How to Kiss a Debutante: Marsden Descendants Book Four Read online

  She put the car in park and went inside to send her telegram. After she was done with that she drove to the hotel and handed the keys to a valet. Her chores were done and hopefully she had taken the first step into proving to her grandfather she could be an asset to the company.

  After she checked in she went to her room. Her trunk was already waiting for her there. The service was good at the hotel any way. She settled onto the bed and closed her eyes. It had been a long day and the trip had only just began…

  Rafael, Conte Leone strolled along the platform of the train station. He’d had business in Bristol that hadn’t gone as he’d hoped. The night in the hotel hadn’t been much better. It was time to head to London. He couldn’t put it off any longer. One of his closest friends, William Collins was getting married and he wouldn’t miss it for anything. William was depending on him to be there and he would not disappoint him.

  The train whistled in the distance. It would come in to the station soon and then he could board. The trip from Bristol to London shouldn’t take long, but he wanted to be on his way. He didn’t care for weddings. They made any unattached gentleman uncomfortable and all unmarried ladies craving a wedding of their own. He wasn’t particularly looking forward to that aspect of the festivities.

  He leaned against a nearby pole and closed his eyes. Rafael wanted to go home. His responsibilities in England left him bitter. His mother, Lady Pearla Montgomery Leone, had many properties that needed attention in England. His father, Damian, Marchese d’Bari had too many duties in Italy to see to her property. Many of his mother’s holdings were a part of Rafael’s sister’s, Sofia and Gabrielle’s dowries. So far neither one of them had married. He couldn’t blame them. Marriage was a noose around the neck, one he had no intention of willingly stepping into.

  The train rolled to a stop before the platform. Steam billowed all around it. Rafe pulled out his timepiece and flipped open the lid. So far everything appeared to be on schedule. Passengers disembarked the train and bustled to wherever they were heading. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for them to call all aboard. Something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. A flash of green… He turned to see what it was but it had disappeared or had never been there to begin with.

  Minutes ticked by as he waited. They moved by at a snail’s pace. He would make them move faster if he had the ability. Another whistle echoed around him and then finally the announcement he’d been waiting for. “All aboard,” a man bellowed and the sound reverberated around him.

  Rafe picked up his lone satchel and stepped toward the train. He handed the worker his ticket and moved toward the first class section of the train. He hadn’t bothered with his family car for this trip. It wasn’t necessary for something so quick and innocuous. If he planned on doing a lot of travel he would have had it brought out when he’d departed London earlier in the week. Though the trip would be quick, Rafe was weary. He regretted his decision to not take the car. If he had he could rest for the swift trip back to London.

  He rushed past other passengers and moved through the car until he found his seat. He pushed his satchel under his seat and plopped down. At least he had a window seat. He could lay his head against it and close his eyes for a little bit. If he was lucky he’d be able to drown out the sounds around him and pretend he was alone. Rafe hated crowds. He wasn’t all that fond of people in general.

  “Pardon me,” a lady said interrupting his doldrums. “Might I trouble you for some assistance. I’m having difficulty with my bag.”

  He allowed his eyelids to flutter open and he barely held in a gasp. The woman’s accent said she was American, like William, but not from the same region as his friend. He hadn’t wanted to deal with her but his manners were too ingrained to ignore her completely. Now he was glad his mother had drilled them into him as a young boy. The woman before him was positively enchanting. She had dark blond hair highlighted with bronze and gold. Her eyes were so dark blue they almost looked black at first glance. Then the light hit them just right at they sparkled like fine sapphires. She had perfect bow shaped lips that were a lovely pink. Her face had a delicateness to it that made him want to protect her.

  Rafe sat forward and said, “What seems to be your dilemma?” That sounded positively stupid. “I mean what can I assist you with?”

  “You’re too kind,” she said sweetly. “I’m afraid my bag is too large to fit under my seat properly. Do you know if we’re to have any other passengers sitting with us?”

  He glanced around the compartment. “I can’t say.” He should have purchased the entire section then he could tell her it would just be the two of them for the trip to London. Though if he had bought the entire section she wouldn’t be sitting with him. “You can set your bag over here by the wall. It won’t be a bother.” As far as he was concerned nothing about her would be.

  “Are you certain?” She nibbled on those delectable lips or hers. He was jealous of her teeth.

  “I am,” he said and smiled at her. “If no one else sits here we can always move it. If they do…” He shrugged lightly. “The trip to London won’t take long. It’s no bother really.”

  “If you’re certain…”

  “I am,” he reassured her. “Please sit.” He gestured toward the seats.

  She did as he instructed and took the seat across from him. He liked having her there. Rafe could gaze upon her without having to apologize for staring. She was truly lovely.

  “Forgive me, my lady,” he said. “My manners are lacking. My mother would have my head if she heard me.”

  “You have impeccable manners, Mister…”

  “Rafe,” he said. “Let’s not be formal. There’s not much fun in that.”

  Her lips tilted upward into a wanton smile. “I should tell you that I am no lady. Though my father would love it if I married into nobility.”

  “You’re dressed as a lady,” he said. “That is close enough to observe the proprieties.”

  “Then we would have to revert to formalities and that would be a shame…” She licked her lips enticingly. Rafe managed to squash the groan before it rolled from his throat. “I’d like us to be…friends. I think that’s the word I’m looking for. If we are to be friends then you can use my given name and I can use yours.”

  “That sounds fair,” he said. Rafe wanted to be more than friends with her. “But first you must tell me your name for us to follow this through.”

  “You’re right of course,” she said and then sighed. “My name is Aletha.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Aletha.”

  “I do think we’re going to be the best of friends. Mr. Rafe.”

  His lips twitched. Perhaps he’d correct her later. For now he was going to enjoy the pretense…

  Chapter 3

  Aletha had not expected to have an encounter with an enigmatic man during her trip to London, but she was eternally grateful for it nonetheless. He was gorgeous with dark locks that ran toward the long side. His hair brushed a little past the collar and had a nice wave to it. She wanted to reach out and touch his hair to see if it was as silky as they appeared, but she held her hands demurely in her lap. The last thing she wanted to do was scare him off. She couldn’t recall every being so enamored with a man before. This one had stunning eyes that appeared more silver than gray. Rafe… She even liked his name. His accent made her toes curl. In short, he was decadent.

  “What brings you to England?” he asked. His eyes almost seemed to twinkle in the early morning light. Aletha tempered a sigh. She didn’t need to get all dreamy on him. That might put him off her entirely.

  “A family obligation,” she answered. Aletha didn’t want to discuss the wedding with him. This was her time and she wanted to enjoy it. Besides she only had a passing acquaintance with William Collins. His sister was the one that had sort of married into the family. That didn’t stop her parents from seizing an opportunity to attend the wedding and ordering her to as well. They hoped she might
meet a lord of something or other and snare him. There would be plenty in attendance.

  “Ah,” Rafe said his tone suggested he understood. “Those can be a bit tedious. Though, sometimes, fun as well. I have something similar dragging me to London.”

  She lifted her lips. “I hope yours is more on the entertaining side.”

  “I’m sure it will be.” His lips twisted upward. “At least if past events are anything to go by.”

  Aletha thought about asking him about those prior occasions but decided against it. The past didn’t matter. What did was the here and now. Their time. The first meeting between the two of them and where it might lead. She could invite him to the wedding. No one would mind. Her parents might… They wanted someone loftier for her. No one asked her what she desired. If they had her grandfather would have allowed her to be a part of the Carter Candy Company several years ago. Even now he hadn’t agreed to anything. This was a test and even if she passed, he might overlook her as a potential employee just because she’d been born female.

  Aletha didn’t tell Rafe any of that. She liked him, but she didn’t really know him. Though it did give her something to talk about other than the wedding. If he was like most males of her acquaintance, he had no desire to settle down and find a wife. The mere mention of a wedding drove her brother to excuse himself from the conversation and nearly bolt from the room. “That is good. Much better than inspecting potential property for business ventures from the tone of your voice.” Though Aletha did enjoy looking over the last building. It had been exhilarating and she relished the challenge. She so hoped her grandfather would be reasonable…

  “Oh?” He lifted a brow. “What kind of property were you looking at? I haven’t had the privilege of having a conversation with a business woman before. Americans are so progressive.”

  Not as progressive as she’d like… “One large enough for us to expand our operations to England. I’ll know it when I see it. I have a couple more I need to visit before we return home.” Somehow, she’d find the time in-between the wedding festivities.

  “How delightful,” he said. His tone suggested he meant those words too. It was rather refreshing. “I suppose you were looking earlier before we departed. Is that why you were there?”

  She shook her head. “Well,” she began. “Partly. Our ship docked there instead of London. My mother hates the London docks. I stayed behind yesterday and viewed a property and they went on ahead for…” Aletha almost mentioned the wedding but held back. “She didn’t want to wait. London called to her and I think she mentioned shopping.” That wasn’t entirely a lie. Her mother had babbled on about visiting some of her favorite shops. Aletha had barely held back an eye roll or two. “She has other priorities.”

  “I see…”

  “I’m sure you do.” Most men thought that all a woman wanted to do was spend their money on frivolous things. Aletha’s mother fit the stereotype down to her silk lined drawers. “What is it you do with your time?” She lifted a brow. “Are you a businessman?”

  “After a fashion,” he replied cryptically. “My family has several holdings I oversee.”

  If he were an English lord, she’d assume he meant his entailment, but his accent suggested something different. “Where do you live if I may ask?”

  “What makes you think I don’t spend my days in England?” He smirked.

  She opened her mouth to reply but held back. How could she state the obvious without sounding rude? “Forgive me,” she began. “It’s just I can’t place your accent and I made assumptions. I suppose you could call England your home.”

  “Don’t fret, my dear,” he said endearingly. “You were correct the first time. I do not live here, but my mother’s family does. So, it brings me to England often enough. My aunt also married a duke of all things, so our ties are strong with England.” He paused a moment. “But alas, you were correct. This is not home for me. I am much more comfortable at my estate in Italy.”

  Italian… That was interesting. Aletha had more questions but she’d already been rude enough. If he offered up more details, she’d soak them in though. She wasn’t sure what else to say. An estate implied money so at least if something more happened between them her family wouldn’t get their noses out of joint. She sighed. She was inventing a future after one conversation on a train. What was wrong with her? She had to get her head out of the clouds and grounded firmly in reality.

  “That sigh sounded ominous,” Rafe said. “Did I say something wrong?”

  He was enjoying Aletha’s company immensely and he wished they had a longer journey than they did. They would be arriving in London soon and then it would all come to an end. He wanted to find another reason to see her but was failing to come up with a likely excuse. The way they had introduced themselves he didn’t even get her surname out of it. He wouldn’t be able to search for her or accidentally bump into her on purpose. Rafe had never met a woman who had intrigued him the way this one did. She was a mix of propriety and indecorum all at once. She understood how she was supposed to act, and yet, turned her nose at it when she chose. He adored that side of her. Rafe wanted to see how much she would go against the grain if pushed.

  “It’s nothing,” she answered after a moment. He’d forgotten what he’d asked her he’d been so lost in his own thoughts.

  “What’s nothing?” He tilted his head to the side.

  “What I’d been thinking about to sigh.” She shrugged. “I was just remembering something that I need to.” Aletha glanced out the window. “We all have a place in the world. I was just recalling mine.”

  He didn’t like the tone of her voice. It had gone melancholy all of a sudden and he wanted to snap her out of it. Aletha was so pretty when she had amusement in her eyes. This sad girl in front of him was ethereal, and yes still beautiful, but she was much more stunning with a wicked gleam in her eye. “You’re right of course,” he agreed. “But sometimes that place doesn’t suit us as much as it should. Don’t you think that in lieu of giving in to society’s expectations we should instead find our own path?”

  “Easier said than done,” she replied. Aletha nibbled on her bottom lip. “As a man you can make that choice much easier than I can.”

  “Isn’t it easier now for a woman? Didn’t all that suffragist movement change things for you?” He didn’t follow it much because it didn’t directly affect him. “I seem to recall reading that your country made and amendment of something giving women rights.”

  Aletha nodded. “You’re not wrong. The nineteenth amendment gave women the right to vote and all that. It was a hard-won victory, but it didn’t solve all our problems. It’s still very much a man’s world and we’re only permitted to live in it. There is still a long road until were even remotely seen as equals.”

  “And that is what you desire? To be seen as an equal?” His sisters never expressed an interest in such things, but they were in some ways still quite young and silly. Or perhaps that is just how he saw them… He’d have to ask them if they wanted the same thing from life. He hated that they might feel inferior in any way.

  “Yes, I suppose I do or at the very least given the opportunity to prove I’m capable of doing something other than look pretty and spend my allowance on frivolous items.”

  He frowned. “What is it you most want? That seems to be a little specific” Perhaps he was reading too much into what she’d said. It could be just a generalization.

  She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to divulge all my secrets in one meeting. Suffice to say that my family is quite archaic and my grandfather especially so. He doesn’t believe a woman should do anything other than look pretty and do a man’s bidding.”

  “I can see how that might irritate you.” He would hate for anyone to be so derisive of what he wanted or even needed. Rafe never took the time to understand anything from a woman’s point of view. This conversation with Aletha was enlightening in more ways than one.

  “It’s nice to have a conversation
with someone of the male persuasion that doesn’t deem a woman as inferior in all ways. I do appreciate it.” The corner of her lip twisted upward wryly. “It’s too bad that we’ll probably never cross paths after we depart the train station in London.”

  As if on cue a loud whistle shrilled around them announcing their arrival in London. He had to agree with her. This was not how he wanted things to end with her. He needed more time with Aletha. The problem was he had no idea how to go about obtaining that desire.

  “We could…” His voice trailed off. How did he ask her to meet him again? Would she even want to? Rafe was nervous for the first time in his life. He had no idea how to gain what he wanted most for fear he’d scare her away. He was a maudlin fool and he had to snap out of it.

  “See each other again?” She smiled. “I would like that.”

  The train came to a stop and jerked them both a little. He held on to the arm of his chair, so he didn’t fall out like an idiot. This was the first train ride he’d taken that stopped so sharply. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “I’m fine,” she answered. “I suppose that is our signal to prepare to depart.” She stood and started to gather her belongings. “I do hope we will meet again.” With those words she departed in a rush. He was too stunned to react at first and by the time he did she was lost in the crowd of passengers departing. Bloody hell… He would find her again. Rafe relished a challenge and she had just issued the most important one of his life.

  Chapter 4

  Rafe had a driver waiting for him after he exited the train station. He’d had at least a small amount of sense to send a telegram regarding his arrival before he departed. The Marsden driver, Alfred, stood next to the car with his hands behind his back as Rafe approached.