A Hint of Seduction (9 page)

Catherine didn’t understand her half sister at all. From the moment she’d arrived in London, Victoria had preached that she must find an acceptable young man to marry before her first Season was over.

How could a rogue, no matter his title, be acceptable?

“What exactly worked perfectly?”

“My plan, of course,” Victoria said with a satisfied smile. “Lord Westerland was captivated by you tonight. I observed the way he couldn’t take his eyes off you while you were dancing with him. And when I saw Lord Chatwin come in earlier tonight with the Earl of Dugdale, I remember that Lord Chatwin saw you right away and watched your every move.”

I bet he did.

“He couldn’t stop looking at you even when he talked to Lord Dugdale. I knew immediately that he was interested in you.”

Oh, yes, I’m sure of it.

Victoria flipped open her fan again and continued talking as the carriage bumped along the road leading into Mayfair.

“But I decided I wouldn’t introduce you right away. And it was the right decision. When I didn’t proceed at once to present you to him, he found someone to make the introductions for him. And to ask the Duke of Beaumont—well, that’s almost like asking the Prince himself to do the honors.”

Catherine couldn’t keep a smile off her face. If only Victoria knew the real reason he’d come looking for her was not because he’d been enchanted with her but because she had his horse.

“The Marquis would be the better catch for you, no doubt about that, but for the past ten years I’ve watched that earl outfox cagy fathers, escape irate dukes and guardians, and bring pushy mamas to tears. It’s time he was caught.”

Victoria stopped talking and laughed again. Catherine couldn’t believe how excited her half sister was about Lord Chatwin.

“What a challenge—what an achievement it would be to snare him. Mark my words, dear Catherine, Lord Chatwin will be asking for your hand before this Season’s over.”

The smile withered from Catherine’s lips. “Vickie, you can’t be serious. Surely you don’t want me to marry a man with such a questionable reputation?”

Victoria’s stern gaze landed on Catherine’s eyes. “Of
course I do. I can see I have much to teach you about Society. Our father left you in the country far too long. He should have sent you to me years ago.”

“I couldn’t have left him while he was ill.”

“I know and I’m glad you were there with him. But because of that you are two years late on your coming out. Now, the first thing you must remember is that it’s
your
reputation that matters in this Town, dear Catherine, not his. It would be very difficult for an earl to do anything that would tarnish his name beyond repair. You, on the other hand, are a very different matter.”

Catherine was aware of that. That was why she had continued to reject the earl’s tempting invitation to meet him at dawn.

“Besides, remember my allowance from our father will increase if you marry a titled man,” Victoria said. “As a widow, I’m aware of my finances and desire to keep my standard of living.”

How could I forget?

Catherine asked her sister, “If you are happy about his desire to take me for a ride in the park, why did you tell him I wasn’t available tomorrow afternoon?”

“Because, my dear, that, too, is part of my plan. It will make you far more appealing and intriguing to all of them if I keep you at a distance.”

“But from what I’ve heard about Lord Chatwin and the Terrible Twosome, I don’t believe he is interested in marriage at all, only a bit of sport.”

“Merciful goodness, Catherine, you’re not supposed to think that way. And every titled man is interested in marriage. It’s just that some take longer than others to make up their minds.”

“I didn’t think he was the kind of gentleman you wanted me to be interested in.”

“His being an earl makes all the difference. My dear Catherine, there is a reason our father left you in my care. I will not fail him. I will see to it that you make a perfect match, and I would prefer it with the earl who couldn’t be caught. Now, sit back and relax and trust me to handle everything.” She laughed again. “I think I’ll have a spot of sherry when I get home. I’m so pleased with myself, I deserve it.”

Catherine turned her head and looked out the small windowpane and watched the street lamps pass by.

How could she relax now?

Victoria seemed to have made up her mind that the earl was the man she wanted to snare for Catherine. He was certainly far more appealing than the Marquis of Westerland.

She could only hope Victoria wouldn’t be too disappointed when Lord Chatwin dropped her like a hot poker once she returned his horse.

Finding a husband was not what Catherine wanted to do right now. Yes, the earl was the most handsome man she’d ever seen, and she would enjoy the opportunity to explore the wonderful feelings that stirred inside her whenever she was near him, but finding her real father had to come first. She wanted to know if his eyes were blue like hers. Did she have his smile or the color of his hair? She had to fill in that part of her past that was missing.

Six

M
ISS
C
ATHERINE
R
EYNOLDS
was fascinating, John thought as she and her half sister disappeared from his view.

He’d always been good at reading women. It was as if he could see inside their minds and know what they were thinking. He’d always known ahead of time which lady would agree to a rendezvous with him and which one would decline.

Until Miss Reynolds.

He hadn’t been able to read her. And not being sure about her decision made her all the more intriguing. Would she meet him tomorrow morning or would she just send him word where he could pick up The General?

A few more moments in her presence and she would have had him forgetting he even had a horse.

She’d had no trouble looking him in the eyes when she spoke to him. He liked that. He also liked the fact that she found it difficult to lie to her sister about their lack of a
proper introduction, while it hadn’t bothered him at all to do it.

It wouldn’t matter if Mrs. Goosetree asked the Duke of Beaumont about presenting Miss Reynolds to him. Everyone knew the old duke couldn’t remember much of anything anymore.

John knew that Mrs. Goosetree was playing him, and that didn’t bother him, either. Other guardians had used the hard-to-get ploy with him in the past. It was amusing that she didn’t know he was on to her.

He loved a good game—as long as he won.

And he would.

The lovely Miss Reynolds’s explanation of why she ran off with his horse seemed reasonable and plausible, but that didn’t take away the rub of the teasing he was getting.

“Fines, did you find your horse?” someone called to him from across the room.

John looked up and saw one of the old bachelors looking at him and grinning. He smiled and waved to the dandy, hoping like hell the old curmudgeon wouldn’t join him.

He was amazed at the commotion that the lady riding his horse had caused.

Miss Reynolds was a menace.

Did she know what she’d started?

The furor over this could be bigger than the time when he was twenty and was caught trying to crawl in the bedroom window of Miss Penelope Hardgraves. Thankfully his uncle Bentley had appeared on the scene and kept him from being leg-shackled.

The gossips had always written about him. That was nothing new, but this story seemed to swell with a life of its own.

“I saw Miss Reynolds leaving with her sister just a moment ago,” Andrew said as he walked up beside John. “What did you find out?”

John turned to his friend and said, “That she is more intriguing than ever.”

Andrew shook his head in exasperation. “Damnation, John.”

“What is it?”

“I fear you are in more trouble than you know.”

John harrumphed. “Why do you say that?”

“I wasn’t asking about the lady. I was inquiring about what you found out regarding the whereabouts of your horse. The prizewinning Thoroughbred for which you paid an enormous amount of money. The General, do you even remember him?”

John took a deep breath and groaned inside. Bloody hell. Maybe Andrew was right. It wasn’t like him to forget about his horse.

He had always enjoyed all women, but no lady had ever been that important to him.

Ignoring Andrew’s jibe, John said, “She told me right away that The General is safe and stabled privately. She’ll return him tomorrow.”

A knowing grin eased slowly across Andrew’s face and a sound very much like a laugh flew past his lips and was quickly lost in the crowded room.

“You let her outfox you again, didn’t you?”

“What the bloody hell do you think? Of course not.” John tried to look and sound outraged but wasn’t sure he succeeded on either account.

“Oh, really?” Andrew mocked him with a friendly snicker under his breath. “Tell me, my friend, do you know where your horse is?”

John groused to himself. “I just told you he’s stabled privately.”

“Do you know where?” Andrew asked again, remaining firm on his point.

“No,” John finally admitted and hated doing it, but he was only confirming what his friend had already figured out. Andrew knew if anyone else had possession of The General, John would have insisted on
immediately
going to get his horse.

“Tsk, tsk.”

“Go to hell,” John swore under his breath but loud enough for Andrew to hear.

“My, my, but we are in a state,” Andrew said with no real offense in his tone or expression.

“I’m not in a temper, or anything else. She offered to return him tomorrow, and I agreed, so there was no need to ask her where the devil he is at this very moment.”

“So, she’s going to have him delivered to your stables first thing tomorrow morning.”

John hesitated, not knowing how much more he wanted Andrew to know. His boyhood friend already thought him a complete fool.

“Well? I’m waiting,” Andrew said.

John shrugged. “Not exactly.”

For the first time Andrew’s brow furrowed with real concern. “John?”

“All right, if you must know, I asked her to bring him to the park.”

Shock flashed in Andrew’s eyes. “What’s this? You want half the
ton
to see her returning your horse?”

“Of course not.”

“I can’t believe you even want to see her again knowing she’s probably in on this with Westerland.”

Another mistake.

John was making far too many of them where Miss Reynolds was concerned. He had been so enchanted by her, he’d forgotten to even question her about the dance with the Marquis.

He had to get his head out of his trousers and back on his shoulders where it belonged.

“I told you I don’t think she and Westerland were in this together. In fact I’m sure of it. He simply saw she was beautiful and asked her for a dance the way I’m sure a dozen or so other men have done tonight.”

“You’re smitten,” Andrew said without fanfare or accusation.

“I’m patient.”

“You’re enchanted.”

“I’m interested.” John paused. “With the same interest I have for every new lady at the start of the Season.”

Andrew chuckled with no amusement in his voice. “You’re all head of ears for her. Admit it.”

“No. You know me better than that.”

“Do I?”

“I adore all women equally. She hasn’t changed that.”

“I don’t think so. I believe she has knocked your feet right out from under you.”

John frowned. His friend was going too far, but John was reluctant to call him on it.

“You’re too deep in your cups to know what you’re saying. I can still look around this room and see at least six or seven ladies I’d like to ask to meet me under the arbor for a few passionate kisses.”

To prove his point, John glanced around the crowded room, but to his astonishment he realized that which was true only yesterday was no longer the case. He scanned the
room quickly and then again more slowly, letting his gaze sweep from one beautiful face to another. He didn’t see any lady he wanted to meet under the arbor for a few quick kisses.