In The Prince's Bed (7 page)

“You told me to be honest.”

“But not… I mean…” Sheer desperation shone in her eyes. “I’m sure this is all great fun to you, but it’s my life. I can’t have you mucking it up for your own entertainment.”

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Anger flared in his chest. “You think I’m toying with you?”

“I know you take a perverse pleasure in tauntingSydney, but you don’t understand how difficult your mischief makes things for me.”

“Your jealous poet friend may have told you about my boyhood exploits, but he knows nothing of me as a man except gossip. I don’t get my ‘entertainment’ from toying with innocents.”

“Then what reason
do
you have for continually thrusting yourself into my presence?”

“The same reason any man has for pursuing a woman. Courtship.”

Her burst of laughter annoyed him. “You
must
be joking.”

“Absolutely not.” He bent close to her ear. “Perhaps I should take you back out on the gallery and remind you how sincere I am.”

With a frown, she jerked back. “About kissing, yes. But that’s not the same thing. Your sort is always sincere about kissing.”

His eyes narrowed. “What sort is that?”

“You know—men of the world.”

“Even men of the world have to get married sometime,” he said irritably.

“Yes, but not to poor squires’ daughters with country manners. Especially when you possess a title as old and venerable asEnglanditself.”

“What other reason could I have for pursuing you?”

“Don’t assume that because I’m a country girl I’m naive. I know very well that men like you only find amusement in the chase. But once you catch the hare, you’re done. While the hare is stewing in the pot.”

Her determination to think badly of him aggravated him more by the moment. He tugged her closer in the turn. “Somehow I can’t see you as a hare, Katherine.”

With a deft maneuver, she slipped back to restore the distance between them. “That’s because I don’t intend to be one. Ever.”

Blast, she had her defenses up higher thanPortugal’sMountPeneda. He should never have kissed her on the gallery—it had only added to her false impression of him. But how could he have resisted such an invitation?

Unfortunately, only the truth about how he’d lived abroad would change her mind about him, and that would also rouse questions he must avoid. It might even lead to questions about his current finances.
If
she even believed any explanation he gave her about what he’d done inPortugal. No, better to let her get to know his character—then she’d discover that her impressions were wrong. But would that be enough? “Does your cynicism have anything to do with your father and his ‘mission to debauch everything in skirts’?”

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She blushed crimson. “My goodness, did you hear my entire conversation withSydneyout there?”

“Enough to know that you let your father influence your opinion of men too much. Just because your only example of a man happened to be a debaucher—”

“I had ample examples of good men growing up, I assure you. My grandfather lived withusuntil his death six years ago, and he was fine and moral.”

“LikeSydney.”

“Yes. And likeSydney’s father. Whenever I visited the Lovelace estate, I saw how decent, upstanding people live—who respect each other and behave with courtesy and consideration instead of—” She broke off. “I decided then that I’d never let my… attraction to a man tempt me into doing anything I’d regret.”

“Should I be flattered that you broke your rules for me on the gallery?”

She tipped up her chin. “It was an experiment, nothing more—to remind me that my decision about Sydneywas wise. But I’m done with that particular experiment. For good.”

Damn. She’d already tried and convicted him without a hearing. If he didn’t do something quickly, she would avoid his company in future. And then how would he convince her of his true character? Especially when she compared him to her precious Sir Perfect Poet, with his irreproachable manners. Alec glanced over to where Lovelace stood, ignoring Mrs. Merivale’s incessant chatter to glare at him. Time to switch courses. Lovelace had asked for two weeks—plenty of time for Alec to pursue an alternate plan for securing her. “You’re missing a prime opportunity, you know.”

She eyed him askance. “To let you catch me and stick me in your stewpot?”

“No, to force Lovelace into a position where he
has
to offer for you.”

Her hand tightened convulsively on his. “What do you mean?”

“Jealousy is a powerful emotion, sweetheart. Perhaps if yourSydneythinks he’s losing you, he’ll finally come up to snuff.”

“Or think I’m a shameless flirt not worth marrying.”

“Playing the long-suffering friend hasn’t worked, has it? You’re still waiting for him to make a formal offer.”

That sensual lower lip of hers trembled. “He says he’ll do it soon.”

“In two weeks. And only because you insisted. Do you really believe he’ll forget years of catering to his mother because of some arbitrary deadline? No, he won’t act unless he thinks he has to. So you must convince him that he does.”

“By making him jealous.”

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“Exactly.”

“I can only guess how you propose to do that,” she retorted.

“It’s simple, really—I flirt with you publicly until Lovelace’s jealousy drives him to offer for you.”

Her pretty eyebrows quirked up. “What do you get out of this, I wonder?”

Marriage, I hope. “You said men like me enjoy the thrill of the chase. Well…” He caressed her waist. “I get to chase you.”

A spark of fear leaped in her eyes. Good. At least she wasn’t as immune to him as she pretended. He gave an exaggerated shrug. “But if the idea of my chasing you worries you, then it probably wouldn’t work. You’d fall madly in love with me and end up with a broken heart.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Of course, I’m taking a risk, too.” Like the possibility that Lovelace would crack under the pressure and offer for her before Alec could secure her. “I might fall madly for
you
, and then you’d run off with Lovelace and break
my
heart.”

She sniffed. “Right. Directly after you give all your goods to the poor and become a lowly rector in the country.”

His eyes narrowed. “Since you’ve got my ‘sort’ so neatly figured out, you shouldn’t have any trouble resisting me. Knowledge is the best defense.”

As they moved through the steps of the waltz, she frowned. Thank God he excelled at anything that required good balance, coordination, and sense of timing. Otherwise, he would have trod on her skirts a dozen times by now while trying to read her thoughts.

“There would have to be rules,” she said at last.

He suppressed a triumphant smile. “Of course.”

“You can’t kiss me, for one thing.”

Blast it. “What enjoyment can I find in that? I said I wanted to chase you, not trail behind you like your pet pony.” He swept her close. “Besides, if you’re wise to my ‘sort,’ what can a few kisses hurt?”

“No kissing,” she repeated stubbornly. “Or no deal.”

He considered refusing, but then she’d simply rebuff his attempts at courtship. Besides, she might protest his kisses in a well-lit, noisy ballroom, but when he had her alone in the dark…

He smothered a grin. He could work around her rules. And there were more ways to entice a woman than by kissing her. She had set the bar a little higher, but he could handle the jumps. “All right.” When she smiled, he added, “But I have rules of my own.”

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Her smile faltered. “You don’t get to have rules.”

“I’m doing you a favor, remember? And I just agreed to take half the fun out of it by not kissing you.”

She grimaced. “So what are your rules, my lord?”

Her formality made him stiffen. “The first is that you not call me ‘my lord’ when we’re alone.”

“You don’t take any of the proprieties seriously, do you?”

“Not if I can help it.” To prove it, he slipped his hand up beneath the gold sash around her waist and caressed the smooth silk beneath, delighting when she blushed prettily. He loved women who blushed. There seemed so few of them left. “I’d rather you called me Alec in private.”

“All right… Alec.”

Hearing her use his Christian name made him want to drag her out into the bushes and behave exactly like the “sort” of man she thought him to be.

Too bad he was a gentleman. “The second rule is that you inform me of all your plans. If you accept an invitation to a ball, then I should know about it, so I can show up to pursue you.” He dragged his thumb over her silk-sheathed ribs.

“Th-that sounds fair,” she said in a breathy little whisper that turned his blood to molten heat. He pressed his advantage. “I expect complete honesty from you—no seeing Lovelace behind my back.”

When she scowled, he added, “You mustn’t fall into old habits. If I’m not around, you might revert to the role of patient friend, and he’ll return to his former complacency. Then you’ll be back where you started.”

“I begin to think I shouldn’t have
left
where I started,” she grumbled.

“Standing on a gallery unkissed and unbetrothed?”

She glared at him.

“And one more thing—when you’re with me, you can’t discuss Lovelace beyond planning our next encounter with him. I want no dreamy accounts of your first meeting and no whining about how he doesn’t appreciate your undying love.” He added dryly, “We both know there will be no gushing about your first kiss.”

Color suffused her cheeks. “First of all, I do not whine or gush. Secondly, why do you care if I talk aboutSydney?”

“Because I’m supposed to get some enjoyment from this game, remember? And I won’t get it from listening to a woman prattle on about another man.”

She looked insulted. “I don’t prattle, either.”

“Excellent, then we’ll deal together nicely, if you agree to my terms.”

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“I hardly see why I should refrain from talking aboutSydney—”

“No talking aboutSydney. Or no deal.” He glanced over to where Katherine’s mother was now regaling Lovelace with some tale that had the baronet looking frantic to escape. “Ah, look at your suitor and your mother. They get on so well, don’t you think? Perhaps you won’t need my help after all.”

As Mrs. Merivale’s grating laugh sounded clear across the ballroom, Katherine groaned. “Whoever dictated that young ladies need chaperones never knew Mama. She would drive even the most determined suitor away.”

He’d feel sorry for her if her mother weren’t playing so well into his plans. “So?” he pressed his point.

“Do you agree to my terms or not?”

She cast him a grimly determined smile. “When do we start, my lord?”

An hour later, Katherine was already having second thoughts about Alec’s plan. Especially sinceSydney

’s response to Alec’s attentions was to disappear into the card room. He hadn’t even seen her accept Alec’s second invitation to dance. And although that reel was ending and Alec was leading her from the floor, she still saw no sign ofSydney.

“Now we’ve run him off entirely,” she muttered, as they squeezed past a clump of chattering girls and their chaperones.

Alec shot her an enigmatic glance. “You’re not giving up already, are you? No race was ever won by a rider who accepted defeat fresh out of the gate. Stay the course and give him time. He’ll come round.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then he’s an idiot, and you’re better off without him.”

“You don’t understand—Sydneyisn’t like other men.” She scanned the room, annoyed to find that neither Sydney nor her mother was anywhere in sight. “He’s liable to see my flirtation with you either as a betrayal or as evidence of my vulgarity.”

“You aren’t vulgar,” he snapped. “Don’t ever let him say you are.”

The edge to his tone took her by surprise. She glanced up to see him staring grimly ahead, his jaw taut with anger.

“Why do you care?” she asked softly.

His eyes met hers, vividly blue. “My father used to call my mother that. ‘You’re a vulgar little Cit,’ he’d say, and she would bow her head and acknowledge the insult. As if she deserved it simply because she’d once—” He broke off, jerking his gaze away. “She didn’t deserve it. And neither do you.”

That glimpse into Alec’s past intrigued her. “I thought perhaps you and your mother didn’t get along. The gossips say you didn’t even return toEnglandwhen she fell ill. I understand she lingered for some time.”

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His face grew shuttered. “There was a war on, and the family had trouble… reaching me. I didn’t receive word of her illness until long after her death. By then, there was no point.”

“I see.” But she didn’t really. As much as she cringed at her mother’s raucous laugh or crass musings about what everything cost, she couldn’t imagine losing touch with her so entirely that months of an illness could go by without her knowing. Or not coming to the family’s aid even after her mother’s death. Then again, if Alec’s father had been as awful as he sounded… Oh, why did she care? Alec was only a means to an end.

“Speaking of mothers,” Alec remarked, “perhaps yours is in the refreshments room. We should look there.”

She nodded and let him lead her under the cherry blossom arch into the other room. A blossom fell onto her gloved hand that lay on his arm. It clung there until he reached over and flicked it off. Then covered her hand with his.

She suddenly found it hard to breathe.

Painfully conscious of his warm hand atop hers, she searched the room, but Mama wasn’t there, either.

“Knowing my mother, she deliberately disappeared when she saw the dance ending. That way you couldn’t bring me to her, and you’d be forced to spend more time in my company.”