A Haughty Courtesan Read online

  A Haughty Courtesan

  Nancy Wells

  Published by Blushing Books

  An Imprint of

  ABCD Graphics and Design, Inc.

  A Virginia Corporation

  977 Seminole Trail #233

  Charlottesville, VA 22901

  ©2019

  All rights reserved.

  No part of the book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The trademark Blushing Books is pending in the US Patent and Trademark Office.

  Nancy Wells

  A Haughty Courtesan

  EBook ISBN: 978-1-64563-055-5

  v1

  Cover Art by ABCD Graphics & Design

  This book contains fantasy themes appropriate for mature readers only. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as Blushing Books' or the author's advocating any non-consensual sexual activity.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Nancy Wells

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  Chapter 1

  In the house of Madam Olivia Dustin, a masquerade was underway. Highborn lords were hiding behind masks, trying to conceal their identities from each other. Everyone was aware of who was present, yet all of them wanted to keep the charade of not knowing the presence of their neighbor, friend or family members.

  The reason for their shame was the establishment where the current festivities were held.

  It was a brothel.

  An expensive one, and reputable for discretion.

  The girls working at the brothel of Madam Olivia Dustin were highly paid. All the working girls were skilled in their trade and were some of the prettiest girls in the whole town. Nobility and merchants flocked towards the place every day.

  Among these girls was one girl who was a favorite of the madam and the countless admirers who kept an eye on her every move.

  And why wouldn’t they?

  Her every move was a tale of sensuality and seduction.

  Her name was Rose.

  She had been living in the establishment ever since she was six years old when the madam picked her up from the streets and took her under her wing. In the beginning, she carried messages for the madam and became a courtesan once she came of age.

  Under the tutelage of Madam Olivia Dustin, Rose had become the most sought-after courtesan from the very first day of her life as a courtesan. At the age of twenty-six, she was skilled like no other in her line of trade.

  Her crowd of admirers increased day by day and so did her pride. She was beautiful. No one could deny it, but the fame had made her a bitter person towards others. She considered herself superior to others and maybe, in some ways, she was better than the other girls.

  Her skin was alabaster, and her lips always painted like a red rose. Her thick, onyx locks reaching her slim waist ensnarled countless men in their trap. When she batted her thick lashes, a myriad of hearts stopped beating. Her violet eyes changed color as the lighting changed and it slew many in their wake.

  Beauty was her weapon and she knew how to wield it.

  It had been a long time since she began work as a courtesan, but never in that time did she yearn for a different lifestyle. Unlike many people, she liked her line of work. It provided a kind of freedom that was rare in a male dominant society.

  At the masquerade, she was wearing a garland of roses in her hair and a mischievous smile on her face. She moved with a gait of a skilled courtesan from one person to another, hunting for her prey.

  “Beautiful Rose, you look ravishing in the costume of Flora.”

  She smiled at the man hiding behind the mask of a wolf. The only visible features through the mask were his lips and green eyes. The man was wearing a black tailored coat with golden embroidery and grey breeches… a complete ensemble for someone representing a grey, feral beast.

  She would have never recognized the man, but the ring on his hand gave away his identity.

  “Lord Doris,” she said coquettishly. “I should have known you would come as a wolf.” She leaned towards him suggestively and dragged a slender finger across his chest. “Deadly and clever.”

  Lord Franklin Doris was an Earl. He came to their establishment less frequently than others, but he always came with a heavy purse. He was a favorite of the madam for his generosity, but he was not favored by the courtesans because he was a careless brute.

  She knew he would never harm her because he would have to answer to Madam Olivia, and no one wished such fate upon themselves. Madam Olivia kept high-ranking officials in her pockets and one word from her could ruin the life of any nobleman.

  “And ready to devour,” he drawled.

  Her lips curled into a crooked sensual smile and she bit her bottom lip between her teeth.

  “We are all here for your pleasure, my lord.”

  Lord Doris did not miss the suggestive look she was throwing his way. He grinned at her before eyeing her leisurely from top to bottom with the gaze of a predator.

  “Is that so?” he asked roguishly.

  “Point to anyone and see for yourself,” she said in a sensual manner.

  He leaned towards her ear and she pretended to shudder as his warm breath teased her lobe.

  “The only thing I came here for is standing right in front of me,” he said. “Why should I bother looking elsewhere?”

  When he straightened, she batted her thick eyelashes… casting her bait of deceptive innocence. Her innocent face always worked in her favor. Men fell at her feet in droves because of her ageless beauty.

  “I am flattered,” she responded.

  Her small gesture had the desired effect she had been looking for. His Adam’s apple moved up and down.

  She had piqued his interest.

  He had taken the bait.

  “I usually don’t visit twice in a week, but for you, I will make an exception,” he said.

  “I will be waiting for you, eagerly,” she purred.

  He reached out to catch her, but she was quicker than he anticipated and all he could manage to grab was air.

  “One kiss is all I ask this fine evening,” Lord Doris said.

  She winked before turning her back on him. She was quick because it was not the first time she was luring a customer. She knew how to play this game of erotic teasing.

  “You know the rules, Lord Doris,” she said. “Rose does not kiss her customers.”

  It was true. Rose would allow the customers to do anything, but never let them taste her lips. She never offered any explanation, but it increased her allure, and everyone assumed it was the reason.

  Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t. Who knew what Rose really hoped to gain? She was a proud girl with a big ego and all her other traits, good or bad, dimmed behind her bitter nature. No one cared to ask her why she was reluctant to kiss anyone.

  She prowled through the party, searching for other gentlemen who would take an interest in her. Her eyes and ears were on alert for any subtle sign of interest from the guests.

  She felt rather than saw a gentleman’s gaze penetrating her skin. From the corner of her eyes, she observed two men standing in a corner. One of them was wearing a mask of a white feathered bird while the other was wearing a mask of a devil. She knew the first one, but the latter was a first comer.

  She stood near a pillar, knowing full well the gentleman in the devil mask was interested in her and would sooner or later approach her.

  It was an old routine… an old dance she had been performing for a long time.

  She knew and so did everyone else that no one could resist the allure of Rose.

  Chapter 2

  Lord William Clifford, the heir of Viscount Clifford Donald, was leaning against a pillar, watching the festivities around him with keen interest. It was the first time he had come to this establishment and so far, he was not disappointed.

  He had observed many girls at the masquerade, but so far only one had gained his attention. She was a slender woman with exceptional beauty.

  Her curves were on blatant display in the red silk dress she was wearing. There were neither petticoats nor a corset under the dress. A brown belt was loosely wrapped around her waist and her neckline was so deep, he could see her bare bosoms even from a distance.

  She was a walking sin.

  When she swayed her hips and played with a lock of hair, his heart had stopped beating for a moment too long. There was an aura of mystery around the girl. He wanted to know her and find out what made her exceptional from the crowd.

  He was a successful businessman and never in his lifetime had he made an investment that cost him money or time. He was damn sure this girl would be worth his time if he spent his money on her.

  She was a courtesan. They were all for sale.
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  “Her name is Rose.”

  There was no need to look towards the source of the voice to know it was his friend, Lord Robert Tyne. Robert held the title of baron and had known him from the time they studied together in Oxford. They’ve been inseparable ever since. Their friendship was exemplary.

  “She certainly looks interesting,” William said.

  His breath hitched as she jumped back from a man in a wolf mask and the dress revealed the crack of her bottom. She was stark naked under that dress and it was hard to resist appreciating her body. She had an hourglass figure with wide hips, a slender waist and hefty breasts that jiggled with slight movement.

  “You want an introduction?” Robert asked.

  Want? No, he needed an introduction. She was a sensual creature standing only a few feet away from him. He would be a fool to come this close and not get an introduction.

  “I don’t see any reason to turn down your offer,” William said.

  They approached the girl and stood before her. She did not blink or even show surprise before offering her hand to Robert with a seductive smile on her face. It was such an erotic yet graceful move that it left him stunned for a long while.

  Robert brought her hand near his mouth and kissed her knuckles. It was the first time he was envious of his friend. He wished he had been the one she had offered her hand to rather than Robert.

  “Rose, the loveliest creature on earth,” Robert whispered against her skin.

  “Lord Tyne,” she said, cocking her head to the side.

  Her voice felt like music to his ears. William had met countless women, but none of them had managed to gain his interest from the very first meeting. Rose was an exceptional case and he longed to unearth the reason.

  “You recognized me through my mask,” Robert responded. “Marvelous.”

  Robert was hiding behind a white mask with feathers of a bird on the sides. Like himself, Robert was impersonating an honorable creature.

  “How could I not recognize a swan in the room?” she cooed. “It seems like a crime against nature, my lord.”

  Robert threw his head back and laughed. William could not resist smiling either. He knew it was all an act for her and she did not mean a word coming out of her mouth, but there was a strange pull that was making him fall for her charms.

  “Always with the silver tongue,” Robert said.

  She winked in their general direction. “I aim to please, my lord.”

  Her attention was on Robert, but he did not miss the glances she was throwing his way from time to time. She was good at capturing the attention of the people around her. She was aware of her surroundings.

  “You look more stunning than the Goddess Flora,” Robert said.

  William took her in more closely and noticed her attire in detail. She was wearing a garland of roses on her head, but the overflowing, untamed, thick curls could never belong to the docile Goddess Flora.

  She was not dressed as Flora, Goddess of spring and flowers.

  She was dressed as Persephone, the underworld queen who ruled beside Hades.

  William cleared his throat to gain his friend’s attention. Robert looked his way and seemed surprised to see him there. It would seem, the goddess standing before him had made his friend forget about the promise he made earlier.

  “Actually, I believe the lady is dressed as Persephone,” William said.

  The words were out of his mouth before he realized he was speaking out loud. He would have regretted his mistake, but the spark that lightened her eyes made him swallow the apology on the tip of his tongue.

  Just because her name was Rose, everyone assumed she would represent Flora. He felt sorry for her. She was a courtesan, so correcting mistakes of her customers could cost her and that’s why she was refraining from pointing out the true meaning of her attire.

  “If I am not wrong, we have never met before, my lord,” she said.

  For a few seconds, he actually forgot she was a courtesan. The smile she gave him was not the practiced fake smile of a courtesan, but rather belonging to a young girl who was genuinely pleased to meet him.

  “Lord William Clifford,” he said, bowing at his waist. “I recently arrived in London.”

  She curtsied with a fluid grace like any girl of noble birth. This was a reputable house of pleasure. The girls were taught lessons in decorum and manners. It was the reason many of the girls from this house were now mistresses of highborn nobles.

  “I hope you stay for a while and grace us with your presence more often,” she said.

  “I certainly will,” he responded.

  She smiled seductively at him and any thoughts of her being an innocent maiden vanished from his mind. She was a skilled courtesan who wielded her beauty as a lethal weapon. She truly was Persephone… Enticing the lord of the underworld with her sheer beauty.

  “I look forward to meeting you again, my lord.”

  The purring in her voice heated his cheeks and diverted blood to the region below his waist. He held his hands before his crotch to hide his excited state from her.

  The promise of wicked things in her voice was intoxicating.

  “The feeling is mutual, my lady,” he said breathily. “I would hate to disappoint an ethereal goddess like you.”

  She raised a brow and flashed him a grin that nearly brought him to his knees.

  “I only hope the man behind the mask of the devil is as handsome as his words are beautiful.”

  She winked at him and abruptly turned her back on him. He watched her walk away from him with her hips swaying from side to side to an unsung melody. She had woven a web of lust and desire so tightly, he could not speak nor move an inch from his place.

  “One last question before you depart,” he called after her. She halted and slightly turned her head to the side. “Is the dress intentionally red as a pomegranate or is it a coincidence?”

  She smiled wickedly before looking at him over her shoulder. His heart stopped beating and a haze of lust surrounded his mind when he witnessed her eyes darkening a shade.

  “You tell me, my lord. The dress attracted the devil from the underworld.”

  She left him speechless as she started walking away again. She was witty and beautiful at the same time. Very few people would have recognized his reference to the pomegranate of Persephone. She was not like the others. She not only grasped his meaning but came up with a quick response that was equally witty as before.

  “I thought you were going back tomorrow.”

  He shook his head to snap out of the trance and looked towards his friend. He had forgotten he was not alone with her. Now he understood why Robert had forgotten about him when they had approached Rose. The fault did not lie with his friend, but rather the goddess who could make men bow before her with a snap of her fingers.

  He was supposed to go back to his estates, but now his plans were changing. He had responsibilities that needed his attention without delay, but he could not walk away without having a taste of what Rose was offering.

  “I suppose I can stay for few more days,” William said.

  She did not need a script to attract her customers. Her sharp mind was enough for making people hooked on her company.

  He was hooked.

  Chapter 3

  All the courtesans were gathered around the breakfast table. Madam Olivia Dustin was seated at the head of the table. Rose was seated to the right of the madam in her usual place. It was a tradition in the house that before they opened for business, they shared a meal together.

  Rose smiled as she heard Madam Olivia humming a soft tune. The madam was in good spirits, probably due to the success of her party last night. The party was mentioned in some of the prestigious papers and was declared a successful hit of the season.