Page 24 of Venus in Disguise

“Of course I am,” he repeated amiably, walking over and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for helping.”

Viv snorted and followed him to the door. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she muttered, shaking her head. They went out and Ash paused as movement down the corridor caught his eye. He thought he saw a glimpse of blue, but it was gone too quickly to be certain. Forgetting it, he escorted his sister back to the dance.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur, as far as Narcissa was concerned. She danced, and she smiled, and she did everything Mrs Chandler could expect of her. To her relief, Lord Fotherington was here tonight and, as he was Mrs Chandler’s favourite beau at present, the lady was too happy flirting and laughing with him to worry overmuch about Narcissa.

The excuse about her hem worked like a charm, and Narissa managed to quiet her over-excited heart enough to behave properly instead of like a besotted lunatic who had become ridiculously infatuated in such a short space of time.

Ashton. Ash. She repeated the name he had given her leave to use over and over again in her mind, hugging it to herself alongside the beautiful words he had spoken.

You deserve to be loved, to be the woman a man would sell his soul to win, the kind he would spend the rest of his days with, knowing he was the luckiest fellow on the planet.

She repeated them to herself, wanting to remember so she could write his exact words in her diary. The memory of his tenderness, his soft voice, made emotion expand in her heart, filling it until she thought her ribs could not contain the happiness rising inside her.

Even when Lord Wishen sought her out again, looking at her as though he were famished and she the last cream cake, her spirits were too buoyed to be diminished. All the way back to Mrs Chandler’s home, as her cousin and Maud chatted animatedly about the ball and all the juiciest on dits they had gathered over the past hours, Narcissa just stared out of the carriage window. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts so she could relive those moments in Ash’s arms, the feel of his mouth upon hers. She smiled to herself, still stunned how wonderful a kiss it had been, and oh, how she wanted another, and another, and all his kisses all to herself.

Finally, the carriage arrived back at Kemble House and the three women made their weary way up the stairs to bed.

“Goodnight, Cousin. Goodnight, Maud,” Narcissa said, turning down the corridor to her own room.

Mrs Chandler waved her fan dismissively before entering her own room and closing the door, but Maud lingered.

“Oh, my lady, a moment of your time, if you would be so good,” Maud said, her expression too sweet to be trusted.

“Certainly,” Narcissa replied, uncertain of what she could want, even as a prickle of unease ran down her spine.

“In private, I think,” Maud added, gesturing for Narcissa to carry on walking.

Narcissa glanced at her, her unease growing as she went to her bedroom and Maud followed. Her maid, Nancy, was waiting for her.

“Nancy, would you mind giving us a moment, please?” she asked politely as the girl bobbed a curtsey and hurried out.

“Don’t worry,” Maud said brightly, once the girl had closed the door. “I won’t keep you above a moment.”

“Very well,” Narcissa replied, her heart thudding as a terrible sense of foreboding swept over her.

“I know what you did tonight,” Maud said, with no preamble. “I know you met that man, your lover,” she said in disgust, her lip curling.

Narcissa caught her breath, one hand flying to her heart. Instantly a denial rose to her lips, but she closed her mouth, holding it back. She would not deny it, not deny Ash. It would be pointless for one thing, for Maud must have followed her, but more than that, she did not wish to deny he meant something to her, even to a spiteful creature like Maud.

“What do you want?” she said instead, her voice cold.

“Five hundred pounds,” Maud replied, her eyes flashing defiantly.

Narcissa gaped at her. “You’re mad,” she whispered, stunned both by the realisation Maud really meant to blackmail her as much as the vast amount. “I have a little pin money, but nothing anywhere close to that sum. You know this. The duke pays all my bills directly. He does not trust me with anything more than the smallest amount of money and I have no jewellery to sell other than my pearls. He disapproves of unmarried ladies wearing anything else.”

“Then you had best ask your lover for the money. He’s a wealthy man by all accounts. His father certainly is.”

“I c-can’t do that,” Narcissa exclaimed in horror. “It’s impossible.”

“Then I shall tell Mrs Chandler and she will tell the duke,” Maud said with a shrug, turning and walking to the door.

“No! Wait,” Narcissa cried, running after her. Fear, cold and sickening, made her skin clammy as she considered what her father would do when he discovered what she had done. Would she be made a prisoner at Hardacre too? Would he disown her? She stared at Maud in disbelief, not understanding how she could be so cruel. “Why, Maud? Why are you doing this to me? I have tried to be kind to you, to make things easier for you.”

“Kind?” Maud spat in disgust, her expression venomous. “By making Mrs Chandler aware that she treats me like dirt? As if we don’t both know it already. You think that kindness, do you? And what do you think will happen when she becomes uncomfortable, knowing you are aware of what a petty, vindictive woman she is? Do you think she’ll change her ways? Or do you think she’ll get rid of the reason for her discomfort altogether? The only reason she keeps me around is because it makes her feel superior and she can tell her friends about her charity and kindness in keeping such a poor dab of a woman as I am in her household.”

“I’m sorry,” Narcissa said, bewildered by this point of view, but seeing at once the possibility Maud had the right of it. “I had no intention of putting you at risk, Maud, you must see that. My intentions were good. I only wished for you to be treated with respect.”

Maud snorted. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions, that much I’ve learned at my cost. Well, no more. This time I shall look out for myself. You are a stupid, spoiled brat, Narcissa. You’ve beauty, position, wealth. Everything a girl could possibly want, you have. You could be a countess for the snap of your fingers, but no… that’s not good enough for you. No, you must ruin yourself, throwing everything away on a man who does not belong in our world, nor his own.”