Journey's End (Gilded Promises) (7 page)

Jackson Montgomery sent her mind spinning and made her heart yearn for something more. This put her at a large disadvantage. To deal with her grandfather she would need every available weapon in her arsenal—her wits, nerves of steel, and a heart of stone. Mary had already penetrated the latter. No one else must be allowed to breach any of her defenses.

As if sensing her moment of vulnerability, Montgomery pulled her a fraction closer. Her breath hitched, and a powerful sense of safety warmed her blood.

Now, she decided, would be a good time to pray.

Chapter Seven

For several long heartbeats, Jackson stared at the woman in his arms. He’d never met anyone quite like Caroline Harding. On the surface, she looked like every other young woman at the party. And yet, she didn’t fully fit in, either.

The same could be said of the woman he’d met two weeks ago near the Bowery, a woman whose humble clothing had done nothing to hide her regal bearing.

Who was she?

Her story about nursing a frail immigrant she’d met aboard ship rang true. He’d seen her with the girl in question and had witnessed the care with which she’d guided her friend through the labyrinth of Orchard Street.

Who was she?

“I have never met anyone like you,” he admitted.

His bluntness seemed to amuse her. “I’m afraid, Mr. Montgomery, I have heard that many times before.”

He wanted to believe she was at this party for harmless reasons. He could not. “Who are you?”

His tone came out more lethal for its softness.

Her eyes widened a tiny fraction, enough to tell him he’d caught her momentarily off guard. She recovered quickly. “I am Caroline Harding, as I’ve already said.”

He’d meant the question rhetorically. But her reaction had Jackson wondering if he’d been right to question her identity. “In a little over two weeks I have met two Caroline Hardings.”

The music stopped, and she slowly stepped out of his arms. Again, an echo of the smile that had dazzled him the last time they’d met slipped across her lips. “That is precisely how I planned it, Mr. Montgomery.”

She was admitting to being a fraud? Right here, in the middle of the Griffins’ ballroom? Surely Jackson had misunderstood her. “Is it, now? Explain yourself.”

Her smile widened. The expression was far less innocent than before but just as beguiling. “Come, now, you can’t expect me to reveal all my secrets. A woman must be allowed a certain level of mystery.”

He frowned.

“Oh, bother. You Americans are so suspicious.” She released a long-suffering sigh. “My cousin is Patricia Harding of Boston, Massachusetts. She recently married one of your own, a Mr. Malcolm Green.”

“I’m aware of the match.” He’d attended the wedding two months ago, with nearly five hundred other New Yorkers and just as many Bostonians. The blessed event had been one of the most talked about of the year and had been covered by every New York and Boston newspaper.

How convenient that Caroline Harding would show up
after
the wedding, claiming to be related to the bride, a woman from Boston, not New York, who happened to be out of the country on her honeymoon.

Jackson leaned toward her.

He immediately drew back, shocked at his own behavior. Caroline Harding could be in New York for any number of reasons, some innocent, some not at all.

Jackson had worked too hard to allow himself to make an error in judgment. He was close to putting the past behind him. Yet there he stood, in the middle of a ballroom, in front of all of New York society, wanting to uncover every one of this woman’s secrets. For all the wrong reasons.

Swallowing hard, he offered his arm to Caroline.

They left the dance floor in silence, neither attempting to speak again. Jackson was a man ruled by his mind, not his flesh.

Before meeting Caroline Harding, he’d never understood how his father could abandon his responsibilities,
his family
, for a woman who wasn’t his wife. In his self-righteous anger, Jackson had always scorned Edward Montgomery’s actions, had always thought himself better than the man who’d sired him.

Now, with Caroline’s hand resting lightly on his arm and his heartbeat drumming in his ears, Jackson wondered if he carried more of his father’s blood in his veins than he wanted to admit.

No. Jackson was better than his father. This strange, unwanted attraction to Caroline was a momentary lapse, the proverbial cold feet. No other explanation made sense.

No other explanation would be allowed to make sense.

Unsure where he was leading her, Caroline let Jackson Montgomery escort her away from the crowded dance floor at a surprisingly fast pace. Just as well they were finished dancing. She was in no mood to concentrate on the complicated steps of the waltz while also matching wits with the man.

Her current opponent was no overdressed, overfed, oversoft wealthy gentleman she could outthink. Caroline wasn’t afraid of him. Except, well, yes, she
was
a little afraid of him.

Knowing when to retreat was essential to survival. She started to pull away and make some excuse to leave the party. Montgomery caught her midstep and tugged her back to his side. His scowl told her he’d been thinking during the silence that had fallen between them.

Coming up with conclusions better not pursued.

“Let’s find your new friend, shall we?”

New friend? Oh, right, Elizabeth.
He meant Elizabeth. He was testing her. Under the circumstances, she had two choices: retreat or continue as though nothing were amiss.

Her gaze cut back to Montgomery’s face. His closed expression told her this was not a man easily fooled with clever stories or inane words. That left her one choice.

Go on the offensive. “I noticed the way you looked at my friend Elizabeth. Am I to assume you are courting her?”

Eyes so blue they appeared silver in the muted light locked with hers. “That is not an appropriate question to ask of a gentleman you just met.”

Ah, she’d hit her mark. “Perhaps not. But I find that I like Elizabeth and only wish to ensure her”—Caroline paused as if searching for the proper word—“happiness.”

Montgomery’s grip on her arm tightened. “Why do you care about Elizabeth’s happiness? You have only just met her.”

“True.” Caroline dragged her gaze free of his and put a shrug in her voice. “But she has left a favorable impression.”

Not what she’d expected to feel for a woman she hadn’t known existed before two weeks ago. Not just any woman. Her cousin. Her . . . family.

A tug of unexpected yearning pulled at Caroline’s heart, making her wish for things she could never have. Security, a home, a future free of fear and uncertainty. The air grew heavy around her, suffocating her ability to draw in a decent breath. She fanned her fingers near her face, trying desperately to look bored.

“Elizabeth has that effect on people,” Montgomery said at last. “Everyone she meets likes her immediately.”

“A fine quality, indeed.” Realizing how hard it was going to be to hurt the girl—her cousin—even indirectly, Caroline forced out her words in a steady voice. “She is, I think, a very special woman.”

“Yes, she is.” Montgomery dropped an unmistakable warning in his voice that left no doubt as to where his loyalty lay.

Refusing to make a mistake now that she’d come this far, Caroline held her ground without hesitation.

Tonight was only one small step in her long-range plan.

Relax, Caroline. Stay focused.

She carefully released the air in her lungs.

“Ah, there you two are.” Lucian Griffin stepped in front of them, forcing them to halt. “We were beginning to wonder where you’d disappeared to.”

Taking in her surroundings, Caroline realized Montgomery had led her far away from the dance floor and had directed her toward a more private spot. How had she not noticed the route he’d taken?

In a slow, careful move, Montgomery released his hold on her arm. “Thank you for the dance, Miss Harding. It was a pleasure to get to know you better.”

A pleasure?
Now he became all politeness and impeccable manners, when only moments before he’d oh so subtly warned her away from Elizabeth.

Jackson Montgomery was proving a master at artifice, equal to her own skill. Did he play cards? If so, Caroline didn’t fancy a go at facing him across a table. He would be ruthless.

Of course she, too, could be ruthless when it came to executing a plan.

“You are quite welcome, Mr. Montgomery,” she said with equal politeness. “I hope we may repeat the experience in the near future.”

“Indeed.” Bending at the waist, he took her hand, hesitated a fraction longer than necessary, then pressed his lips to her knuckles. Even through the gloves she could feel the firm pressure of his mouth. A shiver worked its way up her spine.

Why could she not remember that this man was a part of the enemy camp, a business associate and friend of the St. James family, and perhaps even the future husband of her cousin?

The thought left her feeling hollow inside.

“Caroline.” Elizabeth’s voice broke through her chaotic thoughts. “My grandfather is throwing a dinner party at our home tomorrow evening. Would you care to join us? I’ve already asked Luke”—she tossed the man a shy smile—“and he has graciously accepted the invitation.”

This was it. The moment she’d been waiting for all night, the sole purpose of instigating a friendship with Elizabeth St. James. Where was Caroline’s joy? Her sense of relief?

She’d come here for this very reason. Yet all she could think about was the man beside her, the way his impossible-to-ignore presence made her lean instinctively in his direction.

“Tomorrow evening?” She scrunched her brows together in a slight frown. “This is awfully short notice.”

“Please say yes, Caroline. Now that Luke has agreed to join us we are in need of one more to even out the numbers.”

“Elizabeth, my dear, perhaps your friend has other plans for tomorrow night and doesn’t wish to break them to join us.”

Oh, Montgomery was a smooth one. He’d spoken with such casualness, but Caroline had caught the challenge in his eyes, the kind that told her to keep her wits about her or suffer the consequences.

Why must she keep reminding herself of that?

“Yes, Elizabeth, I would like nothing better than to attend your dinner party tomorrow evening.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth clapped her hands together. “Oh, how lovely.”

The other woman’s joy was so genuine, so infectious, that Caroline almost recanted her agreement. For a perilous moment she found herself reconsidering everything.

She could walk away right now, this very night, and never look back. She could return to England before anyone was hurt. When she’d planned her initial strategy all those months ago, she’d thought only of the man who’d abandoned his own daughter and, subsequently, Caroline as well.

She hadn’t expected to contend with other family members, hadn’t expected to discover she had a cousin nearly her own age.

What had seemed so simple back in London had become far too complicated to sort out in the middle of an overcrowded party.

Caroline needed time to rethink her plan. As if on cue, a tall grandfather clock chimed the hour. Midnight already. A perfectly acceptable time to leave a party of this sort.

Unfortunately, Caroline couldn’t leave yet, not without drawing unnecessary attention to herself. Her problem was solved when they were joined by two young women. This was Caroline’s opportunity to make her escape.

She eased away with as little fanfare as possible. She could feel all eyes watching her retreat. No surprise there. In open defiance, she lifted her head a fraction higher and carried on as though she belonged in this world.

If all went according to plan, the pretense wasn’t even a lie. Or at least, not a complete lie.

Jackson watched Caroline Harding pick her way through the crowded room, her agile gait reminding him of the woman he’d first seen on Orchard Street. As she ascended the staircase, an odd jolt of longing sent his pulse racing. He shook himself free of the sensation.

He knew nothing about the woman other than the few facts she’d deigned to reveal. She was a mix of contradictions. Bold yet innocent. Wary yet clever. Jackson found himself intrigued. Dangerous territory.

Filled with doubt, he watched her a moment longer. There was an edge to her dark beauty, a sharpness that warmed his blood.

His reaction was not entirely proper. He nursed the suspicion growing in his heart, relishing the fact that he would have another opportunity tomorrow evening to uncover the source of her allure. That left him an entire day to do a bit of digging. He would begin the process tonight.