WANTON (29 page)

But he was her cousin and the only member of her tiny family with whom she had any connection. He liked her and had tried valiantly to persuade her to like him in return. He was so determined to establish a bond, and she had few in her life, so it was difficult to maintain her rancor.

“Who was the woman?” she innocently asked. “Who was the brother? Is it anyone I know?”

“Yes, actually. It’s Amelia Hubbard.”

“And the irate brother was Chase?”

“Yes.”

“I find that to be very interesting. Chase Hubbard reminds me very much of
you
. I can’t picture him being driven to outrage by anything.”

“Trust me. He was furious.”

His shoulders sagged, and he came over and sat down across from her. They were on the rear verandah, with Rose lounging at a table in the sun and enjoying a quiet afternoon. With her official wedding swiftly approaching, her schedule had been hectic. James was gone for several hours, and she’d been shocked when the butler had interrupted to announce Lucas’s arrival.

He looked weary and sad, which amazed her. She hadn’t imagined him capable of negative emotion. In the time she’d been acquainted with him, he’d been all laughter and levity and rude jests. He was never serious about any topic. It was the trait she’d most loathed about him—his frivolity and lack of focus.

In many ways, his condition resembled Amelia’s, miserable, dejected, beaten down by events.

“What did you do to Amelia?” she inquired.

She’d already heard the gory details, but she couldn’t wait for him to spin the story to his own advantage. Yet to her astonishment, he actually appeared contrite.

“When I tell you, you’ll be angrier than Chase Hubbard was.”

“Probably. I’m sure you acted horridly.”

“You’re aware that my father engaged me to Amelia.”

“Yes, and I warned her away from you.”

“I’m too wonderful,” he chuckled. “She couldn’t resist me.”

Rose bristled. “She’s been my friend since I was a little girl, Lucas. Don’t joke about her.”

He sighed. “I apologize. I don’t know how to have this conversation.”

“Total candor works the best. Just spit it out. Lay it all on the table.”

“I seduced her.”

“With no intent to marry?”

“No. Well, yes. Well...maybe...” Vastly confused, he tugged his hands through his hair. “I have no idea what I intended.”

“Chase Hubbard gave you a thrashing because of your low behavior?”

“Yes.”

“Good. It saves me the trouble.”

“Is Amelia here?”

“No,” she truthfully said.

“Have you seen her? Have you talked to her recently?”

“No.” Rose fibbed with aplomb.

“Have you had a letter?”

“No.”

“Are you expecting her for the wedding?”

“No. She wrote weeks ago—after you visited me the first time. She’s not coming.”

It was Lucas’s turn to study her, and she held herself very still, affecting an air of bland detachment.

“Where might she be?” he asked. “She left London without a word to anyone, and I’m very worried about her.”

“Why would you worry now?” she fumed. “You weren’t very
worried
when she was still in the city.”

“No. No, I wasn’t.”

He stared at the floor, and his woe was extremely visible. He seemed abashed and ashamed, which was an odd realization. She didn’t suppose he’d ever been ashamed about anything.

They dawdled, the trees swaying in the breeze, birds chirping overhead. Finally, he blew out a heavy breath and pushed himself to his feet. He looked older, less cocky and confident. He looked...remorseful. My goodness!

“I’d better be going then,” he murmured.

“So soon? Won’t you stay for supper? James will be disappointed it you don’t.”

“I have to get back to town. I have to keep searching.”

“For Amelia?”

“Yes. I was so hoping you’d have seen her.”

Rose shrugged and continued the lie. “I haven’t.”

With no goodbye offered, he started out, but as he reached the door, he glanced back. “If she contacts you, would you give her a message for me?”

“That depends on what it is.”

“Tell her I’m sorry—for everything.”

“All right, but I don’t know when she and I will speak again.”

“And tell her...tell her...I didn’t mean what she heard me say.”

Rose scoffed. “I won’t even ask what it was.”

“No, don’t. I was disgraceful.”

“I’m stunned that you’d admit it.”

“Believe me, so am I.”

“I need you to tell me something,” Rose said.

“Anything I can.”

“What are your feelings about Amelia? You’ve always sworn you would never wed, but it seems odd to me that you’ve traveled so far just to find her. Are you fond of her?”

A corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile. “Yes.”

“How fond? Very fond?”

“Yes, very, very fond, and I will regret forever that I was too cowardly to confess my feelings before she departed.”

Then he was gone, and Rose sat alone, struggling to make sense of the strange conversation. He was so anxious to locate Amelia that he’d race back to the city without so much as a hello to James. Rose was bewildered by it.

Footsteps marched toward her, and she peered over at the door again, assuming Lucas hadn’t left after all. But James appeared instead, and she grinned and waved him over.

“Why are you home?” she asked. “I wasn’t expecting you for hours.”

“My business finished early.”

“Marvelous.”

He leaned down and kissed her, sweetly lingering before plopping into a chair.

“Was that Lucas I saw riding off?” he inquired.

“Yes.”

“What was he doing here?”

“He came to ask me a question.”

“A question? That sounds mysterious. Is he staying for the wedding?”

“No, he’s hurrying back to London.”

“But...he just arrived.”

“Yes, I know.”

“He didn’t tarry last time either. What’s up with you two?”

She gazed at him, her wonderful, remarkable husband, and she realized she had to unburden herself. James wasn’t aware that Amelia had visited, and Amelia had made Rose swear she wouldn’t mention it to James, being convinced James would tattle to Lucas.

Rose’s vow to Amelia had placed her in the untenable position of possibly lying to James—certainly through the omission of information—which Rose couldn’t abide. Though Amelia was determined not to wed Lucas, her dire circumstance, if proved true, meant she had to have a husband immediately. Lucas was the culprit, so he was the only candidate for the role.

Amelia insisted she wouldn’t humiliate herself by begging Lucas to marry, but from his woebegone, hangdog demeanor, Rose didn’t imagine they’d have to
beg
Lucas to become her spouse.

“I have to tell you a secret,” she said.

“A secret! Yes, it seems you’d better.”

“It’s about Lucas.”

“Uh-oh.”

“He’s in a jam with my friend from school, Amelia Hubbard. I promised her I wouldn’t confide in you, but I don’t think it’s a promise I can keep.”

“Spill all, dear wife,” James teased. “Spill all, and don’t forget a single juicy detail.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“What happened to your eye?”

“I ran into a fist.”

“When?”

“A week or two ago.”

Lord Sidwell studied Lucas’s face. “If it’s still this bruised after so much time has passed, it must have been quite a clout.”

“It was.”

“Did you deserve it?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Lord Sidwell bristled with exasperation. “I have a letter for you from James Talbot.”

“Thank you.”

His father handed it over, and Lucas stuck it in his coat.

“I brought it to you,” Lord Sidwell complained, “because the messenger said it was urgent.”

“I appreciate it.”

“But from now on, please have your mail sent elsewhere. I’m not about to play the part of your delivery boy.”

“Yes, I’ll shout to the world that no one should write to me in care of my family.”

“Why aren’t you married?”

“What?”

The swift change of subject disconcerted Lucas.

He was back in London, and he and his father were attending the same party, a musical soiree complete with cards and gambling in the other salons.

Lucas was prowling through every fête he could find in the hope of crossing paths with Amelia. There’d been no sign of her anywhere, but he’d managed to bump into his father with no trouble.

“Why aren’t you married?” his father repeated. “Your deadline to wed Miss Hubbard has come and gone, and last I heard, you were still a bachelor.”

“Miss Hubbard has left London.”

“Why? What did you do to her?”

“Why is your immediate and only assumption that I’ve behaved horridly?”

“I’ve known you for twenty-five years, Lucas. Nothing about you is a mystery to me.”

“I didn’t do anything to her,” Lucas fibbed, for he wasn’t about to tender an explanation. It would require mention of Nanette, which would pitch his father into a rage, and Lucas was in no mood for a public scolding.

“You did
nothing
?” Lord Sidwell scoffed. “I don’t believe you.”

Lucas shrugged. “I went to Mrs. Middleton’s to propose—as I apprised you was my intent—but, apparently, Miss Hubbard had decided she wasn’t interested in being my bride.”

“That’s a lie. I watched the two of you waltzing.”

“Will this accursed town ever stop talking about that stupid dance?”

“I merely cite it because I’ve never seen a woman who was so visibly in love. You looked awfully smitten yourself.”

“I’m sure it was a trick of the light,” Lucas blithely quipped. “So...I’ve been trying to locate her, but I can’t. Have you any information about her in your files? Were you provided details about her background?”

“No. I was told she has relatives in France, but I doubt she’s traveled there. She hadn’t the funds.” Lord Sidwell scowled. “Evidently, she has a brother here in London. His name is Chase Hubbard. You could ask him if he’s heard from her.”

“I’ll try that,” Lucas said, but it would be futile.

He’d already spread a dozen discreet inquiries, seeking a meeting with Chase Hubbard, but as with his sister, no one knew where he was.

Lucas kept peeking over his shoulder, worried that another assault was imminent. Hubbard had ordered Lucas to wed Amelia, and as Lord Sidwell had pointed out, Lucas was still a bachelor.

Considering Hubbard’s fury at their prior encounter, Lucas was positive Hubbard would carry out his lethal threat. He might simply step out of a crowd and murder Lucas before Lucas saw the pistol being aimed.

More likely though, Hubbard would challenge Lucas to a duel. In case that happened, Lucas had been frantically working to conjure up a second to accompany him, but the only man he’d ever let guard his back was James.

Yet with James settling in with Rose, Lucas didn’t think James would be willing to tot off to London to assist at a duel. And if Rose learned of it, she’d kill them both. Lucas wouldn’t have to wait for Hubbard to accomplish it.

But Lucas didn’t want to fight with Chase Hubbard. He wanted to marry Hubbard’s sister, but Lucas could hardly be held to account if he couldn’t locate the blasted woman.

“However”—Lord Sidwell puffed himself up—“as Miss Hubbard has abandoned you, it’s clear you
won’t
wed in the foreseeable future.”

“I will if I can find her.”

“Obviously, she came to her senses about you.”

“It appears that she has.”

“So your deadline has expired and consequences will now ensue.” His father leaned nearer and hissed, “I cut you from my life, Lucas Drake! Be gone. Leave me be, and don’t darken my doorstep ever again.”

Lucas rolled his eyes. “Yes, my lord.”

“You’ll soon discover what it means to be adrift from your family.”

“Yes, I’m certain I will, and if you hear from Miss Hubbard, contact me right away.”

“Where will you be?”

“At Summerfield with James. He’s marrying.”

Lord Sidwell’s brows quirked up in astonishment. “Who would have him?”

“Rose Ralston. You know who that is, don’t you, Father?”

A hint of recognition flitted across his father’s face, but it was quickly concealed.

“Why do I bother with you?” Lucas rhetorically asked. “Rose is my cousin. She’s your sister Kathryn’s daughter.”

“I had no sister named Kathryn,” Lord Sidwell tightly stated, denying the sibling that had been disowned decades earlier, “and you have no cousin named Rose.”

Lucas snorted. “Have you ever wondered what it will be like to die old and alone?”

“What are you talking about?” his father sneered. “I shan’t die alone. I shall have Aaron to attend me in my dotage.”

“Aaron will? With his lovely wife, Priscilla?”

“Yes.”

“Good luck with that, Father.” Lucas laughed aloud. “Good luck with that.”

He strolled away, and the crush of people kept his father from shouting or calling Lucas back to his side.

He meandered through the gathering a final time, checked the garden and the verandah, but there was no sign of Amelia or Chase Hubbard. He decided to move on to the next party, and he was headed down a hallway to the front foyer when, to his surprise, his brother peered out from a closed-off room and gestured to Lucas.

“Come here for a minute,” Aaron said.

“I was just leaving, Aaron. Whatever it is, we’ll have to discuss it later.”

“No, you have to hear this. Come.”

Lucas wanted to depart, and after his quarrel with their father, he was in no mood to bicker with Aaron. But he had no genuine disagreement with Aaron. He simply didn’t like his brother very much. Yet for a change, Aaron appeared solemn and forceful, and with his being regularly emasculated by Priscilla and their father, he hadn’t looked so powerful or vigorous in years.

“Five minutes,” Lucas huffed. “I’ll give you five minutes, then I have to go.”

Aaron drew the door wide so Lucas could enter the quiet parlor. It was a small space, probably for reading or contemplation, and a lamp burned on the table. There was a sofa by the fire, and a woman was seated on it. For a heart-stopping instant, he thought it was Amelia, but quickly, he realized it wasn’t her.