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

these past few days. She and Anna had found themselves without Victoria, who had come down with a cold. And with the rainy weather, all of their outings had been canceled. Stuck in the house, with little to do but read, her mind kept wandering back to her last encounter with Douglas. She knew nothing would come of it, but that one taste of passion with him had her doubting she would find someone else to replace him. If he had known it was her, even though it pained her to admit it, he would have been repulsed that he had been kissing her. But for her, she worried no man would be able to compete with him.
    She sighed as she looked out at the rain-drenched streets. Water sluiced down the windowpane, the patter of it hitting the ledge a perfect accompaniment to her mood. It had been several years since she had been reduced to this level of melancholy. But the thought of finding someone other than Douglas for her deflowering just seemed to send her spiraling downward.
    If only she could have kept her search cold-blooded. Men performed the task of picking a lover without giving it any more thought than choosing a new cravat. Theirs wasn’t a choice of the heart, but of convenience. That was originally why she came up with a list. She knew it would be no more than one stolen moment, one interlude of pleasure— at least she hoped—with no promise of marriage or further liaisons.
    She now worried that any man would pale in comparison to Douglas and that was not acceptable. This solitary chance to taste passion should not be dampened by the memory of a single kiss. One make–her-knees-weak-and-her-head-spin kind of kiss, but it was still just a kiss. Not the actual deed. Although the memory of the heat that burst between the two of them from that simple act still caused a flash of warmth to spread through her.
    “Woolgathering, Cousin?”
    Anna’s question jolted Cicely out of her thoughts. When she looked at her younger cousin, Cicely felt her face flush with embarrassment at being caught thinking about that .
    Anna’s smile widened. “Ahhh, and it must have been something naughty to get that blush.”
    “’Tis nothing. I was reading over the diary again.”
    Anna offered the diary a nasty look. “You have had your head stuck in that book for days. It’s almost as depressing as this weather.”
    Cicely gave her an understanding smile. Anna tended to lean toward debates on modern politics, rather than history as Cicely did. Most of the ton would be amazed to find a decidedly clever debate partner in Anna since she hid her intelligence behind a cloak of smiles and twinkling eyes—not to mention being one of the best known sources of idle gossip.
    “I am enjoying the intrigue of it, even if I may never know who these people are.”
    Anna settled in her favorite chair. She trailed her fingers over the curving scrollwork on the armrests. “Go ahead, tell me.”
    “You hate history.”
    Anna rolled her eyes. “I would do anything to break the monotony of these past few days. Even listen to history. You know you want to talk about it. So go on. Share with me.”
    Guilt engulfed Cicely. “I am so sorry, Anna. I know—”
    Her cousin waved that away. “No. I just get a little crazy waiting around because it is raining. It has nothing to do with missing the balls.”
    She smiled. “Of course, they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
    “Hmm, and is there anyone in particular you are thinking of?”
    Anna’s smile turned radiant with a touch of devious delight. “I will tell you as soon as you tell me about that. Tit for tat.” She pointed to the diary that now lay open on Cicely’s lap.
    “You must really be in need of amusement if you are begging entertainment from me.”
    Anna apparently missed her dry tone and opened her mouth to argue but Cicely laughed. “No, truly, I understand. These past few days have been a bit…tedious.”
    “ Cicely .”
    “There was a group of five members of the Quality who