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Chapter One: The Ball

England, 1792

He would not submit

Lady Dormouse, they called her His reclusive bride-to-be, shy and shrinking, and by all accounts, ugly as a shrew Why else would they have kept her so carefully hidden away? Lady Aurelia happened to be daughter to the Duke of Lansing, which was the only reason she was the ton’s e prospect

But not coveted by him Hunter didn’t care that her father owned half the countryside around London, or that he controlled a vast swath of society’s brightest statese’s most favored noble companion Hunter didn’t want to wed Lady Dormouse Hell, he didn’t want to marry anyone, but he’d just discovered this daed by his own father and y of dissolution at his country estate, to be confronted with a betrothal?

Damn and blast

His three partners in crime smirked at him from across the ballroo when he was setting up house with a dull stick of a wife, holding tea parties and formal dinners rather than raunchy routs Thousands of candles illu curls, and sleek-coatedevery which way He’d been instructed to dance with Aurelia at least twice, but he’d be damned if he remembered what she looked like

He could name every courtesan, actress, and ladybird in London by first and last name, hair and eye color, but he hadn’t seen his betrothed in over a decade He’d had better things to do Hunter Lionel, Marquess of Townsend, was a ht He was a er appetites, as evidenced by the previous weeks’ unprecedented descent into debauchery

But if he ht, as his father had thundered, he would be betrothed on his own terms, for no one, no one, pressed the Marquess of Townsend’s hand If he was to spend a lifetiony, it would be to a wo, family promises be damned He hadn’t made the blasted promises, but sat silently by when, as a boy of fourteen, he’d been betrothed to the neighboring duke’s daughter, a girl of four Ridiculous

Why, he barely remembered the formal event or the dinner that followed, except that it was extre at hiy, indeterminately colored hair He remembered they’d taken his betrothed away before dinner, for the nursery

It had seemed as stupid to him then as it seeh-ranking dukes, and thus becoe, his father insisted, would guarantee a purity of line

Hunter scanned the roo breasts That would be a necessity Shapely waist and large hips to grasp when he plunged into his wife’s pussy in the throes of marital duty Most importantly, a pillowy, delectable bottom to spank and play with as suited his will

Ah, what a pair of arse cheeks he’d enjoyed the night before last Some local whore his friend Warren had enticed to the party, or perhaps she’d been a good girl enjoying a forbidden tryst with some of London’s most notorious rakehells Whoever she was, she had squirmed and cooed and squealed with delicious enthusiasm as he’d spanked and molested her backside Hunter s cock, re the tart had been when he slid inside her Not just her pussy, but her arsehole too before the night was over

Gossip of his licentious activitieshim to act in this heavy-handed manner A betrothal ball, indeed, and not one soul had let him in on the scheme beforehand Very well He’d wed, but not to their perfectly pedigreed dormouse He could very well pick his own shackle Hunter frowned and scanned the roo the sea of slender, stiff-necked virgins on display

His friends approached, forentlemen in their ballroom black: Lord Warren, whoust, dark and severe like Hunter hiether at Oxford, along with Arlington, a great Viking of a ed froe by the specters of “duty” and “responsibility,” and so they had forenial rebellion

Until now

Arlington clapped hiust and Warren, both earls by title, guffawed behind their hands at his beleaguered frown

“I suppose there’s nothing for it now, old boy,” said Warren “Perhaps you shouldn’t have hosted such a prolonged and lascivious party at Somerton”

“I’ll sack the whole staff at Sorown man I can bedevil whores and doxies if I like”

“Nonsense It’s tiravity “And this betrothal has been on the books for an eternity The Lady Aurelia Dorer to set up at your side”

“Help hter “Soirl I’ll take her into the study and ruin her I’ll take her out to the gardens and—”

“Tie her to a tree and whip her bottoust nodded “I think that bypasses betrothal and constitutes e in certain shires”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to escape a life with Lady Dormouse For God’s sake, I don’t even knohat she looks like They’re hiding her in some corner, no doubt, until just before the announcement”

“Look at

that bit of goods” Warren jerked a chin at the corner A young wo sapphires at her neck stared back at the handsoood looks captivate each and every wo lady in question was practically in a swoon under his friend’s regard Hunter was uncoant he ht, and broad shoulders The courtesans liked his build, but he’d heard it whispered by the ladies au salon that he was oversized and coarse

He scowled at the young chit, annoyed to see she was everything a man like him desired Her bosom pressed round and pretty as a peach from the constriction of her fitted bodice, while the skirts of her dress flared out over visible hips No slilossy and full, rich honey-gold waves curling over her shoulders, a voluptuous teaze He would like to touch those curls, run his fingers through therab her and subdue her with a kiss that would leave her far less innocent than she’d started out

“She’s got her eye on you, chap,” said Warren

“Her eyes are on you,” he ground out “You rotting pretty peacock”

“Go to her” He gave his friend a nudge “Look at that body You can see she’s got a sure, even with the petticoats”

“Yes, go dance with her, Towns,” August prompted “No time to lose”

“I’ht out of her reputation, and that’s not going to happen here in front of a thousand eyes,” said Hunter “I’ll draw her off somewhere and ruin her so the other betrothal will be off”

“You’ll have to marry her then,” Warren pointed out “Do you dislike the idea of Lady Dormouse so very much?”

“I loathe the idea of Lady Dor her It’s the principle of the thing” He straightened his coat and nodded toward the wo “This pretty piece of arse will do just as well, if I have to marry”

“Where then?” asked Arlington, stopping hi everyone so you can be caught in the midst of an illicit embrace?”

Hunter thought a ardens, the one on the left that leads to the follies Plenty of ht there for discovery Anyone knoho she is?” Several high born gents were paying court to her, ranging around with languid gazes “Is she betrothed to someone else?”

“Would she be looking at you that way if she was?” Warren murmured

A flush rose beneath the points of Hunter’s cravat She was staring at hi, fascinated expression ofdread So she’d heard about him and his friends, perhaps heard about their fa ladies had, as in Stay away froentleible It was good that she knew his reputation She would understand even before they entleentleman who didn’t stay quietly at home