Miss in a Man's World (19 page)

After dismissing Brindle with a nod of his head, his lordship sauntered towards her in his usual gracefully athletic way, his gaze not missing the smallest detail of her own attire. Not for the first time he was struck by the slender shapeliness of her figure, and again it crossed his mind to wonder just how she had managed to conceal her feminine charms so adequately during those weeks she had acted the page. Some sort of chest binding, he could only suppose. Now, however, was not the appropriate time to attempt to satisfy his curiosity and risk discomposing her. Tonight he needed her to appear perfectly relaxed, and so he merely said, ‘Perhaps now you can appreciate just why I was so against decking the reception rooms out in swathes of silk to match your gown.' He shuddered. ‘I should have felt I was yet again enduring a wretched Channel crossing!'

Her immediate gurgle in response was exactly what he would have expected, and he found himself smiling too. ‘Come over here, I have something for you.' He reached for the velvet-covered box on the top of his desk and flicked open the lid to reveal an array of sapphires and diamonds lying on a bed of silk. Her reaction was once again what he might have expected. Her perfectly shaped lips parted and her eyes widened in disbelief.

Before she had recovered from the shock sufficiently to speak, he was already clasping the necklace about
her throat, his fingers unavoidably brushing the nape of her neck as he did so. Her reaction this time did not please him. She had stiffened…visibly so!

He was not a male accustomed to the fair sex flinching at his touch. The opposite was, in fact, very much more the case. Every female with whom he had enjoyed more intimate relations had actively encouraged his advances. He'd enough experience to be very sure that Georgiana wasn't indifferent to him. From the first there had always been a wonderful rapport between them, largely based on trust and respect, not to mention common interests. Furthermore, he'd touched her dozens of times without her cringing from him as though he were some kind of sexual predator, for heaven's sake! All the same, he couldn't deny that he'd caught a certain wariness in her expression from time to time during more recent days.

‘What's wrong?' Grasping her shoulders, he turned her round to face him squarely and then placed one hand beneath her chin so that she had no choice but to look him in the face. ‘And please don't insult my intelligence by denying it. It's patently obvious something's troubling you.'

She moved away and he didn't attempt to stop her. ‘If you must know,' she said after a brief silence, ‘I'm finding it all a bit of a strain.' Her sudden shout of laughter was distinctly mirthless. ‘You might find this hard to believe, Ben, but lying doesn't come easily to me.'

‘I do not find that hard to believe at all,' he assured her. ‘I could always tell when you were lying to me, Master Green.'

The name succeeded in evoking many bittersweet memories, and Georgiana wandered over to the hearth
and stared up at the portrait that had so captured her attention all those many months ago. ‘You brought me in here that first evening, remember? I never imagined then that I would be standing here almost a year later attempting to convince the world that we…'

As her words faded he went across to her and grasped her arms. Thankfully, this time she did not recoil at his touch, but her expression was hardly encouraging. He administered a small shake. ‘I shall take leave to inform you, my girl, that you'll fool no one into believing you're a happily engaged female when you're wearing that woebegone face.'

She couldn't help smiling at this. And he was perfectly correct, of course! If she wished to succeed in her aim, she must play her part to the full. So long as she maintained that all-important sense of proportion and didn't attempt to persuade herself it was real.

‘You're right, of course,' she agreed, echoing her thoughts. ‘And what female wouldn't feel deliriously happy with a king's ransom in gems adorning her throat.' She peered down at the bottommost stones that almost reached the cleft between her breasts. ‘They are truly magnificent, Ben. Are they part of the family jewels?'

‘Certainly not!' He had sounded affronted. ‘They are my betrothal gift to you. However, I should prefer if they remain here in this house, if you have no objection. Of course, you may wear them as often as you wish.'

Georgiana was too stunned to be able to formulate any kind of response, let alone take time to consider why he might wish to keep them here at Berkeley Square. In fact, it was as much as she could do to don the matching earrings when commanded to do so.

‘And now, my darling, I think it best if we repair
upstairs without further ado. Eleanor and Charles will be awaiting us; we must be ready for when the first of our dinner-guests arrive.'

 

Much later that evening, when she stood beside the Viscount at the entrance to the large drawing room, Georgiana felt she had managed to regain at least some of her self-possession. The dinner party had been a most enjoyable affair. She'd been more than happy for Lady Eleanor to preside over the table as hostess, which of course had enabled her to relax far more and enjoy the company of the Viscount's good friend Charles Gingham, who had sat on her immediate left.

Now, of course, the most crucial part of the evening had begun. Two of the suspects had already arrived and were ensconced in the room set out for cards. The third, bewigged, and dazzlingly attired in a coat of gold brocade, satin knee-breeches and high-heeled buckled shoes, was at last mincing his way along the passageway towards them.

‘God in heaven, Trent!' his lordship exclaimed in disgust. ‘Never tell me you've been dipping into the rouge pot!'

‘Had to, dear boy,' Sir Willoughby responded, not visibly chastened by the Viscount's evident disdain. ‘Positively washed out I look without it. I swear that demmed chest infection very nearly took me off!'

He then felt for his quizzing-glass and through it peered for several moments at the gems adorning a slender throat before transferring his gaze to the feature that so perfectly matched the exquisite stones. The next moment his own eyes widened, and the aid to vision slipped from his fingers. ‘Good gad!' he exclaimed. ‘It cannot be!'

‘Quite right, Trent, it cannot,' his lordship concurred in a dangerously quiet tone. ‘And you would be wise to forget that you ever thought it could have been.'

‘Forgotten already, dear boy,' he returned airily, before sauntering into the room.

‘Don't look so crestfallen,' his lordship chided gently. ‘People might suppose we've had a lovers' tiff.'

‘But he recognised me, Ben. What dreadful ill luck! I would never have supposed for a moment that he was so observant.'

‘Don't let that foppish air fool you, my darling. Sir Willoughby Trent is quite remarkably astute. Very little escapes him.'

‘Really?' Georgiana began to view the baronet in a new light. ‘So he's quite capable of organising these jewel thefts.'

‘Oh, more than capable,' he concurred. ‘But I rather fancy he isn't the one. I haven't ruled him out quite yet, but he's definitely bottom of the list. And don't allow the fact that he recognised you trouble you unduly. He won't say anything.'

‘But how can you be so sure?'

‘Because he has a rather perverse sense of humour. If he revealed your little secret, he would risk being disbelieved, besides denying himself the pleasure of tormenting you in the future. Furthermore, I know a thing or two about him that he definitely wouldn't wish spread abroad. So put it from your mind and go and mingle with our guests. I do believe the Dowager and her granddaughter would appreciate a few words with you, as would several others. I'll remain here to greet any late arrivals.'

She was only too willing to oblige, and until the time came for her to partner Ben and lead the first set
of country dances, she believed she maintained the role of a newly engaged young woman to perfection.

At least Lady Sophia evidently detected nothing amiss when she claimed Georgiana's attention the instant the dance came to an end. Her over-enthusiastic partner had inadvertently torn her flounce and Sophia wished to repair the damage at once.

‘You see, I'm supposed to be dancing with Mr Beresford next, Georgie, and I don't want him to see me less than perfectly groomed,' she revealed shyly. ‘I cannot thank you enough for inviting him. I do so much prefer him to any other gentleman of my acquaintance!'

‘I know you do, Sophie. And so does your grandmother.' She cast the girl a sympathetic smile. ‘I know she approves of Beresford. After all, why should she not? He has no title, but he comes from a good family and he isn't exactly impoverished. But have a care, my dear, because I do not believe the Dowager will give her blessing to a serious attachment between you, at least not this year. Next might be different. She wants you to enjoy the society of many young gentlemen before you finally think seriously about marriage.'

Lady Sophia sensibly seemed to accept this. ‘And when I do finally become betrothed, I should like a party just like this one, not some grand ball where you hardly know anyone. Tonight has been lovely. Everyone I've spoken to thinks so.'

This was gratifying to hear, for Lady Eleanor, the servants, Ben and she herself had worked so hard to make it a success. And so it was proving to be, despite the odd disappointment and the occasional disquieting moment.

After seeing Lady Sophia into the ladies' withdrawing room, where a young maid was on hand to assist in
just such an emergency as a torn flounce, Georgiana, almost without thinking, continued along the passage to a small bedchamber overlooking the Square. It had been her very own room during those few short weeks she had stayed in the house the previous spring.

Pushing wide the door, she was gratified to discover nothing had changed. Seating herself on the windowsill, as she had done many times in the past, she stared out across the Square in time to see a smart carriage depositing its passengers at the house opposite. She couldn't help wondering whether the party taking place there was as enjoyable as her own was, amazingly enough, turning out to be. It was true she had suffered a disappointment when organising the event, when she had discovered that Charles Gingham wouldn't be bringing his young wife along, but she had quite understood. Apparently, poor Louise was increasing again and not having such an easy time of it on this occasion.

The encounter with Sir Willoughby Trent had unnerved her for a time, as indeed had her first-ever encounter with the supposed love of his lordship's life. All the same, it was rather strange that when she had met Lady Wenbury face to face she had not experienced even so much as a twinge of jealousy.

Although perhaps not in her first flush of youth, Lady Wenbury was undeniably strikingly lovely. From her perfectly arranged fair locks to her satin-shod feet, she bore all the perfection of a London modiste's fashion plate. Accompanying her had been her spouse, a portly gentleman of average height who, in stark contrast, carried his clothes very ill. Yet, it wasn't so much the baron's appearance that surprised Georgiana as the Viscount's attitude towards him.

Not even by so much as a slight frostiness of tone
had his lordship betrayed that he had felt the least animosity towards the middle-aged man who had married the woman he himself had very much desired to wed. In fact, he could not have been more welcoming or genial in his greeting. His attitude towards the baroness had been even more surprising. Apart from a remark clearly meant in jest, which had resulted in her tapping his arm flirtatiously with her fan, while favouring him with a provocative smile, he had shown no interest in her whatsoever.

Quite the contrary, in fact! Not once had he at tempted to seek her out for a private conversation, nor had he seemed to search her out with his eyes. It was almost as if Lady Wenbury meant absolutely nothing to him now. At least he hadn't appeared to consider her in any way more important than any of his other guests. So why had he made a point of inviting the couple?

‘What on earth are you doing skulking away in here?' that deeply attractive and, oh, so familiar voice demanded to know, making her start guiltily. ‘Our guests will soon begin to wonder where you are, as I myself would have done had I not happened to glance out of the drawing room and catch you wandering along the passageway.'

Good heavens! He might not have been watching Lady Wenbury, but he was certainly keeping his eye on her! As she didn't know whether to feel flattered, or slightly alarmed, she decided it might be wise to be truthful, given that he had already revealed he knew very well when she was attempting to conceal something from him.

‘It just so happens I wandered in here without thinking. This used to be my room when I resided here,' she reminded him.

‘Well, it won't be again,' he returned abruptly, which resulted in her wistful little smile vanishing in an instant. As he moved towards her he watched it replaced by a look that appeared to encompass both wariness and sadness. ‘What's troubling that pretty little head of yours?' he queried with the same gentleness as he traced the fine bones of her face with his fingertips. ‘Have I ever told you how very…lovely you are?'

As he spoke his head lowered, his intention clear. Georgiana knew it was madness; somehow, though, she didn't seem able to move, and when his arms had stolen about her and his mouth had at last fastened on to hers, she couldn't have moved even had she wanted to. And the most worrying fact of all was that she experienced not the slightest desire to do so!

Like some master puppeteer, he had her completely under his control. Exerting only the slightest of pressures he succeeded in forcing her lips apart and, as though operating some invisible strings, persuaded her to raise her arms and place her hands on his shoulders. In those delicious moments of experiencing this their first kiss, she felt she could deny him nothing and was more than happy for him to maintain complete control. It was only when he at last raised his head and the tender, invisible manipulation was finally broken, that a degree of common sense at last prevailed.