The Earl of Benton_Wicked Regency Romance
Page 15
Fortunately, he did not know Audrey was Lady Society, that was at least one small blessing. But Audrey and Gillian had been warned that Langley would lure Lady Society to his devil’s lair with the threat of debauching virgins against their will among other things, and Audrey was not the sort of woman to turn back on a challenge. But they’d had a plan, one they’d made together earlier that morning. They were to reach out to a few female members of their silly hellfire club and switch places with them for a proper payment. Yet after the adventures of the day and the dangers Gillian had faced when a man had attacked her, a man she suspected was in league with Gerald Langley, Audrey had promised to abandon the plan of going to the club tonight. Yet when Gillian had woken from her rest, she’d found her mistress gone. Had Audrey contacted one of those women? Surely she had.
Gillian stood and paced about the room, worry growing inside the pit of her stomach. She didn’t like that she was alone and liked even less that she didn’t know where Audrey was. They were supposed to be here together, facing the dangers of this club side-by-side. She bit her lip nervously and after a moment decided to have a quick cup of tea. She hastily prepared a cup and drank it, hoping to calm her nerves. Then she set it down, hating the bitterness, and wishing there had been sugar, but there hadn’t even been a pitcher of milk. Only true devils would serve tea without access to milk and sugar.
Gillian was unable to ignore the stifling heat from the fire. The house around her was silent except for the occasional bark of distant male laughter from another room. Each time she heard that sound she tensed.
Part of the wall suddenly detached and revealed itself to be a door. A figure in black breeches, a white shirt and black waistcoat emerged. He wore a domino mask that had the delicate outline of a devil’s features painted in red over the black.
“Good evening, my dear,” the man purred as he held out a hand to her. His long fingers were white and strangely menacing.
Gillian gulped. “My friend and I were supposed to be here together. She will be wearing a red dress…Has she arrived yet?”
“Ahh…” The man’s lips twitched. “The lady in the red dress. She is here, waiting for you.” The mask did little to hide the cruelty in his eyes, and she shivered.
“Waiting?” Gillian wished she had even a tiny inkling of what was about to happen, but she didn’t. She was running headlong into this dark and dangerous world of devils.
The man curled the fingers of his still open hand, beckoning her. “Yes, we are about to begin the feast.”
Gillian came toward him and he reached down and took one of her gloved hands, allowing him to lead her into darkness.
***
James Fordyce, the Earl of Pembroke, stared at the card tables in the private gathering place of what London knew existed only in rumors. The Wicked Earls’ Club. Members could be identified by a small silver pin they wore in their cravats. Once, it had been a guild of prominent and powerful men who met in secret to make deals and curry favors, but their purpose had dissolved into a more corrupt world. It was not a place of malevolence or evil, but as James considered the men around him, their eyes locked on the flipping cards, the bottles abundant on the tables and the occasional woman draped over men’s arms, breasts spilling over to please the eyes of every man in the room, there was a darkness of a kind here. The darkness that came from broken lost souls.
Souls like mine.
A dark figure loomed in the back of the room and James recognized him, the leader of their club, the Earl of Coventry. Coventry gave James a small nod in silent greeting. James returned the nod and surveyed the room again. The ranks of the club had thinned in recent years, and he smiled at the thought of so many of his friends settling down with wives. Marriage to good women had a way of keeping men away from clubs like these.
“Coventry looks pleased with himself,” someone muttered beside James. To his left he saw his friend Pierce Chamberlain, the Earl of Wainthorpe.
“Wainthorpe, I didn’t expect to see you tonight. I thought you were among those lucky enough to be basking in marital bliss.”
Wainthorpe cracked a smile, which lightened the small scar of his temple. “I will agree to the bliss, but if you dare breathe a word to anyone…” Wainthorpe growled.
James chuckled at his friend’s reaction. Wainthorpe acted rough but was one of the most soft-hearted men James had ever met.
“Your secret is safe with me,” James promised. “What did you mean about Coventry?”
Wainthorpe crossed his arms and scowled. “Every time one of us gets leg-shackled he starts grinning from ear to ear as though he played some part in our marriage, or is somehow profiting from it. Damned odd…”
For a moment neither man spoke. “What brings you here tonight, Pembroke?”
“Trying to drown my sorrows,” James replied sardonically, but bitterness clung to his words because they were true. Earlier that day he had met the most wonderful woman and then promptly lost her. Gillian Beaumont was a complete mystery to him and he feared he might never see her again.
“Oh Lord, come and have a drink with me and tell me all about it. As a married man, I can offer solid advice on the fairer sex. None of it will be worth a half-penny, though.”
Wainthorpe’s teasing made James smirk again. They took two chairs at a table far enough away from the men playing cards that they could speak without being distracted by the games. A bottle of scotch sat on a silver tray with several glasses and Wainthorpe poured them both a healthy amount of the drink. They clinked their glasses in a toast and each took a sip.
“So, let’s hear about your sorrows.”
James sighed. “I met a woman today at a modiste’s shop. I was with my sister, Letty, and we made the acquaintance of Miss Gillian Beaumont. You don’t happen to know her, do you?” He’d spent all evening asking everyone he knew if the name was familiar and so far no one had given him any positive responses.
“Beaumont?” Wainthorpe rolled the name over on his tongue, tasting it. “I knew a man named Beaumont, the Earl of Morrey. His son Adam is now carrying the title. Decent fellow, his sister is quite lovely, but her name is Caroline. Not Gillian.”
“A distant cousin perhaps?” James wondered aloud.
“Perhaps,” Wainthorpe poured himself another drink. “I could put my cousins on the matter. They’re quite good at tracking ladies down.”
James snorted. “Lord save anyone who tried to hide from your formidable but lovely cousins.” James hastened to add the last bit lest he upset his friend.
“So the woman has you tied in knots, you say?”
“Yes.” Tied in knots were the right words. After stealing a few kisses in a bookshop, he could still feel her lips against his own like a phantom presence, and her sweet taste still haunted him. Had finding her been simply a matter of curiosity driven by lust, that would have been one thing, but he had a dreadful feeling that she was in grave danger. And he couldn’t bear the thought of that, not if it was in his power to protect her.
Earlier that evening he’d escorted her home after she’d received a letter at Gunter’s, and when he’d let her out of the coach, she’d been attacked by a lowly coward of a man and rendered unconscious and the letter she’d received had been stolen. When James pressed her for details, she had refused to share anything with him. He’d had no choice but to drop her off at the townhouse of a friend, Viscount Sheridan, and then she’d vanished. He intended to seek out Cedric Sheridan tomorrow and ask who his mysterious guest was and why she might be in danger.
“Well, you can begin your quest tomorrow, eh? You don’t want to be out on the street tonight. Gerald Langley, the one from the Lady Society column, is meeting with that hellfire club he runs. Sometimes that lot gets a bit unruly and take to the streets. Anyone in their path can find themselves in danger. They almost killed a man a few months ago, and were ready to throw him in the Thames until the Bow Street Runners came upon the scene.”
“What? That’s awful!” Jame
s remembered reading something about that Langley fellow, the man had created a wager with… James’s blood froze in his veins. Langley had made a hefty wager to anyone who would seduce a lady named Alexander Rockford.
James’s friend Ambrose Worthing had taken up the wager, but only in order to spare the lady, and had later confessed his involvement in the Lady Society column. That column had irreparably damaged Langley’s name. Langley had been spreading rumors around town that he would not only unmask Lady Society but do her harm as well.
And today, Ambrose Worthing had given Gillian a note that had resulted in her being attacked… Surely she…couldn’t be Lady Society?
“Where does Langley’s hellfire club meet?” James demanded, praying Wainthorpe would know.
“On the Strand, or so I hear. Nasty devils. Langley likes to lure virgins to the meetings with promises of finding wealthy husbands and well you know…” Wainthorpe didn’t finish, but his dark scowl told James everything he needed to know.
James leapt from his chair. “I’ve got to go. Thank you for the drink.”
“Where you going?” Wainthorpe stood with him, worry knitting his brows.
“To stop Langley. I have a suspicion my mysterious Miss Beaumont might be Lady Society.”
“What?” Wainthorpe gaped. “Do you need me to come with you?”
“No, go home to be Bianca. Lord knows what mess tonight will bring. I don’t want to risk your reputation, and I suspect bringing others might put me in more danger, not less.” James smiled at him.
“Send word if you need me.” Wainthorpe called out as James left the club.
James hailed a hackney as he rushed down the steps of the club and into the street, telling the driver to take him to the Strand. He only prayed he wouldn’t be too late.
Books By Madeline Martin
Heart of the Highlands Series
Deception of a Highlander
Possession of a Highlander
Enchantment of a Highlander
Mercenary Maidens
Highland Spy
Highland Ruse
Highland Wraith
Highland Passions Series
A Ghostly Tale of Forbidden Love
The Madam’s Highlander
The Highlander’s Untamed Lady
Novellas
The Highlander’s Challenge
Earl of Benton
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today Bestselling Author Madeline Martin lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her two daughters (AKA the minions) and a man so amazing, he's been dubbed Mr. Awesome. Madeline has an affinity for cat videos and wine memes as well as anything Scottish or rippled with muscle and wearing a kilt. She enjoys giving workshops and loves to help promo other authors.
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