The Husband Hunt (7 page)

“You left your drink behind,” he said with a smile, offering her the glass and completely ignoring Robert, who was scowling again.

“Oh, thank you.” Lisa beamed and accepted the drink, saying a bit archly, “I do apologize for Lord Langley’s rudeness in dragging me off like that.”

“Not at all. ’Tis hardly your fault,” Lord Findlay said easily, still not acknowledging the other man’s presence with even a glance. Smiling, he asked, “Are you attending the Hammonds’ ball tomorrow night?”

“No,” Robert answered for her, moving closer.

“Yes, I am,” Lisa countered, ignoring him just as Lord Findlay was. “My sisters and I spoke about it when I arrived yesterday. We plan to attend and have already sent a reply that we would.”

“Then I hope you will agree to another waltz with me there, Miss Madison,” Lord Findlay said with a grin.

“I shall save you one,” she promised. “And keep another quadrille free as well.”

“You are too kind,” he murmured taking her hand and bowing to place a kiss on it. His lips never made contact, however, because Robert’s patience had apparently run out and Lisa suddenly found herself tugged away and hurried through the crowd once more.

“Really, Robert,” Lisa said with exasperation, struggling not to spill her drink. “You are being incredibly rude.”

“And you are behaving like an idiot,” he growled. “Smiling and fawning all over Findlay like some loose—”

His voice died as she jerked her arm from his hold. He stopped at once and whirled on her with surprise, but that turned to shock when the contents of her glass splashed into his face.

“You—” he began furiously.

“Miss Madison?”

Lisa turned from Robert and glanced in question to the man now at her side. Lord Tibald, she thought was his name. She raised her eyebrows in question. “Yes?”

“I believe this is our dance,” he explained and Lisa nodded grimly.

“Oh, yes, Lord Tibald. I believe you’re right. This is your dance.” She forced a smile for him that withered as she faced Robert and silently slapped her empty glass into his hand. Without another word, she turned back to Lord Tibald and offered her hand.

Smiling, he took it and laid it over his arm to lead her away from Robert and onto the dance floor.

“Are you all right?”

Lisa stopped glaring at Robert, who had moved to the refreshment table to find a napkin to dry himself off with and glanced to Lord Tibald in question. “What?”

“You appear a bit upset,” he offered quietly. “Would you prefer to step out for some air rather than dance?”

“Oh, no,” she said on a sigh, and then lips quirking, added wryly, “Langley would just drag me back inside anyway.”

“Ah.” Lord Tibald was briefly silent, and then asked tentatively. “Has Lord Langley a prior claim on your attentions? Should I be—”

“No,” Lisa assured him grimly. “He has no claim at all. Robert is . . . Well, he is an old friend of the family, like an annoying older brother. And tonight he’s being particularly annoying,” she added with displeasure.

“Ahh,” Lord Tibald repeated and something of the sound made her glance to him. This time she really looked at him, noting that he was as handsome as Lord Findlay, though in a dark, dashing way rather than the icy beauty of the other man. He also had deep dark eyes and a charming smile.

“I apologize, my lord,” she said, forcing herself to relax and allowing a smile to claim her lips. “It’s not well done of me to take out my annoyance with Robert on you.”

“Oh, you weren’t taking it out on me,” he assured her gallantly. “You just seemed distracted and distressed.

She smiled slightly and shrugged. “Well, if I was, I am no more. You have managed to distract me from my distraction.”

He chuckled at the claim. “You’re really quite lovely when you smile, Miss Madison.”

“And you’re very handsome, Lord Tibald, so we are a match,” she said with a grin.

Lord Tibald chuckled at her boldness and drew her a little closer.

“I
see she’s well and hasn’t been snatched away,” Richard commented, drawing Robert’s scowling attention as he and Daniel approached. Raising one eyebrow, he added, “You, on the other hand, appear a bit vexed . . . and damp.”

“She is—” Robert cut himself off and turned to glower at Lisa as her gay laughter sounded. She and Lord Tibald were apparently having a grand time . . . and were dancing entirely too closely. Finally, he muttered, “She is going to be difficult.”

“Lisa?” Richard asked with surprise, his gaze going to the couple. “No. She is never difficult. She matches Christiana for sweetness.”

“Lisa may even surpass Christiana in sweetness,” Daniel suggested, and then added, “Suzette is the difficult one.”

Robert noted the man’s grin. It seemed to suggest he liked that “difficulty” in his wife. Shaking his head, he glanced back to the woman under discussion and grimaced. “Well, Lisa is being difficult tonight. I found her on the terrace with Findlay. The man was moving in for a kiss as I arrived. And she was letting him,” he added with disbelief.

“Well, that is hardly being difficult. Perhaps she likes him,” Daniel said.

Robert frowned at the suggestion, not at all pleased by it for some reason. Shifting uncomfortably, he muttered, “Yes, well when I dragged her away and explained that she had to be more careful until we found out who the suitor was, she threw her drink in my face.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Daniel cleared his throat and said, “You are sure it was your explanation that had her tossing her drink in your face?”

“Well, it was after that really,” he admitted unhappily. “I may have said something that she didn’t appreciate.”

“Ah,” Richard murmured. “And what would that be, pray tell?”

Robert shifted again, and then grimaced and admitted, “She was behaving a bit . . . Well, she was laughing and smiling and flirting with Findlay and I may have said that her behavior was a bit loose.”

“Ahhh.” It was Daniel who spoke this time, amusement underlining the sound. “And then she threw her drink in your face?”

Robert nodded.

“Well, I think you got off lucky,” Daniel said dryly. “Suzette would probably punch me if I suggested her behavior was . . . er . . . loose. In fact, I am surprised you said it. If she was just talking and smiling—”

“As I said, he was about to kiss her when I arrived. And she was going to let him,” he protested.

“What do you care?” Richard asked patiently. “You don’t want her.”

“Or
do
you?” Daniel added.

“No, of course not,” Robert muttered, his gaze turning to Lisa again. At least he didn’t want her in the way they were speaking of. He didn’t want a wife, didn’t want his life to turn into the misery of an unhappy marriage. He did, however, want Lisa for other purposes, ones he couldn’t possibly carry out or even consider.

It was that damned see-through dress, Robert thought grimly. He couldn’t get the vision of her naked body beneath the filmy cloth out of his mind. The luscious curves, the dusky rose of her nipples . . . Damn. He could have happily lived a lifetime never having seen that. Now it had raised a whole passel of completely unbrotherly feelings in him for the girl that he just didn’t know what to do with.

He needed to hire that runner and get this whole situation resolved as quickly as possible, Robert decided. He also needed a night with his mistress soon. Hopefully a romp with Giselle would help wipe the vision of Lisa in the brothel from his mind. Perhaps then he could return to seeing her as sweet, young, dreamy-eyed, silly little Lisa Madison.

Chapter Six

T
he slamming of her bedroom door stirred Lisa from sleep and had her blinking her eyes open to see Bet rushing excitedly toward her.

“You’ll never believe it,” Bet said excitedly, rushing around the bed to her side, her face flushed with excitement. “Lord Langley is here. Cook says he spent the night and is going to stay for days. That he is having some painting done at his townhouse and Lord Radnor invited him to reside here to avoid the smell and noise.”

Lisa groaned and pulled her pillow to cover her head with disgust, only to have Bet pull it away.

“Didn’t you hear me? Lord Langley is here,” she said slowly and loudly as if Lisa may have misheard her.

“I heard,” she said with a grimace. “And I already knew. The painting is just an excuse. He’s staying here to keep an eye on me until they find out who the suitor was. The men seem to think the fellow might make another attempt to take me.”

Bet’s eyes had grown wider and larger as Lisa spoke, and now concern covered her face. “Really? I hadn’t thought of that. I thought that business was done once he got ye safely away.” She bit her lip worriedly. “Ye shall have to be careful then.”

Lisa sighed and took her pillow from Bet’s hands to put it back under her head. “I shall be. But right now I am going back to sleep.”

“Wouldn’t ye rather get up and go down to breakfast?” Bet asked with a frown. “Lord Radnor and Lord Langley just went down. Ye can still join them if we hurry.”

“Why on earth would I trouble myself to dine with a man who isn’t the least bit interested in me?” Lisa asked grimly and turned on her side, eyes closing.

“Are ye sure that’s all he feels?” Bet asked with a frown. “His wanting to look out for ye shows he cares. You always said he did and—”

“I was wrong,” she interrupted with annoyance. “He made it abundantly clear that he thinks of me as nothing more than a little sister, Bet.”

“Oh,” she said sadly. “Well . . . what are you going to do then?”

“Find a husband among the available bachelors this season and forget about him,” she said firmly. “But to do that I need my rest.”

“Right,” Bet murmured, getting the point. “I shall let ye sleep then.”

“Thank you,” Lisa whispered, and listened as the maid left the room. She lay still and tried to relax into sleep, but it wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped. She was awake now, and not likely to find sleep again.

Lisa shifted from one side to the other, and then rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, grimacing when her stomach growled. Sighing, she finally just gave up and got out of bed. She was hungry. She may as well get up and go below. The problem was she had sent Bet away.

Lisa shrugged. She could dress herself, and she’d just leave her hair down. It wasn’t like she cared to look attractive for Richard or Robert anyway.

Decision made, she walked over to kneel in front of her chest and began to sort through her gowns. After a moment, she sat back on her heels with disgust. Every single gown she owned was awash in frills and ruffles, and for some reason, she was repulsed by the overly feminine creations now. She’d always thought them pretty before, but last night at the ball she’d noticed that they seemed to make the other women look young and sweet. It was no wonder Robert had seen her that way for so long, she’d thought, and now found herself preferring a more simple arrangement with less of the ruffling.

Lisa hesitated for a moment and then lifted out a pale pink gown and eyed the ruffles narrowly. They just had to go, she decided, and grabbing a handful of the material, began to rip.

“D
o you plan to go out to see the runner, or is he coming here?”

Robert chewed and swallowed the blood pudding he had just taken a bite of. “I sent my valet with a message for him to come here before I came in to breakfast. I didn’t know what your plans were for the day and thought it best not to leave the house in case you had appointments and couldn’t be here to watch Lisa.”

Richard nodded. “As it happens I do have appointments today, so that’s for the best. I—Oh good morning, Lisa.”

Robert returned his attention to his plate and raised his toast for a bite, but lifted his head sharply at Richard’s greeting . . . and nearly choked on his toast at the sight of Lisa. She was wearing a pale pink gown that suited her coloring beautifully. In fact, at first glance he’d almost been tricked into thinking she wasn’t wearing a gown at all, it matched her skin so well. It was also extremely low cut, revealing a good deal of cleavage he just wasn’t used to seeing on her. The gown was also plainer than he was used to her wearing, without the usual ruffles, and she had also left her hair down in a mass of tousled, loose curls that fell around her shoulders and trailed down her back. It was the hair that had him nearly choking; it reminded him of how she’d looked yesterday when he’d found her at Mrs. Morgan’s, and his body responded much as it had then, snapping to attention.

“Good morning, Richard. I hope you slept well,” Lisa said pleasantly as she moved to the sideboard to collect a plate and begin piling food on it.

“Very well, thank you,” Richard said easily. “And you?”

“Yes, thank you,” Lisa said cheerfully, her concentration on the food she was selecting from the offerings. “But then I was nicely worn out after the ball. Slept like a dream.”

“Yes. I’m surprised you’re up so early after the late night we had,” Richard commented.

“Well, I didn’t plan to be,” Lisa said with a laugh, turning to head to the table. “But Bet came in and woke me early. She had found out Robert was here and was under the mistaken impression that I would want to breakfast with him. I didn’t,” she added with amusement, “But once I was awake, I couldn’t get back to sleep, so . . .” She shrugged and settled in the seat on Richard’s left, directly across from Robert.

“Ah,” Richard murmured and Robert was aware he was glancing at him to see how he was taking this news, but Robert simply continued to stare at Lisa. She hadn’t even glanced his way to acknowledge him since entering, and continued to ignore him now. It left him free to ogle her in her new incarnation, or at least one he’d never seen before. Until yesterday, he’d never seen her with her hair down. She’d always worn it in pigtails, then a ponytail and then in those fussy, upswept dos the women all graduated to for the balls. He liked her better this way. She looked soft and luscious, like she’d just rolled out of bed.

“So what are your plans for the day?” Richard asked after several moments of silence had passed.

“Well, I hadn’t had any really,” Lisa admitted, glancing to her brother-in-law with a wry smile. “However, I noticed there were a bunch of calling cards in the salver in the entry on my way downstairs and stopped to see what that was all about. It appears I have several requests for calls today.”

Robert frowned at this news. He’d noticed the cards in the silver salver by the door on his way by, but hadn’t stopped to look at them.

“Yes, I noticed them myself,” Richard murmured with amusement. “It appears you were quite a hit last night. There are at least six cards from men hoping for permission to call today.”

“Hmm.” Lisa nodded, and then swallowed the bit of egg she’d taken a bite of. “It was fun, and fortunately all the cards are from men I wouldn’t mind seeing again. I suppose I shall send replies agreeing to see them.”

“Is there something wrong, Robert?” Richard asked, startling him out of the scowl he was giving Lisa.

“She shouldn’t be agreeing to visits until we find out who the suitor was,” he growled, more irritated than he should have been at this news.

“Well, they will hardly drag her from the house,” Richard said reasonably. “I’m sure it will be fine. Although, I don’t suggest you have all six come today,” he added, glancing back to Lisa. “It might cause a brawl in the parlor.”

She laughed gaily at the suggestion. “Oh, surely not, Richard. They are all gentlemen.”

“All but the one who paid Mrs. Morgan to drug and strip you naked for his pleasure,” Robert snapped, finally garnering her attention.

Lisa turned a scalding look his way. In contrast, her voice was dead cold when she spoke. “I was not naked, Robert. You were not looking very carefully if you thought I was. I was wearing a very lovely gown. In fact, it’s so lovely I think I shall keep it to wear on my wedding night for my husband.”

“For your husband?” he asked with disbelief.

“Yes, my husband,” she said with a shrug, turning her attention back to her plate. “I plan to marry this year. I just haven’t decided which lucky man shall get me.”

Robert stared at the top of her head blankly, his whole world shaken for some reason. He supposed it was because he was used to having her silent adoration and had never considered the possibility of losing it. Really, it was rather good for a man’s ego to have a pretty girl’s cherishing eyes following him about, and every word from her mouth sweet and complimentary. However, it seemed Richard and Daniel were right. She had given up on him and was actively seeking a husband. Someone who would replace him in her affections.

“It’s foolhardy to have those men here when one of them could have dishonorable intentions. I forbid it,” Robert said grimly and knew that was the wrong thing to say at once. The way she stiffened and the icy expression on her face when she lifted it to peer at him made him wish he’d thought more carefully before speaking.

“You forbid it?” she asked silkily. “I’m sorry, Robert, but despite your thinking of me as a little sister, you are
not
my big brother and don’t have the right to forbid me
anything
. Besides,” she added dryly, “no one would be stupid enough to call and then try to snatch me away so openly.”

“I may not have the right to forbid you seeing any of these men, but Richard does,” Robert said quietly and glanced to him, fully expecting the man to back him up on this.

Instead, Richard hesitated, then said apologetically, “I’m sorry, but she is right, Robert. If the suitor is among her callers today, he is hardly likely to try to take her away from here under the noses of the whole household. He’s more likely to try another sneak attack as he did using Mrs. Morgan. It should be safe enough for her to have gentleman callers here. Besides, you’ll be here to keep an eye on things.”

Robert frowned, but couldn’t argue with the logic of that. He wanted to, though. The idea of a passel of men trailing through the house to see Lisa bothered him a great deal. And not just because he was worried one of them might have arranged for her to be kidnapped with the intent to ravish her. If he hadn’t gotten there in time . . . The image of some faceless man pawing at Lisa in the see-through gown rose up in his mind. It then turned into Robert himself, caressing and kissing her, suckling at her breasts through the gauzy cloth, licking his way down over her belly as he urged her back onto the bed—

“Then I should go send replies before I bathe and let Bet fix my hair,” Lisa announced, pushing her plate away and standing.

An empty plate, Robert saw and wondered how long he’d been sitting there imagining ravishing her. Little Lisa Madison. The girl he’d looked on as a sister for nearly two decades. Christ, he was losing his mind, he realized watching Lisa leave the room, his eyes dropping over her body as she went.

“Are you all right?”

Robert gave a start at Richard’s question and glanced to him blankly.

“You’re looking a bit flushed,” Richard said gently. “I hope you aren’t angry that I sided with her rather than you. I simply don’t see any reason not to let the men visit. I really don’t think if her suitor is among them, that he’ll try anything here, Robert. It would be incredibly foolish.”

“No. Of course, you’re right. I’m not angry about that,” Robert said quickly, and then added, “And I’m fine. Just a little worried is all.”

“Of course,” Richard murmured, but Robert could have sworn there was amusement twinkling in the man’s eyes and suspected he had some idea of exactly where Robert’s thoughts had gone.

“A
ll of yer gowns?” Bet asked with amazement.

“Yes,” Lisa said firmly, stripping off the pale pink dress she’d worn to breakfast and stepping into the tub. “Every single one.”

“But . . . the ruffles are lovely. They look—”

“Young and sweet,” Lisa said grimly. “And I am done with that. I am here to find a husband, Bet. I have to look like a woman, not a child.”

Bet was silent for a moment, and then held up two dresses and pointed out, “But all the unmarried ladies wear gowns like these.”

“Then I shall stand out among them,” Lisa said with a shrug as she sank into the water. She released a little sigh as the warm, soft water enveloped her, and then picked up the soap as she added, “And I think we should try a simpler hairstyle as well. Something more like what Christiana wears.”

Bet was silent for a moment and then shook her head, “All right then. I shall start on the dresses while you bathe. Tell me when you’re ready for me to help wash your hair.”

Lisa nodded and began to work the soap into a lather, a small smile playing about her lips. She hadn’t missed Robert’s reaction to her on entering the breakfast room that morning. The man’s eyes had practically been on fire as they’d scraped over her. Until that moment she truly had given up on him, but after that reaction . . . well, it just seemed to her that perhaps he wasn’t as immune as he pretended. So, she was redoubling her efforts, only she was changing tactics. By the time she was done with making herself over, there would be no way the man would be able to see her as anything like a child again.

Lisa wasn’t naïve enough to think that would be enough to move him to claim her though. She was going to take a page out of that story about Lady Silvia and Lord James and use other men to drive Robert wild with jealousy. If that didn’t work . . . well, she would give up on him then. But she would try this first. Which probably meant she was an idiot. She should really give up on the man, if for pride’s sake only. After all he’d been pretty insulting with that comment about being loose and he wasn’t exactly being nice to her at the moment. However, it was the first time he’d ever been anything close to rude to her and she had known him her whole life. She was willing to put it down to his present confusion. At least she hoped it was.