“He will likely keep his visit brief,” Hester said.
Julianne released a gusty sigh. “Oh, very well.”
When they reached the drawing room, Hawk was commanding the dogs to sit. After they obeyed him, he rewarded them with a few crumbs.
Hester lifted her quizzing glass. “And they say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.”
Caro and Byron scampered over to Hester. She let them jump onto the sofa beside her and ruffled their fur. Julianne sat on the opposite sofa and tapped her toe, drawing Hawk’s attention.
She stilled, realizing her impatience showed.
“I have news that will please you,” he said.
“Oh?” Perhaps he meant to leave town. She crossed her fingers in the folds of her skirt.
“I have decided to grant you a reprieve for good behavior,” he said.
Julianne’s lips parted. “A reprieve?” she repeated.
He nodded. “As of today, you may have visitors, and you may resume attending entertainments.”
“Julianne, this is wonderful news. Do you not agree?” Hester gave her a speaking look.
“Oh, yes,” Julianne said. “It is just so unexpected.” Drat him. Why had he lifted the restriction now when she needed it the most?
He scrutinized her. “I rather thought you would be ecstatic.”
“Well, of course she is happy,” Hester said.
Julianne desperately sought a way out of her predicament. She considered claiming a sore throat or some other ailment, but if she did, he’d probably send for a doctor.
“She has become accustomed to resting,” Hester said. “I think it would be best if she only attended evening events for the next few days—to reserve her strength.”
Julianne breathed a sigh of relief at Hester’s words. At least her days would be free to write the pamphlet.
Hawk arched his brows. “She was tapping her foot moments ago. That is a sign she is in need of exercise. In fact, a walk in the park would do her good. I’ll take her there in my curricle.”
Her jaw dropped. He spoke as if she were one of the dogs. “Do you plan to put a leash on me?”
He winked. “An excellent idea.”
“I prefer to stay at home,” Julianne said. Drat him. She needed every available moment to finish the pamphlet.
He frowned. “I thought you would be happy to be out of doors.”
“I have to make plans for this evening,” she said. “I’ve no idea what I shall wear.” Upon seeing his dubious expression, she made up yet another excuse. “After so much time indoors, I need a beauty treatment.”
He snorted. “You cannot be serious.”
“You have no idea the measures ladies must take to ensure their complexions are rosy and clear.” Julianne regarded Hester. “I purchased a new concoction. Virgin’s Milk is reputed to be one of the finest cures for the complexion.”
Hawk burst out laughing and slid down in his chair.
“What do you find so hilarious?” Julianne said.
He kept laughing until his thick lashes were damp. Then he drew in a breath and wiped his eyes. “Julianne, whatever price you paid for this absurdly named concoction, you wasted your coin.”
“I did not waste money,” she said. “And you insult me to say so.”
His golden brown eyes glittered as he gazed at her. “It was not meant as an insult. Quite the opposite. You are easily the most beautiful woman in the kingdom.”
Her lips parted at his words. Many gentlemen had complimented her, but he had never done so. She cautioned herself not to fall for his idle flattery, but her heart squeezed. Fearing he would see how much his words meant to her, she stared at her folded hands in her lap. She could not allow herself to take pleasure in his praise, for he would surely make a jest of it in the next moment.
“What entertainment will you attend tonight, Aunt?” he asked.
“Lady Dunworthy is holding a musicale this evening,” Hester said. “But we have not decided for certain yet.”
“I shall escort you and Julianne,” he said. Then he walked over to her and tweaked the curl by her ear. “If you play tonight, I will turn the pages for you.”
He’d not even asked; he’d just assumed she would be thrilled by his offer. His arrogance irked her, and she meant to take him down a peg or two. “Perhaps I will grant that privilege to another gentleman.”
His eyes filled with displeasure. “Cease fire, Julianne. It was a peace offering.”
She almost told him to have enough respect for her to ask in the future, but she suspected he had an ulterior motive for calling on her today. “You did not end my restriction for the reason you stated. I had no real choice in the matter, so my compliance was assured.” She gazed into his eyes. “Tell me, Hawk, what was the real reason you granted the reprieve?”
He looked momentarily taken aback, but he recovered quickly. “Why are you so suspicious? I thought you would be pleased.”
“You have not answered my question.”
His jaw clenched. “I have done you a kindness, and you cannot accept it. If I did not know better, I would think you are purposely goading me so that you can continue with the restriction.”
She had to distract him from this line of thought immediately. “If you would only treat me in a delicate manner befitting a gently bred young lady, I would not fall prey to vexation.”
He snorted. “Gently bred you may be, but you’re no delicate hothouse flower.”
“Marc, have a care,” Hester said.
He turned to his aunt. “I will call tonight.”
Hester sighed. “Marc, it is ridiculous for you to follow her everywhere. I will escort her.”
“It is my duty,” he said. “I will call at eight sharp.” He glanced at Julianne. “Be ready.”
“Marc, you forget yourself,” Hester said.
He ignored his aunt and kept his gaze on Julianne. “I suspect you’ve something up your puffed sleeve, but I advise you to forget whatever scheme you’ve invented.”
After he strode out the door, Julianne wished she’d thrown one of the Egyptian statues at his head. “Oh, I could cheerfully stamp on his boot.”
“Now, now. You must not overset yourself,” Hester said.
Julianne regarded Hester. “His conduct is beyond rude. He treats me as if I am a marionette. I am weary of him pulling the strings at his pleasure.”
“Well, then, we must find a way for you to thwart him,” Hester said. “We will follow your advice in the pamphlet. Never be where he expects to find you.”
That evening, Hawk arrived at his aunt’s house and regarded the elderly butler. “I’ll save you the bother and see myself to the drawing room.”
Henderson cleared his throat. “Lady Rutledge is not at home.”
Hawk frowned. “Is she not at home to me or is she literally gone?”
“My lord, I am instructed to inform you that her ladyship is not at home.”
Hawk fisted his hand on his hip. “I take it Lady Julianne is not at home, either.”
“My only instructions are to inform you that Lady Rutledge is not at home.”
Hawk rummaged inside his coat and untied a small purse.
Henderson drew back. “My lord, I cannot accept your… gift.”
“We both know it’s a bribe. How much for full disclosure?”
“I am not at liberty to reveal anything.” After a moment, he added, “My lord.”
Hawk respected the butler for refusing the bribe and returned the purse to his coat pocket. It wasn’t Henderson’s fault that his mistress’s staircase didn’t quite reach the attic. “Henderson, if I were to tell you that there is an emergency, would you then be willing to answer my questions?”
Sweat beaded on the old man’s forehead. “In an emergency, I would make an exception.”
“I consider this an emergency,” Hawk said. “It is a proven fact that females have smaller brains, and sometimes their thinking is hampered by their inferior ability to app
ly reason.”
“My lord, I have never given thought to Lady Rutledge’s brain.”
“That is probably for the best, Henderson. Now, did a Mr. Peckham escort my aunt and Lady Julianne?”
“Yes, my lord.”
His aunt had said they had not decided for certain to attend the musicale. “Did my aunt happen to mention their destination?”
“No, my lord.”
He let out a gusty sigh. “Is there anything else you recall that might be of use in this emergency situation?”
“No, my lord.”
“Are you certain you will not accept recompense for your help?”
“I am certain, my lord.” He withdrew a handkerchief and mopped his forehead. “Will there be anything else, my lord?”
“Only this. You and I never had this conversation. Do we have an understanding, Henderson?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Hawk donned his hat, strode out to the carriage, and gave the driver Lady Dunworthy’s address. Upon arrival at the musicale, he walked into the drawing room and winced upon hearing Miss Henrietta Bancroft’s off-key soprano. She drew in a lungful of air and screamed out the high notes. He fully expected the crystal teardrops in the chandelier to vibrate and shatter.
The exhibition mercifully ended. Hawk searched the drawing room, and as he’d expected, there was no sign of his aunt, Julianne, or Mr. Peckham.
Lady Dunworthy walked toward him. “Hawk, what a lovely surprise. I did not expect you after Lady Rutledge departed rather hastily.”
“That is unfortunate,” Hawk said. “Was something amiss?”
Lady Dunworthy drew closer. “Your aunt said she did not wish to damage her hearing by listening to Miss Henrietta Bancroft.” Lady Dunworthy sighed. “Her voice is terrible, but she is determined. But now that you are here, perhaps you would turn the pages for one of the other young ladies.”
“I fear I cannot,” he said. “I have news for my aunt that cannot wait.”
“Oh, dear, I hope your grandmamma hasn’t taken a bad turn,” she said. “At her age, heart palpitations are worrisome.”
In truth, his mother had written to inform him that Grandmamma’s heart palpitations had subsided, but she now suffered from sinking spells. “I do feel an obligation to inform my aunt. Did she happen to mention her destination?”
“No, but it is Wednesday night. You might find her at Almack’s.”
“Thank you, Lady Dunworthy. You have been tremendously helpful.”
Lord help him. Almack’s of all the wretched places.
After an interminable wait in a long queue, his carriage halted before that hallowed hall. As he strode toward the doors, he recalled the patronesses insisted men wear breeches. To hell with that. He’d gain entrance even if he had to flirt with Lady Jersey.
Lady Jersey met him and shook her head at his attire. “Hawkfield, you know breeches are de rigueur, not that we’ve seen you here in years. What brings you?”
“My aunt and Lady Julianne,” he said.
“They are not here.” She laughed. “Oh, how delicious. You have lost your aunt and your ward.”
“My aunt is in her dotage and obviously gave me the wrong information.”
“I wish you luck finding them.” A sly look came into her eyes. “Next week, I hope to see you—dressed appropriately, of course. You have been absent too long from the seventh heaven.”
He bowed and strode off. “More like the seventh circle of hell,” he muttered.
When he reached the carriage, his driver regarded him with pity. “Where to, my lord?”
“Damned if I know,” he said.
“My lord, I heard there will be fireworks at Vauxhall tonight.”
“Then let us be off.” He figured he’d find his aunt and Peckham in one of the supper boxes, if that was, in fact, their destination. Even so, he couldn’t trust Hester to keep a close watch over Julianne. The thought of her wandering along the main avenue with her silly friends made him wild. All manner of riffraff tended to lie in wait for unprotected young ladies. His heart pounded at the possibility of Julianne coming to harm.
Chapter Thirteen
A Scoundrel’s Code of Conduct: Put your foot down, but have a hanky available in case she turns into a watering pot.
Julianne admired the beautiful lamps hanging in the great elms lining the avenue at Vauxhall. She sat in one of the supper boxes with Hester and Mr. Peckham. They were partaking of thin slices of ham, tiny chickens, biscuits, strawberries, and wine. Sipping a glass of wine, Julianne smiled as Mr. Peckham offered Hester a strawberry. He gazed longingly at Hester, and when she lowered her eyes, the sweetness of her sudden shyness touched Julianne’s heart.
She averted her gaze to give them privacy. Hester had never discussed her relationship with Mr. Peckham, but their feelings for each other were obvious to Julianne. And she had no doubt Mr. Peckham was Hester’s first love. Tonight the world seemed a better place because of their reunion after so many years. Hester had suffered too much in her youth, but now she was free to give her heart to the man she’d never forgotten.
Julianne was not completely at ease, however. Hawk would be furious when he discovered they had thwarted him tonight. Her conscience had roared when they had left thirty minutes prior to Hawk’s expected arrival. Oh, why should she feel guilty? He had gone too far with his rude insistence that he must accompany them tonight.
“Lady Julianne, you look as if you wish to slay someone.”
Beaufort’s voice startled her. She looked up to find all five of the cubs in the supper box. “I did not know you would be here.”
“We didn’t want to miss the fireworks,” Osgood said.
“Will you take some refreshment?” she asked.
At that moment, great bursts like gunfire erupted. Julianne squeaked, eliciting laughter from the young men. They drank wine and watched the fireworks display. Then Georgette, Sally, and Amy arrived in the box. Julianne’s happiness at seeing her friends faded quickly at the sight of Ramsey following close on their heels. For Georgette’s sake, she greeted him politely and turned her attention to the others. But she grew increasingly uncomfortable as she caught Ramsey watching her more than once.
After several minutes, he approached his sister. “Georgette, I’ll return shortly to escort you back to our parents,” he said.
Julianne breathed a sigh of relief when he departed. Obviously, he’d only meant to escort his sister, along with Amy and Sally. Thank goodness he’d taken her seriously when she’d told him to cease his pursuit.
“I say, it is a beautiful night,” Caruthers said. “Shall we take a stroll along the Grand Walk?”
Everyone assented, except Amy. “Georgette,” she said, “will your brother be angry?”
Georgette waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, who cares about him? The gentlemen will escort us. We will be perfectly safe, and Henry will never know the difference.”
“Let me discuss the plan with Hester first,” Julianne said.
When she approached Hester about the walk, Mr. Peckham frowned. “There are unscrupulous sorts out there.”
“But Julianne’s beaux will be there to protect the girls,” Hester said. “Mind you, stay away from the dark walks.”
Julianne laughed. “I promise to steer clear of those paths.”
The entire group set off to the accompaniment of popping sounds. The sky lit up again and again with great fanfare. After spending so many days indoors, Julianne enjoyed the invigorating exercise.
Georgette spied an unlit path and halted. “Oh, look. That must be one of the famous dark walks.”
Naturally, everyone had to stop and look.
The branches of the tall trees formed a canopy over the dark walk, making it look even more forbidding to Julianne. She imagined a villain grabbing an innocent young lady and dragging her down that secluded path. Chill bumps erupted along her arms.
Sally shivered. “Oh, it looks scary.”
Caruthers snuck up beh
ind her and made a bloodcurdling sound.
Sally yelped and everyone laughed. “You rogue,” she said, swatting his arm.
Georgette edged closer to the dark walk. Then she turned with a sly grin on her face. “I think we should walk a few paces down the path so that we can say we’ve actually been on one of the dark walks.”
Julianne rolled her eyes at her feather-brained friend. “Georgette, don’t be silly.”
“It’s only a lark,” Georgette said. “Let us make a pact never to reveal we walked there.”
Beaufort cleared his throat. “Lady Georgette, I cannot allow you to embark on that path.”
Julianne bit back a grin, knowing Georgette would consider Beaufort’s words a dare.
Georgette giggled, lifted her skirts, and tapped her toe on the path. “Oops, I stepped on the dark walk.”
Everyone laughed, except Beaufort. “I think we had better turn back now.”
“Oh, very well,” Georgette grumbled.
Julianne shook her head at Georgette’s antics. As the group turned back, Beaufort took her arm. She told herself his escort was nothing more than a gentlemanly gesture, but something in his manner made her feel as if he’d made a propriety claim on her. As they strolled along, Beaufort gradually slowed his pace until the others were far ahead. Her nerves rattled. “We’re falling behind,” she said.
He smiled at her. “I wanted to tell you that I’ve acquired the curricle. Will you take a drive with me tomorrow?”
She couldn’t refuse when she’d put him off more than once and led him to believe she would accept as soon as he took possession of the curricle. “Yes, of course,” she said.
His smile grew wider. “Excellent. Tomorrow it is.”
She turned her gaze away so that he wouldn’t see her guilty expression. Now would be the perfect moment to tell him she only wanted friendship from him and the other four young men, but she didn’t want to spoil his happiness. Tomorrow she would tell him after he returned her home. No, she would say it to all the young men the next time they called, because she must ensure they understood she wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship.
How to Seduce a Scoundrel Page 17
