Surrender

by CJ Archer

  "Twickenham?" Good lord, Redcliff's lover from Switzerland was in his home. How...intriguing. Georgiana couldn't allow such an opportunity to learn more about her patient's mysterious past go by. "Very well, I'll join you." Phillippa grinned and would have run up the stairs had Georgiana not held her hand tightly and kept her to a more decorous pace.

  "Do you want to tell them you're my brother's nurse? Because if you don't, I've thought of a story to explain your presence."

  "A story?"

  "Yes. We can pretend you're my companion, a neighbor with no prospects of marrying well because you're so poor and your family is a little too unconventional for acceptance by polite society."

  A more accurate description Georgiana couldn't have made herself. "You've thought of everything."

  "They've been here awhile and I had nothing to do except listen to their gossip and watch for you. I make up stories in my head when I grow bored." She leaned closer as they approached the drawing room door. "I think it might be best if I not go into all the details of the life I invented for you."

  "I think perhaps we should keep to the truth," Georgiana whispered. "It's easier to remember."

  Phillippa pouted. "Oh, very well. Although it is drearily dull."

  They entered the drawing room together and three heads whipped around. Lady Weatherby's lips flattened ever so slightly before stretching into an unconvincing smile.

  "I see you found Miss Appleby, Phillippa," she said. "Do come in and meet our guests, Miss Appleby." If the marchioness disliked Georgiana's presence then she was very good at not showing it.

  She introduced her two guests as her "dear friend", Lady Crighton and her daughter Lady Twickenham. "And this is Miss Appleby."

  "My brother's nurse," Phillippa said, drawing Georgiana into the room. "He got injured in a terrible fight, you know. He almost died."

  Ladies Crighton and Twickenham assessed Georgiana from head to toe with experienced eyes, giving Lady Weatherby the opportunity to mouth "Be quiet" to Phillippa.

  Phillippa, unperturbed, sat on the blue and white striped sofa near the window and patted the seat beside her. The sofa was set apart from the matching one on which the guests sat and so was out of the circle of conversation. Perfect. Georgiana could sit and quietly observe Lady Twickenham.

  Or so she thought. Phillippa couldn't be still for more than a few seconds, earning herself another glare from her aunt, and then she began to whisper in Georgiana's ear.

  "She's very elegant, isn't she? Lady Twickenham, I mean, not her mother. That lady's beauty has long passed her by, if she ever had any, but her daughter is still beautiful despite her age."

  Lady Twickenham's age couldn't be more than thirty which probably seemed old to a girl of Phillippa's years. And yet Phillippa was right about her looks. Glossy black curls peeped out from beneath Lady Twickenham's bonnet, her nose was fashionably small and pale, her throat white and slender, and her wide mouth curved in a serene smile as she listened to her hostess. Not only was she a great beauty but she was elegant too. The red roses adorning the crown of her bonnet matched the color of her Spencer and half-boots, a striking statement against the white muslin dress.

  But it was her eyes that gave away her true character. Although a vibrant shade of blue, they were sharp and held not a whit of interest in the conversation. Once or twice they darted towards Georgiana and she felt sure she was being assessed further. If Lady Twickenham came to the conclusion that Georgiana was no rival in her affections for Redcliff with her simple style of dress and plain brown hair and eyes, she didn't show it.

  Lady Crighton was an older version of her daughter. Although still quite beautiful, despite what Phillippa thought, her skin was slacker and scored with deep lines and the hair not covered by her peacock-feathered turban was gray. Unlike her daughter, Lady Crighton didn't appear to have any interest in Georgiana whatsoever, and was held captive by her own voice as she gossiped about a Miss Merriville.

  "She's a lovely girl," Lady Crighton said. "Very accomplished, isn't she, Louisa?"

  Lady Twickenham smiled politely. "Very accomplished, Mother. I'm sure I've not heard a sweeter voice."

  Lady Crighton lifted her teacup. "And she plays the harp. I adore hearing the harp, don't you, Lady Weatherby?"

  Lady Weatherby nodded. "She sounds lovely. Is she pretty?"

  "Oh, quite pretty," Lady Crighton said. She returned her teacup to its saucer without taking a sip. "Don't you think so, Louisa?"

  "Very pretty, Mother."

  "A few freckles across her nose but they are to be expected on a girl with that coloring," Lady Crighton said, wrinkling her own unblemished nose. "He wouldn't object to freckles would he, Lady Weatherby?"

  "No, I don't think he'd object to freckles." Lady Weatherby didn't look at all sure, however. "As long as she is generally pretty, I think Alexander would find her agreeable. And accomplished, you say?"

  "Quite accomplished. Her watercolors are superb, aren't they, Louisa?"

  "Delightful," Lady Twickenham said, still smiling as if she dared not stop.

  "Pretty and talented," Lady Crighton said, taking up her teacup again. "He couldn't possibly find fault in her, could he?" She addressed this question to no one in particular but it was her daughter who answered.

  "Perhaps we should ask the person who knows him best," Lady Twickenham said. She turned to Georgiana and gave her the full benefit of her sweet smile and her calculating glare.

  Georgiana felt the color drain from her skin. What did this woman know about her? What did she know about her relationship with Redcliff? Or, even more horrible, what if Redcliff had resumed his affair with Lady Twickenham now they were both in London and his rival, Cottesloe, was out of the way?

  Had he kissed Georgiana after coming directly from his lover's bed?

  It was clear, perhaps only to Georgiana, that Lady Twickenham was directing her question to her, although she was asking it of Phillippa. Georgiana wished she had not gone to the drawing room after all. She was battling wits with a very clever woman, one who was quite possibly in love with Redcliff and saw another woman, even an insignificant one such as Georgiana, as a threat.

  "Lady Phillippa?" Lady Twickenham prompted, shifting her gaze to the younger girl. "What sort of bride do you think your brother would like?"

  Phillippa made a face, as if she found the very idea distasteful. "Alex wouldn't want anyone as his bride. I don't think he wishes to marry."

  Lady Twickenham laughed. Phillippa blinked at her as if wondering what she'd said that was so amusing.

  "Nonsense," Lady Weatherby scoffed. "Of course he wants to marry."

  "Of course he does," Lady Crighton echoed. She held out her teacup to Lady Weatherby who re-filled it from the silver tea service. "Every man must marry. It's his duty. There simply aren't enough young gentlemen for all the young ladies otherwise. Look at my Louisa for example. Had to marry her to old Twickenham."

  Lady Twickenham stilled, a smile frozen on her lips. A slight flush rose to her cheeks. "Twickenham was my choice, Mother, as you recall. He suits me."

  "Yes, of course, Louisa." Lady Crighton stared into her teacup. "He suits you very well."

  Her flat tone cast a shroud over the little party in the drawing room and even Phillippa must have sensed something was amiss because she sidled closer to Georgiana and didn't say a word. Only her fingers moved, continuously rubbing each fingernail of her left hand with her thumb.

  Lady Weatherby smoothly offered Lady Twickenham more tea and proceeded to return to the relatively safe topic of Miss Merriville's considerable charms. Her elder guest joined in the conversation, lifting the odd mood somewhat, but the unease remained.

  It grew when Lady Twickenham joined Georgiana and Phillippa on the sofa by the window.

  "So you're a nurse?" she said to Georgiana. "How...extraordinary."

  "Isn't it," Phillippa said. Her fingernail-rubbing became faster. "Just imagine what she must have seen and heard!"


  "Yes. Imagine." Lady Twickenham's genteel smile appeared and Georgiana suspected she was about to ask further questions Georgiana wouldn't want to answer. Time to divert her attention.

  "I believe you've just come back from the Continent." Georgiana didn't say who'd given her that piece of information and hopefully Phillippa wouldn't give the game away by asking how she knew. Beside her, the young girl had gone still. Quite a feat. Fortunately she didn't speak but Georgiana suspected she'd need a good story to explain away her knowledge later.

  "Lord Twickenham and I were mostly in Greece."

  "Anywhere else?"

  Lady Twickenham twisted a large sapphire ring on her finger. "We spent some time in Switzerland on the way home. We met your brother there, Lady Phillippa, and attended some marvelous balls with him in Berne."

  "How exciting," Phillippa breathed. Her thumb resumed its work on her fingernails, rubbing each one of them in turn then starting over again. "I would love to see exotic places. What was Greece like, Lady Twickenham? Did you have many adventures? You must have. Please tell me you did." Phillippa was back to her usual bouncy self, her boredom no longer in evidence.

  Lady Twickenham laughed, a delicate lilting sound that seemed designed to charm rather than an expression of happiness. "I suppose we did. Greece has some lovely ancient ruins which are a delight to explore. I think you would like it."

  "Oh, I'm sure I would. I never have adventures here. England is so dull and London duller. I can't even ride particularly fast as Aunt Harry says there's too many people about and no one except Alex is allowed to go with me. At least he's so occupied lately I can easily leave him behind and meet with—." She broke off and colored to the roots of her hair. "I, er, I meant I don't wish to lose him, he just falls behind sometimes when he's not concentrating."

  "And that allows you a few minutes alone?" Lady Twickenham prompted, a sinister shine to her eyes that hadn't been there before. She leaned closer and Phillippa did too as if she were a puppet pulled by a string. "To have adventures?"

  Phillippa smothered a giggle with her hand. "I do so love an adventure."

  "Especially when it comes in the form of a handsome gentleman?"

  Flick flick flick went Phillippa's thumb down her fingernails, faster and faster. Georgiana held her breath, waiting for the girl to deny it but she didn't. Instead she colored again and looked a little sheepish to have been caught out.

  Oh dear. What was Redcliff doing letting his high-spirited and innocent sister out of his sight?

  Lady Twickenham twisted the sapphire ring and smiled sweetly at the girl. "Well, I won't tell anyone about your adventure. I think every woman deserves to have at least one while she's young."

  "Oh, do you think so?" Phillippa glanced at Georgiana, a little crease between her brows. "What do you think, Miss Appleby?"

  "Yes, what does your brother's nurse think?" Lady Twickenham smiled and smiled and smiled.

  Oh to be a man and a pugilist at that. Georgiana returned the smile with an equally false one of her own. "I think some adventures are vastly over-rated. It all depends on who else is involved of course." Lady Twickenham opened her mouth to speak but Georgiana stood, cutting her off. "If you'll excuse me, I have a headache." She turned to make her excuses to her hostess and Lady Crighton when the very last person she wanted to see strode into the drawing room.

  Redcliff.

  CHAPTER 8

  "Ah, Lady Crighton," Redcliff said, bowing low. "What a delight to see you again." He glanced across the room and his gaze quickly swept past Georgiana and Phillippa to settle on his other guest. He bowed again and smiled warmly, the way one would greet an old friend. "And Lady Twickenham, we finally meet on English soil."

  Good lord, he was positively charming. Georgiana would never have credited him with being the same man who'd lost his temper only that morning. Perhaps he was still furious over her lecture because he paid her no attention whatsoever. Indeed, it seemed he didn't think her worthy of the effort it took to charm.

  Her insides performed a little flip but she couldn't quite place the reason why. She was grateful he didn't see her as a potential conquest. Positively relieved.

  Lady Twickenham rose and gave her gloved hand to him to kiss. "Redcliff, what a delight to see you. I didn't expect to find you at home but I'm most happy that I have. Twickenham was just saying to me this morning that we should seek out your good company and reminisce about our weeks in Switzerland together."

  Redcliff took the proffered hand and kissed it. "Then by all means tell Lord Twickenham I look forward to seeing you both. I have a feeling I'll be attending quite a few society events in the coming weeks so I'm sure we'll bump into each other. Mayfair is becoming positively crowded."

  "He'll be accompanying me," Phillippa said, beaming at her brother.

  "How delightful," Lady Crighton said from across the room. "Isn't it, Louisa?"

  "Delightful," Lady Twickenham agreed. "Come sit with your sister and I, Redcliff, and regale us with your adventures in Switzerland. I'm sure Lady Phillippa would love to hear some of the things you got up to."

  "I'm sure she would not," he said. "Besides, I wouldn't want to displace Miss Appleby from the sofa." The drawing room was quite large but the only spare seats were beside Lady Crighton on the other sofa or the single chair near his aunt. To sit with his sister and Lady Twickenham would mean taking the seat Georgiana had just vacated.

  "But Miss Appleby is leaving," Lady Twickenham said with a tight smile.

  Georgiana resisted the very strong urge to sit down again. "Indeed I am."

  "You are not," Redcliff said in a voice that brooked no argument, once again confirming that his charm was not to be wasted on Georgiana. "Sit down, Miss Appleby. You spend far too much time in your room."

  "And walking," Phillippa said. Her thumb resumed its rubbing of her fingernails. "Alex, you really ought to take Miss Appleby for a drive. She needs air and lots of it so the faster the better."

  Redcliff stared at her as if she'd spoken an obscure foreign language. Lady Twickenham didn't appear to have heard anything Phillippa said. She was busy twisting her sapphire ring while casting twinkling glances in Redcliff's direction. He failed to notice because he was looking at Georgiana who tried very hard not to show her amusement or her interest in the odd little performance unfolding around her.

  "What a good idea," Lady Twickenham said, a mischievous curve to her lips. "Why don't you take the amiable Miss Appleby for a ride."

  Redcliff fixed her with a glare that would have set most people back in the chair with its sheer force. Lady Twickenham, however, smiled innocently up at him.

  "Very well," he said. "Miss Appleby?"

  The invitation came as a surprise, and a relief. After this morning's lecture, she'd assumed he'd not want to speak to her let alone ride with her. However she was about to refuse on the grounds she didn't want to socialize with her patient, but then she saw Lady Weatherby's barely suppressed irritation and found herself accepting immediately. Perhaps it was wicked of her but Georgiana did need to spend more time with Redcliff. How else could she learn his secret?

  "It's settled then," Redcliff said. He indicated Georgiana should resume her seat beside Phillippa.

  "I was just leaving," Georgiana said.

  "She has a headache," Lady Twickenham said. "How appropriate! The nursemaid can take her own medicine." She laughed at her own joke but only Phillippa laughed with her, somewhat half-heartedly.

  "Do you?" Redcliff asked, frowning at Georgiana. "Not severe, I hope?"

  "Not too severe, no," Georgiana said.

  "Oh, then you must stay," Phillippa said, half out of the sofa as if she would pounce on Georgiana in a bid to detain her.

  Georgiana dutifully sat. Redcliff strode to the fireplace and leaned against the mantelpiece with easy grace. He was quite the dashing gentleman in his black coat, buff breeches and shiny Hessians, and it took a great deal of effort for Georgiana to pretend not to look at him. L
ady Twickenham didn't pretend at all. She appraised him with undisguised approval while launching into an anecdote about a Swiss acquaintance which could only be of interest to herself and Redcliff. Although he tried to steer the conversation to a topic they could all join, she always steered it back to Switzerland again.

  Georgiana bided her time. A few more minutes and she could attempt to leave again. Perhaps she and Phillippa could devise a quiet plan together to escape while the others were occupied. Redcliff couldn't possibly be so cruel as to force them both to remain.

  Alex prepared to stop Miss Appleby again before she fled from the drawing room. He didn't believe she had a headache—she appeared as bright-eyed and pretty as always. It must be a ruse to leave the roomful of prattling women. He couldn't blame her for that but he needed at least one ally and Philly wasn't much help. She appeared lost in whatever make-believe world she was dreaming up inside her head.

  How had he not seen this dull side to Louisa before? She was a veritable gossip, worse than her mother because she only wanted to talk about people she and Alex knew, thereby excluding the other guests.

  But she wasn't there to gossip, not really. It was only an excuse. He might not understand women in the least but he could smell desperation on Louisa. She reeked of it. Desperation to see him. It was the only explanation he could think of for her visit. Even though her mother and Aunt Harry had known each other a long time, they weren't great friends, and for Louisa to accompany Lady Crighton on her social rounds was unusual.

  It served him right. If he'd answered her correspondence then he might have avoided this tedious meeting. She'd sent him several letters pleading him to resume their dalliance but he'd burned them all. He wanted nothing to do with her, not after Switzerland. Underneath the charm and beauty he'd found her to be a duplicitous snake.

  And she reminded him too much of what he'd done.

  Cottesloe.