His Dark Enchantress (Books We Love Regency Romance) (13 page)

H
er mind drifted. What if there were no barriers between them? What if she could remove his coat, his shirt? What if he slipped her gown off her shoulder? She shivered with pleasure at the image of his skin against hers.

Lucius turned her hand over and she felt the light pressure of his finger as he began to prescribe lazy circles in
her palm. She gasped in shocked delight and, as that exploring finger travelled to the inside of her wrist and began to caress, felt a tremor run through her body.

Lulled by the
melodies that washed over her, aflame from the sensations he stirred in her, she gave in. Relished the heat that emanated from Lucius’ hand and warmed her entire body. Wished the moment could last forever. When the song was at an end she reluctantly pulled her hand loose, rose from her chair and joined the audience in applauding the performance.

“She is magnificent, is she not?” Emmaline whispered
to Lucius.

“Yes, you are,” he whispered back.

Suddenly breathless, Emmaline quickly sat down and folded her hands together in her lap to prevent them trembling. She peeped at Miss Stevens, hoping that she had not heard Lucius but her chaperone was still on her feet applauding. Catalani hushed the audience and sang two more pieces before making her exit amidst thunderous applause.

“However they managed it, the Esterhazy’s have outdone themselves,” Lucius said as the room began to empty. He held Emmaline’s chair as she stood up. “
Were you perhaps invited to dine at Lady Darnley’s this evening?”

She nodded,
unable to find words with which to reply.

“May I escort you?”

Fighting to control her breathing, she desperately hoped he did not notice her hesitation. “You do not have your own carriage this evening?”

“Yes, but it can follow.”

“And keep your horses waiting?”

A smile broke the lean face that loomed so close to hers. “There are times when it does not hurt them. Tonight is one of
those times.”

Lucius beckoned to a
footman and asked that his carriage be re-directed to Lady Darnley’s residence. He offered Emmaline his arm. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.

It felt so right, so good, as if it had always been so
as she stepped out with him. He had not said he loved her, had not asked for her hand in marriage, but his whispered words rang in her mind.

He
wanted her.

CHAPTER
10

As soon as they entered Lady Darnley’s Queen Street house, Emmaline quivered with apprehension. The air about them seemed to vibrate with expectancy and chilled her to the core..

Where she expected to hear the murmur of conversation there was silence. She unconsciously tightened her grip on
Lucius’ arm as a footman escorted them to the drawing room and announced them to the small group already gathered there.

Lady Darnley excused herself from the discussion in which she was engaged with the few guests
already gathered. Coming forward with outstretched hands, she smiled and exclaimed how pleased she was they were able to attend her dinner party.

She looked, Emmaline thought,
far too pleased with herself.

“Rosemary.”

Lucius greeted her with a stiff bow while Emmaline curtsied to her hostess.

“I do hope you will not find our little gathering a bore after the delights of Countess Esterhazy’s soiree,” she said to Emmaline.

“I am sure I will not, Lady Darnley.”

“It is to be a small
party this evening but let me begin by introducing you to Lord and Lady Peake.”

Emmaline curtsied but Lord Peake reached for her hand
. Much to the visible annoyance of his lady, he held it a little too long.

“You look as though you have been too much in the
sun.” Lady Peake peered short-sightedly at her. “A good fard or a
Creme de l’Enclos
should lighten your complexion. Try it.”

“Thank you for your advice, Lady Peake,”
Emmaline said, “but neither remedy would be of use. My mother, you see, was Spanish and I take my complexion from her.”

Lord Peake looked suddenly interested. “Ah. Believe I do remember hearing some such thing. Long time ago though, eh?”

Emmaline smiled and was almost relieved when Lady Darnley moved her along to introduce her to Olivia.

“You l-l-look so lovely, Miss Devereux,”
Olivia quavered. “I wish I could wear white.”

“You will,
Olivia, and for you it will mean something,” said Lady Darnley. Her smile did not reach her eyes which were as hard as green glass and Emmaline instantly knew the barb for what it was.

A shiver of panic ran through her. No. Her secret could not be known so soon. Or could it?

Did Lady Darnley have a connection to the military? Could one of her servants or relatives have been in the service of the crown? It could be possible.

Swallowing her apprehension, she smiled
and complimented Olivia on her jonquil yellow sprig muslin gown.

“Come,” encouraged Lady Darnley. “Here are Captain Kellen and Mr. Hooper. Both
were in Spain and saw action in the Peninsula Wars. Captain Kellen served at Badajoz and Mr. Hooper both there and also Salamanca. That was your mother’s home, was it not?”

At the mention of her mother, Emm
aline’s mouth turned dry. How did Lady Darnley know of her mother? What did she know? Where had she got her information? The questions raced through her mind, one after another.

“Our party is almost complete,” announced Lady Darnley. A look of triumph settled on her face.
“We are waiting for just two more guests.”

They did not have to wait long. The footman opened the door and Lucius
stiffened as Sir Peregrine Styles, his hair powdered, a patch placed high on his left cheek, stepped into the room with a young lady at his side. What was Rosemary up to?

“Ah, Peregrine, my dear boy.” Lady Darnley clapped her hands and advanced to greet her final guests. “Fashionably late as usual. And how nice to see you again
, Miss Blair. Now our party is complete. Peregrine, perhaps you will escort Miss Devereux in to dinner? Lucius, do please accompany me. . .“

Lady Darnley quickly arranged the remainder of her guests into pairs and when a servant announced dinner was ready, led them downstairs to the dining room. A small fire burned on the hearth and
warmed the room a little but not enough to disperse the icy foreboding that enveloped Lucius’ senses.

A heavily patterned gold damask cloth covered the table.
Mirrored trays lay end to end along the table centre, each with a many branched candelabra standing upon it. Flames danced like fireflies atop each long, tapered candle and in the soft illumination of their reflection the silverware and cut crystal glassware at each place setting sparkled. Dainty floral arrangements of yellow and white roses amid delicate maidenhair fern sat between each pair of candelabra.

The elegance of the setting reminded Lucius of the dinner parties held at Avondale Park. For a moment he
envisioned Emmaline presiding over his table and had no doubt she would be an excellent hostess.

“This is going to be so cozy,” Lady Darnley announced as she took her place at the head of the table.

Lucius suspected otherwise, but took the seat she indicated at her right. He looked around the table to see where others were seated. Sir Peregrine, a smug expression on his face, sat across from him with Emmaline at his left.

She looked decidedly uncomfortable as she removed her evening gloves and Lucius ached to give her some reassurance
, to show her she could rely on him. Captain Kellen sat next to her with Lady Peake beside him. Lord Peake took the chair at the far end of the table with Miss Blair to his left. Seated beside her, Mr. Hooper had already engaged her in conversation, inadvertently turning a shoulder on a shivering Olivia.

“Are you cold,
Lady Olivia?” Lucius asked solicitously.

“A little. There is a
s-shocking d-draught f-from the d-door.”

“Nonsense,
Olivia,” interrupted her mother. “You are perhaps just a little overcome by our stellar company.”

A
disdainful gleam shone in Sir Peregrine’s eyes and the smirk on his face became more marked. Lucius gritted his teeth as he took note of it. There would come a time, he was sure, when he would take great pleasure in removing that expression.

The company was not, as Lady Darnley declared, stellar. Rather, they were a mismatched collection of p
ersons and, try as he might, Lucius could not comprehend the connection between them.

He knew Lord and Lady Peake only by repute. Slightly impoverished, they accepted any invitation that came their way and were often called upon
to make up numbers at dinner parties. Miss Blair, a pale, frail, young lady who mirrored Olivia in many ways, appeared to be the most unlikely companion for Peregrine.

Captain Kellen and Mr. Hooper might have their military connection, but how did that connect them to the present company and where had Rosemary found them?

Captain Kellen was not wearing the regimentals to which he was entitled, while Mr. Hooper wore a poorly cut coat of a dark cloth. The finish to his apparel, a simply tied cravat, at least had the saving grace of being brilliantly white and held in place by a diamond headed pin.

If not for the possibility that Emmaline might yet need assistance, Lucius would have definitely been elsewhere. He finished his soup and sat back in his chair, listening to the idle chatter at the far end of the table while he waited for the fish course to be served.

“So, Miss Devereux,” Lady Darnley began, “I understand from Captain Kellen that you followed the drum?”

Em
maline looked startled, glanced first towards Lucius and then at Captain Kellen who studiously dissected the trout on his plate.

“No, Lady Darnley,” she said quietly. “I followed my father.”

“And what might he have done at Badajoz where Captain Kellen met him?” Lady Darnley arched an eyebrow. “Lord Peake tells me your father was not known to be a military man.”

So that was it, thought Lucius. Lord and Lady Peake’s invitation had been extended to discover more of Emmaline’s background. A background he certainly wished to know more of himself. He thought of the task he had set Beamish and felt a pang of guilt for it.

“I wasn’t aware Lord Peake was acquainted with my father.” Emmaline placed her knife and fork across her plate and pushed it away from her. She glanced down the table to where Lord Peake was teasing Miss Blair.

“Perhaps he can enlighten you after dinner.” Lady Darnley reached for a peach from the fruit bowl placed on the table. “So what did you do at Badajoz, Miss Devereux? I hear it was a quite dreadful time.”

“Quite,” agreed Emmaline, her voice tight, as if she were holding her temper in check.

Olivia
stirred and leaned across the table towards Emmaline. “I was a m-mere child at the t-time b-but my governess, Miss Tilley, t-told me about it. It was a great b-battle, was it not?”

Lucius almost leapt to his feet when
he saw Emmaline waver. The colour completely drained from her face and for a moment her eyelids fluttered as if she were going to faint. Placing her hands on the edge of the table to support herself, she took a deep steadying breath.

“I’m sorry,
Lady Olivia. Your question quite shocked me,” she gasped. “I hardly think this is the time or place to discuss one of the worst battles of the Peninsular Wars.”

“But we
w-won, did we n-not?” Olivia continued.

“Barely,” Emmaline said, her lips pressed into a straight line.

“Barely?” Olivia gasped. “Surely you do not m-mean that we c-could have lost?”

“If I may interject?” Captain Kellen, his voice low, joined in the conversation. “You
must understand, Lady Olivia, the British losses at Badajoz were almost inconceivable. Wellington was about to end the assault. He would have done so too, but Picton’s 3
rd
Division and Leith’s 5
th
Division, in which I served, breached the walls at the Bastion of San Vicente and gained access to the castle.”

“Oh.”
Olivia seemed to fold in on herself as if, having an answer from someone other than the object of her query, confused her.

“But why was
capturing Badajoz so important?” Miss Blair asked. Her question hung above the table, clearly heard by all.

Lord Peake patted her hand. “Communications, my dear. Wellington wanted an open line of communication all the way to Lisbon. Couldn’t do that without taking Badajoz from the French. And it was a very bloody affair. Heard that Wellington cried when he saw how many dead there were.”

Olivia’s eyes grew round. “Wellington cried? A general as great as he?”