Dizzy Dilemmas (20 page)

“Is that when your grandmother share her jokes?” he wanted to know.

“No she used to save those for poor Colonel Thwaites. I wonder if she has anyone in mind to replace him,” she said, directing a coy smile at Marcus which had him sucking in his breath as lust shot through him.

“Perhaps you should ask her?
Though some thought would have to go into how you would phrase the question,” he mused. “Would you go for the euphemism approach or the more direct line?”

“I was thinking more of ‘Grandmamma, who is to be the next lucky recipient of
your ….anecdotes?’ Do you think that adequate?” the look she sent him now was purely provocative.

“I will give you anecdotes! You my
girl are a minx,” he told her and she laughed, her blue eyes alight with amusement. “And now you will have to pay a forfeit.”

“A forfeit?”
she queried.

He leaned closer and lowering his voice said “
A young lady cannot send a gentleman the look you gave me without a forfeit. Have you not read the guide book on such matters?”

“No because it does not exist!”

“I assure you it does. I shall lend you my copy,” Marcus said magnanimously. “But let us return to the forfeit.”

Dizzy sighed “Alright let us agree upon a forfeit though I still think it is all a ruse on your part.”

“My darling Gherkin, I am afraid you have misunderstood. It is for me to set the forfeit and for you to comply; there is no ‘agreeing upon’.”

“Oh come on! You have windmills if you think you can have carte blanche to set me any forfeit you like and expect me to
fulfil it!” She told him and then, becoming aware of the sudden hush around the table continued, “Why has it all gone quiet? They are all listening in, aren’t they?”

“Yes dear sister we are!” a
nnounced Gideon before Marcus could do anything more than nod. “And we are all intrigued to know why you must pay a forfeit.”

“Not to say all agog to hear what it is to be.”
chimed the Dowager.

She prided herself on being able to think quickly but at this moment Dizzy was horrified to realise that no reasonable explanation came to mind and there was no way she
was going to disclose the truth; the very thought of it made her cringe with embarrassment besides which her grandmother would more than likely slay her there and then. She looked beseechingly at Glenmore but he just sat there smiling benignly and waiting for her to extricate herself and she also strongly suspected that he was hoping she would make a mull of it and end up even deeper in trouble.

“How much of our conversation did you hear?” she demanded, buying herself some time to think.

“Just the last bit about the forfeit,” Georgiana assured her even though it earned her a scowl from her brothers who wanted Dizzy to think they had heard more.

“It really is not at all interesting. Glenmore merely dared me to drink a glass of brandy and as I was unable to force more than a sip down my throa
t, he says I must pay a forfeit,” Dizzy said dismissively.

“You do not really expect us to believe that?”
asked Gabriel. “We are not simpletons.”

“You can choose to believe it or not. It is the only ex
planation I am prepared to give,” Dizzy told them dismissively but she should have known her brothers would not give in.

“Glenmore did you ask her to drink a brandy?”

“Gentlemen, you put me in an awkward position. To contradict it would be to call your sister a liar, would it not?” Dizzy breathed a sigh of relief at his words but then he continued, “And to concur would turn me into a liar.”

“Glenmore!” Dizzy managed through clenched teeth as laughter echoed around the table.

“Did you say something, my sweet gherkin?” he asked, looking smug.

“Did you growl, dear?” asked her grandmother. “I do not think it is any more appropriate for a young lady to growl at the dining table than it is in a ballroom.”

“It is perfectly acceptable when one has an oaf for a dinner partner,” Dizzy retorted, glaring at the Duke who sat grinning next to her.

“Perhaps you should have your des
serts before someone gets stabbed with the paring knife!” Coulton interrupted and plonked a dish down in front of Dizzy whilst glowering at the younger men. “Eat that my girl and take no notice of their teasing. If they carry on they will forego their pudding!”

“Than
k you, Coulton for your support,” Dizzy said smirking at her tormentors.

“I am not supporting you as such, but if this nonsense continues it will be midnight before I will get
to put my feet up and have my tea and chocolate, and that will never do!” He muttered crossly.

“Saved by the butler, Gherkin
,” Glenmore could not resist saying and this time no one could mistake the ominous growl that reverberated around the room.

             
Later when the ladies had left the gentlemen to their port, Gabriella asked her youngest sister why the Duke called her ‘Gherkin’.

“He hopes to annoy me into telling him my name, but naturally it is not going to work. He sees it as a challenge
,” she explained.

“I thi
nk it is rather sweet, actually,” Mrs Honey Dew joined the conversation. “It is like an endearment but more personal; more individual to you Dizzy.”

Dizzy laughed at that “Are you saying I resemble a gherkin, Honey? I must say it is an odd sort of endearment to be compared to a vegetable but I do know what you mean. It could have been much worse.”

“Perhaps when you marry, gherkins could be the theme in the table decorations!” Georgiana suggested.

“We could have gherkins i
nstead of flowers at the church,” piped up Gabriella.

“And gherkin soup with gherkin s
alad,” The Dowager added, warming to the theme.

“I could wear a gherkin coloured gown an
d sport gherkins in my hair too,” Dizzy laughed.

“I am not sure the colour would suit you, my dear
,” Mrs Honey Dew said thoughtfully “Perhaps you should keep that for your bridesmaids.”

“I am not wearing gherkin green!”  Gabriella and Georgiana said in unison
, mock horror on their faces and everyone laughed.

             
As the gentlemen joined them soon after, the wedding theme was dropped and a more general conversation broke out until the tea tray was brought in.  Only then did Marcus manage to draw Dizzy away for a few moments of quiet conversation.

“
The after dinner chat you were having seemed to be more amusing than ours,” he said as he raised the fine bone china cup to his lips.

“Yo
u would have found it funny too,” she announced brightly, and then waited until he was drinking before adding, “We were planning our wedding!”

If she was hoping to unsettle him she was doomed to be disappointed for he calmly took another sip and then placed the cup back in its saucer. Smiling at her he asked, “Were you hoping I would choke on this delicious tea and breathe my last?”

“Yes actually!” she laughed. “Although I had hoped to have the opportunity to thwack you on your back several times before you succumbed; all in an effort to save you and not to pound you into the grave, you understand.”

“I am sorry to have ruined your fun, Ghe
rkin. Better luck next time!”  He consoled her with a lopsided grin.

“The theme is to be gherkins and I am to wear them in my hair and have a gown of the same colour. I hope you approve. Though I will admit I will probably l
ook ghastly in gherkin green!” she said pulling a sickly face.

“You are right. You would probably frighten the vicar
,” he agreed solemnly.

“It
is not gentlemanly of you to agree with me, Glenmore,” she pointed out. “Mustapha Mummy would have said that in his eyes I would look beautiful in any colour!”

“Now that is a blatant lie my girl because as we both know he
does not speak and has no eyes. If it is compliments you want, you need only have said for I can oblige,” he told her. “Where shall I start?”

“No,
the moment is lost, Your Grace,” Dizzy sighed forlornly though the hint of a smile belied it somewhat. “Any compliment you bestowed now would be empty indeed.”

“You are right, of-course so let me make amends by telling you precisely what I would li
ke to do with you were we alone,” his voice became lower, more sensual as he continued. “I would start by nibbling your ear before trailing kisses down your slender neck and along your beautiful, bare shoulder until I reached the fabric of this very fetching gown you are wearing; just where it falls off onto your arm. Then I would follow it around until I could dip my tongue down between your breasts which I would have cupped in my hands. I am sure with a little tug this dress could be persuaded to give up its treasures; to expose each perfect orb so I could stroke them with my palms and thumbs before taking each in turn into my mouth and caressing them with my tongue. Can you imagine how it would feel sweetheart to have me touch you there; to have my mouth suck on your nipple?”

             
She could imagine very well for her breathing was becoming short and her skin was tingling just as if he were actually touching her. Dizzy felt her nipples harden and an ache start deep down in her core and at that moment, mesmerized by his voice she wished her family were far away at their estate in Devon and not here in this room. For the first time, Dizzy understood why young, unmarried women were chaperoned so carefully and also she was partly shocked that she could so easily be persuaded to ignore the codes of conduct with which she had been raised. There was however something about this handsome Duke which tempted her unlike any of her suitors before. When he kissed her she melted and now she wanted nothing more than to tug her dress down and let him put his words into action. She tried telling herself that she found him incredibly exasperating and that she was his amusement during a Season he otherwise found tedious; but it did nothing to stop her wanting him; wanting to act recklessly; wantonly.

             
Marcus watched the passion swirl in her eyes and cursed her family’s presence. He had expected her to stop him after the first sentence or two with some clever quip but she hadn’t and he had watched the passion build and brighten her beautiful eyes. He glanced at her breasts where the bodice of her dress did nothing to hide the hardened nipples that were just begging for his touch and when he again looked up into her face he knew she would welcome his caresses. As he watched her tongue slipped out and licked her lower lip and Marcus felt his already hardened cock swell some more. What had started out as his gentle teasing of her had him painfully aroused and desperately wanting to rip her clothes off there and then so that he could bury himself deep within her core which he had no doubt was hot, wet and ready for him. He had seriously miscalculated and knew that he was likely to spend a very uncomfortable night in a state of frustrated arousal.

Of course
he could have sated his lust with his mistress if he had not dispensed with her services just the day before; finding he no longer viewed her overt beauty and abundant figure the least bit appealing. Another option was to visit one of the many bordellos where madams provided a selection of women to cater for a gentleman’s needs whatever his taste. Unlike many of his fellow peers he was not in the habit of frequenting such establishments and as soon as the idea came into his head he dismissed it. Only one woman could satisfy him and she was sat here next to him and yet completely beyond his reach; under the protective eyes of her family who would be rightly furious if he seduced her without having first stood before a vicar.

At twenty seven and having only recently come into the title, Marcus knew he would have to marry to produce an heir but he had not envisioned taking a wife until well into his thirties; hence his
scheme to thwart the husband seekers by fabricating a courtship with Dizzy. But somehow his plans had become a trifle tipsy for here he sat lusting after his decoy and even considering the possibility of wedding her in order to bed her, without any sense of abhorrence which is what he normally felt whenever marriage was mentioned in connection with him.

“I believe I know why that woman spontaneously combusted
,” Dizzy announced, her voice husky and tempting and Marcus understood then how Odysseus had felt when he had heard the song of the Sirens. “Her husband must have been speaking to her as you have been to me and she just burst into flames.”

Marcus laughed, so unexpected was her response but at the same time complimentary. “Shall I continue then though it may prove dangerous to both of us?”

“If we set fire to the sofa it will cause a rumpus so it would be best if you didn’t. You pose a real danger to me though and I must guard against it,” she told him, suddenly serious. “I am a modest and decorous young woman and yet when you spoke just now I wanted to pull my dress down and beg you to do those things to me. I have never felt like that before. It was strangely embarrassing but exhilarating all at the same time. Am I then wanton?”

“No gherkin you must not think that. Your response was perfectly natural.” Marcus was anxious to assure her and would have continued but just then
their privacy was ended when Genevieve called down to them, asking if they would like more tea.