The Bradford Series- Part One

Lady Suzanne, middle daughter of the Earl of Ravenswood, considered herself a smart girl.
She’d attended Middleton Girls School for six years, had private tutors in Art, History, French and Etiquette, and read every book in the Ravenswood library, twice.
She contemplated how smart she was when she had let her best friend Tubby talk her into coming to his mother’s ball. Normally she was a social butterfly, enjoying the dancing and being social, but tonight wasn’t a good night. She was tired and grouchy from arguing with her sisters about dress colors all afternoon and besides that, something didn’t settle right in her stomach. It had managed to twist and turn itself into knots giving her an anxious nervousness that plagued her. All she wanted was to be at home, curled up with a good book, not surrounded by her peers as they gossiped and robbed Lady Trafford’s champagne and sweets.
“Have I ever mentioned how much I hate these things?”
Suzanne rolled her eyes with discontent and contemplated darting out the open doors of Tubby’s Mother’s sitting room. Tubby, Lord Trafford as he was known to England’s society, was Suzanne’s oldest and dearest friend even if he was overly dramatic and had no taste for clothing.
“We never do anything exciting,” Tubby insisted slumping against the back wall and picked at the sleeves of his pink waist coat, “It’s always musicals, poetry readings and balls.” His groan caused Suzanne to roll her eyes again and shake her head. “Shh!” She insisted, poking him in the ribs with her elbow so no one could hear his depressing rant on why they were at yet another ball. “And besides Tubby, just last week we scaled the wall to Mr. Limner’s garden and procured two of his very best roses,”
He grunted again, showing he wasn’t amused and started to examine his manicured nails.
“The week before that we snuck into Mrs. Whistledown’s library and obtained-“
“Susie, you’re not listening to me. I’m bored,” He groaned shoving his considerable bulk off the wall.
Lifting a perfectly arched eyebrow, she gave a very unladylike snort. “You’re just upset because Lady Trafford is after you to marry,” She pointed out. She knew, just as well as Lady Trafford did, that Tubby had no intentions of marrying anytime soon. But, bless her heart, Lady Trafford held her hopes high and tossed every marriageable miss in her oldest son’s path.
“I need excitement,” He told her his eyes lighting up as he imagined all sorts of exciting situations he wanted to get them tangled into.
Suzanne didn’t. She was perfectly content in her life and had no plans to do anything drastic. She had just made her entrance into society and had recently received the stamp of approval from Almack’s and had even graced the Queen’s presence. Very briefly, mind you, but she was there.
“Come,” He insisted reaching for her hand and drawing her out the open doors on to the terrace.
Following Tubby, Suzanne allowed him to guide her down the steps and into Lady Trafford’s immaculate gardens. Tiny candles twinkled above their heads as they made their way through the bushes of hyacinths and roses. Their fragrant smell tickled Suzanne’s nose and she couldn’t resist inhaling deeply.
“Where are we going?” She asked once they’d reach the outskirts of the garden, “Tubby, we’re not going to the maze are we?”
She’d hated the maze since she was a little girl and Tubby, who ignored her pleas, always managed to drag her into the confusing web of hedges.
“It’ll be fun,” Tubby insisted, grabbing her hand and leading her into the dark maze. The smell of English vines and hedges assaulted her nose as she held onto the Tubby’s clammy hand. He tugged and pulled her along as she continued to protest.
“Do not lose me; you know how I hate these things.” She advised him, following him through the turns, despite the rapid beating of her heart. He had left her trapped and lost within its confines when she was seven and she’d never fully forgiven him for it. The memories of her huddled in a corner; her eyes squeezed tightly shut and her brain on overdrive thinking she’d never get out of there alive came to life.
“I still haven’t forgiven you for leaving me in here when I was seven,” She reminded him, glancing around the darkness looking for a reminder of where was. Biting her lower lip, she ignored the sense of panic that loomed inside of her and stiffened her back, “I hate this,” She muttered again.
“I never asked for forgiveness,” He teased, squeezing her hand and pulling her deeper into the cool darkness.
Glancing back over her shoulder as he propelled her deeper into the mess, she caught sight of the light coming from the torches and hoped it would help if she got lost.
Pausing in a clearing, Tubby’s grinned was illuminated by the moonlight. “Do you hear it?” He laughed, his smile lighting up his whole face.
Suzanne lifted an eyebrow, “Hear what, Tubby?”
Putting his finger to his lips, he quieted her, “Listen.”
Closing her mouth, she strained her ears and did as he asked.
The giggle of a female echoed in the maze and Suzanne looked at Tubby in shock.
“That’s Miss Brianna Pennywise, daughter of Vicar Pennywise.” Tubby announced proudly, his fascination with gossip of the ton twinkling in his eyes.
“Tubby,” Suzanne insisted, rolling her eyes at her dear friend, “You are worse then any female I know.” She laughed, enjoying her friend’s fixation of uncovering the scandals that haunted the ton.
“Come Susie, let’s see who she’s with.” Tubby grabbed for her hand, but missed and in his excitement at catching Miss Brianna Pennywise with her beau didn’t seem to notice he’d left Suzanne behind.
“Tubby!” She exclaimed, clamoring after him in the dark, but quickly losing sight of his backside. Sliding to a stop, she found the maze to be eerily silent.
“Tubby!” Suzanne hissed, glancing around the corner of the maze, “Tubby, this is not funny.” She cautiously put one foot in front of the other, making her way, clumsily, down the path she imagined he had taken.
Panic settled deep within her chest as her eyes attempted to make sense of the hedges around her. Taking in deep breaths of air, she forced herself to calm down. Freaking out was not the best option in this situation.
Behind her, she heard the crush of twigs beneath running feet and whirled on her heel, “Tubby?” She called again, “Tubby, is that you?”
When she felt a fingertip tap her on the shoulder, she gasped and twirled around to face nothing but darkness, “Tubby, this is not funny.” She snapped, her arms reaching out blindly to find him and knock some sense into him.
The fingertip touched her other shoulder, but this time the touch lingered longer than she expected. Her entire body froze as the warmth of the fingertip trailed around her bare shoulder and started towards her neck.
This was definitely not Tubby.
“Who are you?” She demanded her voice not as strong as she’d wished it to be. It came out like a strangled gasp and she quickly cleared her throat, “I demand you answer me.”
The intruding fingertip slid up to her exposed collarbone and a shiver shot through her body making her knees weak. It delayed its path only briefly before slipping up the smooth expanse of her neck before settling on her jaw line.
By then Suzanne was trembling, but not with fear. She trembled with a feeling unknown to her. Her stomach was twisting itself into knots that were pleasurable rather then painful. Her knees were weak, threatening to give out from beneath her and send her tumbling to the ground in a shaking pile. Her heart beat was erratic against her chest, dancing its own beat; while her breathing came in short bursts leaving her chest aching.
“Who are you?” She whispered this time. She felt his presence before her and her fingers itched to reach out and find out who it was, but the thought that the delicious sensations that trickled into her blood would halt.
The fingertip left her jaw line and moved towards her full lips. It traced the outer length of first the upper lip, then the lower lip. She felt him step closer to her, feeling the warmth that radiated off his masculine body.
Whoever this was, he a great deal taller than her and dwarfed her frame in his presence.
“Do you want to touch me?” The voice was smooth, like liquid desire as it rolled across her flesh. She shivered when she realized that she did want to touch him, like he had touched her. Ignoring the warning bells that were going off in her head, screaming that this was not at all proper, she nodded her head slowly.
He, whoever he was, closed the distance between their bodies, backing her up against a hedge and aligning their bodies together. A cloud escaped from the moon, and beams lit up the area, but his tall frame blocked his features, only highlighting his body. She only came up to his shoulders and she reached out and laid a bare hand against her stranger’s cheek. His skin was smooth and warm and he nuzzled the inside of her palm like a cat against a scratching post.
Suzanne felt the shuddered breath rip from his lungs and out of his mouth and she quaked from desire. His skin was hot and smooth beneath her fingertips as she stroked his cheek before moving to his lips. They were full of unleashed passion and she felt the heat from his body soak into her pores, mingling with her blood.
His arms swept around her, pulling her body close to his. She heard him whisper a curse that was foreign to her ears before his lips settled on her own.
The gasp that slipped from her lips gave him the opportunity to slip him tongue inside her mouth and Suzanne nearly jumped from the intimate contact.
A mixture of shock and desire rolled through her body, prickling her flesh and making her tingle from head to foot. Her belly felt warm and unusual. As if it had managed to turn itself inside out. She grew lightheaded and if not for his arms around her body, she would’ve fallen straight to the ground in an ungraceful heap.
When he pulled his lips away, a rush of air slipped between their bodies leaving her chilled. Moaning from the loss, delicious shivers shot through her body. Opening her heavy lidded eyes, the moonlight became brighter and she caught sight of her stranger. He had thick, raven hair and a strong, warm mouth. Devilish eyes greeted her with arched eyebrows. Puzzled, she could not identify him and she feverishly etched his features into her heart.
She could make out a smirk in the pale moonlight before he pulled her body back and molded her to his. As his fingers laced through her maid’s careful artwork of her hair, she realized she was no longer untouched by desire; she was on fire with it. She felt like she would carry this man’s imprint on her body forever.
He nibbled on her lower lip, sucking it and teasing it. Suzanne thought she would simply explode from the feelings that coursed through her. She never dreamed it was possible to feel so alive.
And then he slipped away.
“Until we meet again,” He whispered, his warm, moist breath tickling her ear. Before she had found her voice to protest, he disappeared.
Sagging against the hedge for support, she gathered her breath. Her head swirled with what had just happened to her. She tried to feel shame for letting a stranger accost her in the darkened maze and take advantage of her, but all the feelings she could muster were awe.
Smiling, she touched her lips which were swollen from his kisses. Unable to stop the giggling that bubbled forth from her lips she sighed.
“Susie?”
Snapping to attention, she heard Tubby calling her name and heading in her direction.
Reality set in as she hurried to fix the mess he had made of her hair and adjusted her dress.
“Susie?”
With one last adjustment, she crammed a pin into her hair before calling out, “Over here!”
“There you are,” He called out bounding around the corner, “Where did you go?”
She eyed him for a brief second, “Where did I go?” She smacked his shoulder, “Where did you go, you know I hate these things and you run off and leave me.” She shook her head and wrapped her arm through his, “Take me back inside Tubby.”
“Are you okay?”
Nodding, he obliged her and started back towards the house. Glancing back over her shoulder, she searched for any sign of what had just happened… and found nothing.
“I’m fine Tubby, I’m fine.”