Seducing the Rake (Mad, Bad and Dangerous Heroes) (58 page)

“Such an unusual family.” Exquisite as always in sober black and pristine white linen, Lord Alvanley stood surveying the throng. “I had hoped to offer my felicitations in person, but it is only to be expected that the bride and groom would have, er, other things on their minds this day.”

He smiled slightly as he watched the duchess descend upon the Duke of Wellington and detach him from the clutches of an encroaching female in puce satin.

Alvanley shuddered slightly. “Puce, my dear Reginald.
Puce!
One positively despairs. Since Brummell left us, the world has gone to the dogs!”

His companion stared owlishly at the gaudily dressed company. “Puce? Never liked the color much myself. Always reminded me of Louisa Landringham’s eyes.” He frowned suddenly. “By the way, where is that female? No one seems to have laid eyes on her since the night of the Duchess of Cranford’s ball. Deuced havey-cavey, if you ask me!”

Impassive, Alvanley continued to survey the assemblage. “I might allow to possessing some information about that.”

“You know? So where is the man-eater? I felt certain she’d be here! After all, she’s been lusting after Tony for years now.”

“My dear Reginald, do try and moderate your speech.”

“Well, it’s true, by gad. You know it as well as I do!”

“Of course it’s true. But that does not necessitate your trumpeting it about to half the
ton
as they stroll past.”

The gaily dressed dandy toyed with an ormolu watch fob. “Demned stickler. That’s what you are!”

“Why thank you, Reggie.”

“Dash it, that was no compliment!”

“Indeed?” The exquisite figure studied him impassively. “I’m desolate to say it, Reggie, but you’ve had a very strange sort of upbringing.” He smoothed a tiny wrinkle from his sleeve. “I shall, however, endeavor to see your shortcomings rectified.”

Sir Reginald muttered something, then frowned. “Don’t think you’ll put me off the scent this time. Where
is
the woman?”

“Far away. In a place where she’ll trouble you no more, my friend.”

Sir Reginald heaved a sigh of relief. “Something deuced smoky about that female. And now I think of it, what about this talk I’ve been hearing? Something about that brother of Tony’s—the one who died last year in a coaching accident.”

“Ah, you mean Andrew.” Alvanley’s eyes hardened. “I’m afraid you don’t know the half of it, dear boy.” And then, as his friend began to frame another question, he started forward over the lawn. “Now I do believe I must offer my felicitations to the duchess. And as for our dear Wellington, I fear he must be given some gentle direction in his choice of cravats.”

Behind him, Sir Reginald gave a long-suffering sigh and shrugged. It was clear that he would have no more questions answered this day.

~ ~ ~

 “Lovely day. Yes, a most lovely day. And a charming ceremony. Nicest I can remember ever attending, in point of fact.” The Duke of Wellington patted the duchess’s arm and bent close. “By the way, thank you for rescuing me, Amelia. A positive shark, that female.” He looked over the gaudy throng. “Ah, there are Viscount Ravenhurst and his lovely wife.” He beckoned to the pair imperiously.

The viscountess was looking particularly luminous in a gown of emerald satin that set off the russet fire of her hair. Wellington made her a deep bow and then offered his arm. “Anytime you tire of that listless old navy dog, you let me know, my dear. We army men have a great deal more stamina, you understand.”

Tess smiled. “Two of your officers have just been telling me the very same thing, Your Grace. Indeed, this rivalry with the navy seems to be of long standing.” She sighed dramatically. “But it is part of our English character, I fear. If we fought our enemies with the same vigor that we fought each other, we would be unconquerable.”

The duke gave a crack of laughter that sent heads around him bobbing. “Demned if you’re not true to the mark, my dear!” He nodded at the viscount. “Keep her safe, Ravenhurst. Shouldn’t want such a one as this to fall into enemy hands.”

The lapis-eyed ex-naval officer smiled lazily. “I shall endeavor, Your Grace. I have reason to hope that the task may soon become less arduous.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

The viscount gave his wife a rakish smile. “Because my blushing wife, who is right now shooting me such a furious look, is breeding.”

“Dane!”
Tess’s cheeks flared crimson.

“Well, so you are, my dear, and I’m damned proud of the fact!”

“As well you should be, my boy.” Wellington beamed upon the pair. “We need more stalwart sons to bear the English colors abroad.”

Tess dimpled. “Forgive me, but what if this hypothetical son should decide to choose a career at sea? Or worse yet, what if this hypothetical
he
turns out to be a
she
?”

“I don’t mean to deny that women do their part, my dear. Just as the navy does. But they must first learn their place, of course.”

Tess’s brow rose slightly. “And exactly who is it must learn their place. Your Grace—the women or the navy?”

“Why both, of course.”

As he saw his wife’s eyes begin to gleam, the viscount intervened smoothly. “I’m forever telling her she must rest more often now.”

“Pooh! I’m as fit as I ever was.” Tess looked at the duchess for support. “Surely you don’t believe in such archaic notions, Your Grace.”

Privately the duchess thought that the viscountess looked splendid and in no need of cosseting, but she chose the diplomatic course. “A little pampering never hurts, my dear. Make that husband of yours do some work for a change, that’s my advice!”

At that moment the Duke of Hawkesworth strolled up, with his lovely wife on his arm. “What was that I just heard? Something about making us poor men work harder?”

The duchess snorted. “You’re too pampered, the lot of you. I was just telling the viscountess that she needs to set that husband of hers to work. Especially now that she’s breeding.” As a clamor reached her ears, she turned. “What is creating all that commotion down on the lawn?”

“It is probably Rajah,” Hawkesworth said dryly. “My wife’s mongoose has yet to learn that the world does not fall prone at his arrival. I believe he was chasing a large brown frog with quite hideous spots.”

“That would be Napoleon, no doubt.” The duchess sighed. “I suppose I’d better go have a look. Unless I’m mistaken, two exceedingly silly females have just fainted dead away.” With that withering comment the white-haired duchess moved off in search of new problems to solve.

Meanwhile Alexandra, the golden-haired Duchess of Hawkesworth, gave Tess a warm hug. “So you are to have a child. How exciting!” The two women stepped a little apart and began to talk animatedly.

Meanwhile, the three men did the same.

“Rest and plenty of quiet,” the Duke of Hawkesworth was saying sagely. “Keep her still.
That’s
what she needs most right now.”

Ravenhurst smiled. “That will be easier said than done, I’m afraid.”

Wellington looked thoughtful. “Send her to the country. Let her redecorate the nursery, perhaps make a few calls on the tenants. That should keep her nicely occupied.”

Meanwhile, the young Duchess of Hawkesworth was offering her own brand of advice to Tess. “Plenty of fresh air and sunshine. Good, vigorous exercise. Yes, that’s what you’ll be needing now, my dear. Above all, don’t let him handle you like some fragile china doll. Otherwise, you’ll go demented with boredom within a week.” She gave Tess a mischievous smile. “As a matter of fact, I’ve just had a capital idea. Perhaps we should convince your husband to take us sailing to Greece on that wonderful smuggling vessel of his.”

“You mean the
Liberté
?” Tess nodded slowly, her gray-green eyes gleaming. “It will be the perfect thing!” With their heads together, the two women moved off, already deep in plans for their seagoing adventure.

Meanwhile their husbands followed tranquilly. And perhaps it was just as well that they were out of hearing range.

This way they remained blissfully ignorant of the escapades their wives had in store for them.

~ ~ ~

 “We’re going to have to run for it, my love.” Tony Morland was looking exceedingly handsome in crisp black and fawn gray, with a single diamond winking at his lapel.

He looked questioningly at his wife. “Unless you care to endure more of these endless felicitations.” He fingered the long satin sleeve of her wedding gown, brushing the tiny seed pearls clustered at her wrist.

“Although you deserve each and every encomium, my love. For you really are most extraordinary in that gown.”

His bride of one hour offered him a deep curtsy. When she rose, her face was bright with mischief. “I’m sure your guests thought it was markedly eccentric of me.” She slid her hand over the slim waist and full satin skirts. “But it felt right, somehow, to wear my mother’s gown. Do you know what I mean? Considering that I had just found her again after so many years.”

“I understand perfectly.”

Tony brushed her cheek, and the sun glinted off Chessy’s exquisitely worked filigree earrings of gold and precious stones. A matching bracelet gleamed at her wrist, the gift of the Duchess of Cranford, who had redeemed it from the jeweler on Curzon Street. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder. Two matrons in salmon-colored damask were bearing down on the gazebo where they were hiding. “Good Lord! Unless we hurry, we’ll be captive here all afternoon.”

Chessy gurgled. Lifting her skirts, she darted past him into the maze. Tony cornered her a few moments later. “Minx. Soon I’ll have no reputation left.”

“That’s to repay you for tossing me over your shoulder and carrying me into the inn like a common—like a—well, you know.”

Morland caught a glistening strand of blue-black hair and raised it to his lips. “Come now,
my dear. I have said many things, but I have never called you common.”

Chessy studied him suspiciously.

At that moment they heard soft laughter nearby. Chessy’s head cocked. “But that was—”

The next second James Cameron and his wife rounded the corner.

Lizzie’s hair was flowing loosely about her shoulders, and her cheeks were flushed most becomingly. “Chessy!” she gasped.

“Mother!”

“We were just—that is, James thought—”

Chessy’s father laughed. “Chessy knows
exactly
what I thought and has a fair notion of what we were doing, my dear. There’s no need to explain to her.”

His wife’s flush increased. “But—”

“After all, she and Tony must have come here for precisely the same reason.”

The Earl of Morland gave his old friend a roguish smile. “We had hoped to find a bit of privacy. I should have known you would map out every quiet corner in advance.”

“Always pays to be prepared, my boy. I suggest you remember that.” James looked at his wife. “Well, my dear? Shall we stroll about? Leave these two to their adventures?”

Lizzie was delighting in the sight of Chessy in her billowing white gown. Suddenly she looked down. James saw her brush away a tear.

Carefully he caught her chin and raised her face. “No tears, my dear. Not today.”

“It’s just—I’m so happy.” She accepted the handkerchief he pressed into her hand, then turned to her daughter. “I-I know you still must be angry and hate me. I can’t blame you for it. All those years wasted.”

“Hate
you? Impossible! I’m perfectly delighted to discover I have a mother after all this time.” Chessy gave Lizzie a warm hug. “Besides, you look much too young to be my mother. Don’t you agree, Father?”

James Cameron cleared his throat, preferring not to discuss his own opinions on the subject until he and his wife were in a more private place. “Come along, Lizzie,” he said gruffly. “Let’s let these children have some peace. And the sooner we’ve made
our
rounds, the sooner we can sneak away to our rooms.”

“James!
Whatever will Chessy and Tony think?”

“Think?” Cameron gave the couple a wry smile. “Why, the very same thing that we are, my dear.”

“But they couldn’t possibly!”

“No? If not then they’d better. Otherwise, how am I going to get that grandson I’ve been dying to dandle on my knee? And teach him all my new excavation techniques?”

Lizzie’s chin rose defiantly. “Why, James Cameron, you are without a doubt the
most
exasperating, the
most
rag-mannered man I have ever had the misfortune to meet! Just you come along right now. I have a few words to say to you, and I don’t care for Chessy to hear me saying them.”

James Cameron’s brow rose. “Only a
few
words, my dear?” At his wife’s look, he subsided meekly and allowed her to tug him off toward the gazebo. “You’ve got to show them who’s boss, Tony,” he called over his shoulder.

“Well, that’s certainly showing
her,
Jamie.” Morland was enjoying the sight of his friend’s discomfiture greatly.

Meanwhile his wife dug her elbow into his ribs. “While we’re at it, my lord, why don’t you show
me
?” Her eyes glittered suspiciously. “Who’s boss, that is.”