The Wedding Chase (42 page)

Rubbing his knuckles enthusiastically, Freddie permitted a rare smile to creep over his face. “I haven’t indulged in
months. The innkeeper won’t mind, if we reimburse him handsomely for the usual broken chairs and crockery.”

“Count me out of your infantile games.” Rafael stood to leave. “But don’t let my opinion stop you, Wolf. Your old cuts and bruises are healed, so if you think a few more injuries will cure your foul humor and ease your boredom, do it.”

“Hold on to Remus, that’s Dorothea dead ahead.” Grandmama Darlington waved long fingers at a clump of elms farther down the muddy Hyde Park trail. “She’s seen us, there’s no escape.”

“Steady boy.” Zel smiled at the elderly woman, grabbing the rope tied loosely around the dog’s neck with one hand, her other hand latched on to the fur along his spine. “I don’t know what it is, but he cannot resist jumping on her every time he sees her.”

“The dog can be a bounder. But I can’t say as I blame him.”

“Lucretia! You sound as bad as your grandson.”

“Oh, Diana, we all know the woman is a loose screw.” Grandmama tapped Remus on the hind quarters. “Now sit!”

Aunt Dorothea stormed forward, Cousin Adam in her wake. The deep scowl on her face made it clear she greeted
them against her wishes. “Lady Darlington, Mrs. Stanfield, Grizelda.”

Adam tipped his hat, offering a shallow bow. “Ladies. I’m surprised to see you out braving the mud.”

“The park is still recovering from the parades.” Aunt Diana smiled. “But we couldn’t resist the sunshine.”

“I need to see Hardwicke.” Aunt Dorothea lowered her nose enough to see over it, glaring at Zel. “Where is your husband?”

“I haven’t the foggiest notion.” Tamping down her irritation and a desire to correct the woman’s refusal to use Wolfgang’s title, Zel looked into the narrowed brown eyes. “I am not his keeper.”

“Did I say he needed one?” Dorothea’s shrill voice drew the stares of nearby walkers and riders. “I would never say it, although everyone knows he does. His wife could use one, too.”

“Now, Mrs. Clayton—”

“So, Mrs. Diana Ninnyhammer Stanfield, you wish to come to the rescue of your wanton niece and her rakehell husband?”

“Dorothea!” Grandmama’s voice tightened in warning.

Aunt Dorothea paid no heed. “If your grandson didn’t hold the purse strings, I would shun the lot of you.”

“Now, now.” Aunt Diana laid out her most conciliatory tone. “Don’t throw the first stone unless you live in a glass house.”

Dorothea glared at her, then turned her hard eyes back to quell Zel’s smile. “Have your husband call on me, immediately!” She clasped Adam’s arm, striding away on the tree-lined path.

“I think I would rather have her snub me.” Zel watched her retreating back in confusion. “I never know what she’s about.”

“If she can’t show a little more restraint, Wolfgang
could make her allowance contingent on her permanent removal to a remote country estate. You shouldn’t have to deal with her insults.” Grandmama pulled Zel’s hand from its grip on Mouse’s fur and turned the small party to a narrow side trail. “Perhaps we can finish our walk in peace.”

“Despite the early hour we seem doomed to run into everyone we know.” Aunt Diana pointed to a horseman rounding the next corner before them. “Isn’t that Northcliffe’s big friend?”

Zel yanked a flower off a rhododendron bush and surveyed the enormous man on an equally enormous mount, remembering the last time she saw him. She tore at a petal. The night the blossoming intimacy of her marriage had withered at her premature declaration. A bud cut too soon to open. “It’s Ransley.” Her skin heated. “And Wolfgang’s right behind him.”

The two men smoothly guided their horses to the little group of women. Ransley nodded while Wolfgang ran a finger across the brim of his hat. “Such a charming bevy of spring flowers.”

Zel forced a smile and stared. Wolfgang’s face was a panorama of cuts and bruises, from a slightly swollen split on his lower lip, through a purplish blotch on his cheek, to a small, scabbing gash above his eye. Ransley looked no better, with a black eye and bruised jaw. She trapped her tongue between her teeth to keep in the questions.

Grandmama had no such compunctions, berating the adult males in her most scolding tone. “You two are worse than a couple of overgrown schoolboys. Were you brawling?”

Wolfgang looked sheepishly at his hands. “We were defending a lady’s honor.”

Ransley coughed and directed his gaze down the path.

“Couldn’t Ridgemont stop you this time?”

“He didn’t try, Grandmama. Said it would do me good, and it did.” Wolfgang grinned, then grimaced when his lip
split further and a drop of blood dripped down his chin. He impatiently wiped it away with his fist. “For a while.”

“Dismount and walk with us a bit, dear.”

Zel studiously avoided the silvery gaze she knew focused on her. She couldn’t face another rejection.

“No.” Wolfgang hesitated, then continued in a stronger voice, “Freddie and I have business.”

Ransley glanced from Wolfgang to Zel, catching Zel’s eyes with a look she couldn’t decipher. “Wolf, we don’t—”

“Yes, we do.” Wolfgang turned his horse, covering half the path before Ransley frowned apologetically and followed.

“A toast to a job well done.” Newton raised his glass in salute to his coconspirator. “If I must say so myself.”

“Are we finished with them?” Isadora raised her glass in response and sipped at the deep burgundy.

“Never say we’re finished.” Scanning Isadora’s seldom-used library, Newton allowed a hint of a smile to touch his lips. “But I am satisfied, for the moment. The forced marriage seems to have done the trick. Lady Northcliffe is looking frightfully downcast. Northcliffe is seen frequently on the town, but never in the company of his bride. And best of all, he doesn’t seem at all his usual self. So quiet and glum.” He stretched out on the small sofa. “It’s delightful.”

“I’m happy you are so pleased.”

“The bloom is off the rose.” Sitting up straight, he looked pointedly at Isadora’s pout. “Why the big lip?”

“Wolfgang may be free, but he shows absolutely no interest in me.” The pout grew.

“You’ve approached him already? Have you no subtlety, woman?” And no brains, he completed silently.

A touch of pink passed over Isadora’s cheeks. The jade could still blush! “I put myself in his way and he acted like I didn’t exist.”

“Isadora, Isadora. How can you be such a fool? Listen to
and heed the master.” Swirling his wine in the goblet, he stood over her to further make his point. “You must proceed slowly in these matters. Cultivate and groom your quarry. Be kind and sympathetic. Let him cry on your shoulder. Then make certain you’re there when he’s ready to succumb.”

“And you are the expert.” She tossed her golden head.

“Watch me.”

“Watch you? What do you have planned?”

“Northcliffe’s lady will be in my bed. Not in days, I’m not a fool like you. But mark my words and watch. She’ll be my mistress. Northcliffe will be cuckolded, again.”

Isadora stared at him, taking an unusually long time to find her voice. “You would throw me over for that creature?”

Newton surveyed her slowly from bottom to top. “Yes, I would.” At her strangled gasp, he continued, “You’d throw me over for Northcliffe, given half a chance.”

“My God! You are both animalth. Viciouth animalth.” Melbourne stood in the doorway, face flushed, hands fisted at his sides. His speech included both people in the room, but his accusing eyes focused on Newton.

“Now, Melbourne. We were only playing a little trick on the newly weds.” Newton waved the younger man into the room, but Melbourne stood there stiffly, ignoring Newton’s summons.

“I may not be the motht intelligent man on earth, Newton, but I am not deaf. I heard you clearly.” Melbourne took a deep breath. “It wathn’t tho bad when I thought we were trying to thave Mith—Lady Northcliffe from a man tho unworthy of her. But I won’t be party to a plan to hand her over to
you
.”

Newton stared at Melbourne, astonished at Melbourne’s reaction. “Jeremy, I had no idea you cared so much. Lord, I’ve never heard you string so many words together.” He moved towards the door. “I won’t deny it. We used you.”

Melbourne looked close to tears. “Thank you for not lying further. I am leaving thoon for my country houthe.”

“Perhaps I may visit you there.” Newton nodded his head, surprised at the note of pleading in his own voice.

“I think not.” Melbourne made a shallow bow to Isadora, as he backed out of the doorway. “Good day, ma’am. I may thee you briefly at the Whiltonth’ before I go.”

“Maggie?” Jenkins had waited nearly an hour in his sitting room to share tea with the tiny maid and finally, in desperation, poked his nose into Lady Zel’s room.

“What are you doing here?” Maggie emerged from the Chinese silk bed hangings, the rich color battling violently with the fire red of her hair.

“The tea is cold.”

“Oh, Marmeduke, forgive me.” The corners of her mouth turned down as she tied a curtain securely to the wall fastening. “I’ve been so distracted, I completely forgot.”

“Worrying about your mistress?” He slipped into the room, feeling a sense of trepidation as he breached the forbidden domain. Neither the captain nor his lady had given orders against his entrance, but a valet simply did not enter milady’s chambers.

Maggie beckoned him forward, moving with silent efficiency about the room, clutter becoming order beneath her hands. “Don’t just stand there, shut the door behind you.”

Jenkins complied, surveying the clothes-strewn chamber. “I had no idea Lady Z was so, ah, disorganized.”

“She isn’t normally this messy.”

“Another sin to lay at the captain’s feet?” Jenkins picked up a few gowns off a chair and handed them to Maggie. The sheer night rail he surreptiously returned to the chair.

Maggie hid a smile under her slender fingers. “I’m tired of worrying about his sins and her sorrows. I’ve never seen two such intelligent people behave like such idiots.” She took his hand, dragging him to the door. “Let’s forget them for a few minutes.”

They stole from the room, down the staircase, finding a little-used salon. Jenkins squeezed her fingers as he settled beside her on the low settee. “What if we’re discovered?”

Her laugh was clear and high as a silver sleigh bell. She didn’t laugh near enough. “And what would we do if we were? Have a rushed marriage as our employers did?”

“Our situation is not quite so compromising.” Jenkins felt heat stealing up his face. He hadn’t blushed since he was a child. Maybe not even then. But her words so reflected his thoughts, he felt disconcerted. “And how would you feel if that were to happen?”

She looked into his eyes as if she sought the answer to his question there. “I’m not sure what you mean?”

“I know this is too soon, but an old fool is the worst fool.” Breathing deeply, he took her other hand. “Maggie, will you marry me?” He waved away her reply. “Don’t answer yet. I don’t have much to offer, only a few rooms, my horse, and some savings. But all I have or ever hope to have is yours.”

“Oh, Marmeduke, I could never receive a sweeter offer, but—”

“But, no. I’m not suitable husband material. I am too old, too ugly, too poor—”

“Ssshh, you are not so old. You are rich and beautiful in everything that matters.” She gently squeezed his hands. “But you forget, I’m already married.”

“I don’t care.” And as he gazed into the vibrant green eyes shining up at him, he truly didn’t care about anything but her. Ned no longer existed as far as he was concerned. They would work out whatever they needed to work out.

“And everyone knows servants don’t marry.”

“Captain and Lady Z won’t care, in fact they would be the first to rejoice in our happiness.” Jenkins raised her hand to his lips, savoring each dainty finger in turn. “I don’t have a ring for such a pretty hand, but I’ve kept this as a symbol of my vow to always love and protect you. I would like you
to have it.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a delicate chased-silver snuff box. Then he smiled, his white-toothed smile no longer perfect with the conspicuous gap in the top front teeth.

Maggie opened the box. Resting on a swatch of black felt were two well-polished white teeth.

He accepted her smiling yes with his lips, her sweetness so much more than he ever believed life would give him.

“Zel! I’m surprised my Wolfie let you out of the house in that gown.” Lady Darlington scanned her, frowning.

“Your Wolfie has no say over my wardrobe.” Zel pulled the flimsy shawl tighter over her shoulders and chest. “He did ask me to purchase new clothing, but Emily helped me shop. Wolfgang hasn’t even seen any of the gowns yet.”

“The cut is flattering on your tall, slender figure, and I’m pleased you haven’t added all those flounces and frills sc many young ladies favor.” Lady Darlington plucked at the skirts of Zel’s gown. “But I’ve never seen you in anything cut so low. The men will do nothing but stare at your bosom.”