Mrs Hillary Barrett watched with interest as a little raven-haired woman pulled Lord Bingham from the spectators. She wondered who the young lady was that made such a commotion. Her friends would dine out on this gossip for a week; she had never seen him follow any female willingly anywhere, besides his sister of course.
Hillary followed them closely, watching as the couple disappeared behind the pillar. She looked over her shoulder to see if any of her cronies had spotted this little rendezvous. Seeing all her lady friends were still discussing the spectacle the young woman had made, she rubbed her hands together with glee. She may just find the scandal of the year! This may be even better than seeing the young woman with her skirts around her ears. She rounded the corner into the alcove and stopped as a gasp was torn from her lips. This was even better than she thought!
Jasper wrenched his mouth away from the vixen and turned to see the one and only Mrs Hillary Barrett, the ton’s biggest gossip, staring at him with outraged shock.
“Lord Bingham! What on earth do you think you are doing with that young lady?”
Jasper looked down at the beauty in his arms. Her body was plastered against his, her glossy hair spilling down his left arm. Somewhere along the way her hairpins had fallen out. Her heaving breasts pressed to his chest, her clothes were slightly askew and her leg was still wrapped tightly around his thigh as though she was trying to climb him. He belatedly realised one of his hands was on her backside, pulling her closer to him, and his other hand was up her skirt just shy of her heat. He let go and dropped her like a hot poker. He turned to face his adversary, shoving the unknown woman behind him to keep her from Mrs Barrett’s prying eyes.
“Forgive me, I was just getting myself acquainted with my new fiancée, Mrs Barrett. I was just so happy with her answer I seem to have got carried away in the happy moment. If you would be so kind as to give us a minute, I would be happy to introduce you to my bride-to-be as soon as we have put ourselves to rights.” He smiled so sweetly that she blushed.
“Of course, my dear, I would be the last one to deny a new couple their happy moment.” She turned and ducked out of the alcove.
“Well, that was embarrassing,” the woman he was just making love to said once the curtain twitched back to its resting place. “I can’t believe she just barged in like that.”
Oh God, she was American, his sister was going to love this. “I can’t believe I fell for this. No one else has ever managed to do it, but you got me.” He turned towards the dishevelled beauty who was frantically trying to fix her dress. No matter what she did, it still kept gaping in the front, showing off the creamy tops of her breasts. He stared as her nipples played peek-a-boo with the lace of her bodice.
“What? What do you mean, I got you? Do you think someone put me up to this as a joke?” She looked up in disbelief from her ruined dress. “It’s terribly embarrassing getting caught kissing someone in the corner, but I assure you it was no practical joke.” Exasperated, she threw her hands down. “I can’t fix this blasted dress! Now what am I going to do? I can’t go back out there looking like this, not tonight.”
“Here, let me,” and, with experienced hands, he adjusted her dress so her breasts were no longer in danger of falling out. Jesus, it was hard to concentrate with this woman around. How in the hell was he going to get out of the mess she created? “This certainly is not a joke!” He stepped back and ran his hands through his hair. “I now must do the honourable thing…and to the wrong woman too! God damn it, what a mess. Where is your father? I must speak to him immediately.”
“My dad is dead. Did you just tell that lady I’m your fiancée?” Her beautiful mouth dropped open and then broke into a smile as she finally registered what he had said earlier. “Fast thinking, but are you crazy? At least that old lady won’t be too worried now, will she? But you don’t even know me, I could be some psycho for all you know.”
Jasper scrubbed his face with his hands and thought maybe he was the crazy one. He should just walk away from this fortune-hunter and leave her to the wolves. Who cared about her reputation? It was all but ruined from her display earlier anyway; his reputation would survive, men got away with so much more. But looking down at the confusion evident in her eyes, he couldn’t just leave her there. Besides, if he was honest with himself, she was not the only one to blame in this predicament. He suspected he couldn’t walk away from the passion he still felt for her. His hands still tingled where he had accidently brushed against the warm skin of her breast while he was setting her dress to rights, for God’s sake. How could he walk away from that? His passion for her was immediate and so intense he, for the first time ever, had forgotten where he was and what the consequences would be if he was caught. And caught he was.
“Do you have a brother I could speak to then?”
“No. My whole family died in a car accident three years ago.”
“Car accident? Oh, you mean carriage. I’m so sorry to hear that. You have my deepest condolences.” He could relate to losing loved ones and he didn’t wish that emptiness on anyone.
“They crashed on the interstate just before Christmas, three years ago. The road was covered in ice.” Tears welled up in her eyes and he could read the terror on her face as she relived it.
A strange protectiveness washed over him as he watched the sadness spread across her face. He couldn’t help but step forward and pull her into his arms. “You have no family, but all is well now, you have me. I’ll look after you, don’t worry. Stay here, I will go and find my sister.” He gently kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right back,” and then he ducked from the alcove.
Jasper pushed his way through the crowd, trying to locate his sister Victoria. She was his voice of reason whenever he did something rash. He hadn’t gone to her for quite some time; he thought he was all grown up and could look after himself. How wrong he was. If there ever was a need for her advice, now was it. Heat from his sudden desire stilled pulsed through his veins. The protectiveness he felt towards the mystery woman overwhelmed his senses until he couldn’t think properly. He hadn’t even asked her name before he left her there.
“Damn.” Several outraged gasps rose from the group of ladies next to where he came to an abrupt stop. “I do beg your pardon.” He nodded in the ladies’ direction, turned around and went back the way he had come. He shouldn’t have left her there all by herself. Busybody Barrett would have cornered her by now.
“Ah, Lord Bingham, a word if you please.” It was the father of Lady Anne, the woman he was supposed to marry; Richard Higgins, Earl of Alderton.
“Oh. Ah, umm, Lord Alderton, about our appointment tomorrow, umm, something’s come up. I won’t be able to make it.” Jasper stumbled with an excuse to un-ask the man’s daughter for her hand. Thank God he hadn’t actually asked her yet.
“Oh, my boy, I hope it’s nothing serious.”
Jasper choked on a cough. “No, my lord, nothing I can’t handle. But speaking of which, sir, I must run.”
Before Jasper could escape however, Lord Alderton caught his arm. “Oh none of that ‘sir’ stuff, my boy. Call me Dick; we’re practically family now, aren’t we?” Lord Alderton winked and slapped him on the back affectionately.
Damnation!. “Ah, I really must go now, Alderton…Dick.” Jasper quickly turned and lost himself in the crowd before he could dig himself into an even bigger hole than he already found himself in.
“Jasper.” He stopped when a hand touched his arm and he heard a voice he recognised. “What is going on? What’s this about you going off with some girl?”
Jasper let out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank goodness it’s you. I need your help, Victoria.”
Grace closed her eyes, took a deep calming breath and counted to three as she exhaled. When she opened her eyes a figure came