Tenacious Trents 03 - A Reluctant Rake (14 page)

“Yes. He is to partner me for the
supper dance.”

Millicent frowned for a moment, and
then brightened. “Well, I am glad it is you and nobody I really
need to worry about.”

Her words stung, as if Trent wouldn’t
be interested in Audrey unless there were no other women remaining
on earth.

“Besides, Lydell made me promise the
dance to him.”

“He is your husband,” Audrey reminded
her friend.

Relief shot through Audrey as Lydell
approached. Hopefully his wife would not speak of Trent in his
presence.

“I heard the strangest rumor just now.”
He handed Millicent and Audrey each a cup of punch.

Since Millicent wasn’t paying him any
mind Audrey engaged Lydell in conversation. “What rumor would that
be?” She really hated gossip but someone had to speak since
Millicent was ignoring him.

“Trent is in trade.”

Millicent blinked. “Which Trent? There
are three and the Earl.”

A calculated glint came to Lydell’s
eyes. “Mr. Jordan Trent is in trade, so to speak.”

Millicent gasped and brought a hand to
her chest. “How dare you say something so vile! He is a
gentleman.”

Now Audrey knew why Lydell had broached
the subject. He hoped to tarnish Trent in the eyes of Millicent,
though Audrey doubted it would be so easy. She also bit her lip to
keep from speaking as her father could be considered in trade. As a
second son of a Baron he purchased his commission at the age of
seventeen and remained in the Calvary for fifteen years, retiring
as a Colonel. After he returned home, he set out to build and
establish one of the most impressive stud farms in England. His
passion had always been horses and racing and he refused to attend
a Season because he was needed at the farm in the spring, much to
her mother’s chagrin. Yet, Mother remained back because she had
spent far too many years without his company and sent Audrey ahead
to an aunt and uncle.

“He has entered into a noble
profession,” Lydell insisted.

“What is it he does?” Audrey asked,
curiosity getting the better of her.

“He is a solicitor.”

There was certainly nothing wrong with
being a solicitor. It was a worthy profession and much better than
doing nothing with one’s life besides gambling and drinking, or
visiting widows.

“I don’t believe you,” Millicent
insisted. “I would have known.”

Lydell chuckled. “He kept it a secret
from even his own family. His father would have never
approved.”

They didn’t speak, nor did Audrey feel
the need. Mr. Trent’s hand gripped hers with only the slightest bit
of pressure, as did the hand on her waist as he turned and guided
her from one end of the floor to the other during the supper waltz.
She was simply enjoying the heat of his body and the sandalwood
scent of his cologne. If he kissed her tonight would he taste like
cake again?

A smile tugged at her lips. She had
never given it much consideration but the two times they had kissed
he had tasted of cake.

“Why are you smiling?”

His voice intruded on her thoughts and
heat stole into her cheeks. Did she dare tell him she was thinking
about kissing him? Her cheeks grew hotter. No. Until she knew if
they shared a future, without widows, he had no right to know her
thoughts.

Trent pulled her a little closer, yet
not so much that he could damage her reputation and leaned in. “It
must be wicked by the lovely shade of your cheeks,” his
whispered.

Audrey blinked up at him
and bit her bottom lip. She would not tell him. She would
not
.

“Must you keep me in suspense or is it
truly too wicked to speak of.” He smiled down at her, the dimple
appearing at the corner of his mouth and she had the sudden urge to
lick it. Goodness, what had gotten into her.

“Tell me,” he insisted, humor dancing
in his eyes.

“Did you know you taste like cake?” she
whispered.

Trent threw back his head and laughed.
Several people turned and looked at him. Audrey wished the floor
would swallow her whole but Trent didn’t seem to care in the least
that they had attracted attention

A slow smile came to his lips. “Ah, you
were thinking about kissing me.”

“No,” she insisted. “I was thinking
about cake.”

He chuckled and turned her at the end
of the floor, her skirts bellowed out and soon they were moving
back to the other end.

“I have a confession.” He leaned in and
whispered.

“Yes?”

“I have a weakness for cakes,
especially lemon.”

“Strawberry is better,” she
insisted.

“Oh, I must disagree, Miss Montgomery.
Once you’ve tasted Cook’s lemon cakes you will swear they are the
best in the world.”

“Your cook?”

Trent shrugged. “Actually, she is the
cook at Bentley Manor and has been there for as long as I can
remember.”

“It is a shame she is so far away. I
would have liked to sample these cakes.” Though tasting any cake
from his lips would be more than pleasant.

“Perhaps you will one day.” His hand
pressed into her back as he executed another turn. Her heart
hitched for a moment at the possibility of one day visiting Bentley
Manor. The only way she could foresee that happening was if she was
his wife or Lord and Lady Bentley had a house party and invited
her.

Audrey just as quickly squelched the
idea. She did not want to become too hopeful or she would be all
the more disappointed in the end if matters did not work out as she
wished.

The music ended and Jordan stepped back
and bowed before offering his arm and escorting Miss Montgomery
into supper. He chose a smaller table tucked toward the back of the
room in hope nobody would notice them and thus not intrude on their
conversation. He was not finished with the topic of kissing or
cake. Perhaps one day they would share a cake and then he could
nibble at the crumbs on her lips. The only way he would ever enjoy
such a pastime would be to marry her and Jordan fully intended to
marry Miss Montgomery, but he was going to go about it in an
honorable way.

He left her in the seat to retrieve
plates of food only to find Lord and Lady Lydell seated at the
table when he returned. He would rather have anyone else there but
those two and why would Lydell even want to put his wife in the
same vicinity after the scene at his brother’s house the other
evening?

Jordan buried his irritation at the
intruders and the disappointment of not having Miss Montgomery
alone and took his seat. The only remaining one was between Audrey
and Lady Lydell.

“I understand you are a solicitor,”
Lady Lydell asked after a moment as she placed her hand on his
thigh.

What was the woman doing? Jordan
discreetly moved her hand from his leg and back to her own. She
frowned up at him but Jordan ignored her and shot a glance at Miss
Montgomery. Her smile was forced as if she didn’t wish to be in
their company, or perhaps it was his profession. Well, she needed
to know sooner or later though he was rather surprised if she
hadn’t already learned.

Jordan turned back to Lady Lydell and
answered her question. “Yes. I have been a solicitor for a few
years.”

She let out a disappointed sigh. “That
will not do.”

Jordan stiffened and looked around the
table. Both Lydell and Miss Montgomery looked at her with
expressions of confusion.

“A gentleman should not ever engage in
trade. You must become a barrister immediately.”

This time Jordan chuckled. “It isn’t
simple, Lady Lydell. Not like buying a commission to become a
higher rank.”

She sat back affronted. “Why ever
not?”

“A gentleman has nothing to lose by
remaining a solicitor whereas a gentleman has much to gain in a
higher rank in the military.”

“Does it bother you that gentlemen can
purchase themselves up the ranks?” Miss Montgomery asked with a
concerned look up on her face.

“Not at all,” Jordan assured her. “I
believe it assures us that the gentlemen best suited for the
station does achieve it. And, they cannot achieve a higher rank
without first spending years at a lower rank, earning the respect
of their superiors, confidence and knowledge.”

She simply smiled and nodded as if he
answered correctly. Had he just passed some form of
test?

“Really, Audrey,” Lady
Lydell chastised. “Next you will be asking his thoughts on the
Calvary. This is not about you, but Mr. Trent.” She turned toward
Jordan. “I insist you become a barrister as quickly as possible.
The longer you are in
trade
—” she whispered, “—the more
damaging to your reputation.”

He wanted to assure Lady
Lydell that being a solicitor was not the cause of his tarnished
reputation amongst the
ton
but refrained as they were in polite
company.

“I find nothing wrong with being a
solicitor,” Miss Montgomery voiced.

Pride welled within him. He hadn’t
realized it before how much he wanted her approval. He still
planned on becoming a barrister, if granted the opportunity, but it
was her opinion that mattered, not Lady Lydell’s.

“Of course it wouldn’t matter to you,
Audrey,” Lady Lydell chastised. “Your father owns a stud
farm.”

Jordan stilled and looked at his supper
partner. In the time that he pursued her last year and since, he
had never bothered to ask what her father did. He had met Mrs.
Montgomery and had not liked the woman, but he hadn’t asked any
questions of her father, assuming that when if the time came that
he wished to ask for her hand, he would make the necessary
inquiries. It wasn’t as if he was particular about rank and
peerage. If he were going to marry, it was going to be a woman he
could love and enjoy spending his life with, regardless of the
circumstances of her birth.

“Which farm?” he found himself asking.
As he knew, there were no Montgomery studs.

“Shadley Farms,” she answered with
pride.

“Your father is Baron Shadley?” How did
he not know this bit of information?

“Hardly,” Lady Lydell laughed. “Mr.
Montgomery is the younger brother of Baron Shadley and named the
farm after the title to anger his brother, who wished to distance
himself from his father and brother’s passion for horses and
racing.”

Jordan glanced at Miss Montgomery for
clarification. She nodded and shrugged.

“Shadley Farms has a very fine
reputation.”

“Thank you.”

“Enough about horses,” Lady Lydell
insisted. “How does one become a barrister and how soon can you
accomplish our goal?”

Silenced filled the table.
Had she just said
our
goal? Lydell glared at his wife, Miss Montgomery paled and
her mouth was slightly agape. Lady Lydell didn’t seem to understand
she had said anything improper.

“While it is
my
goal to become a
barrister one day. I am in no hurry.”