn't convinced that one day of house calls with a duchess would be enough to turn her luck, but the possibility was enough to make her smile.
"Tell me about your day." Rachel said.
"Don't you want to go to sleep?"
"Yes, but only if it is to the sound of your voice."