She utterly spellbound him, and he wanted her.
A virgin he may be, but after being around her, he was starting to think that having sex, taking pleasure from each other would not be so hard after all. It was more natural than unnatural, especially when it was with a woman one desired more than anyone else in the world.
The sound of the duke laughing in the olive grove pulled him to his senses, and he moved away, fisting his hands in his lap. Not only to keep them off her person but to stop anyone from noticing his erect cock straining against his breeches.
"Meet me in my smoking room tonight as you did today," was all he said as Victoria's mother, the duchess, and brother rejoined them.
Thankfully they did not move back toward the carriage for some time, content to finish lunch and the two bottles of champagne his cook had chilled and packed for them. Victoria stood and, taking her mama's arm, strolled about the area, looking at the olive grove herself.
Josh studied the champagne in his hand, a quizzical frown on his brow. Albert schooled his features, hoping that he did not suspect that he was overstepping his bounds with his sister. Which he certainly was doing. And tonight, would even more so.
"How is your courting of Victoria progressing? It seems she likes your company better than most. Why, before I left London when Armstrong’s courtship had just begun, she never showed much emotion with the chap." The duke lay down on the blanket, watching his sister and mother promenade. "With you she’s all smiles and laughter. A shame that Armstrong was not able to keep his cock in his own breeches. What a gem he lost the day he overstepped his bounds."
To be a duke's daughter and be cast off for a maid, was not something that was done to someone so high on the peerage ladder. Victoria did not deserve such treatment. No one did.
"She sees me as a project, I believe, more than a possible husband. I will continue to try and dissuade her of that ideal in the coming weeks."
"So long as your persuasion is chaste, I wish you well with your endeavors. But I will not have you use her for your own misdeeds, Melvin. Victoria is my sister, and I will protect her at any cost to others."
Albert swallowed. Friend or not, the duke would not take kindly should he find out what they had done already during their “tutoring”. It was anything but a game for him, but for Victoria, he was not as certain. To her, he believed she still saw him as a little fun, a gentleman to help her gain her wants and desires and nothing more.
Even knowing this, he wanted her to have feelings for him, both physical and emotional. She was such an independent, strong woman and would be a well-fought-after and victorious lady to catch should he secure her heart.
"My intentions are honorable, I promise, Your Grace," he said, meaning every word. As for Victoria's intentions being so, he was uncertain at this moment. But time would tell, and he would either end up with the woman he adored, or he would be sporting a very broken heart that he feared would never recover.
Chapter 18
Victoria bathed and dressed for bed later that night, wishing her mama and brother goodnight before locking herself away in her room. She had taken a silly risk this afternoon on their picnic. When she thought about what she had done, she still could not believe she had taken Albert's hand and placed it on her person. And not just anywhere on her body, but between her legs.
She slumped down on the settee before the fire in her room, glaring at the flames licking the wood. It was all Lord Melvin's fault when she thought about it in truth. He had left her in a state of need, more than she had when she'd come to his silly smoking room the first time.
When she could not find this pinnacle by herself, well, she had little choice but to make him find it for her.
She pursed her lips, wondering if it were late enough and if her family would be asleep by now. Josh had departed for the local town to try out the tavern and had attempted to persuade Albert to join him. Thankfully the marquess had cried off, stating he needed to catch up on some paperwork, but wished her brother a good evening.
Victoria stood and crossed to the door, impatience nagging at her. She slipped a dressing gown on and slippers and cracked the door open just a bit. The hall was dark. No candle burned in any of the sconces or candelabras. Only a small, flickering light illuminated from under her brother's door. Victoria made her way through the house, memory guiding her this time before she came to the smoking room door. Checking once again that she was alone, she looked up and down the hall and could see no one. Stealing into the room, she closed the door quickly behind her and found nothing. Not even Albert.
She frowned.
Where was he? No fire burned in the grate, and the room was dark, save for a little moonlight that stole through the windows.
Victoria called out to Albert, or whispered more like, but there was no response.
Had he reneged on his own plan and decided not to come and meet her?
She huffed out a breath, tracing her steps back to her room, not seeing anyone on her way. Where had he disappeared to? Disappointment stabbed at her as she climbed into bed. Lord Melvin would want a very good reason for standing her up, but somehow she
