Surrender (9 page)

Lucas realized in that moment that

Victoria Huntington had the power to

slice through his iron-willed self-control as

no one else had been able to do in years.

Furthermore, she accomplished the trick

quite effortlessly. This lady was dangerous.

He was going to have to work hard at

staying in command of the situation.

Lucas cleared his throat." My sensibilities

will survive your indelicate manners, Miss

Huntington. And I could not possibly exit

now. My honor still requires that I pay my

gaming debts."

Hah. This is no honorable gaming

debt, sir. This is blackmail, pure and

simple."

 
I assure you," stone vale returned," I am

fast discovering that blackmail is neither

pure nor simple, not with you cast in the

role of the victim."

Her eyes gleamed with mischief at that

sally and Lucas felt his whole body react

with sharp desire. He folded his arms

across his chest and leaned back against

the cushions, his gaze holding hers in

the shadows. In that moment he wanted

nothing more than to be alone with this

bewitching creature. He longed to pull her

down onto the carriage seat and show her

the extent of the risks she was running

when she challenged him so openly.

For an instant a charged silence hung

between them. When Victoria finally

blinked and allowed her gaze to slide

away from his own, he knew she had

discerned his thoughts.

But Lucas's small sense of victory was

short-lived. It was dawning on him rapidly

that this courtship he had embarked upon

was going to be even more hazardous

than he had first thought. With Jessica

Atherton's help and his own skill at getting

by on his wits and his ability at the card

table, he had hoped to conceal the true

state of his finances from Society long

enough to achieve his objective. He had

made his plans with his usual care.

But if his intended bride took a notion

to hire a runner to look into his affairs,

it was all too likely the full truth would

come out. The rumor of his nonexistent

inheritance would not hold up for long.

It was becoming clear that the task of

stalking this particular heiress would be the

most exacting hunting he had ever done.

One wrong move, one miscalculation on

his part, and he would lose the game.

 
How long do you intend to spend

on your adventure this evening, Miss

Huntington?" Lucas kept his tone detached.

 
Is time a problem for you? Do you have

another engagement planned?" she asked

far too sweetly.

He knew intuitively that she was fishing

to find out if he had a mistress expecting

him later." No, I do not. Lyndwood and

I must secure arrangements to have all of

us taken up by his carriage at a specific

location, and to do that efficiently in the

crowd, we need to decide upon a definite

departure time."

 
Oh. Yes, I can see that. I would suggest

two hours would be ample time to enjoy

the fair."

Annabella sighed." I am afraid I cannot

stay out that long, Vicky. Mama will be

coming home from the Milricks" soiree in

AT

another two hours and she will expect me

to be in by then."

Lucas hid his relief." An hour then?"

 
An hour's long enough for me," Bertie

Lyndwood said quickly.

 
That's probably all the time I should

allow," Annabella said with regret.

 
Oh, very well." Victoria sounded mildly

irritated but resigned." An hour it is. We

shall have to hurry, though, if we are to

see everything."

Lucas said nothing, but privately he

considered that the next hour was un

doubtedly going to be one of the longest

of his life.

Half an hour later he was confirmed

in his belief. The huge park was ablaze

with lanterns that illuminated a seemingly

unlimited array of stalls selling meat pies

and ale, booths featuring acrobats and rope

dancers, and packed tents featuring puppet

shows and games.

The crowd was a mix of the high and the

low. Servants who had snuck out of their

masters" houses, shopkeepers and their

wives, apprentices and shopgirls, dandies

out for a lark, a few daring members of the

nobility, prostitutes, pimps, pickpockets,

young boys from flash houses, military

men and dockworkers all rubbed elbows

together as they sought the after-dark

thrills of the fair.

My lord," Victoria murmured as they

stopped to buy a custard tart," I know

you are concerned about calling attention

to my disguise."

 
Concerned is quite an understatement,

Miss Huntington. Those damned breeches

fit you like a second skin," Lucas muttered,

eyeing the smooth line of her hips.

 
I shall be happy to give you the name

of my tailor. In the meantime, perhaps it

would be best if you released my arm. A

certain man across the way is staring."

 
Bloody hell." Lucas dropped her arm

as if he had been burned. He felt himself

turning a dull red as he realized what a

stranger would think to see him holding

another gentleman's arm the way a man

holds the arm of a woman." This silly get up

of yours is bound to cause trouble."

 
No one will think twice about it unless

they see you treating me as though I were

 
a female." Victoria took an enthusiastic bite

of her tart.

 
It isn't just the way I treat you, it's the

way you look in those breeches."

Victoria fingered her collar." I thought

the coat hid my figure rather well."

 
I have news for you. It doesn't."

 
You're determined to be difficult to

night, aren't you, my lord? Kindly remember

that it was you who insisted on

inviting yourself along on this venture

I am merely the innocent victim of your

blackmail scheme."

Lucas grinned ruefully." Innocent victim.

Miss Huntington? Somehow I feel that

description could never be applied to you.

Whatever else you are, you will never be

anyone's innocent victim."

Victoria surveyed him, considering his

words for a moment." I should probably

take offense at that but I am having far

too much fun. Oh, look, the acrobats

are starting another performance. Let's go

watch them."

Lucas glanced around." I don't see

Lyndwood and his sister."

 
Bertie wanted more beer. They'll be

back in a moment. Stop fretting, sir."

 
I am not fretting, Miss Huntington, I am

trying to exercise a measure of prudence.

No one else on the scene appears inclined

to do so."

 
That's because there's little sport to be

had in exercising prudence. Come, let's

hurry or we won't be able to see the

acrobats."

A short while later Lucas had just begun

to relax and even convince himself they

might all survive the hour at the fair

unscathed when disaster broke out with

no warning.

It might have been the particularly

extravagant fireworks display which started

the small fire. Or perhaps it was the fight

that occurred between two prostitutes who

were demanding payment for their favors

from a soldier. Or it could simply have

been the normal propensity of any large

London crowd to turn itself into a mob

on the slightest pretext.

Whatever the reason, the conversion of

the throng of cheerful fair-goers into a

wild, unruly human wave bent on causing

trouble happened in less than a moment.

Fireworks burst overhead, people screamed,

curses filled the air.

Horses reared and plunged. A gang of

boys took advantage of the opportunity to

steal a tray of pies, causing the pie seller

to run after them, hurling insults into the

evening air. There were more screams and

 
another flash of fireworks. Flames leapt up

as a nearby booth caught fire and then all

was chaos; dangerous, terrifying chaos; a

 
chaos in which people would be trampled,

assaulted, and robbed. Some might even

be killed.

Lucas reacted automatically the instant

he felt the mood of the crowd shift. For

the second time that night he clamped his

fingers in a viselike grip around Victoria's

fine-boned wrist.

 
This way," he ordered, pitching his

voice to be heard above the din." Follow

me."

 
What about Annabella and Bertie?"

Victoria cried.

 
They're on their own, the same as

we are."

Victoria did not attempt to argue

further, for which Lucas was profoundly

grateful. Apparently the lady was capable

of displaying some common sense when it

was called for.

Chaining her to his side with his grip

on her wrist, Lucas hauled her through

the melee toward the uncertain safety of

the narrow alleys and streets that bordered

the park.

He had known from the start the lady

was going to be nothing but trouble.

The danger, which had coalesced out of

thin air, left Victoria stunned. In that

moment the only promise of safety in the

entire world lay in the iron grip on her

wrist. She followed Lucas blindly, relying

instinctively on his strength and the savage

manner in which he wielded his stick to

forge a way for them through the crowd.

Victoria felt a hand claw at her coat and

realized someone was trying to pick her

pocket. Another hand tried to grab the

inlaid walking stick she carried. Without

thinking, she lashed out with the stout

length of wood, slashing at the grasping

hands.

There was a scream from one of her

assailants which brought Lucas's head

around briefly. With one quick glance he