A Taste of Temptation (12 page)

“Yes,” John said. “Obviously you haven’t heard, but the incident hit Lord Truefitt’s column this afternoon.”

“And you know when that bastard gets hold of a piece of gossip he doesn’t let it go until he gets to the bottom of every fact and every name,” Chandler added with distaste in his tone.

Andrew looked at his two friends. They were worried about him. They wanted to help him. He saw it in their faces. And that felt damn good, but it also made him even more determined to handle this on his own. And do what he must. Despite the consequences of what he had decided he had to do.

He took a chug of the ale. It was dark, strong, and soothing. Suddenly it was as clear as a cloudless blue sky what he had to do.

“Well, worry no more, my good friends who have come to rescue me. I plan to take care of the problem to the satisfaction of everyone concerned in the matter.” Chandler and John looked at each other with curious expressions on their faces and then they turned their confused expressions on Andrew.

“Wait a minute,” John said. “How do you propose to settle this?”

Taking a labored breath, Andrew placed his empty tankard on a nearby table and clapped both men on the back as he said, “The old-fashioned way. I’m going to marry her.” 27239_ch01.001-297.qxd 9/19/05 6:09 PM Page 100

Eight

8

T
he ballroom of
the Great Hall glittered with lights from hundreds of candles. Stately columns had been draped with ivory tulle, wrapped in green vines and scattered with sweet-smelling blossoms. Large doors were swung wide so the night’s gentle breeze could flow through the room and keep the guests cool as the dancing, laughter, and chatter heated up the rooms.

Olivia twirled, side-stepped, and curtsied as she covered the dance floor with a man who looked to be twice her age. Agatha had told her the Marquis’s second wife had died in childbirth and he was looking to find his third bride to take care of his four children before the Season was out.

She was certain her aunt wanted her to realize there were worse things than being forced to marry a handsome earl. And this titled gentleman who kept smiling at her made a believer out of Olivia.

Facing him in the quadrille was as close as she wanted to get to him. He wasn’t unattractive. In fact he seemed very fit and quite intelligent, but Olivia felt no spark of interest when she looked at him. She had no intentions of becoming his next wife. As soon as this dance was over she was heading to the ladies’ retiring room to spend a few quiet moments alone.

Aunt Agatha considered herself a master in knowing how to handle all issues concerning the dos and don’ts of Society affairs. As a well-respected spinster among the
ton
for many years she’d had countless opportunities not only to see but also to help direct how delicate matters such as compromising situations were maneuvered to create the least amount of scandal.

Olivia had assumed they would not attend any more parties in London after Agatha had insisted they quit Lord Dugdale’s party last night immediately after they’d left his bedchamber.

But Olivia was wrong.

Her aunt had said they must be at the biggest party of the evening tonight. Agatha wanted Olivia seen dancing with handsome gentlemen, laughing with young ladies, and charming aging dowagers, and that was exactly what she’d been doing.

Olivia had dined, danced, and chatted for what seemed like hours. She felt confident that no one, other than the intimate group last night, knew she was the young lady written about in Lord Truefitt’s column. Surely someone would have mentioned it to her or at least shied away from her if they knew.

Agatha had assured her, however, that it was only a matter of time before her name trickled out into the open and then it would be on everyone’s lips.

Only once had she felt even slightly uncomfortable, and that was when Lady Lynette joined a group of ladies with whom Olivia was conversing. Thankfully the duke’s daughter had made no reference to what she’d witnessed the night before. Her silence had made Olivia like her even more.

At last the lively dance came to an end and Olivia allowed the bride-hunting Marquis to lead her back to her aunt.

“Do you like children?” the Marquis asked as they walked across the dance floor.

“I suppose so,”she answered truthfully. “I was an only child so I’ve never had the opportunity to be around children.”

“There’s not much to do. The governess takes care of them during the day and a nurse cares for them at night.”

“Oh, how nice. Aunt Agatha is over there,” she said, changing the subject and picking up her pace.

The truth was that Olivia had never given the idea of children much thought. Having children was just something she knew would happen after she got married. She didn’t want to think about the possibility of marrying a man who already had four.

The dapper Marquis led Olivia over to Agatha, who was standing with Lady Lynette, Mrs. Farebrother, and several other women. The Marquis spoke to the ladies and soon had all of them except Olivia listening to his story.

Olivia had caught a glimpse of Lady Lynette looking at the Marquis of Musgrove Glenn. Lynette’s lovely green eyes were transfixed on the man and she had an adoring expression on her face. She was taking in every word he said as if she were trying to memorize them.

At one point the Marquis’s gaze met Lynette’s for a moment and he smiled at her. Olivia saw the older woman blush as easily as an innocent schoolgirl with her first thought of love. Olivia couldn’t help but think that Lady Lynette had designs on the Marquis.

When he finished his story, Mrs. Farebrother started talking to Agatha, but Olivia kept her attention on Lynette and the Marquis.

Lynette asked him about his four children, calling each of them by name. She asked about his ailing, elderly mother.

Olivia could see the Marquis was pleased that she showed concern for his family, and then he in turn asked about her father.

When the Marquis bid his farewell and left, Lady Lynette watched him walk away. The adoring expression stayed on her face until he walked up to another lady and headed to the dance floor with her. Only then did Lady Lynette look away. The glimmer of happiness had left her eyes and in its place was sadness.

It occurred to Olivia as she continued to study Lady Lynette that she had that same faraway look that came over her aunt when she was thinking about Lord Pinkwater.

Lady Lynette was in love with the Marquis and Olivia wondered if the man had any idea. And if he didn’t, what could she do to help him realize it?

Olivia cleared her throat and spoke softly so her aunt and the other ladies standing near them couldn’t hear her say, “Thank you, Lady Lynette, for not mentioning what happened last evening when we were talking with the group of ladies a short while ago.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t have brought that up in front of anyone, Miss Banning.”She leaned in closer to Olivia and added, “But now that we’re alone, I would like to say that I hope everything is being handled appropriately and to your satisfaction.”

“Yes, thank you. Aunt Agatha and Lord Dugdale talked today.”

“Good.”

Olivia knew that perhaps she should leave well-enough alone, but she wanted someone other than her aunt to know and believe that she hadn’t planned a rendezvous with Lord Dugdale.

“I feel like I owe you an explanation about last night.” Lady Lynette’s green eyes widened a little and she moved a little closer to Olivia, turning so that she blocked Olivia from the other two ladies.

“Oh, no, don’t think you have to explain anything, but if you would like to, I shall be happy to listen to anything you have to say.”

“It truly started very innocently. I did not arrange to meet Lord Dugdale in his rooms. It’s true we’d never even met. I was only peeking inside his room when curiosity got the better of me and I wandered inside to look around. I’ve never been in a man’s chamber and I wanted to see what it was like. I had no idea he would come in while I was there.”

Lynette smiled. “I probably would have done the same thing. I’ve never been in a man’s room before either and I’m a few years older than you. What was it like? Did you feel absolutely sinful for being in there?”

“No, I felt—” She paused.
Safe. Comfortable. Welcomed.

“All right, yes, I felt a little naughty,” she answered with a sheepish smile, knowing that’s what the duke’s daughter wanted to hear.

“I’m certain that every young lady who’s ready to wed wishes she was the girl who’d been caught in his room.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course. He’s handsome, titled, and considered unattainable. He’s the last bachelor of the Terrible Threesome. What more could a young lady want?”

“Love?”

Lynette sighed quietly. “Of course. How could I have forgotten? It’s such an elusive thing, is it not, except, maybe for Lord Byron? He seems to know just how to explain what it feels like to be in love, doesn’t he?”

“He has a way with words like none other, Lady Lynette.”

“Oh, please, you must call me Lynette. We certainly don’t need to be formal, do we?”

Olivia smiled, remembering how Lynette looked at the Marquis. “No, not at all, and please call me Olivia.” As they continued to chat Olivia’s attention was drawn to the red birthmark on Lynette’s cheek. Olivia recalled what Viscountess Collingsworth had said about trying many different kinds of creams from the apothecary on her face. Olivia couldn’t help but wonder if Lynette had ever tried a concoction to either fade or cover her birthmark.

They talked for a few more minutes before Olivia excused herself and headed for the retiring room. Halfway across the floor she stopped. It appeared as if the crowd was separating down the middle and standing to one side.

She started to step aside, too, until she saw Lord Dugdale walking straight toward her in that tall, powerful, and commanding way.

Her breath caught in her chest. He wore a superbly cut black evening coat and trousers. His crisply pressed collar, narrow neckcloth, and fancy brocade waistcoat were all in shades of white. He had such unassailable poise that her heart tripped.

Stopping in front of her he bowed and then said, “Good evening, Miss Banning. You’re looking lovely tonight.” His voice was soft and caressing. He had such a confident smile on his face that if she hadn’t known better she’d have thought he was happy to see her.

His gaze didn’t leave her face, but now that he was closer she could tell that the smile was forced. There was tightness around his lips and his eyes. He wasn’t happy to see her. A pang of foolish disappointment seeped inside her.

He was playing for the crowd.

She curtsied stiffly but couldn’t manage a fake smile nearly as well as he had. “Lord Dugdale.”

“I trust the rest of your day went well after I left you this afternoon.”

She didn’t look around but she sensed that every pair of eyes in the room was on the two of them. No doubt this grand display of their meeting in front of this crowd was planned by him.

But why?

“I don’t believe anything has gone well for me since I met you,” she said honestly.

He chuckled softly so the onlookers could see him laugh but only she could hear the low ruefulness of his tone and see the unrelenting firmness to his lips as he smiled.

“I echo your sentiment exactly. You have effectively turned my life upside down with one simple ploy.”

“Although you’ve made it clear you don’t believe me, my lord, my life is not on the course I desired, either. However, I refuse to explain last night again.”

“There’s no need. I understand perfectly.”

“No. You believe only what you want to and that is what suits you.”

His eyebrows raised a fraction. “And you think I should believe only what you think is truth and what I believe doesn’t matter.”

“The certainty is that if you had allowed me to leave your room when I wanted to no one would have seen us together.”

An incredulous gleam shone brightly in his eyes and the corners of his mouth tightened again. “From the beginning you have said that this entire debacle which you created is my fault.”

“Very much so.”

“You have some nerve, Miss Banning. If you had not tempted me to kiss you no one would have seen us together.”

She knew her hands had made fists at her sides but she was powerless to stop them. He could light her temper faster than anyone ever had, yet she was immensely attracted to him.

“How did I tempt you, my lord?”

“When you asked me to search you.”

Forgetting where they were, she took a menacing step toward him.

Lord Dugdale didn’t flinch, but quietly said, “Careful, Miss Banning, you don’t want the eyes watching us to think we are having a spat, do you?” She relaxed and glanced around the room. A few people were looking at them, including her aunt and his.

“If not for my aunt, I wouldn’t care who watched. I am a properly educated lady. I never thought a gentleman would actually touch me.”

His eyes narrowed, his voice lowered as he said, “I am a man and you are a beautiful woman. Of course I wanted to accept your invitation and touch you, embrace you, and kiss you.”

“You shouldn’t say things like that to me,” she said, but all she could think was how wonderful it would be to experience his touch, his taste, his scent once again.

“I’m speaking the truth.” His features relaxed and so did his stance. He folded his arms comfortably across his chest.

“Even now, knowing how scheming you are, knowing what you planned, I find you extremely exciting, and take my word for it, Miss Banning; I would very much enjoy kissing you again.”