Making of a Scandal - Victoria Vale Page 0,136
certain. You will call on me if you have a need, won’t you? I’ve grown rather fond of you over the years, Mr. Sterling.”
“Of course.”
But as he departed the modiste’s shop, Benedict knew he could never return.
Because, as he walked down the alley toward his waiting carriage, he experienced the unmistakable shiver down his spine caused by eyes watching him in the dark.
The ride to his townhouse passed as if in a blink, his mind so preoccupied he hardly noticed the time it had taken to arrive. He carried his own belongings into the house, not trusting a footman with the documents that could see everyone he cared about publicly disgraced.
“Good evening, Mr. Sterling,” the butler murmured with a bow as Benedict entered. “You received a message while you were out. I’ve had it placed on the desk in your study.”
“Very good. Inform the staff that I am not to be disturbed for the rest of the night.”
Benedict trudged to his study, already annoyed with whoever had sent the blasted message. He was exhausted and wanted to ignore it in favor of finding his bed. With the unburdening of his secret to David, he now felt as if a small weight had been lifted off the innumerable problems bearing down on him. He had the hint of a plan, and it was beginning to grow the more he thought on the matter. He could sleep knowing he and his friends were secure, at least for a little while longer.
A fire had been lit, and a lamp rested on the desk, revealing the waiting missive. He took his time storing the most important of his documents in his safe, removing his coat, and rolling up his sleeves. Then, he finally went to the desk, settling in his chair and retrieving what turned out to be multiple pages closed with wax but bearing no seal.
Dread chilled his blood as he opened it to find a short note written in a haphazard scrawl.
Hyde Park, the Serpentine. Monday afternoon, 5 o’clock. Come alone. Don’t look for me, I will come to you.
Benedict sniffed, finding an unmistakable fragrance wafting from the page. One he knew well.
Lily of the valley. It had emanated from the London Gossip when she’d accosted him in that alley. He’d registered it then and it had niggled a memory in the back of his mind, one he still couldn’t seem to unearth no matter how hard he tried. Apparently, she wasn’t finished toying with him.
“Devious little bitch,” he growled, pushing her note aside to unveil the second page.
What he found made his entire body go numb. The page fluttered as his hands shook, and he worked to steady them so he could read the latest copy of The London Gossip, dated for tomorrow and apparently scheduled to be delivered to subscribers first thing in the morning.
His teeth ground together, his temples throbbing and jaw aching as the entire world seemed to drop out from beneath his feet.
At last, dear readers, I can now fulfill my promise to expose the nefarious workings of the secret agency known as the Gentleman Courtesans. This writer happened to receive a firsthand account from a lady who claims to have had a nine-month affair with one of these so-called gentlemen—a tall, dark-haired man whose father happens to be an earl. Under the promise of anonymity, she has told me all. I must warn you that what I have to share is shocking in the extreme, but it would be irresponsible of me to withhold the details knowing that these lecherous men are among us, corrupting the ladies of our society with their licentious ways.
Benedict jumped to his feet, the paper fluttering to the floor and his chair toppling over. He panted like a bull, his movements stiff and jerky as he paced the room, trying and failing to keep his mounting rage under control. He’d done his best to rein it all in, keeping it just under the surface of his skin, always simmering, always there, but tightly leashed. He allowed it to the surface long enough to dispatch his opponents during his boxing matches, but always reeled it back in, leaving it to fester until the next time.
But, just now, there was no outlet for the black wrath welling in him and threatening to boil over. He snatched up a paperweight and hurled it across the room with a guttural roar. It shattered the nearest window before hurtling out into the night.
“Fuck!” he bellowed, swiping the contents of his desk onto the floor, pounding his fist on the surface, and slamming the toe of his boot against the side for good measure. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
There were no other words to encompass the path of his thoughts. For, the London Gossip was officially waging war with him, and she already had the upper hand.
He was well and truly fucked.
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Making of a Scandal Playlist
Click to listen on Spotify!
Strong as Glass by Goapele
Crush by Yuna feat. Usher
Summer Games by Drake
If This is Love by Ruth B.
Late Night Flex by Quincy
Lend Me Your Love by Preston Hutto
Into Orbit by Alex Isley
I Want You Around by Snoh Aalegra
Pigment by H.E.R.
Japanese Denim by Daniel Caeser
Like Summer by Kyan
IMAGINATION by Adrian Marcel
Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur
It’s You by Henry
Water & Air by Alex Isley
Forget Me Not by HONNE
Cut Me Down by rum.gold
Lost In Japan by Shawn Mendes
Fantasy by Black Atlass
Always by Arin Ray feat. Babyface
Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine
Instead by Blake McGrath
Fools In Love by Inara George
Over and Over Again by Nathan Sykes and Ariana Grande
He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat) by Jill Scott
The End by SOSUPERSAM
Say Yes by Floetry
Book 4: Taming of the Rake
Coming June 23
Click here to pre-order!
David Graham loves women—so much that being a gentleman courtesan is more pleasure than business. Having newly inherited a failing country estate, the income to be earned pleasing wealthy women doesn’t hurt matters. When a new, lucrative contract is offered to him, David is happy to take on a new client … until he finds out what she really wants from him.
Widowed and alone, Regina Hurst has no desire to engage in a passionate affair. Finally free and independent from the tyrannical rule of her late husband, she only wants what he could never give her—a child. Hiring a professional courtesan seems like the best way of achieving her aims, but she never expects an arrangement of convenience to blossom into something more.
David sees Regina as frigid and severe, but more time spent in her company reveals a dark and hidden pain. The more she resists the spark of attraction between them, the more he strives to earn her trust and affection. Attachment is against the rules of conduct for a gentleman courtesan, but David is helpless to fight his burgeoning feelings.
When their time together ends, will he walk away substantially wealthier, putting Regina behind him forever? Or, will he take a chance on turning a mercenary arrangement into something that will last forever?
The Gentleman Courtesans
Series Reading Order
Now Available:
Tempting the Bluestocking (prequel novella)
Portrait of a Lady
What a Courtesan Wants
Making of a Scandal
Coming Soon:
Taming of the Rake
Chasing Benedict
More by Victoria Vale
Enjoy this Dark Romance series, The Villain
The Villain
The Dove
The Butterfly
The Damsel
The Gift
The Scandalous Ballroom Encounters Series
Masquerade
A Marriage Most Scandalous
Tempting Two
Submitting to the Marquis
Dominating Mr. Darling
Her Beautiful Bastard
Scandalous Christmas Encounters Vol. 1
Scandalous Christmas Encounters Vol. 2
Scandalous Christmas Encounters Vol. 3
About the Author
Sexy heroes … sassy heroines … electrifying erotic romance.
Victoria Vale has written over two dozen Romance and Young Adult novels under various pseudonyms. As a lover of erotic romance, she enjoys nothing more than a sexy hero paired with a sassy heroine, flavored with a dash of spice and lots of heat. A wife and mother of three, she enjoys reading (of course), cooking, sewing … and other activities that aren’t appropriate for inclusion in a biography.