“Do not mistake my dallying with you to be anything more than that …”
She pulled out of his embrace. “Very well.”
He pulled her back against himself. She felt the hardness against her belly, and the feel of it so blatant … so primal, beat at her own desires. She couldn’t speak, though she wanted to tell him his words did not match his actions. Or did they? Was he merely dallying? It seemed so much more intense.
From nearby, however, they heard, “Babs …”
Guiltily they jumped apart and moved into the light to find Corry still chatting with Sir Frederick and Otto scanning the masked people tripping about.
Otto grinned, and Babs looked at him and giggled. His mask and his domino were askew, and he was trying to adjust both as he called out merrily, “Ah, there you are …”
Sir Frederick was still attempting to whisper in Corry’s ear, things she seemed reluctant to hear, as they also approached, and Babs heard him say, “I can see you don’t mean to be won over by any of my tricks.” Babs’ eyes opened wide as she strained to hear Corry’s reply.
Corry lifted her chin and looked up at his face. “Have you been trying to trick me, sir?”
He chuckled, and this time when he reached to touch her face, she did not flinch away. Babs moved closer, thoroughly intrigued.
“Certainly not! I have, however, been trying with the utmost care to seduce you.”
She laughed. “Really? I would not have guessed,” she said wryly.
He put a hand to his heart in mock show of pain. “Wounded. Ah, gentle maid, do you know what you have done to my pride?”
She laughed again, and Babs could see her cousin was genuinely amused. “You should be flattered, sir. I have been thinking what a gentleman you are.”
“And so I am,” he said on a quiet note. “But even a gentleman, when assaulted by such beauty, may be overcome to do the unthinkable.”
“What unthinkable would that be?” Corry urged him to go on.
His answer surprised Babs, and she studied Corry’s face to find she too was taken aback, for Sir Frederick had moved to take Corry’s chin with his gloved fingers, tilting her face upwards first to meet his intense gaze. He whispered, “If we were not now surrounded … I would kiss those luscious lips …”
“Ah,” said Corry demurely. “Most unthinkable.”
The two realized they were being closely observed, but luckily a diversion took away attention from them and onto Otto.
“Should have put a bullet in his head,” said Otto. “Stands to reason, the blackguard will try that sort of thing again.” Otto was oblivious to all but his recent experience. “Damned brute needed a lesson … gave him one.”
“Bravo! But who needed a lesson, Otto?” Babs exclaimed with a clap of her hands and a short laugh.
Sir Charles arrived and added, “Indeed, Otto … I saw it, and you were most gallant.” He turned to the assembled company and explained, “I noticed some poor peasant girl trying to sell some sweets when this brute decided he wanted to have a go with her …” He nodded at Otto. “I was on my way to teach the fellow a lesson, when Otto popped in out of nowhere and landed the fool a facer.”
“Well done!” said the duke, clapping Otto on the back.
“What happened to the girl?” Babs inquired worriedly.
“Charles here bought all the sweets she had and sent her home,” Otto said with great pleasure.
“Oh, I do think you and Otto are heroes!” Babs exclaimed.
Jesting and laughter continued until Lady Haversham arrived and singled out Otto. Everyone knew that her ladyship had a tendre for Otto. They watched as she flirted outrageously with him; eventually, pulled along by her own set, she left him in peace.
“She wants you Otto …” teased Babs.
“Blaaah … uck …” was the count’s response.
“Translation being that Otto has formed a lasting passion for the Haversham …” Charles said, bursting with mirth.
Otto proceeded to go off in a convulsion that created a havoc of indecent laughter amongst the little party, and so their night progressed most agreeably for all. Poor Otto, though, was teased without mercy until they all parted for the night.