In the Garden of Temptation (15 page)

“
Right then, men, let us
gird our loins and join the fray.” The viscount stood from the
table and headed for the door with his unwilling companions
bringing up the rear.

“
What brought you here this
night, Daniel?” the earl inquired of his friend. Musicales are not
your usual style.”

“
Hoping to see you,” Daniel
replied. “You’ve been hard to corner of late, and this is
definitely in Lady Ashworth’s style.”

“
You know me too well. I did
promise to escort her, but she had to convince me that it’s what I
really wanted to do.”

“
Of course.” Daniel
grinned.

They entered the parlor, and Adam and Daniel
cast their respective gazes over the gathering in a casual
inspection of those in attendance.

“
My God! Where did that
vision come from?” the viscount gasped.

Across the room a strikingly beautiful blonde
woman held court, surrounded by several young—and not so young—men.
She glanced around as though looking for someone then brought her
uncertain gaze back to one particularly insistent gentleman, giving
him a wan smile.

“
This turns the evening
around,” Daniel said, “but we’ll never get close to her with all
those fellows in the way. What do you think? Adam…?”

Lord Ashworth felt as if someone had punched
him in the chest. Catherine! As he lived and breathed, he could not
believe what his eyes were telling him. He never thought to see her
again, and there she stood, flesh and bone.

Daniel spoke again. “Adam, are you all
right?”

“
What? Oh, I’m sorry. I…”
The earl brought his confused gaze to his companion.

“
You look as though you’ve
seen a ghost. Do you know that woman?”

“
Yes,” Adam said quietly.
“Yes, I know her.”

“
Who is she?”

The earl looked at his friend. “Catherine
Bourgeault,” he said, an ironical twist to his mouth, “the baron’s
wife.”

“
Oh…I see.” And Daniel
looked as though he did see.

“
What is it you think you
see?” Adam bit out as he turned and stalked from the room. The
sight of all those smitten bucks fawning over
his
Catherine enraged him.

“
Adam, wait. I meant no
offense,” the viscount said, following closely on his friend’s
heels.

The earl pushed into an unoccupied room at
the back of the mansion and flung himself on a crushed velvet
settee. The joints of the delicate piece of furniture creaked in
protest. His elbows on knees, he put his face in his hands and
tried to stop his ragged breathing. He was aware of the viscount as
he appeared in the doorway.

“
Come in, Daniel,” Adam said
wearily. “I suppose this remarkable display requires an
explanation.”

The viscount moved into the room. “You owe me
no explanation, my friend. But I’m here to listen if you wish
it.”

“
Can’t think why I reacted
like that.” Adam shook his head in disbelief. “I told myself dozens
of times it would not bother me. Of course, I never thought I would
see her again.”

“
This woman is important to
you.” It was a statement.

The earl nodded. “Apparently, more than I
knew.”

“
Are you in love with
her?”

“
Lord, I don’t know.” Adam
placed his face back in his hands. “I only knew her for two days.”
His muffled voice came from between his fingers. “I’m certain given
half a chance I could love her, no—would love her.”

“
I don’t wish to be the
bearer of gloomy tidings, but your response is not one of
indifference. Seems to me, if you don’t love the lady now, you’re
well on your way to being caught.”

A deep-chested groan was Adam’s only
response.

“
What are you going to
do?”

Lord Ashworth raised his head and stared at
some nonexistent object to the right of the viscount’s temple.
“Wish I knew. I suppose the proper thing would be to avoid her
altogether.”

Daniel searched the earl’s features. “Why do
I have the feeling you won’t be doing the proper thing?”

Adam brought his gaze back to Daniel’s face
but he did not speak.

“
Look,” Daniel said, “I’m
aware you haven’t asked my opinion, but I can’t help thinking to
pursue this woman would be a mistake. She’s married and I see
nothing but pain there. If you were merely satisfying a temporary
attraction, well…”

“
I know you are right, but I
don’t think I’m strong enough to resist.”

“
It’s easier now before it
has gone too far.”

Suddenly, Adam could not meet his friend’s
intuitive gaze.

“
My God, man, what were you
thinking?” Daniel burst forth. “If the baron caught wind of this
there could be trouble. From all I’ve heard he’s an ugly
customer.”

“
That’s the oddest part of
this mess,” the earl said slowly. “I think he knew. I think he knew
and approved in some twisted way. It really worried me to leave
Catherine with him, but I had no choice.”

“
I’m not even going to try
and understand that,” Daniel muttered. “What of the lady? How does
she feel?”

“
She’s confused as I am. At
least, I assume she is. It’s been several weeks. Maybe she’s
forgotten about me.” With that wretched thought he came to his
feet, impelled to act. “I have to talk to her. I’m going to wade
through that ridiculous sea of drooling manhood and rescue her. She
looked disconcerted by all the commotion.”

He exited the room and moved with newfound
purpose down the hall, his friend once again left to follow.

“
I don’t see her, Daniel,”
Adam said as he once more surveyed the crowded parlor.

“
Calm yourself. We’ll find
her,” the viscount said. “I’ll check the card room—you look in the
dining room.”

The two men parted. Within minutes it became
clear that the young woman was nowhere to be found.

“
She left the party, Adam,”
Daniel said.

“
How do you
know?”

“
I asked.”

“
Damnation!”

“
Lady Bourgeault is in the
company of Charlotte Richards,” Daniel continued, “and they decided
to make an appearance at Lady Applewhite’s card party. The word is
every man not encumbered by a female is now on his way to that
affair.”

“
I sent my regrets to Lady
Applewhite nearly a fortnight ago.”

“
Come now,” the viscount
quipped, “since when is a disgustingly rich, titled bachelor not
welcome at the home of a society dame, invitation or
no?”

“
I’ll have to see my parent
has an escort home,” the earl said eagerly. “I saw Lord Hedgewick
earlier in the card room. He’s been trying to convince Mother to
end her widowed status, but thus far she has refused him. Poor man
doesn’t realize when he’s well off.” He shook his head as he went
in search of the elderly, obviously deluded Lord
Hedgewick.

That necessary detail completed—not without a
disagreement from the dowager that nearly scotched the plan—Adam
and Daniel collected their hats and canes and called for the
carriage.

“
Only one thing bothers me,”
Lord Ashworth said reflectively while they waited on the walk for
their transportation.

“
What’s that?” Daniel
inquired.

“
I feel like one of a large
flock of sheep headed for the nearest cliff.”

“
Perhaps that is your
intuition telling you to reconsider,” the viscount suggested in a
careful voice.

“
It hardly matters, my
friend. Regardless of the danger, she’s worth it.”

*****

CHAPTER 6

She had seen him, she knew she had.
Catherine’s hands trembled uncontrollably, and she clasped them
together to hide the evidence of her shaken composure. It was only
a glimpse of the back of his head. But still, she’d been so
certain.

The baroness searched the crowd, hoping she
might again spot the earl, but he seemed to have vanished. Oh,
cruelest of thoughts, perhaps he had seen her first and decided to
withdraw before there arose a need for them to meet. The stab of
pain that met that theory caused her to feel ill.

Lady Richards approached her moments later,
and they prepared to leave. “I promised Lady Applewhite we would
appear at her card party,” Charlotte said.

Catherine followed, all the while glancing
over her shoulder. She must have made a mistake, she thought.
Wishful thinking had conjured his image.

She spoke little during the ride to Lady
Applewhite’s party. Charlotte did not press her, and for that
Catherine was grateful as she suspected her altered mood was
evident.

Shortly, the ladies found themselves standing
in another parlor surrounded by another mob of men. And oddly, many
of them were the same fellows who had hounded Catherine in Lady
Mortimer’s home. In fact, the door chime had rung nonstop since the
ladies’ arrival, and now the parlor overflowed with guests from the
musicale. One look at her flustered hostess confirmed Catherine’s
suspicion that these latecomers were not expected.

“
My, my,” Lady Richards
teased, “it would seem you’ve acquired an entourage.”

“
It isn’t funny, Charlotte.
Lady Applewhite looks upset. I hope she doesn’t regret having
invited me.”

“
Oh, silly. Most of the
intruders are eligible bachelors. When she begins to realize her
good fortune, she’ll be grateful to you for deigning to
attend.”

Catherine eyed her companion doubtfully.

At that precise moment, the door chime rang
out again and, for reasons Catherine did not fully understand, her
breathing froze. She watched paralyzed as the butler reached for
the knob and pulled the door open.

*****

The earl rang the chime at the Applewhite
residence, and Daniel and he were met by a sober-faced butler. “I
would like to speak with your mistress,” Adam said.

Lady Applewhite approached them at that
moment, a radiant smile of welcome on her lips. “Lord Ashworth!
Lord Wimberly! How wonderful. Do come in.”

“
Are you certain, madam?”
the earl asked. “I realize we are not expected.”

“
An unexpected pleasure, I
assure you, my lord.” His hostess simpered at him as she slipped
her arm through his and drew him into the parlor. “I was
disappointed when I received your letter of regret. I’m pleased you
changed your mind.”

Adam felt Catherine’s presence before he saw
her, and his heart began to thud as he became aware of her
nearness. He raised his head and, turning to his left, pinned her
with a look. She was staring at him in open fascination. If the
expression on her face indicated her interest, he need not worry
that she had forgotten him or would dismiss him out of hand.

He was close enough to observe the throbbing
of a tiny pulse in her throat, a physical clue to the agitation she
must be feeling, and he moved instinctively toward her. He became
aware of a warning hand on his arm, and he glanced at the
viscount.

“
Be careful,” Daniel
cautioned under his breath. “People will remark. You’ll be doing
her harm if she becomes the focus of rumors.”

The earl hesitated. The one thing he did not
want to do was hurt her. She was an obvious success, and he had to
admit that jealously tempted him to act rashly. But then how did he
approach her discreetly?

Fortunately, fate decided to give Adam a
helping hand. Sashaying in elegant self-confidence toward Adam was
none other than the honorable Sir Sidney Alcott.

“
Sidney, my good man, how do
you do?”

The dandy stopped abruptly, and his eyes
widened. “Ashworth, I do well. Yourself?”

“
Better if I could find some
kind soul who would introduce me to that incredible creature over
there.” Adam cocked his head in Catherine’s direction.

“
You and every other man in
the room,” Sidney said dryly.

“
You don’t know her then?”
The earl felt deflated.

“
Matter of fact, I do.” The
dandy gave him an assessing look. “I could help if you
like.”

“
Would you?” Adam boomed
eagerly. He clapped Sir Sidney on the shoulder with such force, the
little man staggered.

Adam and Sidney drew abreast of the gathering
around the baroness and stood to her right, waiting for her to
recognize them. The earl did not mind the delay. He watched
Catherine, intrigued with her every move. What a perfect countess
she would have made him. That thought caused a poignant ache to
rise in his chest.

When she at last turned to meet the
newcomers, she focused her gaze on Sidney. Adam suspected the focus
of her awareness was another matter altogether.

“
Sir Sidney, what a delight
to see you again this evening,” she said in a tone that indicated
she and the little man were on very friendly terms.

Sidney blushed a bright pink. Several silent
moments brought a nudge in the ribs from the impatient earl.

“
Oh, oh…y-yes, Lady
Bourgeault,” the dandy stammered, “I should like to introduce you
to the Earl of Ashworth.”

Catherine raised her gray eyes to the
gentleman standing behind Sidney and, if she were in some way moved
by seeing him, her expression did not reflect it.