To Seduce a Bride

absence or her failure to return to the drawing room. She did not want to have to confess the wanton, scandalous things she had been doing with Lord Claybourne in her bed during the final hours of the soiree.

Thus, her thoughts were greatly distracted when Ada spoke.

“Lord Claybourne seems quite taken with you, Miss Loring,” Ada commented.

“Why do you say so?” Lily answered absently as she sipped her coffee.

“He won’t so much as look at any of us girls when you are around…nor when you are absent, either.”

“I wish he would look at someone else,” Lily muttered in a low undertone.

“Truly?” Ada’s tone held surprise. “You want him to look elsewhere?”

Realizing she’d spoken her thought aloud, Lily looked up to find Ada watching her shrewdly.

“Most women,” Ada pointed out, “would rightly sell their souls to have the attention of such a magnificent man.”

Feeling her cheeks warm, Lily occupied herself with spreading marmalade on her toast. “Perhaps, but I am inclined to keep my soul for my own.”

“I heard that his lordship wants to wed you,” Ada added leadingly.

“So he claims, but I don’t want to wed him.”

“You don’t want to be a marchioness?” Her eyes widened as if she couldn’t comprehend such a sacrilege. “I would give up my new protector in the blink of a pig’s eye if I thought I had a chance at winning Lord Claybourne’s patronage.” Then she sighed. “But I would never poach another girl’s man. At least not one who has been so good to me, as you have been, Miss Loring.”

“Lord Claybourne is not my man, Ada,” Lily assured her.

A calculating gleam lit Ada’s eyes. “Then you would not mind if I tried my hand at attracting his notice?”

Frowning, Lily wondered how she would feel if the beautiful young courtesan tried to seduce Heath. She would not like it at all, she decided. But then, she didn’t have the right to prevent Ada from pursuing him, nor did she even want that right.

“I have no claim to him,” Lily repeated.

“Then if you truly don’t mind…I may give it a try. Not that I have much of a chance of succeeding. Most gents are not so hard to seduce, but Lord Claybourne is said to be a splendid lover. I’ve heard tell he can make a woman weep with joy. It won’t be easy to pleasure such a man, or persuade him to take me on, not when he can have any woman he wants.” Ada tossed her head. “But if I cannot do it, then no one can.”

Lily had to agree with her assessment. With her fiery hair, lush curves, and earthy beauty, Ada should appeal even to a jaded nobleman of Heath’s discriminating tastes, especially since Ada had learned to temper her vulgar mannerisms over the past month and her speech now sounded almost genteel when she worked at it. Heath might well be attracted to the sensual young siren.

“I expect you are right,” Lily said with a faint smile.

Ada dimpled. “And if I can’t, I fancy it could prove his devotion to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why, just that if his attention can be turned to me so quick, then you’ll know he won’t be faithful to you in the long run. ’Tis better to know a man’s stripes before you throw your lot in with ’im, I always say.”

“True. My father was an inveterate rake, and I have no desire for a husband who is anything like him.”

Lily found her mouth curling at the remembrance of her father’s libertine ways. She doubted Heath was much like her profligate father, but if he readily gave in to the temptation the lightskirt presented, it would indeed prove he didn’t want her all that much after all.

And in truth, if Ada could seduce him, Lily rationalized, it could solve her own problem of his courtship. If his carnal needs were filled by someone else, he was less likely to be lusting after her.

“You needn’t worry that I will stand in your way, Ada,” Lily murmured. “In fact, Lord Claybourne is coming to call at eleven. You are welcome to greet him in my place.”

“Why, thank you, Miss Loring. I believe I know just how to go about it.”

Ada’s plan was relatively simple: Upon the marquess’s arrival, she would descend the front staircase and contrive to fall at his feet, so that he would have no choice but to assist her. Ada was an actress, after all, and she intended to put her thespian skills to good use.

Lily was beginning to have second thoughts, however. Even though she’d voiced no objection to Heath’s possible seduction, she felt strangely anxious for the entire remainder of the morning. And she found herself watching the mantel clock in Fleur’s sitting room as eleven o’clock approached.

When eventually she heard the front door knocker sound, she slipped out into the corridor and edged toward the head of the stairs where Ada was poised to begin her performance.

All went perfectly according to the courtesan’s plan, Lily saw, watching clandestinely from above. Moments after Lord Claybourne turned over his hat to the houseboy, Ada twisted her ankle on the bottom stair and fell gracefully to the parquet floor directly in front of him.

At her small cry of pain, Heath immediately came to Ada’s rescue. And when she professed a need to lie down, he was compelled to carry her into the nearest room with a sofa, which happened to be the first floor parlor.

Unfortunately, Lily soon discovered, from her position on the second floor landing, she couldn’t see or hear what was transpiring between Ada and their noble guest.

Five minutes passed before Lily’s impatience won out over her better judgment. Descending the staircase, she slowly made her way down the corridor toward the parlor door, yet she could hear little there either, save for the murmur of voices.

Fighting the urgent need to rush in after them, Lily instead forced herself to stand in the corridor, although chiding herself all the while. She couldn’t believe she was hovering about in this pathetic manner. She didn’t give a fig if Heath was kissing Ada, or touching her, or stroking her, or bringing her to pleasure the way he’d done her-

Lily stifled a groan at the tormenting image of him making love to the beautiful Cyprian, and after another moment, admitted that it was futile trying to fool herself. She hated to think of Heath with another woman. She didn’t want him kissing anyone but her, pleasuring anyone but her.

When the low rumble of his voice was followed by his amused chuckle, Lily stiffened. She had to stop Ada from seducing him, despite her original assent to the plan!

Bracing herself for what she might find, Lily tried to keep her steps unhurried as she moved to the door, but when she entered the parlor, she came up short.

Ada was indeed lying on the sofa, lounging back against a pillow in a languid, seductive pose, while Heath sat at the lower end with the girl’s bare foot in his lap, her slipper and stocking gracing the carpet. He was massaging her ankle gently, much as he’d done to Lily’s foot in his carriage the afternoon of the garden party.

A pang of dismay shot through Lily, along with a fierce sting of jealousy-both of which she tried to quell as she loudly cleared her throat.

Ada glanced up with a start. “Oh, Miss Loring. I did not expect you.”

Lily forced a smile. “I was supposed to meet his lordship at eleven but was delayed.”

Heath, she noted, seemed not a bit discomfited that she had caught them together. In fact, he didn’t even stand in her presence, as any gentleman normally would.

“Ada, my dear, are you in pain?” Lily asked, pointedly regarding the courtesan’s bare foot.

“Well, I was-I sprained my ankle quite dreadfully-but Lord Claybourne has taken all the pain away.” Ada fluttered her kohl-darkened eyelashes up at him. “I vow, ’tis splendid for a girl to have such a gallant savior.”

“Yes,” Lily responded in a dust-dry tone, “his lordship does enjoy playing the hero.”

He also looked as if he was enjoying the beauty’s attention, Lily thought, feeling piqued. “Ada, I will ring for Ellen to bring you a cold compress if you like.”

When she started to move across to the bellpull, however, Heath’s easy drawl followed her. “Have the compress delivered to Miss Shaw’s bedchamber. I intend to carry her there since she cannot walk.”

“Oh, thank you, my lord,” Ada breathed in a husky murmur. “I don’t know how I