Lucas woke in the morning with a pounding head as he played over and over again the events of the night before. It was an hour before dawn and despite retiring to bed at a late hour, he slept fitfully, his sheets tangled in a mess around his naked body and half the pillows scattered across the floor.

Lucas ran a hand through his hair and nearly screamed out in frustration. Last night was a mistake. It was a mistake long before Dorset caught him and Edwina together, when it was nearly too damn late. Lucas knew that if Dorset had not interrupted them, he would have taken Edwina then and there…and she deserved better than a frantic coupling against any hard surface like a whore. She deserved true intimacy, a cozy bed, and a long night of lovemaking before a warm fire.

My God, Lucas thought with disgust, he pleasured Edwina and himself against the dissection table of the lecture hall. A table that mere hours before laid a human heart broken down into small pieces to display the four chambers within.

What in God’s name was he thinking? Bringing Edwina to the College? Alone and at night?

And, that was the crux of the problem. He was not thinking. Even though Dorset would not speak of it, the damage was done. Lucas knew what he had done. Again.

Yet, even now, Lucas’s cock stiffened at the memory of Edwina’s naked body laid out before him. Lucas scrubbed his face in agitation. He would never be able to stand within that recessed stage again without thinking about how Edwina writhed in pleasure under his touch, the taste of her body on his tongue, and the way she cried out his name as it echoed throughout the lecture hall.

Unconsciously, Lucas reached down and wrapped his hand around his cock and moved in tight, short strokes until his body beaded with sweat and he felt the pleasurable tingle at the base of his spine. He came hard, panting, and murmuring Edwina’s name into the silent early morning darkness, splattering his seed against his stomach and chest.

Lucas cursed as he reached down for the bedsheet and carelessly cleaned off his body, before letting his head fall back against his pillow. He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to catch his breath.

He was doomed.

There was only one clear course of action. He would release Edwina from their agreement tonight at the Hastings ball. He was mad to think he could marry. He could not marry anyhow, not without ensuring his affairs were in order. He admired Miss Ursula and he could not punish her with a permanent attachment. He could not do that to anyone.

Especially not to Edwina, whose his feelings towards were becoming far too complicated for his comfort. Lucas feared that he was half in love with her. He snorted. If love was a real emotion. It was most likely an infatuation, a debilitating one that had him acting irrationally. Though, he had the presence of mind to acknowledge that he was certainly fully in lust with her body.

He would retreat to Leighton Castle for the remainder of the Season. London, a population of nearly one and half million, was a city too small for them both. He could not trust himself not to seek her out again, to repeat the events of the night before. To satisfy every one of his carnal needs against her soft pliant body. To have her come undone over and over again against him and to gaze up at him with eyes filled with wonder and tenderness afterwards.

No, it was best to remove himself entirely. With hope, Edwina will find herself married to Lumley before the end of the Season and well out of Lucas's reach.

Lucas forced himself out of bed and called for Simmons to begin packing up the household for Leighton Castle.

***

The dance ended with a final twirl and Edwina looked impatiently over Lord Lumley's shoulder to where Lucas had disappeared outside with Miss Ursula. Lord Lumley followed her gaze and turned to smile down at her. "Would you like some fresh air?"

"Yes, please." She spent all evening scouring the ballroom for glimpses of Lucas. The Hastings ball was crowded with gentlemen and ladies dressed in all manner of ridiculous costumes. Edwina cursed her short stature as she tried to peer over the tall shoulders of the men and the high, feathered coiffers of the ladies.

Lucas was bound to attend the ball as it was precisely the event to publicly declare his intent to marry Miss Ursula. And, she was not disappointed when the Duke of Hastings led his duchess to the center of the courtyard earlier to open the ball with a waltz. Simon, as he has asked Edwina to call him by, was dressed immaculately as some knight-errant while Daphne, the eldest Bridgerton daughter, matched him as his beloved lady. They were a beautiful couple made even lovelier by the obvious regard they held for one another.

Other couples soon followed Simon and Daphne to the dance floor, including Lucas and Miss Ursula. Miss Ursula was dressed in a white and gold gown that mimicked the style of an ancient Egyptian princess.

After the opening waltz, Lucas disappeared with Miss Ursula on his arm in the crush of attendees. It wasn’t until this last dance that Edwina caught a glimpse of him leading Miss Ursula out onto the terrace with Mr. Silva following close behind them, acting, as usual, the proper chaperone for his youngest sister. Lucas must have attached himself to Miss Ursula’s side all evening, a clear stake that he intended to wed the lovely young lady.

Edwina hadn't realized it until they stepped out onto the darkened terrace and gulped down a breath of the cool night air how shaken she was. It appeared he had forgotten all about their lovemaking the night before, perhaps, forgotten about her entirely.

Though Edwina silently admonished herself as she was the one that pushed him towards Miss Ursula in the first place. She reminded herself that Lucas only sought a marriage of convenience. She knew that Lucas was not for her. She still desperately wanted the deep, abiding love Kate and Anthony possessed.

If only her heart listened to her mind.

Edwina did the sensible thing. She tucked away any impossible emotions she felt, pushed them deep down within herself so that they would never resurface again, and turned her attention to Lord Lumley who clearly adored her.

Lord Lumley was dressed as a dashing musketeer in a dark green tabard with a matching short cape. A wide-brimmed feathered cavalier hat hid his dark curls. At his waist, a blunted rapier hung jauntily from his belt.

When he arrived at Bridgerton House to escort Edwina to the ball, his eyes had widened appreciatively at her own costume. Edwina dressed in a Grecian-style tunic, white with gold stitching, with her arms completely bare. She wore a crown of gold rays. “Aphrodite,” he murmured as she approached him and he dropped a kiss on the back of her extended hand. “Nothing suits you better.” Edwina smiled but did not correct his assumption.

“Did you see her?” Benedict said, as the crowd pushed him towards them, his eyes searching the room. He neglected to dress in costume and only wore a half-mask to cover the top portion of his face. Even now, he had it pushed up against the top of his head, disheveling his hair.

Edwina broke out of her reverie. “Who?”

“The woman in silver.”

Lord Lumley shook his head.

“No. Who is she?” Edwina asked. Benedict looked frantic and she was beginning to worry. Though, this was the most amount of emotion, if not agitation, she had seen in him in months.

Benedict let out a growl of frustration. “I haven’t the foggiest,” he muttered before disappearing into the fray.

Edwina smiled apologetically at Lord Lumley for Benedict’s rudeness before allowing him to lead her deeper out into the terrace, down a set of stairs, and into the shadows where she spotted a bench. He waited until she sat before he took his place next to her. It wasn't until then that she noticed his right hand clasping tightly to hers, their fingers intertwined.

His hand felt cold in hers, though that could not be right. It simply felt wrong.

“Lord Lumley,” Edwina said, drawing her hand from his. He relinquished it with a puzzled expression on his face.

“Please call me Sebastian.” He smiled down at her and Edwina felt her heart flip in her chest. The torches that Daphne had lit illuminated his features, casting a shadow along his broad jawline. He was handsome, rich, and kind. She could not ask for anything more than his regard, to be his wife, his viscountess. It was what she always strived for…before. Before last Season when her foundation was shaken when she discovered the secret love Kate and Anthony held for one another. Before she met Lucas and the wonders of the knowledge he possessed. Before, she shook her head slightly, last night. Before her body ignited in an inferno of desire at Lucas’s expert hands, his mouth, and how she brought him pleasure as well. Even now, as she sat with another man, she only wanted Lucas.

He looked down at her with concern. “What is wrong?”

“Will you kiss me? Please?” It was time to put the turbulent emotions she felt for Lucas behind her. She cannot be in love with him. She was in love with Lord Lumley. With Sebastian, she silently corrected. She needed to know that she could experience desire with another man. A man who loved her, not one that saw her as an obstinate means to an end.

Sebastian’s eyes dropped to her lips. He hesitated for a moment, indecision writ on his face, before licking his lips slightly, and dipping his head towards her. Edwina reached up and placed her hands on his shoulders, closing the distance between them. She noticed, absentmindedly, that Sebastian kept his hands on the bench. He did not touch her.

Sebastian’s lips pressed against hers gently. It wasn’t the ravenous kiss that Lucas bestowed on her as if he wanted to consume Edwina whole. It was chaste and a little cold.

When he pulled back, there was a distracted look on his face. One that seemed to be hiding a sense of disappointment. Edwina was sure that it mirrored her own. Would her marriage to Sebastian be filled with chaste kisses? Lovemaking in the pitch dark of night under the sheets while fully clothed in her nightgown and him in his nightshirt? His touch did not inspire passion, not in her anyways. Perhaps, it might have if she never met Lucas, never felt his touch.

Lucas had condemned her for all other men.

“Well,” Sebastian began, taking in a deep steadying breath, before dropping down on one knee. He withdrew a small box from his pocket and she felt a trembling sense of apprehension pass through her. Her mind began scrambling for a way to extricate herself from the scene. “Edwina, you must know that I have admired you for these past two Seasons. I–” He stopped again and gathered himself. “I–”

“Oh, here you are,” a voice called out from around a large planter. Mr. Silva approached them, his eyes glittering with anger. Lucas and Miss Silva followed closely behind the irate gentleman.

“You! What did I tell you–” Sebastian began, shooting to his feet, his eyes hard on Mr. Silva.

“How dare you?” Mr. Silva jabbed a finger into Sebastian’s chest. “To close the theater just because–”

“Perhaps,” Miss Ursula said, her eyes darting nervously between Edwina and Lucas, “we should discuss this in private.”

Sebastian took a long moment to gather himself. He looked on the brink of throttling Mr. Silva, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. Edwina was shocked to see him in such a state, his body positively vibrating with passionate emotion. She only shook her head in wonder. Who was this man before her? Was there depths to Sebastian that she did not even suspect?

He turned to Edwina, bowed slightly at the waist, “I beg your pardon, Edwina.” He faced the rest of the party. “Miss Ursula. Lord Greymoor.” Edwina noticed Sebastian made no point to apologize to Mr. Silva.

“Come,” Miss Ursula said, releasing her hold on Lucas’s arm and threading it through Sebastian’s. “If you will excuse us,” she said to Lucas and Edwina, before practically dragging Sebastian away on one arm and her brother on the other. Both men looked eager to say their peace and Edwina hoped that it was with their words and not their fists.

“I wonder what that was about,” Edwina said as Lucas approached her. They were left alone in the small clearing, and, as before, Edwina could barely hear the music drifting from the ballroom.

“Lord Lumley seems to be opposed to Mr. Silva’s true nature,” Lucas replied.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Lucas only looked down at her in answer. His eyes stopped short, taking in her costume, and a slow smile spread across his face. “Apollo?”

“Yes! You are the first to guess correctly.” Edwina idly smoothed out her skirts as she stood. It pleased her endlessly that Lucas understood her intentions. She knew he would.

“The Greek God of Medicine. It suits you.”

“And you?” Edwina began teasingly as she took in his outfit. He wore a black evening suit, much like at any other ball, only with, Edwina saw with a pain of recognition, the blue waistcoat with silver threading that she recommended at Weston’s. She was right in that the color suited him perfectly. She was not surprised to see that he avoided any form of costume, instead wearing a simple black domino mask to meet the minimum requirement of a masquerade ball. “Are you meant to be Dr. Lucas Blakeley masquerading as the Earl of Greymoor?”

The smile vanished from Lucas’s face. “Something like that.”

He turned away, gazing around them as if to ensure that they were truly alone. “We need to speak about last night.” A harsh tone edged his voice. It was the same as when he ended their lovemaking abruptly the night before and he redressed her without a hint of intimacy she experienced mere seconds before. Instead of languishing in the warm aftermath of their lovemaking, Edwina remembered how Lucas shoved her back into her gown and how they rode in silence all the way home to Bridgerton House. He had handed her down from the carriage, his body thrumming with impatience as she made her way up the front steps into the house. It was obvious he was eager to be off.

And, she did not understand why.

"We are done. I am calling off our agreement,” he said, still looking away from her towards the ballroom. A dart of pain followed swiftly by a rise in anger hit Edwina hard in the chest.

"No, you are not."

Lucas spun around. "What?" It was obvious that he expected Edwina to be cowed by his declaration. The look of surprise on his face was plain.

"No, you are not getting off this easily, Lucas."

"Easily? Do you believe this is easy for me to do, to say? You drive me absolutely mad, Edwina. I cannot think when I am around you. And, when I am not, all I do is think of you."

A warm thrill passed through her. He voiced precisely how she felt for him as well, but she wasn't ready to admit it aloud just yet. "That seems to be your problem, not mine."

Lucas let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're goddamn right it is. That is why I am ending this now. Nothing good can come of this. If we spend any more time alone together, what happened last night...I don't trust myself around you."

"Is that your only concern?" Edwina felt as if Lucas had meant to say more. It did not make sense that their attraction to one another would send him into such a state of panic. From the very beginning, the moment Lucas walked through the doors of Kate's bedroom back at Danbury House, Edwina felt the sharp, nearly electrical charge of attraction between them two. Why now was he so concerned?

Yes, they were blessedly indiscreet the night before at the College. A memory that will warm Edwina decades to come.

"Is there something else, Lucas? You can tell me."

Lucas's lips flattened and Edwina expected to see annoyance and frustration flare up in his eyes. She sucked in a sharp breath of surprise to see them filled with stark fear.

Lucas was scared. No, he was terrified.

Not for himself, but for her.

"What is it?" whispered Edwina, the hairs on her skin standing on end in anticipation of his response. She could not imagine what could terrify a man as rationally minded as Lucas. Whatever it was, just the thought chilled her.

“We were seen last night.”

Edwina’s breath caught. Lucas stepped towards her, placing a hand on each of her shoulders and brought her close to him, though stopped short of embracing her. Concern filled his eyes. “How do you know?” Edwina whispered.

“I saw him in the lecture hall after we…It was Dorset.”

Edwina swallowed and nodded her head numbly. Mr. Dorset saw them together. My God, he must have seen her naked, panting for Lucas. Her face burned with embarrassment. “I do not understand.”

“What do you not understand?”

“How are you still alive then? Anthony, if he knew, would have called you out hours ago. Kate, my God, my sister, would have had you drawn and quartered.”

Lucas suppressed a smile. “I tracked Dorset down after I returned you to Bridgerton House. He promised not to say anything. He is a good man. Better than me. He will keep his word.”

Edwina let out a slow exhale. “Then, no one truly knows. We do not need to call off our agreement.” Relief washed over her. To her surprise, she felt less anxious knowing that Mr. Dorset had caught her and Lucas in flagrante delicto to the threat of losing Lucas’s tutelage, to losing him entirely.

Before Lucas could respond, a voice interrupted him. "My lord," a footman said, standing a short distance away from them on the cobbled stone path, his eyes discreetly looking over their shoulders. Like all good servants, he was trained well to not notice any possible indecent acts between guests hidden amongst the shadows of the garden. "A boy in the kitchen is asking for you." The footman sniffed, indicating his disapproval of the boy, likely a street urchin. "He says he knows you and that Madame Blachet sent him. This note is for you."

Lucas took the note from the servant and read through it quickly before tucking it away in his breast pocket. "Please bring me my coat and call for my carriage."

"And my cloak," Edwina added as the footman hurried away.

"Are you daft? You are not coming with me."

"I assume you are being called away for an emergency. I can help."

"Your absence will be noted."

"Nonsense. The ball just started."

"Lord Lumley will certainly notice that his fiancee has absconded away into the night."

"He is not my betrothed."

"That is not what I saw."

"Then you need to get your eyes checked."

Lucas growled in aggravation and began making his way to the side gate of the garden that would lead out onto the street. "I do not have time for this," he said even as he held the gate open for her to pass. Edwina smiled to herself in victory.

"I agree. Let's not tarry." Edwina pushed past him.

***

The Greymoor carriage pulled up to the front of Hastings House the same moment the footman arrived with Lucas's greatcoat and Edwina's cloak. Lucas wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and pulled it tight across her tunic beneath. It was a warm night and neither was necessary outside of disguising their finery as Lucas directed his coachman towards their intended destination.

"Do not take off your mask," he said as he helped her into the carriage. He sat down beside her instead on the seat opposite and reached under the seat. He pulled forward his valise. Due to an extra degree of caution, Lucas began keeping his valise close at hand. It was for moments precisely like this that he feared being unprepared for whatever emergencies that presented itself.

"Where are we going?" Edwina asked as Lucas meticulously checked the items within his valise.

"The Hothouse. A brothel." He cast his gaze at her, expecting to see her recoil in shock. She sat quietly waiting for him to continue, the only sign of surprise being a slight stiffening of her spine. "The note regards a prostitute, Lily, that is employed at the brothel. A patient."

"Did the note mention what is wrong?"

Lucas shook his head and looked impatiently out the carriage window into the dark street. The carriage was pulling rapidly away from the bright lights of Mayfair. "No, but the last time I treated her, she was beaten so badly that discolored welts ran up and down her back."

Edwina gasped. "Why? What happened?"

Lucas gritted his teeth. "Some men can only find sexual pleasure in violence." That statement silenced Edwina. She looked at him, her eyes wide with shock behind her gold mask, and Lucas regretted telling her the truth. A distasteful hint of the dark side of reality. Edwina had accompanied him throughout the slums for the past week and not one instance shocked her until now.

To know that one could hurt another not out of anger or spite but for pleasure...

Lucas watched Edwina closely in the low light of his carriage. She recovered quickly from what he disclosed. She was now calm and poised, curious, and not one bit distraught with the knowledge that they were heading towards a brothel. The very last place a lady of good Society would find herself and the very same place that could ruin a lady's reputation in a fraction of an instant.