The Unlikely Lady (Playful Brides #3)(62)

“Cass, dear. I’m going up to bed,” she said to her friend, hugging her closely.

“Frankly, I’m surprised you made it this long. And we’re not far behind you,” Cass said, grinning back and returning her hug. “I love you, Janie. I hope your ankle feels better soon.”

“I love you too, Cass. I’m so happy for you and for Julian. As for my ankle, I’m only glad a litter wasn’t involved.”

“Don’t think I wouldn’t have arranged it,” Cass replied.

“I have no doubt.” Jane took her leave of Julian, Lucy, and Derek and made her way out of the ballroom and up the stairs to her room. By the time she arrived at her door, she was trembling with nerves. She rang for Eloise, who quickly helped divest her of her gown. Jane made it a point to dismiss the maid before she removed her chemise. She took a step over to the wardrobe and grabbed her dressing gown. She clutched it in both hands, staring at herself in the full-length mirror. She looked altogether different in her chemise. In fact, she’d never exactly studied herself this way before, with her hair down and her feet bare. Would Garrett think she was pretty enough? Would her naked body be acceptable to him? Would he think her thighs were too plump? Her backside too round? She’d never cared what anyone thought about her appearance before, but tonight she cared. She cared deeply.

“If you’re not there, I’ll know you changed your mind,” Garrett had said.

For a brief awful moment she thought of him there, waiting for her if she didn’t come. She took a shaky breath. She had this moment, this one moment to decide. The clock on the mantelpiece struck two and she stared at her reflection in the glass. Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear it in her ears.

She was frozen, paralyzed. What if he thought she wasn’t good enough? Wasn’t pretty enough? She couldn’t take rejection. Not from him.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t do it.

*

When Garrett left the ballroom, he went directly to the wine cellar. He needed a bottle of red for tonight. He’d be sure to send over a replacement to reimburse the Morelands, though he doubted they’d mind. The earl and countess had a vast and extensive collection of wine.

The kitchens had been humming with servants bringing courses to and fro, but the evening had died down and a much smaller group remained hard at work. After getting the approval of the butler and assuring the good man that he did not need his help, he asked the hall boy for direction to the wine cellar.

“Just down the way, sir,” the boy replied, pointing toward a darkened room at the far end of the basement. Garrett grinned at him and tossed the boy a pound coin for his trouble.

Whistling softly to himself, Garrett used the key the butler had given him and entered the cold, dry wine cellar. He lit a small candle so that he might better see. He stared up at the long rows of bottles. The reds were on one side, the whites on the other. He turned toward the rows of reds. Port, elder wine, madeira. He had to find the perfect thing. He’d stop and get two glasses on his way back through the kitchens. The servants might wonder who he was entertaining, but they wouldn’t find out. He grinned.

He pulled out a bottle of madeira. A fine year. Still whistling to himself, he began to turn back toward the door … and the entire world went black.

*

Fifteen minutes later, Jane was still standing in front of the looking glass, hating herself. Tears pooled in the back of her eyes and she glared at her reflection.

“Fatty, fatty.” The voices of the children from her days in the schoolyard taunted her.

Finally, she tugged her eyes from her body and met her own gaze in the mirror. That was in the past. This was now. She was no longer that plump little girl she’d been years ago. She might not be willowy or thin, but she wasn’t plump any longer either.

She threw her dressing gown over her shoulders. She might be nearly twenty minutes late, but she was going to do this, take the risk, change her life. She would experience making love for the first time with Garrett. Because he wanted her. Because she wanted him. Because he was Garrett.

She hurried to the door of her bedchamber, pushing her arms through the sleeves of her dressing gown. She wrapped it around her waist and cinched the belt around her middle.

Garrett had given her directions to his room on the opposite end of the manor, but Jane was familiar enough with the house to know there was a much more private corridor that led to that end of the property. Perfect for a midnight assignation, she thought with a wry smile. She opened the door to her bedchamber, and peeked both ways to ensure the corridor was empty. Then she slowly tiptoed out.

Even favoring her ankle and keeping to the shadows, it didn’t take her long to make it through the corridor and to Garrett’s room. Her hand trembled as she placed it on the door handle. What if he’d changed his mind? What if he was angry with her for taking so long? Or hurt? Perhaps he’d assumed she wasn’t coming and had fallen asleep.

She slowly turned the handle and pushed open the door. Holding her breath, she moved quietly into the darkened room. The light from a single candle on the mantelpiece cast the bedchamber in a warm glow. She’d barely taken two steps inside when she saw them. There, standing next to the bed facing her was Isabella Langford, and she was passionately kissing Garrett!

Jane clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her scream.

She took one more awful look and saw his broad shoulders, his dark, curly hair, and his mouth on Isabella’s breast as he bent his head to her chest. That was enough. Isabella’s chin was thrown back and her eyes were tightly closed.