Free Once Upon an Accident 02 - Lessons in Seduction by Melissa Schroeder

drifting over her features before resignation replaced it. “I think if you truly wanted to be there, you would have been.”
    No accusation laced her tone. He had been ready for a fit of jealousy, although she had never shown that sort of behavior before. Married at the age of eighteen to a man in his sixties, she was now a widow known to have lovers, but was incredibly discreet. They were the same age and had been friends since they met. It was because of that he thought he needed to give her an explanation.
    “Catherine—”
    She shook her head and took his hand in hers. “Do not worry, Douglas. I knew this day would come and I am relieved for it. You need some happiness in your life. You deserve it.”
    A burst of giggles turned their attention down the hall. Catherine gave his hand a friendly squeeze then let it go. She turned to leave.
    “Catherine?”
    Looking back over her shoulder one last time, she offered him a small smile. “I hope she is all you need.”
    With that cryptic statement, she left him. He wandered down the hall in the opposite direction and allowed his mind to drift back to the encounter in the library. Something about the woman was familiar although he was sure he had never kissed her before tonight.
    Needing air, he decided to abandon the ball and go to his club. After his altercation with Lady Cicely, he was more than ready to leave. She had been his one and only reason for attending. A drink or two, perhaps a hand of cards would do him good. Within a few moments, he was in his carriage and on his way to White’s. In the darkness, his mind drifted back to the feel of his unknown lady’s soft, full lips pressing against his.
    When he licked his, he could taste her there, sweet and innocent, with a touch of seductive temptress. His body reacted immediately. Letting loose an aggravated groan, he scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to dislodge the memory. When he did, a hint of lavender mixed with a subtle undertone of woman had his senses reeling.
    He knew women especially by their scent. Catherine had always favored roses, on her skin, in her bed. It hit him that he should have known who his mystery woman was the moment he had leaned closer to her. Lavender had surrounded him, but he ignored it and the implications. Until now, alone in the dark with his thoughts and his dismay.
    He closed his eyes as he remembered the scent of warm lavender on Lady Cicely’s skin. Good Lord, he should have known. The way she had kissed told him that she hadn’t had many, if any, encounters. Innocent and enthusiastic, but completely inexperienced. He opened his eyes, then narrowed them thinking of the way she’d fled, as if the hounds of hell were after her.
    She had stood in the ballroom, the picture of sincerity, and told him she had no plans to meet anyone. She’d been lying. Goddamn her to hell, she had been lying. Right to his face!
    A rush of heated anger infused his blood. From what he had experienced, Cicely was not wasting any time going forward with her plan. She had made arrangements to meet another man. Her reactions, her moans, everything he thought had been for him was not. It had been a lie. When she discovered it was him, she had fled, thinking he would never figure out it had been her.
    He smiled, with no humor, thinking about confronting her at the next ball. Lady Cicely had much for which to answer to.
    Three days after the encounter with Douglas, Cicely carefully turned the page of the diary. The book itself had seen better days and she suspected whoever had been in possession of the diary had not worried about its care. She assumed they had hidden it away, not wanting anyone to know what it was. More than likely, someone had not comprehended what they owned. That might explain the sorry condition of the book when she found it for sale. It wasn’t until she had read about one-third of it that the incriminating information came to light.
    Cicely was more than thankful for the diary