Hey, guys. This is the second chapter of London's Perfect Scounderel...
The majority of guests arrived at the Hanson's ball, Lady Hanson's dinners were reputed to be exceptional, but Richard had no intention of staying. Dispite the crowd here, he would find a plentitude of fat purses and more interesting conversation at one or another less distinguised clubs. He headed for the foyer and the exit beyond, then stopped as a lithe figure in blus silk blocked his path
"Lord Grayson" Miss Anders said, dipping one of her pert, perfect curtsies. The muscles around his abdomen tightened
"Kori" he said, deliberately using her christian name, and somewhat surprised at his body's reaction to the chit
"I would like to set another meeting, my lord" she said, her green eyes meeting his. Interesting, that. He didn't know many people, male or female, who looked him in the eye.
"No." A delicate blush crept up her cheeks
"You said you didn't allow me to voulenteer because I had no plan. I am assembling one and I wish to be allowed the courtesy of presenting it" Richard gazed at her for a long moment. It would be easy to dismiss her out of hand. To be honest, however, she seemed less dull than he'd expected, and he'd spent far too much time lately being bored. A little amusement would be worth a small effort on his part. He nodded
"Very well. We meet again a week from Friday" her soft lips opened then closed soundlessly
"Thank you"
"Shall I write it down for you, to be certain you remember?" her blush deepened
"That won't be necessary"
"Good"
"I...do have another request, my lord" Richard folded his arms
"I'm waititng"
"I insist on visiting the orphanage again first, so that I may see what the children most need. That is the only way I may be certain that my presence there would acctually have some benifit for them" he didn't laugh in her face, but the cynical humor in his eyes deepened. Kori kept her own expression stern and serious. Perhaps he found her silly and amusing, but she would accept that if he allowed her to continue.
"And have you asked the other board members about this?" he asked
"No. You said you were chairman, and so I have come to you" his look became more speculative
"So you have" Kori kept on forgetting to breathe in his presence, probably because her heart began to pound in her throat the moment she considered approaching him to speak
"Do you agree?"
"I have a condition of my own" Oh dear. Now he would undoubtly make another insulting remark about wanting to bed her or something
"Yes?" she asked anyway
"You will be escorted for the entire duration of your visit" she blinked
"I agree"
"And..." he continued, a slight sensous smile touching his lips again "You will waltz with me"
"A...a waltz, my lord" she squeaked
"A waltz" If she could put him off until after he agreed to her plan, perhaps she could avoid it entirely.
"I'm spoken for this evening, of course, but I'm sure I could save a waltz for you this season" he shook his head, a dark strand of hair falling across one eye
"Tonight. Now"
"But I told you I'm spo-"
"The next waltz is mine, or you and your pretty bottom would stay out of the Heart Of Hope Orphanage" So Lord Grayson was making declarations already hoping she would run like a scared rabbit and he wouldn't have to deal with her any longer. Well, this wasn't about him, it was about her, and about how she couldn't get the children or the orphanage out of her mind. No one had ever valued her assistance before, but at the orphanage, what she did would be important.
"Very well" she said, squaring her shoulders "May I go and inform Lord Red that I must decline his invitation" something unreadable touched his gaze for a fleeting moment
"No you may not" As if waiting for his cue, the waltz began on the courtroom floor. He guestured towards the main room
"Now or never, miss Anders"
"Now" Prior to this evening, the most daring, scandolous thing she had ever done was to put on her brother's clothes for a masquerade soiree, and that had been when she was fifteen. Her mother had fainted. This would probably kill her. He led the way to the crowded dance floor, declining to take her hand and no doubt hoping she wuold take the oppurtunity of his turned back to flee. Kori was tempted. At the edge of the floor he faced her, and with a last strangled breath, she joined him there. His hand slid slowly about her waist, drawing her still closer while she waited for lightning to strike her dead.
"Canged your mind?" he asked, taking her fingers in the other hand. This close he smelled of shaving soap and brandy. Her eyes were level with his crisp white caravat and she didn't want to look up at him. What was she doing, standing in the embace of Lord Grayson? With a slight shift of his head, he guided them into the waltz. She'd never seen him dance before that she could recall, but Kori wasn't surprised that he moved with elegance and grace. As light as his grip was, she felt the steel beneath. Kori had no doubt that she wouldn't be able to escape unless he let her.
"Look at me" he murmured, his soft breath in her hair. Swallowing, she lifted her chin
"You are a mean man, you know" An eyebrow lifted
"I'm giving you what you want"
"In exchange for humiliating me"
"I'm only requested a waltz, I could have asked for something more intimate, you know" Kori decided she might as well blushe, he probably thought beet-root red was her natural colouring anyway
"You already did, and I refused you" Lord Grayson chuckled, the sounde unexpected and warm. Even his eyes lit just a little, and Kori wondered for a fleeting moment why he seemed determined to be cynical and jaded all the time
"Sharing my bed was a suggestion, not a request. A very good suggestion, by the way"
"No, it wasn't. I don't even like you, why would I want to...become intimate with you?" for a moment he looked genuinely surprised
"What does liking someone have anything to do with anything? It's the act thats pleasureable" Oh, god, now she was going to faint. Discussing sexual intecourse in the middle of a ballroom with Lord Grayson was like demenading to be ruined. He'd kept his voice low, though, and she hoped no one have overheard their discussion.
"I admit to ignorance about the details of which you discuss" she returned "but I think any interaction between two people would be...nice, if genuine affection were involved"
"Your naivete is truly remarkable" ha said, then lowered his head to a whisper "and I would be very happy to relieve you of your ignorance" his lips brushed her ear, feather light, and she shivered. He's playing with me, she desperately told herself, he's bored and he's trying to keep himself entertained.
"Stop that" she commanded, annoyed that her voice shook. The waltz ended, and he released her before she could pull away. She'd expected another inmate, insulting comment, but instead he skeched an elegant bow.
"You've fulfilled your part of our agreement" he said, his lips curving into a soft smile "Be there at ten tomorrow morning to meet your escort. If your late, you lose the oppurtunity" Again before she could react, he strolled into the crowd of guests and out of the room.
"Kori" a female voice said behind her, and a hand clasped hers
"Raven" she returned, light headed with relief "I had no idea you were h-"
"Are you mad?" Raven Roth continued in the same hushed voice, though from her smile anyone in the audience would think they were discussing primroses. "Lord Grayson? Do you know what your brother would say if he knew?"
"I'm sure he does know" Kori answered as they stepped out onto the cool balcony "The only time he notices that I have a mind of my own is when I do something I don't approve of" Raven stared at her with serious violet eyes
"Rebellion is one thing, but Lord Grayson?"
"Did you know that he was the chairman of the Heart Of Hope Orphanage? I want to begin some programs there"
"Thats...admirable"
"You don't think I can do it. Do you" Kori retorted, her voice harded than she had intended
"It's not that" Raven said quickly "It's...if you've decided how to focus your energies, there are other places less accosiated with Lord Grayson"
"Yes I know. But I chose this place before I even knew about him, and I think it would be cowardly of me to turn away of those in need simply because one board memer had a poor reputation"
"Even so" Raven said slowly "that doesn't explain why you were waltzing with him"
"Oh. That was a trade, he agreed to have someone show me about the orpahnage tomorrow if I would waltz with him"
"I'm still not sure. I heard that he never does anything for the benifit of others"
"Thank you for the warning" she said, granting her friend with a warm smile "but Lord Grayson is mearly an obstacle to the commencement of a project of mine. In a few days I will have little or no reason to set eyes on him"
She spent the next morning organising questionand points to look for during her tour of the orphanage. Thankfully Ryan had stomped off to one of his meetings early, leaving her with one of his preturbed glares as though he wondered why she even breathed when he hadn't instructed her to. The longer she could put off a conversation over her waltz with Lord Grayson, the more likely he was to forget about it, especially if he needed her to go to a tea party and charm one of his fat, bald compartriots.
When Philip stopped the coach on Great Titchfeild road, she sat inside for a long moment, making certain that she had her encils, papers and notes so she wouldn't look like a fool in front of the escorts, or the children
"Please wait for me. I may be a short while" She called back as she hurried across the street. As she knocked at the orphanage doors, Kori frowned. Lord Grayson hadn't told her who would be leading her about the orphanage.The door creaked open
"Yes?" the housed keeper asked, her broad shoulders filling the doorway
"I had an appointment this morn-" the housekeeper bobbed an awkward curtsey
"Oh...your Miss Anders" she bobbed again "Please come in. You're expected miss" Kori waled past ehr into the foyer, not certain whether to be alarmed or relieved at the housekeepers sudden politeness. Any further contemplation, though, halted as she caught sight of the figure leaning against the stair banister.
"You're staring, Miss Anders" he said, straightening. She started
"I'm mearly surprised to see you this morning" she countered. He nodded, coming towards her with that panther stalk of his
"I have to admit, I usually never see this side of the morning. It's a...nice change" Kori wasn't quite certain how to answer that
"Ah...well if Mrs..." she trailed of at a loss. Richard glanced at the hosekeeper
"What the devil is your name anyway?"
"Mrs Natham" the housekeeper answered. rom her tone, it wasn't the first time she'd supplied him with the information
"Than you" Kori said, offering the woman a smile. They'd simply gotten off to a poor start, there was no reason to assume they couldn't deal together
"If you don't mind Mrs Natham, I would like to begin the tour"
"I...but...ah..."
"She isn't conducting your tour" Lord Grayson said, cynical humor touching his gaze "I am"
There you go, I was going to do more to finish at a better point but I thought I'd written too much already. Review!...Please!