Page 9 of What A Rogue Wants (Lords Of Deception #1)

Five

Madelaine couldn’t afford to be a fool. And if the tales she’d been listening to for the last two hours were true, Lord Grey was a man who wanted a willing wench in his bed and most definitely not a wife—therefore he was a man for fools.

None of the ladies embroidering in the circle appeared to see the situation that way, but Madelaine did.

The ladies giggled, whispered and placed wagers on who would win Lord Grey’s heart. Madelaine doubted any of them would.

Madelaine glanced at Lady Elizabeth. She was red-faced and tight-lipped, as she had been for the last hour.

But she had not denied a single word about her brother.

Finally the queen chimed in with a “tsk.” All grew blessedly silent as the queen stood and glanced around her ladies-in-waiting. “Young men have great appetites.”

As if that was an excuse for blatantly using women!

The queen’s gaze rested on Madelaine, and Madelaine forced herself to unclench her hands. “Lord Grey is a man of honor,” the queen said.

Madelaine quickly pretended to study her embroidery in case her thoughts showed on her face.

She hardly saw how bedding hordes of women was honorable.

Lord Grey sounded more like a depraved rake.

Which made it all the more infuriating that she kept picturing his wintery eyes and radiant smile.

She needed to forget him—not daydream about him.

She already had Lord Thorton trying to lead her to ruin.

She certainly didn’t need to add another rake to her troubles.

“Come, Lady Elizabeth. Help me prepare for dinner,” the queen commanded. The moment her bedchamber door shut, the chatter erupted again. Madelaine forced herself to sit through two more stories. That should be long enough no one would comment that she was rushing away the minute the queen departed.

She stuffed her embroidery into her bag, longing for the chance to be alone for a moment before dinner.

She needed to clear her thoughts and raise her defenses for another tedious meal where she spent more time blocking Lord Thorton’s wandering hands than eating.

At the rate she was going her clothes would all be falling off her by Christmas.

She bent to gather the rest of her embroidery thread and when she straightened Lady Elizabeth stood before her. “Come with me,” Lady Elizabeth urged with a quick glance at the other ladies.

She needn’t have bothered. They were all still far too busy giggling over Lord Grey and which of them would be the one to ensnare his heart and make him reform his ways.

Madelaine dismissed them and focused on Lady Elizabeth.

A pink flush still covered her skin and her eyes gleamed. “What are you up to?”

Lady Elizabeth tilted her head toward the hall and pressed her lips together as she grasped Madelaine’s hand.

It took Madelaine a breath to decide this was too intriguing to pass up. Excitement filled her. Lady Elizabeth wanted to share a secret with her and treat her as a friend. She followed Lady Elizabeth out of the queen’s drawing room and down the hall.

“Those women infuriate me,” Lady Elizabeth said as she stopped.

A spark of hope filled Madelaine. Lord Grey had been the first man at Court to truly capture her attention. If the women had been wrong about him… “So Lord Grey is not a rake?”

“Oh, he is. Most definitely. But they know nothing of him. They think the prettiest face will win his heart and change his ways. But they’re wrong.”

Madelaine was intrigued despite knowing she should not be. “What do you think?”

“I know what Grey needs is to feel loved. Then he’ll change.”

Madelaine snorted. She couldn’t help it. “Don’t you think your brother feels plenty of love from the bosom of your family and the bosoms of all the women he has apparently seduced?”

“No.” Lady Elizabeth smiled but then her mouth drew into a frown. “It’s a story for another time, but Grey is an outsider with my father and our older brother.”

“I don’t understand.” How did being an outsider make one a notorious rake? Feeling excluded usually meant someone would feel little confidence. She ought to know. Lord Grey exuded confidence.

“Neither do I. But I vow he’s like he is because he never had Father’s attention. He wants to feel loved.” Lady Elizabeth’s words held a ringing note of wistfulness. Madelaine’s heart fluttered with pity for the man, even though her head was not sure he deserved it.

“I find it hard to believe your brother doesn’t feel loved when so many women apparently want him.”

“I’m told on very good authority that there’s a marked difference between love and lust.”

“Whose authority?” Madelaine scarcely believed she was having this conversation or that it appeared she now had a definite friend.

Whatever Lord Grey might be, he seemed to be a good influence on his sister.

The man could not be all bad if he had indeed convinced his sister to be Madelaine’s friend.

“Madame Marmont’s pamphlet on courting and marriage.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“You wouldn’t have.” Lady Elizabeth smirked. “It’s scandalous and men make sure we ladies don’t know about it. But last time I was home, I came across it quite by accident in my father’s library.”

“Truly?”

Lady Elizabeth nodded.

“How very nosy of you.” She loved that Lady Elizabeth was so bold.

“It was by accident, I said.”

“I know all about accidentally finding things,” Madelaine replied.

Lady Elizabeth’s face turned red. “Do hush. And you must go to the grave keeping my secret.”

“Of course I will. What do you think your father wants with those pamphlets?”

“Actually, I think they’re my mother’s. They’re written for women on how to avoid and catch certain types of men. Come, let’s keep walking. If we’re to reach my Aunt Helen’s chambers before the dinner hour, we must hurry.”

“You’ve an aunt at Court?” Madelaine couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.

“Of course! My family is everywhere.”

Once again, Madelaine felt the tug of jealousy. Since her parents had both been only children, she had no aunts or uncles. “Why are we going to see your aunt?”

“I believe she can help you.” Lady Elizabeth rested a hand on Madelaine’s arm as they walked through the large chambers toward the stairs that led to the rooms occupied by the king and queen’s most important guest. As a longtime friend of the queen’s, Lady Elizabeth’s aunt clearly held great social importance.

As they strolled through the corridor, the hum of voices mingled with the pounding notes of music to fill the passageway. “Do we have time?”

“Just. If we hurry,” Lady Elizabeth whispered as a group of courtiers passed. They chattered as they moved down the corridor toward St. George’s hall. The women and men were dressed in their finest clothing, each undoubtedly looking forward to a feast.

Madelaine’s stomach twisted into knots. No doubt her night would be long. If she thought there was the slightest chance the queen would not notice her missing, she would skip dinner tonight just to gain a reprieve from Lord Thorton.

The women scurried up the stairs, turning right at the top and making their way down a narrow, candlelit passageway. At the third door, Lady Elizabeth paused. “I’m sorry for before. I’ve liked you from the start.” She squeezed Madelaine’s hand.

“And I you,” Madelaine said, her throat thick with emotion. After so long without friends at Court, she almost wanted to cry now that she had one. Silly and pathetic, but true.

“My brother says I must learn to be brave. And I know he’s right.” Lady Elizabeth raised her fist and knocked on the door.

Madelaine stood with her thoughts buzzing in her head like bees around a honey hive.

So Lord Grey had really convinced his sister to be Madelaine’s friend.

A man who was simply a rake and nothing more wouldn’t do that.

Rakes only cared for themselves. As the door opened, Madelaine pushed the thoughts of Lord Grey away and focused on the lady’s maid who stood facing them.

“Louisa!” Lady Elizabeth exclaimed and wrapped the older woman in a hug. Wisps of silver hair loosened from the servant’s severe bun and fell to touch her hunched shoulders. “I’d no idea you were accompanying Aunt Helen.”

“My lady insists. She claims nary a servant in the castle can dress her hair as I can.”

“It’s true,” replied a husky voice from within.

Lady Elizabeth released the servant and tugged on Madelaine’s hand. “Louisa, we shall visit tomorrow. Tonight, I’m on a mission.”

As Madelaine was fairly dragged into the bedchambers, she struggled to enter gracefully, but her slipper caught on the edge of a rug and she tripped into the room.

She quickly smoothed her skirts and then frantically tried to pin back the locks of her hair that now swung in her face.

She must look ridiculous. Before she could pin the last bit of hair, Lady Elizabeth’s aunt stepped from behind a dressing screen and stared at Madelaine with her large, almond-shaped eyes.

This was Lady Elizabeth and Lord Grey’s aunt?

Dark chestnut hair piled artfully atop her head and laced liberally with sparkling diamonds made the woman look more fitted as an idol than an aunt.

Her creamy skin and perfect hair made Madelaine uncomfortably aware her own face had not been washed since that morning nor had her hair been brushed.

And her gown! She wore purple silk ordained with glittering gems placed alluringly around her bodice.

Madelaine reached to fidget with her mussed gown, but at the smile of amusement that touched Lady Elizabeth’s aunt’s mouth, Madelaine forced herself to draw her hands in front of her and clasp them together as if she had not a care in the world.

“Hard, isn’t it, dear?”

“Pardon?”

“To hold perfectly still even though you want to fix your appearance.”