From the Viscount With Love

by Bethany M. Sefchick

  Thankfully, Sarah was not quite so overcome and somehow managed to morph into a proper hostess right before his eyes. "Lord Raynecourt, if you would be so kind as to escort me?" she asked quietly, far too deferential for Frost's liking but at the moment, unlike her sister, she did not seem to be up to any sort of mischief so he allowed it to pass. Though she did smile at the rakish lord in a way he did not care for, but there was naught to be done for it. If a flirtatious smile at Rayne was the all the more forward with a man that Sarah ever was, that was a very small thing indeed.

  Frost also gritted his teeth when Harry offered Dory his arm, remembering his sister's infatuation and pestering questions about the man just the day before. Though the viscount had a sneaking suspicion that his mother knew all about that as well. Clearly, she was not as occupied with her needlepoint and charity works as he had thought and had taken to listening at doors just like his sisters frequently did. Either that or someone on the staff was spying for her. He could not say that one situation was any better than the other from his perspective.

  When the door finally closed behind the departing couples, Lady Chillton turned back to her son and crossed her arms over her chest. Frost could see the fury in her eyes and he knew that what was about to come would not be pleasant. "Explain yourself, Robert. I wish to know precisely how this young lady came to be in your study this morning." She let out an exasperated sigh. "And you need not include how or why you came to be at the brothel last evening. I know all about your trip to Lycosura. I have my sources. Just as you do."

  "And you will not reveal them, will you?" he asked a bit impertinently. He had long believed his penchant for deviousness came from his father, but perhaps it came from his mother instead. She was often far more clever than he gave her credit for being.

  "No. Where and how I come by my information is none of your concern. However I would still like an explanation. And I would like it now, please."

  There was a shuffling sound from behind him and Frost was surprised to see Lavinia drop into a deep curtsey. "My lady. If I may?"

  "You may." There was a slightly imperious tone in Lady Chillton's voice but it wasn't as foreboding as Frost knew it could be when his mother was truly angry. That give him a bit of hope, however slight.

  Still clutching her valise tightly, Lavinia did her best to look Frost's mother directly in the eyes. She knew the woman merely wanted answers. And to be certain, the situation did appear rather unsavory, at least on the surface. "As you are aware, last night your son sought me out at Lycosura at the direction of the Duke of Candlewood. When the viscount discovered that I was still an innocent and likely a lady as well, he did what was necessary to protect that innocence last evening until the dawn broke this morning and he could come up with a plan to see me safely away from that horrid place. There was little time to waste, for as I am certain you are aware, particular activities would have been expected of me once the night began to fall again this evening. Your son did not wish that fate to befall me, so if his plan was not quite well thought out, at least his heart was in the correct place.

  Frost was shocked. Those were more words strung together than he had ever heard Lavinia utter before. Not that he had known her all that long, of course, but still, the fact that she was capable of such a well-reasoned and impassioned speech - especially on his behalf - was more than a little stunning. However, he could tell that his mother was not yet swayed to their side. That was not necessary, as he was the viscount and could do as he wished. Mostly, anyway. However, it would make the situation a great deal easier to manage if his mother was not objecting at every turn.

  "And are you?" Lady Chillton finally asked, her inquiry polite and yet still a bit frosty. "A lady that is? I am not so certain that I believe your claims of innocence, but I do believe you are likely a lady."

  Lavinia dropped into a deep curtsey again. "I am Lady Lavinia and I can assure you that I am still an innocent as well."

  Lady Chillton raised an eyebrow, her face still a rigid mask. "No family name?"

  Frost could see Lavinia visibly swallow, the first sign that she was truly afraid. "I would prefer that to remain a secret. You see...I...ah..."

  "You are running from someone or something, are you not?" his mother asked, digging out the truth far quicker than Frost would have given her credit for.

  The young woman nodded and worried her lower lip between her teeth for a moment. "I am. And I will be happy to be on my way if you will but allow me to depart." Lavinia turned to Frost. "My lord, I will find a way to pay you back for the money you spent on my purchase. I promise. It was never my wish to cause you any trouble."

  "Actually, I thought you might stay at a little place I have over on Gracechurch Street that I keep for...ah...emergencies." Frost prayed that his mother did not know about the love nest, though he suspected she did. Rot and bother anyway. It was truly a pain in the arse to have a clever mother at times.

  "And I think not," the viscountess said with a slight smirk and Frost had to wonder just what his mother was playing at. "After all, that dreadful woman who brought you here rolled right up to the front door as if you were invited guests. I dare say that all of Grovesnor Square and like a good portion of Half Moon Street saw the two of you enter and only one depart. At least she was sensible enough to dress you both in widow's weeds. Had she not, the situation would have been far worse and completely unmanageable. I should thank God for small favors, I suppose."

  A knot of fear settled in Frost's stomach. "Mother. What are you on about?"

  She arched that damnable eyebrow at him again. "Protecting the family reputation as well as that of this young lady. I cannot force her to reveal her family name and, at present, I am uncertain what to do with her. Or how to remove her from this home without bringing shame upon all of us." The viscountess turned back to Lavinia. "I simply cannot turn you back out on the streets. I would do a disservice to both you and to this family if I did so. After all, if you are truly the daughter of a peer, there is family somewhere - be it extended or otherwise - likely looking for you."

  "I do not believe that to be so, my lady." Lavinia knew that was a lie, but the idea of Lady Chillton searching for her family utterly terrified her. She had run away from her mother and the awful man her mother had taken as her lover in order to be safe. She had no desire to return to that den of vipers again. She also had no idea if her grandfather was still alive. If was he, she was fairly certain he would not wish to lay eyes upon her again.

  "Well, until we can be certain, you will remain with us. Under my roof so that I might properly chaperone you until such time as I determine what is best for your immediate future or we retire to the country at the end of the season. Whatever comes first. And I'll hear no argument about it, Robert." His mother glared at him angrily. "You have made quite a muck of things as it is and I'll not have you off at that house on Gracechurch were any number of untoward things might happen without proper chaperonage." The viscountess looked well pleased with herself. And still rather angry.

  Frost coughed into his hand. "Mother, might I remind you that it is my roof we are all under at the moment? Should I not have final say in what becomes of Lady Lavinia?" In truth, he had been rather looking forward to see if he could seduce Lavinia into his bed. Though not a great beauty, she was intriguing and unlike any other woman he had met. She had captured and held his interest and that was rare indeed. He wanted more time with her to uncover the rest of her secrets. Starting with more of what lay beneath her gown.

  That was clearly the wrong thing to say for once more, his mother turned the full force of her glare on him, this time leaving no doubt that she was still furious with him. "Then perhaps you should have thought of that before you invited a whorehouse owner into this home without so much as a by your leave to me or anyone else on the staff! Even if you do not have a care for yourself or for me, surely you care about your sisters' reputations! Do you honestly think that Dory or Sarah or even Aurelia could make a go
od match if word got out that you invited Madame Desponia into this house? For I know good and well who that doxy was traipsing through my hallway as if she owned them! And so do at least a handful of our neighbors, most likely! Do you think I have the power to undo the damage to your sisters' reputations that sort of rumor and innuendo could inflict? For I can assure you, my son, that I do not! And neither do you!"

  Frost closed his eyes. He hadn't thought about Dory or Sarah or Aurelia. In fact, he hadn't thought about anything other than Lavinia and his burning desire to rescue her from the halls of Lycosura. For the first time in his life, he hadn't thought of his family - especially his sisters and the damage he might inflict upon their reputations - even once. That was not like him and he found himself squirming under his mother's intense glare of disapproval.

  "What would you like me to do, Mama?" he asked quietly, knowing that he had to do something to fix this mess he had created, however inadvertently. The idea that he could have harmed his sisters' chances for making good matches shamed him. Until this moment, their safety and futures had been one of his topmost priorities. He had acted without thinking. Perhaps there was more of his father in him than he had ever cared to admit. He had gambled with his sisters' futures. That was something he had vowed he would never do, no matter how desperate a situation became. He wanted to believe that he was better than his sire, but perhaps he truly was not.

  For a moment, his mother did nothing more than tap the toe of her slipper against the floor. Finally, she spoke, though her voice was still uncharacteristically cold. "Go find that delightful Mr. Greer. Have him begin to spread word that we have unexpectedly taken in the now-orphaned daughter of a long lost relative. Say that she came from the country, the wilds of Northumbria perhaps, so no one will question why they have not seen her before, even though she is well of age."

  Lady Chillton began to pace and once more, Frost suspected his penchant for scheming came from his mother. She appeared all too comfortable with hatching this plot for his liking, especially now that she had regained control of her temper. "Make certain the news is dropped in all the proper ears. People such as that dreadful Madame C, for instance. Not too much detail, mind you for I haven't sorted it all out yet, but enough to explain Lady Lavinia's presence in this house for several weeks.

  Then the viscountess turned to Lavinia. "Have you been presented at court, my dear?" When she hesitated, Lady Chillton glared at her much as she had her son. "And I wish the truth. No prevaricating."

  "Yes, my lady," Lavinia confessed, feeling cold inside. How had everything turned upside down so quickly? She hadn't envisioned what would come next after Frost purchased her from Desponia. At least not really. Oh, she had an idea, one that likely meant him bedding her in time. But to be installed in his home as a guest, though under the guise of a relative rather than that of a fallen woman? That thought had not crossed her mind even once. "I was presented at court when I came of age. Though I never had a proper come-out." Her mother hadn't wanted to spare the expense and her grandfather had been too busy arguing with her mother to even care what Lavinia wanted.

  For some reason, however, that answer seemed to please the viscountess. "That is truly wonderful news, my dear. It will make this ever so much easier." And in that moment, her smile was so like that of her son's that Lavinia knew a tiny bit of fear. She would be powerless within this family. In that way, it was not much different than the one she had fled. She could only hope that she was treated better.

  "It is?" Lavinia asked, unable to help herself, wondering just what came next.

  "It is," Lady Chillton assured her as she reached for the bell pull to summon the servants. "It is, indeed."

  Chapter Five

  It was nearly midnight by the time the household began to settle down for the night and Lavinia, for one, could not have been happier that she could finally get some rest. Some actual rest at that, and not the uneasy sleep she had endured for more years than she could count. Even her nights with Burfield had not been particularly restful and the nights she had endured afterwards, especially those at Lycosura, certainly had not been.

  Now, clad in a borrowed nightrail that laced up to her neck, Lavinia eyed the soft bed with true pleasure. She could not wait to try it out, even if laying her head on that pillow was likely to come with a cost she did not yet know and perhaps did not wish to pay. For in her experience, nothing was ever free, not even the sort of kindness Lady Chillton and her daughters had bestowed upon Lavinia that day.

  After ringing for the servants when she had finished scolding her son, Lady Chillton had gone in search of her two eldest daughters, both of whom were still conversing quietly with the men who had escorted them to the door. Though it was clear the viscountess believed that the men should have departed the moment they all reached the town home's door, she also did not reprimand her daughters either. Lavinia had watched the scene play out - fascinated. It seemed that the viscountess had a rather vicious bark but her eventual bite left a little something to be desired. Most of the time, anyway. After the set down she had delivered to her son the viscount, Lavinia was not certain he would agree with that assessment of his mother.

  Once Sarah, Dory, and the previously unseen Aurelia were rounded up, Lady Chillton led the group up the stairs and into the family wing of the home. Larger than most homes in Mayfair, the Chillton town home on Grovesnor Street boasted two wings, one for guests and the other for family.

  Lavinia was surprised at first that she was being given a room in the family wing, but the more she thought upon the issue, the more it made sense. One, she was pretending to be a distant cousin of the family so it would make sense that she would be ensconced in the family wing of the home. And two, Lavinia was certain that Lady Chillton had noticed the way her son's eyes had followed Lavinia - for Lavinia herself had noticed his gaze trailing after her with some degree of longing. There was no way on Earth his mother would miss something that obvious. It then stood to reason that if Lavinia was in the family wing, there was less chance that Frost would sneak into her room and risk yet another impropriety. He was also not likely to want his mother overhearing whatever devilry he might be up to at any given moment.

  Less chance did not mean no chance, apparently, because before Lavinia could climb into bed, a light rapping sounded on her door. "Lavinia. It's me. Frost. Hurry and let me in before someone sees!"

  Rolling her eyes, she yanked open the door just as he was about to knock again. He fell inside, nearly knocking her over in the process. "Hush!" she scolded him. "Do you wish to have your mother, or worse, one of your sisters, barging in here and finding you?" She locked the door behind him after risking a quick glance into the hallway. The candles still burned silently in their wall sconces and there was no sound other than the ticking of a clock somewhere down the hall. If the servants were still up - and likely they were - they were not on this floor at the moment. "Your mother has shown me more kindness than I deserve and I'll not have you ruining what little relationship I have with her."

  "I simply wanted to see you," Frost replied and once more, Lavinia felt his gaze rake over her body. He desired her. Then again, given how they had behaved last night within Lycosura, that was not surprising. "And I wanted to apologize."

  That gave Lavinia pause. "For what?" she asked as she reached for the wrapper Aurelia had loaned her that matched the nightrail. "As far as I can tell, you have nothing to apologize for." She scrunched up her nose. "Well, perhaps nothing other than purchasing me as if I was a piece of horseflesh, but then that could not be helped. And your family has been ever so kind, once they were past the shock of finding me in your study." Actually, Frost's purchase of her had humiliated Lavinia more than anything else she had ever endured, but she was not about to admit that to this man. That would give him power over her and she had long ago vowed that no man would have complete power over her again. Moreover, she also understood why the action had been necessary. That had been her only way out of the brothel and
they both knew it.

  Lavinia could tell Frost had not been expecting her reply, for he seemed dumbfounded for a moment or two. Given his suave and sophisticated nature the night before, she doubted he was rarely ever at a loss for words.

  "Well, Mr. Greer, Lord Raynecourt and I were a little crass when discussing you earlier today. There is that." Actually they had been a lot crass, but she didn't mention that for fear of insulting him. She had the impression that Frost did not like to apologize for anything and rarely ever did so if he could help it. "But I could think of no other way to get you away from Desponia. Especially not when she was calculating how much coin she could make from you if she kept you."

  Lavinia did not wish to think of that at the moment, but she could not help herself. In her mind, she saw herself spread wide on a bed, one of Desponia's footmen between her legs, his heavy body pinning her down as he forced himself on her. Shuddering at the thought, she did her best to push the image away, but given the look on Frost's face, she wasn't certain she was terribly successful.

  "That...could not be helped," Lavinia finally said, her voice only little above a whisper, her normally strong and confident tones nowhere to be found at the moment. "I am simply thankful that Lord Raynecourt and Mr. Greer were willing to play along. And that Mr. Greer had the foresight to bring that document with him. Otherwise, I am quite certain that Desponia would even now be thinking up some way to bring me back into her fold. There is little she likes better than money."

  Frost pushed aside a discarded pair of stockings and sank down onto a delightfully soft chair near Lavinia's bed. Done in a light cream and ecru striped brocade, it was among the chamber's less lavish decorations and just about her favorite thing in the entire room, even though it vaguely reminded her of Lycosura's sitting room.