Seduced at Midnight

Emily made a disparaging sound and gave a dismissive flick of her wrist. 'I find that very difficult to believe. Indeed, I'm shocked you didn't feel the need for a good scrubbing after being touched by that uncouth colonial. After all, how 'excellent' could he possibly be? For that matter, how 'excellent' could any man be?'

'Extremely excellent,' said Sarah.

'Marvelously excellent,' replied Carolyn at the same time.

'Extraordinarily excellent,' said Julianne in unison with her two friends. And immediately found herself the recipient of three startled looks.

Heat rushed into Julianne's face, and Emily's eyes narrowed. 'And where exactly are you getting your extraordinarily excellent information from? Don't tell me Logan Jennsen kissed you as well?'

'Heavens, no,' Julianne said, but the nervousness in her voice lent doubt to her words, even though they were truthful.

'But someone has kissed you,' Emily persisted. 'I can tell. It's written all over your face.'

'I… well…' Oh, dear. Why hadn't she simply pressed her lips together to keep from speaking? Both Sarah and Carolyn sat on the edge of their seats, clearly eager to hear what she had to say. And Emily's expression made it clear she'd never allow the subject to drop until Julianne answered. Julianne debated lying, but her friends knew her well enough to detect an outright falsehood.

She drew a bracing breath, then said in a rush, 'Yes, I've been kissed.'

'When?' asked Sarah.

Carolyn leaned forward. 'Where?'

'By whom?' demanded Emily.

The eager questions fired at her like pistol shots, ripping gaping wounds in her conscience. She hated to prevaricate with her dearest friends, but she simply couldn't tell them the truth. At least not the entire truth.

After swallowing to moisten her suddenly dry throat, Julianne said, 'It was, um, some time ago.' True, if one considered last night some time ago. It certainly felt as if ages had passed since Gideon had kissed her. 'As for where… the garden. And by whom… someone I shall never forget.'

'Which means you must recall his name,' Emily said, waving her hand in an impatient gesture for Julianne to continue.

Indeed. She feared blurting out Gideon every time she opened her mouth, as he so completely filled her mind. 'Of course. But since the gentleman and I are fated to different futures, I'd prefer not to reveal it.'

Carolyn and Sarah looked disappointed, but Emily appeared positively crestfallen by her refusal. And annoyed.

'Well, isn't this a fine stew,' Emily said, her lips compressed in clear irritation. 'You've all experienced these wonderful kisses, the sort described in detail in The Ghost of Devonshire Manor. Except me. And you'-with her beautiful face pulled into a pout, Emily stabbed a finger at Julianne-'won't even tell us who your extraordinarily excellent kisser was. I'm feeling very left out. And infuriatingly unkissed.'

Carolyn laid her hand over Emily's. 'Someday, very soon, I'm sure, you'll experience a wonderful kiss.'

'When you least expect it, some daring, wonderful kisser will sweep you right off your feet,' Julianne added.

Emily's lips twitched. 'You make him sound like a broom.'

'Which rhymes with groom,' Sarah said with a grin. 'He'll kiss you, sweep you off your feet, and we'll be attending a wedding.'

'Humph.' Emily flounced back in her chair. Then a mischievous gleam lit her eyes. 'Perhaps I'll kiss him and be the one doing the sweeping.'

'I'd wager that whomever you finally set your sights on won't stand a chance against you,' Sarah said, laughing.

'Yes, perhaps we'd best warn the poor man,' teased Carolyn.

'At least give him a head start,' joined in Julianne. Then she sobered. 'Speaking of weddings… I don't want to cast a pall on our evening, but I suppose there's no point in delaying telling you…' Her voice trailed off, and she stared into the candlelight for several seconds, desperately wishing she didn't have to say the rest, that it was all just a bad dream from which she would soon awaken. 'Shortly before you arrived, my father told me he has decided upon a husband for me. It's the Duke of Eastling.'

Emily gasped. 'Are you betrothed?' The word sounded like an obscenity, and as far as Julianne was concerned, it was.

'Not officially yet, but according to Father I will be by next week. He and Mother plan to make the official announcement during their ball.' With a heavy heart she told them about the duke's wish for the carriage to take place before his planned returned to Cornwall.

For several long seconds only silence met her announcement. Then Sarah reached out and clasped her hands. Emily and Carolyn did so as well, and Julianne found herself clinging to her friends like a lifeline.

'Have you had an opportunity to spend any time with the duke?' Sarah asked, her eyes filled with concern.

A bitter sound escaped Julianne. 'Not very much, but that will be remedied within a fortnight. I'll be spending the rest of my life with him.' She lowered her chin and stared at the table. 'With a man I barely know, and to whom I'm not the least bit attracted. A man who will take me away to Cornwall.' Tears stung the backs of her eyes. 'A man who cares nothing for me.'

'Well, I simply wouldn't do it,' Sarah said, her expression as fierce as her voice. 'I would refuse to marry him. Surely there is someone else. Someone you could care for. Someone who cares for you.'

Julianne offered her loyal friend a sad smile. 'It doesn't matter, as the duke is the man Father has chosen.'

'The choice should be yours,' Sarah insisted.

'We weren't born into the peerage,' Carolyn said to her sister. 'Our circumstances regarding marriage were vastly different than Julianne's. Our father was a physician, not an earl.'

'And Julianne is a woman, not chattel to be bartered away to the highest bidder.'

''Tis the way of the peerage, I'm afraid,' said Emily. 'You've only been part of this life a short time, Sarah. Very few marriages are love matches. If one is very, very fortunate, love eventually grows.'

'And if it doesn't?'

'Thus the prevalence of infidelity in society.'

Sarah shook her head, and her glasses slid downward. 'Well, that is simply unacceptable. And my earlier statement stands. I just wouldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I couldn't possibly share the intimacies of marriage with someone I didn't love. Someone who didn't care for me.'

Carolyn put her arm around Julianne's shoulder and shot her sister a frown. 'You're not helping, Sarah. How could the duke, or any man for that matter, not adore our Julianne?'

'He'd be an utter fool not to,' Sarah agreed. 'But what of her feelings for him? Or rather her lack of feelings?' Before anyone could answer, Sarah turned to Emily. 'What about you? Do you harbor any hopes of making a love match?'