Sin With a Scoundrel: The Husband Hunters Club (11 page)

“Oh yes, extremely important.”

His gaze swept over her, and again he hesitated. For an expert at seduction he was a little shy, Tina thought. He was supposed to be teaching her, and yet it was Tina who reached out to place her palm flat against his linen shirt and beneath that the hard heat of his chest.

“Richard,” she murmured, “kiss me again. I really think I’m getting the hang of it.”

For a moment, she thought he was going to refuse, the grand seducer refusing to seduce, but then she was in his arms, and he was kissing her with a passion that was savage and possessive and quite wonderful.

Chapter 15

T
he Serpentine had the sheen of glass, and Maria walked slowly by Archie’s side, enjoying the warmth on her head beneath her straw bonnet and the dappled shade from the trees in Hyde Park. It was an oasis of calm here in the center of the busy city. London was a bustling place, and she loved it, so why did she still long for the baked plains and cool groves of her homeland?

Maria knew in her heart that was the reason she’d never put down roots here, why she’d remained single and alone. She’d always pictured herself returning home to Spain. She still did.

“You said you were surprised that your mistress knew my master,” Archie said, breaking the companionable silence and returning to a topic of conversation they’d begun earlier.

“Yes, I was surprised. He is hardly respectable, and the Smythes are very respectable,” she said. “When Miss Smythe told me she and Mr. Eversham were acquainted, I was concerned.”

“You shouldn’t listen to gossip.”

She shot him an impatient look. “If her reputation is ruined, then she will never marry a gentleman. She will be a social outcast. You know how it is, Archie. You are no fool. My mistress’s reputation is all she has to offer to her husband, and if it is soiled, then she has nothing.”

Archie appeared uncomfortable at her reprimand, and she chose this moment, while he was off balance, to ask the question that had been niggling at her since they first met.

“Archie, was it Mr. Eversham who asked you to make the acquaintance of a member of the Smythe household?”

Her directness startled him and yet seemed to please him, too. “You are a very forthright woman, Maria,” he said admiringly.

“I do not like liars, Archie.”

He gave a grimace. “I’m sorry. Yes, it’s true I bumped into you on purpose. How did you know?”

She made a scoffing sound. “I saw you from the window, walking back and forth, waiting. It intrigued me so I went out to see what you wanted. And then I decided I wanted to know you better, to find out what you were up to. You see,
I
am a spy.”

He laughed at that as if he found it hilarious, while she glared at him.

“What is it, Archie? You must tell me the truth now or I will turn and walk away and you will never see me again. But perhaps that is what you want? Perhaps our friendship has never been more to you than a matter of expedience.”

She wasn’t sure her plan would work. Perhaps he really didn’t care whether or not he saw her again. And yet despite her misgivings and her doubts about their future, in her heart she knew she would be sorry if this was their last meeting.

After a long, anxious moment he sighed, and said, “I can’t tell you everything. There are reasons for that, and again I can’t go into them. But yes, you’re quite right, I needed someone inside Mallory Street so that I can discover why Miss Tina seems hell-bent on marrying Lord Horace Gilfoyle.”

Maria pursed her lips. “The Smythes are almost bankrupt; Lord Horace is rich. Draw your own conclusion.”

Again Archie was taken aback by her frankness.

“Well, that is what you want to know, isn’t it? What your master had set you to find out? But now you must tell me why he is so interested in Miss Tina’s doings. Perhaps he is in love with her himself.”

Archie snorted. “Mr. Eversham in love? Now that would be a turn up.” He grew serious. “Don’t believe everything you hear about him, Maria. He has his reasons for what he’s doing but believe me it’s not Tina Smythe.”

Maria eyed him warily. “You almost make me afraid, Archie, and not just for Miss Tina’s virtue. What are his reasons? Please don’t tell me he is a fortune hunter! Because if he is, he’s chosen the wrong young lady.”

“He has plenty of money of his own,” Archie blurted out. “No, this is a government thing, Maria. A hush-hush thing. I can’t tell you any more, honestly I can’t, but he doesn’t mean her any harm. Mr. Eversham’s more likely to save her from danger than place her in it.”

“But—”

“No, you’ll just have to be satisfied with that. Now come”—and he slipped her hand through his arm—“enjoy the walk. Pretend we are without a care in the world, Maria.”

She looked like she might continue to protest, but then she changed her mind and relaxed, giving him a tight little smile. “Very well, Archie. But the next time we meet I will have more questions, you know I will, and you must find a way of answering them.”

They walked some more before she spoke again.

“I have told Miss Tina that we are ‘walking out’ together, Archie. I’m sorry but it seemed best. I wanted to continue to see you, to discover what you were up to, and I needed a subterfuge.”

Archie chuckled in delight. “Walking out, Maria?”

“You can break it off with me if you wish,” she said, gazing at the river in a studied manner. “I do not mind. It is all pretend anyway. My heart will not be broken.”

“Is it? All pretend, I mean?”

His tone brought her head around. He was watching her almost shyly, and Maria didn’t pretend not to understand.

“Perhaps it is not quite all pretend,” she conceded. “And perhaps my heart would be a little bit broken, after all.”

Archie smiled. “Then let’s just carry on as we are, Maria. You help me with my spying, and I will help you with yours. Will we shake on it?” He held out his hand to her.

It was a typically masculine thing to do, but solemnly Maria shook his hand. “Here’s to spying, Archie.”

His smile broadened, and his eyes twinkled. “Here’s to spying, Maria.”

R
ichard knew he must stop. He wasn’t sure what Tina’s objective was, but she was playing a very dangerous game for a woman who wanted to marry someone else.

The reminder that she was to marry Gilfoyle was like a hot dagger in his brain. He wasn’t sure whether that was because he wanted her for himself or because Gilfoyle might be the Captain, but if he kept kissing her like this, then all his plans would be undone.

Reluctantly he pulled away.

She lay against him, compliant, her breasts rising and falling quickly, her eyes closed, long, dark lashes lying against her flushed cheeks. Her mouth was pink and swollen from kissing.

Richard couldn’t help but smile in pure male satisfaction. He hadn’t lost his touch then.

He should be asking her questions about Gilfoyle, using her as a source of information, gathering all her secrets. But he wasn’t. Instead he felt protective of her and he was reluctant to spoil their little idyll.

To feel that way made no sense at all.

He might tell himself she was just another woman, and he’d had plenty, but it wasn’t the truth. There was something different about this one, something that was turning his usually sharp intelligence—his ability to make sacrifices for the greater good—to heroic mush. Tina was becoming his priority; Tina was what he thought of when he woke up, and it was Tina again when he went to bed.

“Tina? Sweetheart, wake up,” he murmured gently. “Your maid will be back in a moment.”

That brought her to her senses. Her eyes sprang open, and she sat up, a hand to her tumbled hair. She was a mess. Had he done that? Of course he had. Well, it must not happen again. With a new sense of resolve he began the search for her hair pins.

A moment later there was a quiet knock on the door, but by then they were ready to face the staff.

“Miss Tina? I’m very sorry we were so long,” Maria spoke quickly. She was rather red in the face and short of breath, obviously more concerned about her own shortcomings than her mistress’s.

“I’m afraid we lost track of time, sir,” Archie added apologetically but didn’t appear very sorry.

“Well you are here now,” Tina said.

Richard watched admiringly as she rose calmly to her feet and held out her hand to him. She was so poised he doubted his own memory, but no, it was true; a few moments before they had been clasped in each other’s arms on the verge of doing something irreversible. Damn it, but her acting was getting better by the day.

“Good-bye, Mr. Eversham,” she said primly. “I shall be in t-touch with you soon.”

O
h dear! Tina almost groaned aloud. Why did she stumble over that particular word? “Touch.” Why was it that a word that had never had a secondary meaning before now have so many? The feel of his hands against her skin, the touch of his mouth against hers, against her throat, against every inch of her he could find without actually taking off her clothes. In fact, oh Lord, had she asked him to take them off? No, surely not. But yes, she remembered her breathless voice, pleading . . .

Tina swallowed and lifted her chin, hoping Maria hadn’t noticed her agitation. Richard certainly had. His gray eyes sparkled with wicked laughter although his face was grave. Oh yes, he was a man who was good at keeping secrets.

“Good-bye, Miss Smythe,” he said, holding her hand briefly, as a gentleman would. She turned and tried not to run down the stairs to the front door. Escape, it was all she wanted now. Escape from him . . . and herself.

The door to Number Five closed. She had taken two steps before Maria began to castigate her. Yes, yes, she knew she was behaving in a dangerous and reckless manner, yes, she knew she was risking her reputation, this was all fact, but it was for a purpose. That was her defense.

“Maria, I know you are worried about me, but please believe me when I tell you that I am perfectly safe. I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you?” Maria replied with a note of desperation. “Miss, beg pardon, but I think you are being very, very foolish. This man is not to be trusted. What would Lady Carol say? Shall I tell her, is that what you want?”

Tina stopped walking and turned to face her maid. “Of course I don’t want you to tell Lady Carol. Maria, I
must
marry Lord Horace. You know why. Do I have to speak it aloud, here, in the street?”

Maria calmed herself, as if suddenly aware of interested passersby. “No, miss, you don’t have to do that. I know why. But that does not explain what has been happening between you and Mr. Eversham.”

Mr. Eversham who, Maria now knew from Archie, was not at all what he seemed.

“I am learning from Mr. Eversham. He is teaching me how to win over a man like Horace. That is all. It is purely a business arrangement.”

“And is that why your hair is all falling down and your cheeks all flushed? No, Miss Tina, do not try to flummox me.”

Tina pursed her mouth into a stubborn line. “I am not trying to do anything of the sort. If I am a little flushed, it is because I am learning how to kiss. There! Now you are shocked. But how can I ever win a man like Horace, a man of the world, if I don’t learn to be the sort of woman he wants?”

Maria thought that was probably true, but Lord Horace was a nasty piece of work, and she longed to tell Tina so. But what would that achieve? Even if Tina believed her—which was extremely doubtful—she would still feel she had to marry him, for her family’s sake. No, Maria decided, best to keep that particular piece of information to herself for the moment. It might be useful later on, as a final effort to halt this madness.

“Miss Tina, I am still very worried.”

“Well please don’t be, Maria. I am perfectly able to take care of myself.”

That brought a halt to the conversation, and they said no more on the journey home although Tina remained anxious and upset, and Maria remained anxious and troubled. Neither of them wanted to fall out with the other so it seemed better to remain silent.

When they reached Mallory Street, Tina learned that her father wanted to speak to her. With a warning glance at Maria, she removed her gloves and bonnet and went into her father’s study.

Her first thought had been that he had somehow found out about her visits to Mr. Eversham, but thankfully his smile as she entered his domain put her mind at ease.

“Tina, come in, sit down.”

She noticed there was a half-filled glass of brandy beside him. It wasn’t her father’s way to drink before the evening meal, and she cast a quick glance over his countenance.

He looked pale, and there was a worried frown on his face. But then there always was, these days.

“You had a pleasant afternoon out, Tina? You went to visit Anne, didn’t you?”

Tina hadn’t done anything of the sort, but she made some meaningless noises. It wasn’t really a lie, and her father wasn’t listening anyway; he was far too involved in his own thoughts.

“My dear,” he said at last, “I think you know the straits we’re in at the moment. All my fault. I was foolish enough to believe in someone who I thought was a friend. Now we are all but done for.”

Shocked by his plain speaking, Tina reached for his hand. “Father, no! Surely everything will come about.”

He shook his head although his fingers clasped hers. “Not a chance of it,” he said with grim cheerfulness. “We are done for. Your mother’s money is gone, most of it, and the house will have to go, and all the furniture. We will have to find somewhere smaller, cheaper, and well away from our friends. They probably won’t want to know us anyway, and your mother won’t want to run into them accidentally on the street. The shame would be too much for her to bear.”

It sounded grim indeed, and for a moment, Tina could think of nothing to say.

“Your mother has mentioned something about your being keen on young Gilfoyle,” he went on awkwardly. “I just wanted to hear the facts from your own lips. You know how she tends to muddle things up.”

Tina felt her heart sink a little but forced herself to smile and sit up straighter. “I do have hopes in that direction, Father. He hasn’t said anything yet, but I am determined to give him every hint that I am amenable to marriage.”

Her father appeared relieved. “That is good news.” He sighed. “And now Charles seems to have taken a shine to Anne. That would be a good match if her parents allow it. They are rather strict, and I’m not sure they approve of poor Charles. Still, both of you are making strides toward marriage with a, eh, suitable partner. I am very happy to hear it.”

“I’m glad, Papa.”

He shifted his brandy glass an inch to the left. “But Horace hasn’t proposed, has he?”

“No, Papa. Not yet.”