The Duchesss Tattoo by Daisy Goodwin Read Free Book Online Page A

knew, a tiny scar on the underside of her wrist. He would have liked to take her hand to reassure himself it was still there.
    â€˜It is the most beautiful night,’ he said. ‘I was worried this morning that there would be a storm.’
    Cora laughed. ‘As if my mother would allow bad weather on the night of her party. Only inferior hostesses get rained off.’
    â€˜She has a remarkable eye for detail; she has set the standard very high in Newport.’ Teddy spoke lightly. They both knew that the old guard like Teddy’s mother thought that the parties thrown by incomers like the Cashes were over the top and vulgar.
    Cora looked directly at him, her eyes scanning his face. ‘Tell me something, Teddy. Yesterday, if Mother hadn’t caught up with us, what would you have done?’
    â€˜Continued our charming conversation about your chances of winning the archery and then cycled home to dress for dinner.’ His tone was deliberately light, he didn’t want to think about the colour in Cora’s cheeks yesterday or the gold flecks in the iris of her right eye.
    But Cora was not to be deflected.
    â€˜I think that you are being…’ she frowned, searching for the right word, ‘disingenuous. I think that you were going to do this.’ She put her hands on his shoulders and leant towards him, swaying unsteadily against the counterweight of the dress. He felt the warm dry touch of her lips on his. He knew that he should stop this now, draw back and pretend that nothing had happened and yet he wanted to kiss her so much. He felt her toppling in her ridiculous costume and he put his hands on her waist to steady her, and then he found he was kissing her back.
    When, at last, they drew back from each other, neither smiled.
    Cora said, ‘I was right then.’
    â€˜You were right about the intention. Of course I want to kiss you, what man wouldn’t? There are fifty men out there who would give anything to take my place, but I had promised myself not to.’ Teddy smiled at his good intentions.
    â€˜But why, if that was what you wanted?’ She sounded suddenly much younger than eighteen.
    Teddy looked away from her at the horizon where he could see the moonlight playing on the sea. ‘Because I am afraid.’
    â€˜Of me?’ Cora sounded pleased.
    He turned to face her. ‘If I fall in love with you, it would change everything, all my plans.’ His voice trailed away as he saw that the flush had spread down across her chest; down, he was sure, beneath the infanta’s modest neckline. He picked up her hand and turned it over, pressing the scar to his lips.
    Cora trembled and the shudder ran through the construction of her dress.
    â€˜Do you know I am going away to Europe?’ she said in a strained voice.
    â€˜The whole of America knows you are going to Europe, to find a suitable consort for the Cash millions.’ Teddy tried to bat away her emotion but Cora did not respond in kind. She leant towards him, her eyes dark and opaque. When she spoke, her voice was almost a whisper.
    â€˜I don’t want to go, you know. I would like to stay here – with you.’
    Teddy dropped her hand and felt the heat of Cora’s stare. He wanted to believe her, even though this would make his choice so much harder. She kissed him again, more fiercely this time. It was hard to resist the foxy smell of her hair and the downy smoothness of her cheeks. He could hardly feel her body through the architecture of her costume but he could feel the pulse beating in her neck. Who was he to resist Cora Cash, the girl that every woman in Newport envied and every man desired? He kissed her harder, grazing her lip with his teeth. He wanted to pull the combs and jewels out of her hair and take her out of her prison of a costume. He could hear her breathing quicken.
    The music stopped. Then came the crash of the supper gong rippling out into the still night