Protection (11 page)

Adding to her anxiety was Nathaniel’s mercurial manner, his behaviour reminding her
of their time at Worthington Hall before he had offered her his protection. One moment
she’d been convinced he enjoyed her company as much as she did his. The next he had
seemed offended by her presence. Now she didn’t know if he wanted her to act the demure,
virginal maiden—when they both knew she was anything but—or if she should acknowledge
the hungry look when it appeared in his eyes.

Lisa was trying
to act the way he wanted, taking her cue from Nathaniel’s polite demeanour. But when
he looked at her the way he had in the carriage, as if he’d completely forgotten their
chaperones and wanted to ravish her on the spot, she didn’t know what to think.

Waiting in the shadows for the King and Queen to arrive, Lisa clutched her father’s
arm. Her heart raced when she looked out over the teeming mass of gowned and bejewelled
upper
ton
filling the glittering ballroom. It would have been easier if Nathaniel had been
allowed to stand with her, but he’d been relegated to the crowd below, further evidence
of the King’s continued manipulations.

“How are you faring?” her father asked. “We could make a run for it if you would rather
avoid all this.”

“I think it’s too late for that.” Tempted by the notion—but only
if Nathaniel could accompany them—Lisa put a hand to her stomach in an attempt to
quell her rising nausea.

The orchestra stopped playing, and the waiting assembly fell silent as the King and
Queen came to stand beneath the enormous crystal chandelier illuminating the landing.
As one, the congregated crème of society bowed and curtsied, a cascade of taffeta,
silk, and satin spreading out across the ballroom like a rainbow-coloured wave.

“Welcome, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen.” The King’s booming voice, honed while
captaining sea vessels, carried across the ballroom. “I would like to thank you for
your gracious attendance at this little gathering, and on such short notice. Her Majesty
and I are honoured to have you in our home.”

Laughter rose up from the crowd at the King’s equivalent of a jest. Not one of them
would have dreamed of missing the opportunity to be present at such a prestigious
royal function. The sovereign then welcomed the Duchess of Worthington, congratulating
her and her husband on their recent nuptials. Thomas and Margaret stepped forward
and waved to the crowd, who applauded politely in return. This had been the expected
purpose of the evening, but before the throng could dispel, the King summoned their
attention once more.

“I have another
special
announcement to make this evening,” he said, and Lisa’s knees began to tremble.

“It is with the greatest of pleasure I would like to introduce a new member of the
royal family. Heroine of the hour for her fortitude in the face of terrible adversity,
and my own dearest if somewhat distant cousin, may I introduce . . . Lady Anneliese
Barlow.”

At the announcement of her name, Lisa stepped from the shadows. A hush fell over the
crowd, followed by a ripple of sound that rose rapidly in volume. When they broke
into cheers and applause, her breath hitched, an unwise move considering the design
of her tight-fitting gown. The room began to swirl, and Lisa feared she might faint—or
worse, disgrace herself by losing the contents of her stomach. Her muscles tensed
in readiness to turn and flee when Nathaniel stepped forward from the crowd. His gaze
locked with hers, and the world righted itself. Ignoring protocol, he ascended the
wide marble staircase, only halting when the King raised a hand.

“Preempting the situation again, Lord Marsden?”

A hush fell over the audience at the King’s obvious displeasure.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Nathaniel said, his tone more determined than apologetic.
“But Lady Anneliese needs my support.”

Lisa held her breath. After a pause that seemed to last forever, the King waved Nathaniel
onward, the liveried guards stepping back and resuming their not-so-decorative posts.
Taking the rest of the stairs two at a time, Nathaniel came to stand at Lisa’s side
and threaded his arm through hers.

“I don’t think you were supposed to do that,” she whispered. “But I’m very glad you
did.”

“So am I.” He smiled his assurance before turning to face the scowling sovereign.

“You could have given me at least
one
evening to see if I could shake Lady Anneliese’s resolve,” the King muttered.

“Oh, give it up, dear.” Queen Adelaide joined them. “Did you really think you could
keep this particular young couple apart considering their shared past? It is obvious
Lady Anneliese’s mind is made up . . . as it should be.”

“Yes, well. I suppose her marrying a marquis is not such a terrible thing.”

“Not terrible at all, Your Majesty.” Lisa stepped closer to Nathaniel.

“Very well. You’ve given me little choice but to grant my permission, Marsden, or
create a scandal that shan’t be forgotten in a hurry. But there
will
be repercussions. The two of you owe me, is that understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Lisa said in unison with Nathaniel, shooting him a worried glance.
He patted her hand, and she took what comfort she could from the gesture.

After one last harrumph, the King turned to face the murmuring crowd and announced
the betrothal of the Marquis of Marsden to Lady Anneliese Barlow. The better part
of the next hour passed with him introducing Lisa to a seemingly endless row of distinguished
guests. With Nathaniel at her side, she was welcomed to society, showered with well-wishes
for her coming nuptials, and complimented on her beauty. In the light of her newfound
connections, it seemed her unfortunate colouring—the red hair she’d inherited from
her mother—was of less consequence than she had feared, though many of the young ladies
didn’t sound very sincere when offering their congratulations. Nathaniel appeared
not to notice the debutantes’ assessing looks, but he exchanged glowers with the gentlemen
who requested Lisa save them a place on her dance card. When one bold young viscount
went so far as to compliment her on her “stunning locks,” Nathaniel took a menacing
step forward.

“Thank you,” Lisa said while squeezing Nathaniel’s arm. “Lord Marsden appreciates
them also.”

He met her gaze, his expression gentling as she stared up at him with more than a
little possessiveness of her own. When he reached as if to touch her cheek before
dropping his hand, several other gentlemen eyed him darkly.

“They’re upset I’ve taken you off the marriage mart before you were introduced,” he
murmured in an aside.

Lisa wasn’t the least bit interested in other gentlemen, aristocratic, princely, or
otherwise, but she endured the introductions as best she could. When the line ended,
she sighed, but her relief was short-lived, as the King declared the dancing could
begin.

“Trust me,” Nathaniel said, escorting her onto the gleaming dance floor. After facing
one another, they lifted their arms, his left hand clasping her right and his right
coming to rest at her waist. Lisa’s breath hitched. She’d dreamed of dancing with
Nathaniel, drawing endless sketches of the two of them waltzing in an imaginary ballroom.
Now it was actually going to happen. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as they took
their first steps, hers tentative and his confident. She followed Nathaniel’s lead,
and after they’d taken a few turns without mishap, her fear waned. After a few more
turns, a widening smile lit her face.

With all eyes upon them, Nathaniel maintained a respectable distance, but she was
in his arms and allowed to remain there for the length of the waltz. The way their
bodies moved together reminded Lisa of a far more intimate activity, one in which
they had engaged many times, and she did her best to suppress the memories. Recalling
what it was like to surrender herself to Nathaniel’s passionate embrace was hardly
wise considering their current location.

“I told you that you’d be fine,” he said after they’d circled the ballroom.

“It must be because I’m dancing with you.” She returned his smile. “My tutors were
terrifying, but you make it seem easy.”

Laughing, he swung them through a tight turn, pulling her a little closer than was
allowed. Their gazes locked, and the palace ballroom and elegant couples twirling
around them faded from view. It wasn’t the done thing to show one’s heart on one’s
sleeve, but try as she might, Lisa couldn’t seem to help herself. When the dance was
almost over, she whispered, “I love you,” and Nathaniel missed a step. His eyes darkened,
and he looked around almost wildly.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a sigh, regretting her impulsiveness. “I didn’t mean to
speak out of turn. Do you think I was overheard?”

“I don’t give a damn if you were overheard.” He pulled her a fraction closer. “I just
wish we weren’t the centre of attention, so I could whisk you away somewhere and show
you exactly what you mean to me.”

“Oh . . .” Lisa stumbled to a halt as the music came to an end. Maybe Nathaniel had
decided expressing their passion for one another was acceptable after all.

Chapter 11

Rumour

Lisa’s father, though growing stronger by the day, was not yet up to dancing. Since
Nathaniel and Lisa were only supposed to dance together twice during the evening,
he asked for his aunt’s hand for the quadrille that followed the waltz. Penelope graciously
accepted, and they moved to the dance floor to join other couples in forming a group
of four. Without her betrothed’s glowering presence keeping them at bay, Lisa was
soon surrounded by gentlemen. With a glance towards Nathaniel, she placed her hand
on the arm of some earl or viscount or another, and joined in with the complicated
routine, managing to get through the dance with only a few minor missteps.

The rest of the first half of the evening passed in similar fashion, with Lisa handed
like a package from one eminent gentleman to another. During a succession of cotillions
and country dances, she made conversation, remembering not to talk politics, religion,
or any topic that might stir controversy. It didn’t leave much.

To her secret relief, Nathaniel chose not to partner with any of the beautiful young
ladies vying for his attention, dancing only with his aunt, sister, stepmother, and
a few aging matrons. She was touched by his consideration of her feelings, though
the way he stalked the sidelines, staring at the gentlemen with whom she was partnered
like a predatory cat waiting to pounce, was a little unsettling. The second waltz
of the evening was the last dance before a light supper was to be served, and Lisa
gladly accompanied him onto the dance floor.

“You’re doing splendidly,” Nathaniel said when she confidently matched his steps.

Lisa smiled at his praise, but she couldn’t help noting the tightness around his eyes.

“I wish I could dance every dance with you,” she admitted, and his expression lightened.

“Once we are wed, we’ll hold a private ball for our family and closest friends, and
we shall waltz together as many times as we please.”

“I’d like that.” Lisa was enchanted by the idea, but her smile quickly faded. “What
do you think the King meant by ‘repercussions’? Could he withdraw his approval for
our nuptials after the ball?”

Nathaniel shook his head and gave her hand a squeeze. “The scandal would be too great.”

“Well, that’s something.” She sighed.

The dance ended far too quickly, but this time they were able to stay together as
he escorted her through to one of the adjoining rooms for supper. A steady stream
of visitors sought out their group. Most offered polite greetings and invitations
to a variety of coming events, and a few eyed the newly betrothed couple with blatant
curiosity. But none dared to ask questions of too personal a nature. It was only when
Rebecca asked Lisa to accompany her to the ladies’ withdrawing room that she became
privy to the circulating rumours.

“I heard she travelled halfway across the country without a chaperone, pretending
to be a
commoner
.”

“I heard she cooked . . . in a kitchen . . . and laboured as a maid.”

“How horrid.”

“How scandalous!”

“If we’re talking scandal, I’d like to know how she tricked
Lord Marsden into proposing. Have you seen the colour of her hair?”

“A girl who would masquerade as a servant would think nothing of compromising herself
to force an alliance.”

With her hand covering her mouth, Lisa turned to leave the anteroom, but Rebecca indicated
they should stay.

“It’s better to know what’s being said, so we can counter it,” she whispered.

“I don’t know about the marquis being forced
to do anything.” The gossiping continued. “Have you seen the way he looks at her?
I’d give anything to have a marquis look at me in such a manner. It makes me all hot
and flustered just thinking about it.”

“Mother says his behaviour is shocking. He practically undressed the girl with his
eyes when they were dancing.”

“A man as handsome as Lord Marsden can shock me any day, or that equally darling Lord
McGivern, but he seems to have his sights set on Worthington’s daughter.”