Gregory. "Do you know her name? "
Vivian. "Her name is Miss Delilah Martin. "
Gregory. "When I saw her earlier, she seemed very familiar. Was she not at the wedding of Julian and Olivia last year? "
Vivian. "Precisely. However, I do not remember you speaking with her. "
Gregory shook his head. "We did not have a chance to speak unfortunately. "
Vivian. "Then I believe you must go and speak with her before the opportunity is lost. "
Smiling, Gregory turned and stepped out of the ballroom. His eyes swept across the terrace before landing on a beautiful figure standing beneath the moonlight. Her back was to him.
Not wanting to scare her, Gregory began to take cautious steps toward the young woman, but then froze as he watched her turn around. His breath caught, his heart leaping into his throat, as he came face-to-face with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
She was a few inches shorter than he was, possessing blonde curls fixed into a bun. Her eyes were a brilliant bright blue, her cheeks pink and cream. Her voluptuous curves were on full display in a dazzling powder blue silk gown with off the shoulder sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. Cream silk gloves went up to her elbows.
Refusing to stand there like an idiot, Gregory cleared his throat and gave her a soft smile. "Good evening."
***
Delilah felt her knees buckle. Lord Gregory Lennox was not only handsome, but he had a deep and rich voice that sent her heart plunging into sweet raptures. Composing herself, she returned his sweet smile with one of her own. "Good evening my Lord."
Gregory. "I do hope I was not bothering you."
Delilah shook her head. "No, you certainly were not. I came out here to get some air."
Gregory. "I see. May I ask how you came to know Vivian?"
Delilah. "I was not in a well suited financial situation last year, and I needed help. I turned to Vivian for that assistance, and she matched me with Barron Victor Darcy. Unfortunately, the match was not one of pleasure, at least for me."
Gregory. "What happened?"
Delilah turned away from him, her eyes landing on a patch of roses below in the garden. How much could she tell this gentleman? How much did she want to tell him? She took a breath. "I will spare you the details, but what I will tell you is that it was three months of hell."
Gregory closed the distance between them, coming to stand beside her. Without even thinking, he placed his warm hand on top of hers. "Did he hurt you?"
Delilah wasn't sure whether it was the gentle touch of Gregory's hand on hers, or the softness of his voice, but she found herself nodding in response. "Yes, he did."
Gregory squeezed her hand. "What did he do to you?"
Delilah swallowed hard. "He ruined me during our first evening together. It was not an act of lovemaking, that I can tell you. Over the course of three months, he did things that terrified me."
Gregory. "What sort of things did he do to you? "
Tears gathered at the corners of Delilah's eyes, beginning to cascade down her cheeks. "He was violent and cruel, subjecting me to terrible pain every night."
Gregory's blood simmered with rage as her words struck him. How could that bastard hurt such a beautiful young woman? Without even thinking, he brought Delilah against him, holding her tightly to his chest.
Delilah didn't fight, didn't protest, but simply buried herself against him. Her body began to shake with gut wrenching sobs. At Long last, she had revealed, without gruesome detail, exactly what had taken place between her and Baron Darcy. Someone had listened.
After several minutes, Gregory pulled away, taking her face between his hands. His voice was soft and tender. "I promise you, if I become your protector, I will not treat you the way Baron Darcy did. I will treat you the way you deserve to be treated."
Delilah sniffled, wiping her eyes with her gloved fingertips. "How do you believe I should be treated my Lord? The baron told me I would be treated like a whore and nothing else."
Gregory growled, his chocolate brown eyes flashing with fury. "To hell with what that bastard said, because that is not how I will treat you. I will treat you with love and compassion, treat you with patience and gentleness. I will make love to you, not use you and then discard you. I will make you mine, in every sense of the word."
Delilah took a step back, her heart pounding. "But my Lord, you do not even know me. How do I even know you are to be my protector and I your mistress? Vivian has not matched us together."
Gregory took her hands, squeezing them softly. "Then I will make her match us together. I wish to be your protector and I desire you to be my mistress."
The sound of someone clearing their throat had Gregory and Delilah turning their heads. Their eyes widened as they saw Vivian standing several feet away from them, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction. In that moment, they realized she had heard every word of their conversation.
Vivian smiled, stepping toward them. "I do hope I was not interrupting, but I could not help overhearing that the two of you needed my assistance with finding your perfect match."
Delilah smiled, blushing. "Actually Vivian, the Viscount and I were discussing that matter."
Vivian beamed. "I see. And have you come to a decision?"
Gregory smiled, still holding Delilah's hand. "We have Miss Morgan. I would like to be Delilah Martin's protector, and I desire her to be my mistress."