The Art 0f Pleasuring A Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Read online

  “Hello,” Bridget called to Anna, as she entered the room. Anna walked over to her friend and sat down next to her in front of a large mirror.

  “Hello, Bridget, how are you?” Anna asked, brightly, as she began to arrange her makeup. She could feel the eyes of the other members of the corps de ballet upon her, but she was determined not to look at them. Anna knew that she was not well liked by the other dancers.

  She had tried her best to be friendly with them when she had started at the London Ballet Company, but had soon found that it was impossible. Mr. Bamber tended to ignore everyone else when Anna was in the room, and she could not blame them for being resentful of this. She only wished that they would direct their anger at him rather than her.

  “I’m quite well,” Bridget said, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.

  “Well, I am glad to hear that,” Anna said, intrigued by her friend’s expression. “What is it that makes you so happy today?”

  “Oh, nothing in particular,” Bridget said, examining her face closely in the mirror as she began to apply her makeup. “I suppose it is just such a beautiful day.”

  “Hmm…I suppose…” Anna said, though she was not certain whether Bridget was being honest with her. The day was nice enough, but it had been rather cloudy and dull when Anna was outside.

  Leaning in a bit closer, Bridget spoke again, this time in a whisper. “Camilla never came home last night.”

  “What?” Anna asked, in an excited whisper. Camilla and Bridget shared a room in a different boarding house, though the arrangement was strictly one of financial necessity. They were not friends, and Bridget often had stories to share about Camilla.

  Bridget nodded gravely, but she could not entirely hide the grin on her face. “I think that she must have gone to an inn with the Viscount of Essex after the reception.”

  “You don’t think that she might have stayed with a friend?” Anna asked, though she thought this rather unlikely.

  “What friend?” Bridget asked, sarcastically, “Does she have any?”

  Anna looked around the dressing room quickly to make sure they were not overheard. She saw Camilla sitting in the far corner, mending something on her costume, head bent low over her work. Other dancers were scattered about the room, some working on their costumes, some stretching, some chatting to one another while they got ready. None seemed to be paying Anna and Bridget any attention at all.

  “None of whom I am aware,” Anna said, feeling a slight twinge of guilt at her words.

  It is her own fault for being so mean-spirited, though.

  “Precisely,” Bridget said, as though this settled the matter. “I do hope she has the good sense to get something out of the affair, at least.”

  “What do you mean?” Anna asked, though she had an inkling of what it might be.

  “Well, I’d really rather not share a room with her indefinitely. Perhaps the Viscount will install her in a posh flat, where he can visit her any time he grows tired of his wife’s company.”

  “Oh, yes, I suppose that would be nice,” Anna said, “but Bridget, would you be able to afford your room without someone else to share it?”

  The look on Bridget’s face seemed to harden, and Anna worried that she had offended her one friend in the company. She silently berated herself for being too blunt, but when she looked again, Bridget’s face was warm and open as ever.

  Perhaps I only imagined that look.

  “Oh, I am sure I will be quite all right,” Bridget said, her tone light and casual, “especially if Mr. Bamber starts paying us on a regular schedule as promised.”

  “What do you mean?” Anna asked. She had always received her pay in full and on time, and had no reason to believe this would not be the case for all members of the company.

  “Have you never had your pay later than you should?” Bridget asked. “No, I can see from the look on your face that you have not. Well, of course not, you are the star, after all. But the rest of us sometimes go weeks without any pay. In the end we always get what we are owed, I think, though some people are not so good at keeping track.”

  “Oh, Bridget, that is terrible.” Anna said.

  “You really had no idea?” Bridget asked, her voice incredulous.

  “None at all.” Anna said, “You know that no one else here speaks to me more than they absolutely must. Why did you not tell me before now?”

  “Oh, I suppose I thought that you knew,” Bridget said.

  “I am sorry, I had no idea,” Anna said. “Do you think that I ought to speak to Mr. Bamber? Perhaps I could convince him to be more careful with the payments? I am sure that it is just an oversight on his part.”

  “An oversight?” Bridget asked. She sounded skeptical, but said, “I suppose that is possible. In any event, I do not think that you need to speak to him. I am not sure that doing so would be helpful, and it is probably best to leave it to those of us who are affected by the problem.”

  Anna could not really have said why, but she felt a bit put off by this insistence that she not get involved in the problem of wages not being paid. She wanted to help Bridget, who was her friend, and she even felt compelled to help the other dancers. They were no friends of hers, but they worked hard and deserved to be paid for their work.

  Anna knew that she must focus now, as she would be going on stage in just over an hour. She tried to put thoughts of the other dancers out of her mind, and instead focused on her makeup and hair, making sure that every element of her appearance was exactly as it should be before getting into her costume.

  All right, now I am prepared for whatever might happen tonight.

  Chapter 4

  Nathaniel sat in the carriage, across from his mother, headed to the theater to see his first ever ballet performance. He recalled that his friend, David Wilson, was a great fan of the ballet, which made him feel somewhat more hopeful about the possibility of enjoying it himself. David was the Marquess of Swinton, and had been at school with Nathaniel. They had always seemed to enjoy the same things, so he did not see why this should be any different.

  It was only a short ride to the theater, and the Dowager Duchess spent most of the time telling Nathaniel about her many acquaintances. He did not much care who had gotten engaged or married, who had new children or grandchildren, but he knew that all of this was very important to his mother, so he listened patiently, smiling and nodding from time to time.

  When they arrived at the theater, Nathaniel saw that it was relatively small compared to the Opera House. Still, the building was elegantly built and appeared to be well maintained. Nathaniel had an eye for symmetry and beauty, and he admired the building as they entered.

  The Dowager Duchess held season tickets to the ballet, for seats in a private box. They had arrived a few minutes early, and she greeted many acquaintances in the lobby, introducing Nathaniel to anyone he did not know.

  Nathaniel could not help but notice that she introduced him to a number of unmarried young ladies. Most of them were escorted by their fathers, but sometimes by brothers or other male relations. Nathaniel greeted them all politely, but he was not sorry that they had only a few minutes to speak before it was time to take their seats.

  His mother’s box was located at the left of the theater, up a set of stairs. The entrance was hidden by heavy, maroon velvet hangings, and an usher held them aside for the Duke and the Dowager Duchess.

  “Good evening, Your Graces,” the usher said, bowing low before them. “I hope you will enjoy tonight’s performance.”

  The Dowager Duchess merely nodded her head at this, but Nathaniel said, “Good evening, and thank you,” to the usher as he passed him.

  He followed his mother into the box and held her chair for her as she sat down. Nathaniel then sat on the chair next to her. It was not terribly comfortable, and he wondered if the ballet would be interesting enough to distract him from that fact.

  “You are always so kind,” the Dowager Duchess observed, as Nathaniel looked abo
ut him.

  “Oh?” He said, unsure of what she meant. “Thank you.”

  “Most people do not say a word to the ushers, but no doubt you have given that young man quite a thrill by thanking him. How many ushers can say they have had a conversation with a Duke?”

  Nathaniel very much doubted that the usher cared about being thanked by a Duke, but he smiled at his mother all the same. He was almost certain that she was being genuine, and not attempting to tell him that he ought to change his behavior, but it was always difficult to tell with her.

  He considered whether there might have been a hidden meaning to his mother’s comments for a moment. Before he had drawn any conclusions, the lights began to dim and the orchestra began to play. A moment later, the murmur of the audience had settled down to silence, and the stage curtain lifted to reveal a painted set.

  The corps de ballet danced onto the stage, and Nathaniel found himself enchanted by the graceful way in which so many people moved in harmony with one another. As he watched, he realized that it was not only a matter of grace, but that the dancers must be incredibly strong as well.

  Nathaniel was considering this marvelous balance of strength and grace when he saw her. From behind a line of ballerinas, she emerged. She floated gracefully forward on the pointes of her shoes, her arms held high above her head, her body forming a long, slender line.

  When she reached the front of the stage, she lowered her arms slowly in front of her. It was such a simple gesture, and yet Nathaniel thought that he had never seen anything so lovely in all his life. As she began to dance in earnest, Nathaniel felt his pulse quicken, and his throat become dry.

  There may as well have been no one else on stage, for Nathaniel could not take his eyes off the prima ballerina, even for a moment. As she moved about the stage, Nathaniel thought she might have been an angel come to earth. He wondered how a person could possibly be so beautiful, so captivating.

  When the curtain fell at intermission, Nathaniel realized that he had been leaning forward in his seat, and quickly sat back. His head was swimming with images of the prima ballerina. Her red hair had been artfully arranged in an elegant knot at the back of her head, and her pale skin seemed to glow under the stage lights.

  From this distance he had seen that her face was lovely and well proportioned, but he longed to see it up close. What details might he have missed from the remove of his box seats? What color were her eyes? He felt a burning desire to know these things, such as he had never felt before.

  “You seem to be enjoying the ballet after all,” the Dowager Duchess said, breaking Nathaniel out of his reverie.

  “What?” he said, sounding confused, and internally cursing himself for it.

  “I said that it seems that you are enjoying the ballet,” his mother replied, “or have I misread your expression?”

  “Oh. No, you have not misread it,” he said, keeping his tone carefully neutral. “I am quite enjoying it.”

  He could hardly hide this fact from his mother, but it would not do for her to know how captivated he had been by the sight of the prima ballerina. His mother loved the ballet, but she certainly would not approve of an infatuation with a ballerina.

  “I am glad,” his mother said, smiling at her son. “Perhaps you will consent to accompany me again, some time. I do love being here.”

  “Of course, Mother,” he said, kindly. He would gladly accompany her to the ends of the earth if it meant that he could see the beautiful red-haired dancer again.

  When the lights dimmed again, and the curtain rose on the second act, Nathaniel found he was no less drawn to the prima ballerina than he had been during the first part of the performance. Her costume had changed, and instead of a flowing skirt, she now wore a large tutu made of some stiff material that stuck out from her waist, leaving her legs covered only by her stockings.

  Nathaniel had been surprised to see the ballerinas’ legs exposed from the knees down during the first act. He was shocked now to see even more of the prima ballerina’s legs, though he hardly minded. Her legs were strong and powerful, but still slender and graceful. Nathaniel leaned forward in his seat, wanting to be even one inch closer to this beautiful creature.

  Nathaniel’s eyes followed her as she floated across the stage, and he felt his heart beat faster as he watched her. When he saw the male lead place his hands on her waist, and lift her into the air, Nathaniel could not help but imagine himself on stage with her. He imagined placing his hands on her narrow waist, feeling her body pressed against his own.

  To his left, Nathaniel heard his mother sigh quietly, the sound bringing him suddenly back to reality. He was uncomfortably aware of how close they were sitting, and he hoped that she would not be able to see the flush that must surely be showing on his face. With a great effort, Nathaniel leaned back in his seat and relaxed his body.

  * * *

  The following morning, Nathaniel woke earlier than usual. His sleep had been filled with dreams of the prima ballerina. He had never been a graceful dancer himself, preferring to ride and paint for his pleasures, but he dreamed of himself on stage with the beautiful red-haired ballerina.

  In the dream, their bodies moved in harmony, as though they had been made for just this purpose. His long limbs, usually awkward and unwieldy, moved smoothly through the air, and her small frame danced around him, sometimes pressed against him in ways that made him catch his breath.

  He had dreamed of them alone together, as well. In this dream, he had been lying in his bed, just as he had been in reality, but in the dream, the ballerina lay beside him, and they spent long stretches of time kissing and exploring one another’s bodies. He had not had this sort of dream since he had been a schoolboy, and felt slightly embarrassed about it, though no less intrigued for his embarrassment.

  When he awoke to find himself alone in his bed, Nathaniel knew that he must see the ballerina again. He prided himself on being a logical person, and he knew that it was not logical to fall in love with someone he had only seen once, and never spoken to.

  I do not even know her name.

  But in spite of his logical brain, he knew that he would not stop thinking of her and wondering if there might be a chance of true love. There was nothing else for it—he would need to see her again to determine if he still felt the same way.

  Later that morning, Nathaniel joined his mother in the dining room for breakfast. As he sat down across from her at the table, the footman handed him a note. Nathaniel greeted his mother, and sipped his tea before opening it.

  “Is everything all right, dear?” the Dowager Duchess asked, when Nathaniel had finished reading the letter and put it down beside him.

  “Yes, Mother, quite all right,” he said. “The Earl of Berwick has invited me to lunch at his club next week.”

  “Berwick?” the Dowager Duchess asked. “Your father never liked him much. What do you suppose he wants to talk about?”

  “I think Father must have known the previous Earl,” Nathaniel said. “The current Earl must be no more than thirty years old, and I believe he only came into his peerage last year.”

  “Well, perhaps he is hoping to make connections with other young members of the peerage,” she replied. “You ought to go and meet him. Hopefully, he is more effective than his father, in which case he might make a useful ally.”

  “I agree,” Nathaniel said. “I shall write back to him later today and accept his invitation. In the meantime, though, I thought that I might return to the ballet this evening.”

  “Really?” His mother replied, “I thought that you would enjoy it, but I had no idea that you would want to return so soon.”

  “Well, I just thought, since I have no plans this evening, and I did enjoy it…” Nathaniel began, trying to keep his tone casual. He did not want his mother to know why he really wanted to return to the ballet, but he could hardly hide it from her, either.

  “Of course,” the Dowager Duchess said. “Unfortunately, I will not be able to join
you, as I have a meeting of my garden club this evening, but please feel free to use my box.”

  Nathaniel breathed a sigh of relief. It would be much more comfortable to watch the beautiful ballerina without his mother sitting right next to him. Perhaps it would seem odd for him to attend the ballet by himself, but he decided that he did not care about that.

  I suppose that Mother would voice her objections if it is likely to cause a scandal.

  Chapter 5

  Anna stood backstage with the rest of the dancers in the ballet company. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and many of the dancers wore looks of barely concealed anger on their faces. Mr. Bamber was addressing the company before the evening’s performance. He was a short, stocky man, with a broad, friendly face. His twinkling blue eyes and rosy cheeks made him look like an overgrown school boy on occasions such as these.