There was only a little thread left of his patience, and if anyone was going to break it, it would be Lady Delilah Stanhope. But he couldn't afford to cause a scene at Lady Danver’s ball, even if it was just on the balcony.
“Why, silly, I have come to see you, of course,” she said with a giggle, and when he turned to look at her in confusion, she held up a note in her gloved hands.
He didn't know what to say, and when he reached out for it, she crumpled it in her fingers and yanked it away, stepping just a little closer to him. He knew that teasing look in her eye.
“You teasing rogue,” she said.
“But I did not—”
She put a gloved hand to his lips. “Do not say anything, Nathaniel. Only listen,” she breathed in a low, sultry voice.
She did not remove her fingers, and she was far too close, close enough for him to smell her perfume. Nathaniel remembered the way that smell had excited him. It had made his body feel alive all over, and he remembered not being able to wait to getclose to her again. But now it was too much, filling his senses, giving him a headache, and irritating him.
“Listen to what?” he asked, taking her wrist and pulling her hand away from his mouth slowly.
There was a sound by the door, and they both turned to look. Nathaniel could feel the blood drain from his face as he saw Jane standing there, her eyes fixed on Nathaniel's hand around Delilah's wrist, the both of them standing close together, close enough to kiss.
Even when he dropped Delilah's hand, she grabbed at him again and stepped closer, her one hand on his waist pulling at his coat. A strangled cry came out of Jane's throat, and she began to slowly back away to the door.
No, dear God, no.
***
Jane put a hand to her chest. Was it not enough that her name had been mentioned in the scandal sheets, that she had been made a fool by Nathaniel? Everyone now knew just how big of a fool she was to have fallen for the charms of a man who was only hungry for money. But now it was even more than that.
He was not just a money-grubbing nobleman; he was a rakish one as well. He had only just bedded her, his mouth and body bringing her more pleasure than she ever could have imagined, but now he was returning to his old love, Lady Delilah.
She opened her mouth, but only a little sound came out. Nathaniel looked pale, and she was not surprised, for he had been caught red-handed. Had he expected to try to get her to come back to him that very evening? But first, he simply had needed to kiss his true beloved once more? Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away, but they persisted all the same.
Delilah, however, looked like the cat who had gotten the cream. Her lovely, sensual red lips spread into a smile, and one of her hands was pulling on Nathaniel's coat while the other lay proudly and possessively on his chest.
“Jane,” Nathaniel said, his voice sounding raspy and thick, as if he'd just been whispering sweet nothings into his lady love’s ear.
“No,” she finally said, unable to say anything else.
There was nothing that could describe the pain that filled her at the sight of all this before her. Taking a step back, her eyes darted to the side edge of the balcony, where there was a set of stone stairs. She could not certainly return to the ballroom, but perhaps she could escape into the garden instead.
When there were footsteps behind her, she gasped and turned to see Lady Delilah's mother, as well as a few of the older society ladies, coming onto the balcony, each of them with matching expressions of horror.
Nathaniel cursed and finally pulled away from Lady Delilah as a small outcry came up over the older ladies.
“Just what is going on here, Lord Balwood?” Lady Mortimer asked, her hands on her hips.
Nathaniel locked eyes with Jane, but she couldn't stand there any longer. It was far too embarrassing and humiliating. She had had enough of society, perhaps forever. If only she could jump on that ship and ride away into the unknown and put all this behind her. The tears came down her cheeks, hot and fast. She put a hand to her mouth to keep a cry from coming out. She would not humiliate herself any further.
With one hand grasping her skirts, she raced down the garden steps. But she was running too fast, and it was too dark. And because her one hand was on her mouth instead of lifting the other side of her skirts, a bit caught under her shoe. Before she reached the end of the steps, she fell, hurtling forward, her own shriek sounding in her ears as she fell.
A sharp pain spread through her head. She tried to cry out in pain, but nothing came out, and she heard a rush of footsteps before darkness engulfed her.
Chapter 38
Delilah watched in amusement as Nathaniel raced after Jane, who had so stupidly fallen on the steps. She walked over slowly, while the other ladies who had arrived just in time hurried down the steps as well after Nathaniel.
It has worked out even better than I could have hoped,she thought to herself.
Nathaniel knelt by Jane, who did not rouse, and Delilah leaned over the balustrade to watch. Jealousy brewed inside her at the tender way Nathaniel touched Jane. He loved her; it was clear, but he would soon forget her if she and Lord Claridge had anything to do with it. She had nearly gotten close enough to kiss him before Jane had arrived.
That would have sealed everything. She turned to see Lord Claridge rushing through the crowd. He had arrived just in time as well, although he had not expected the fall. But he took to it quite nicely.
