Free Ice Angel by Elizabeth Hanbury

Her marriage had palled long ago, and she yearned for more excitement than her husband could provide. Lady Portland had enjoyed flirtations while living in Europe, but always with men anxious to enjoy her delights. There was no thrill of the chase. Now, Felicity had glimpsed a tempting challenge: Hal had grown into a handsome, virile man who presented her not only with a target, but stirred feelings of desire which she thought had vanished from her heart long ago. How delightful it would be to make Lord Bramwell beg for her favours and then enjoy an illicit affair to enliven her dull existence .
    Portland could offer nothing any more. She despised him for being so easily cuckolded and for being eager to pander to her whims; she deplored his spreading girth; his increasing ill-health irked her beyond reason, and even the power of his wealth had lost the edge of its attraction. She did not regret her marriage – after all, she enjoyed the comforts and deferential treatment that extreme wealth brought – but after glimpsing Lord Bramwell’s handsome profile and impressive physique, she had felt a sharp stab of disappointment when she recalled that once he could have been hers. However, there may still be some recompense. She had the protection of being a married woman and, as long as the participants were discreet, affairs were not merely countenanced but encouraged; and she had heard Bramwell was still unmarried, so there would be no need to deceive a wife as well as a husband.
    Lady Portland smiled as she listened to her husband’s attempts to restore her good humour as they returned to their house in Mayfair: her thoughts were pleasant ones and concerned Lord Bramwell.
     
    In the days that followed, Lord Bramwell called frequently in Curzon Street and Julia often accompanied him. Isabella found his patience towards Dominic surprising; she had thought his enthusiasm for indulging a small boy would soon wane. However, a mutual appreciation seemed to have developed – Dominic saw Lord Bramwell as a source of fun and a fount of knowledge, while in return his lordship seemed to enjoy his companion’s enquiring mind and artless chatter. They had visited the Royal Menagerie, seen the animals at the Royal Exchange, and even explored Madame Tussauds famous waxworks.
    Isabella was unsure how to deal with her son’s new friendship . She was pleased that Dominic enjoyed Lord Bramwell’s company, but she could not feel happy that he was forming a strong attachment to a man whose presence in their lives would be fleeting. She had seen enough to know that as well as possessing a sense of humour, Lord Bramwell was intelligent and articulate, and that his affection for Dominic was sincere. However, the glow of sensual awareness that she felt whenever he was near had intensified and, sharply disarmed and discomfited by this, Isabella’s demeanour remained distant. His extraordinary ability to affect her meant that she dreaded being alone with him … and God knows what would happen if he touched her – she must avoid that at all costs.
    Despite this, she could not help being intrigued by him. He spoke only of inconsequential matters in conversation, offered her no false flattery and had not threatened to kiss her again. He had made a few gentle enquiries about her past which she had politely rebuffed. He had invited her to drive with him in Hyde Park which she refused, even though her traitorous heart had wanted to accept, but, having raised his brows in surprise at her stammered refusal, he made no further comment. Indeed, his lordship made no obvious attempts to ingratiate himself and yet, if he did not appear in Curzon Street because of other engagements, Isabella found herself longing to hear his voice.
    Sir Seymour also visited regularly, but while she found Sir Seymour amusing and was flattered by his attention, Isabella felt disappointment when his arrival was announced rather than Lord Bramwell’s. In contrast, Harriet