The Kissing Bough by Madelynne Ellis Read Free Book Online

her then? “Mr. Bellshawe!” she blurted not a moment later. “Surely you’re not serious. He’s older than father. I think he remembers the Tea Act being passed.” She sank heavily into chair, no more able to envisage life as Mrs. Lawrence Bellshawe, than she was able to countenance a life as the wife of Sir Hutsby-Mede. Though at least she imagined Mr. Bellshawe would be kind, and that had been her wish all those hours ago. Maybe she ought to be contented and accept that, and not think about William’s kisses, and what he claimed he’d like to do to her.
    “Tell me what occurred with Lord Ricborough. Did you give him an answer?”
    “Not precisely.”
    “It’s not like you, Viola, to dither so much. It’s clear from looking at you, that he’s won your heart, so tell me why you’re head’s in rebellion.”
    She shook her head, still unwilling to divulge her concerns. They were the sorts of concerns best kept to one’s self. It would only endanger William and Percy to voice remarks anyway. So they sat in silence, except for the clack of the knitting needles.
    “If you’re averse to Mr. Bellshawe, then you need to settle whatever is concerning you with regards to Lord Ricborough, my dear, and time is running out. Let’s hope he’s not the sort that sleeps horribly late.”
    “I imagine he does.”
    “Ah well,” Aunt Clara reached across and patted her knee.
    “What should I do?” Viola pleaded a moment later.
    “Dear, didn’t I already say? You must do whatever it takes to settle the matter.”
    Whatever it takes? That would mean doing as Percy requested, and visiting them in their room. She was worldly enough to realise that ravishment would be the result. Percy didn’t mean for them to talk things through. He meant for them to bed her.
    A knot of fear tightened in her stomach, only to be immediately unravelled by a throb of longing. Ravishment didn’t seem so very terrible a proposition when she thought about it. She passed her hand across her lips, remembering William’s kiss, and the heat of the two men pressed to her front and back. She wondered if Percy’s kisses would make her shiver in exactly the same way.
    “I think I’ll retire now,” she said. She needed to think this through some more. After all, if they were caught she’d be doubly disgraced, and likely the only topic of conversation from Edinburg to Bath for the whole of the coming year.
    Then again, if she could survive that once, she could weather it twice.
    And William had offered for her. They wouldn’t be the first couple to tumble together before their vows were spoken. She’d worry about how Percy’s involvement could be explained away later, after she’d discovered the way in which the three of them could fit together.
    “Promise you won’t be vexed with me if I do something exceedingly foolish,” she whispered as she kissed her aunt good night.
    “Better you’re foolish than you live in regret for half a century.”
    Viola suspected there was a story behind that she wasn’t privy to.
    Once alone in her room, she changed into her night rail and braided her hair. If she was going to go to them, then she first needed to wait until the assigned hour. Her candle burned down, and the hour hand on the mantle clock slowly turned. Aunt Clara was right. Her heart knew what it desired. It longed for Lord Ricborough’s arms around her. His body pressed close to her, but she was excited by the prospect of Percy Gilling’s kisses too. The only thing to face here were her own fears, and had she not already spent enough of her life afraid? Hiding had never served her well in the past, so why choose to do so now? Why not instead accept the risk and live?
     
    ***
     
    The blue room was not an easy room to reach in the dead of night across creaking floorboards. Viola put on her softest pumps so that she might creep across the far too creaky floorboards making the minimum amount of sound.
    Too bad she didn’t even make it