by Tonya Brooks
“You mean Nicholas...”
“Yes,” she sighed happily. “It was too incredible to describe.”
“I seem to be having that problem myself,” Taran admitted with a frown.
“Perhaps you need more practice,” Scarlett suggested, that mischievous smile firmly in place. “I'm sure Tony would be willing to help with that.”
“Scandalous hoyden,” Taran laughed and smacked her with the pillow.
“I am that,” she readily agreed.
“There is a flaw in your idea, though,” she pointed out.
“What, pray tell?” Was asked in all seriousness.
“In case you overlooked the fact tonight, both Nicholas and Tony have mistresses, and neither of them seduce innocents,” Taran reminded her and earned a scowl for the effort.
~~~~~
“That's not a problem that can't be overcome,” Scarlett said confidently as she rose and walked over to pull the bell and summon the maid. “What we need is a plan.”
“What kind of plan?”
“A devious one,” she grinned. “So we must think like Grand’Mere.”
“Now that's a scary thought.”
Taran’s maid tapped at the door and Scarlett bade her enter. “We need two glasses, a bottle of brandy and a couple of cigars.” The maid didn't even bat an eye at the highly unusual request before she hurried to comply.
“Good Lord. You're trying to completely corrupt me,” Taran groaned.
“I'm liberating you from the bonds of a tyrannical masculine society bent on subjugating women to the role of subservient chattel,” she corrected dryly.
Taran burst out laughing at that. “With brandy and cigars?”
“And the freedom to take a lover without the bonds of unholy wedlock,” she grinned, those mischievous eyes flashing brightly in the candlelight.
“Scarlett, you are the most outrageous female I've ever known. But I do like the way you think,” her cousin admitted.
Scarlett had been raised by men, in the manner that a man would be raised, therefore, she thought more like a man than a woman. It was only natural that she would balk at the constraints society placed on women. Oh, they had managed to dress her like a female, and forced her to behave like a lady, but her natural instincts were too well ingrained.
While everyone else had been watching the opera tonight, Scarlett had been thinking, planning, considering her options. Like a man, she had laid them out in a logical manner and sought a solution to each one.
Problem, Nicholas was a rake, and not the type of man to marry.
Solution, become his lover.
Problem, Scarlett was a lady, and not allowed to have lovers.
Solution, become the lover of the man she wanted to marry.
Problem, Nicholas didn’t seduce innocents.
Solution, seduce him.
“Now, first things first,” she decided as she walked over to the writing desk and began rifling through drawers looking for blank pages of paper. “We need to decide how to go about seducing a rake.”
She found a notepad in the bottom drawer and pulled it out. Setting it atop the desk, she opened the cover and began flipping through the pages looking for a blank one. A few handwritten words on each page managed to catch her eye, and she stopped turning pages and began reading. Her eyes widened in shock and she looked up at her cousin. “You're Lady Mystique.”
“Oh, damn,” Taran groaned.
“Damnation! You're Lady Mystique,” Scarlett repeated in amazement and sank slowly into the chair. Her cousin was the person who had written the absolutely lurid novel that set the ton on its ear.
~~~~~
“I know what you're thinking,” Taran began hesitantly and was embarrassed that her secret had been revealed.
“I'm thinking it won't take all that much to corrupt you,” Scarlett informed her with a devilish smile. “I'm also thinking that you're going to tell me how you know all those perfectly lurid things an innocent spinster should never know. Taran, do you already have a lover?”
“No!” Taran denied, blushing to the roots of her hair. “Good lord, no.”
“Then how did you come up with all those intimate little details?” Was demanded.
“My maid told me.”
“Your maid?”
“She, um, used to be a light skirt,” she confessed with a blush.
Scarlett laughed in delight as she bounded from the chair and went back to the sofa to settle in comfortably. “This just keeps getting better and better. I want to know everything, so don't leave out a single sordid detail.”
“All right, but you have to swear to never tell another living soul,” Taran insisted.
Scarlett snorted indignantly. “As if I would,” she denied and then grinned mischievously. “Now you have another reason to seduce Drake.” At her cousins confused look, she added, “Research.”
Taran blushed furiously. “I assure you I have no idea how to seduce a man,” she insisted.
“Then let’s ask an expert,” the youngest suggested as the maid entered the room. “Josie, how would you go about seducing a man?”
The maid blinked at her as if she were daft for asking such a thing as she placed the tray on the table and replied, “Never had to seduce a man, my lady. Randy devils, they are. Just strip naked in front of 'em and they'll do the rest.”
“Well,” Taran said in amusement after she excused the maid. “I can't imagine myself stripping naked in front of Drake at one of Grand’Mere's balls.”
“Then we'll just have to find a more private place,” Scarlett insisted.
~~~~~
The ladies stayed up talking until dawn, both of them giggling uncontrollably as the decanter of brandy slowly emptied. By the time the first rays of dawn curled around the curtains, they had each decided exactly how they would go about seducing their prospective rakes. Their grandmother’s costume ball would be an excellent place to begin, but they both needed just the right costume to pull it off. Taran even had an idea for her next book as well, one about the scandalous affairs of rakes. All in all, it was a very productive evening and the most fun that either of them had had in years.
Very late the next morning, the two slightly hung over women enjoyed a companionable breakfast, with lots of very strong coffee, and then went costume shopping. Scarlett was thrilled not to have to spend the morning receiving suitors. For once she could actually do something that she wanted to do. Her grandmother was just going to have to understand that she wasn't going to sit in the drawing room surrounded by those idiots paying court to her any more. She was going to spend her days doing exactly as she pleased, and perhaps even her nights as well. Yes, she was going to seduce Nicholas, remove herself from the marriage mart and enjoy life to the fullest.
Carpe Diem!
Chapter Eighteen
Devil's Keep, England, 1802
“Oh, Nicky, come and see!” Eight-year-old Scarlett enthused happily and held up the blanket wrapped bundle in her arms. “Isn't he beautiful?”
Nicholas was more than a little surprised to see the girl playing with a doll for a change and quite shocked to discover that it was a real baby she held. A baby with a rather distinctive combination of black hair and pale blue eyes. A baby that bore an uncanny resemblance to Devlin. There was no doubting the child was a member of the Ashbrook family, the question was, who did he belong to?
“A very handsome lad,” he agreed absently and then asked the more pertinent question, “Who is he?”
“The nurse who brought him said his name is Alasdair. Dev said I can take care of him and the nurse can assist me,” the girl informed him proudly as she tickled the baby's chin and was rewarded with a toothless grin.
Nicholas didn't doubt that outlandish statement a bit. Since their parents had died, Devlin pretty much let Scarlett do anything she wanted to. But that still didn't explain who the child belonged to, or why he was here. In spite of the resemblance, Nicholas assured himself that the baby could n
ot belong to Devlin. He knew the other man as well as he did himself, and neither of them would be careless enough to litter the ton with bastards.
Although there had been that fiasco in Scotland last summer...
Oh, God.
More than a little wary of the answer now, the twenty-year-old asked, “Where did... uh, Alasdair come from, kitten?”
“Scotland,” Scarlett answered as if that were where all babies came from.
“Holy hell,” Nicholas groaned and sank heavily into the chair behind him. Without a doubt, the baby was Devlin's son. The bastard son that he had obviously taken into his home and was allowing his sister to care for. Bloody everlasting hell. Such scandalous behavior was unheard of, and nothing less than he would expect of his oldest friend.
“I like Alasdair, but it's a mouthful to say. I think we should call him Dare,” the girl informed him, blithely unaware of anything except the baby she was cuddling.
~~~~~
“Nick. I see you've met my son,” Devlin drawled as he joined them and could tell from the look on his friend’s face that explanations were not necessary. The two of them had no secrets from each other. Nicholas knew all about the foolish mistake that had now culminated with a child showing up on the door step.
“Dev's a daddy, I'm an aunt and you're an uncle,” Scarlett chimed in merrily. “Isn't it wonderful, Nicky?”
The two men exchanged an inscrutable look before Nicholas replied heavily, “Bloody marvelous.”
Chapter Nineteen
Langford House, London, England, 1812
Stefan Ashbrook, Marquess Chillhaven, stepped into his cousin’s study without knocking and stopped cold. Devlin was seated behind the desk and appeared to be absolutely furious while Nicholas paced the floor looking anything but his usual calm, unflappable self. “Am I interrupting?” He queried.
“No. We’re just plotting Blaise’s imminent demise,” the Devil Duke growled.
The marquess actually smiled at that as he closed the door and walked across the room to slump into a chair before the desk. “What did he do now?” He asked without much concern. That particular member of the family had a tendency toward displaying the most outrageous behavior so nothing Blaise did shocked him anymore.
“Took Scarlett and Taran to the opera last night,” Nicholas growled as he continued pacing about the room.
There was nothing unusual about that. Blaise escorted Taran to the theater quite often, so he merely raised one eyebrow and mocked, “Shocking behavior.”
“Oh, it gets worse,” Devlin assured him. “Nick and Tony were there. With their paramours.”
Stefan laughed at that. “Got caught with your hand in the cookie jar, Nick?” No wonder the other man was upset. The little hoyden had probably demanded an introduction which would have been embarrassing as hell.
Neither man appreciated the humor. “He introduced them to Grayston,” Nicholas snapped and turned flashing obsidian eyes on him.
Infuriated at the thought of his cousins coming into contact with a reprobate like Grayston, Stefan demanded, “Has he lost his damn mind?”
“Oh, he swore Grayston was on his best behavior,” Nicholas informed him in disgust as he stopped pacing and dropped into the chair beside the marquess. “He must have been because when I raised hell about it, Scarlett accused me of being a hypocrite.”
A frown knit Stefan’s brow, and he asked, “Then what seems to be the problem?”
“Blaise also introduced them to Van Dorn,” Nicholas bit out the name as if it were an epitaph.
Devlin had told him about the American that he and Nicholas were thinking about going into business with and he had seemed to genuinely like the man. “What was wrong with that?”
“Scarlett spent half the opera flirting with him,” Devlin explained and did not look pleased with the fact.
Stefan was getting more and more confused by the minute. According to his cousin, the yank was a decent chap, almost obscenely wealthy and a sharp businessman. Exactly the kind of man that he should want his sister to be enamored of, even if he was an American. “I take it he’s unsuitable,” he deduced.
“No, dammit,” Devlin growled. “He’s entirely suitable, and that’s the problem.”
The marquess looked from one man to the other and simply could not comprehend what they were upset about. “As I recall, the two of you forced Scarlett to have a season, and in spite of the fact that she’s had more suitors than anyone can account for, she hasn’t shown interest in any of them,” he pointed out. “Now that she has found a man she likes the two of you are acting like it’s some kind of unpardonable sin.”
“I don’t want her to marry some damned yank who’ll drag her an ocean away,” Devlin snapped and looked as if he were about to unleash that fiery temperament.
Ah, now they were getting to the heart of the matter. Devlin and Nicholas had raised Scarlett, and they were both ridiculously overprotective of her. The thought of losing her so completely was not sitting well with either of them. “Then add a condition to the agreement,” he suggested logically. “Insist that Van Dorn remain here in England to oversee this venture. Then Scarlett and her husband can live right here where you can keep an eye on them.”
For some absurd reason that perfectly logical suggestion set Nicholas off again.
~~~~~
Nicholas surged to his feet to resume pacing and cursed a blue streak. Just the thought of Scarlett with another man was enough to make him cast up his accounts. But to be forced to see her with someone else, to know that she belonged to another man, to imagine him touching her when he couldn’t, would drive him insane. Hell, he didn’t know what he’d do if she married someone else.
Naturally, he’d have to kill the bastard which probably wouldn’t help his case with the woman he loved. He had to nip this attraction to Van Dorn in the bud before she could form an attachment. It was high time he showed the lady just who she did belong to and the consequences be damned. Scarlett was his, and she’d bloody well remain his until the day he died. Now he just needed to convince her of that. But first, he was going to deal with Van Dorn.
~~~~~
When Nicholas abruptly headed to the door, Devlin asked, “Where the hell are you going?”
“To kill Van Dorn,” he growled and slammed out of the room.
“Bloody hell,” Devlin sighed as he hurried after his best friend and left his cousin sitting there staring after the pair of them in astonishment.
Nicholas was too volatile to get anywhere near the American and not cause bloodshed. Very few people knew that calm, patient manner hid a highly combustible temper that could surpass the Ashbrook fury when roused. Right now Nicholas was as dangerous as a volcano on the verge of eruption and just as unpredictable.
Fortunately, he managed to talk some sense into his best friend before they reached the Radford Hotel, and Nicholas had calmed down a great deal. Unfortunately, Devlin hadn’t been able to dissuade him from coming along. As they neared the yank’s suite, he said sternly, “Let me handle this, Nick.”
~~~~~
At this point Nicholas didn’t give a damn who handled the situation as long as it got resolved. His only aim was to make sure the other man knew that Scarlett was off limits and that he stayed the hell away from her. If Van Dorn attempted to pursue her, then there would be hell to pay and he would not be held accountable for his actions.
~~~~~
Richard opened the door and saw two grim faced lords of the realm staring back at him. A bit surprised by their arrival, he said cordially, “Gentlemen, do come in.”
They stalked into the room and ignored his offer of a seat and a drink before Langford bluntly informed him, “My sister is not in the market for a husband, Van Dorn.”
Ah. Now the visit made sense. They had heard about him joining the Ashbrook ladies at the theater and come to warn him off. The knowledge amused him and his grin assured the men of the fact. “Glad to hear it because I’m not looking for a wife,�
�� he responded evenly.
“What the hell does that mean?” Nicholas snapped, his temper still bristling.
“It means that Lady Scarlett is a beautiful, charming and highly intelligent woman that any man would enjoy spending time with,” Richard admitted. “If I were looking for a wife, she would make an exceptional one, but since I’m not, I would be honored to call the lady a friend. That is, unless the two of you can think of a reason why that would be a bad idea.”
“I can think of several,” her brother assured him and didn’t bother to elaborate.
Richard nodded his agreement and then just to bedevil the pair, he asked, “Do those reasons apply to Lady Taran as well?”
Nicholas and Devlin exchanged a look before the duke responded with, “That depends on your intentions.”
“Just simple companionship,” he admitted with a grin. “Being alone in a strange country is a bit lonely. It would be nice to have a lady to join me for dinner or the theater on occasion. As a friend, of course.”
~~~~~
Neither man had a problem with that. Van Dorn was eminently suitable to squire the lady about, and if the yank was able to steal Taran’s heart, then he was a better man than half of those in England who had tried and failed. “My cousin is free to choose who she associates with,” Devlin informed him and then narrowed his eyes to add, “Don’t even think about trifling with her.”
~~~~~
Richard laughed at that. Oh, he’d think about it all right. The woman was stunning after all. “I won’t try to seduce her if that’s what concerns you,” he assured them. “I have no desire to wind up facing one of you chaps in a secluded glen at some ungodly hour of the morning.”
“A wise decision,” Devlin commended as he sat down and asked in a more congenial tone, “How about that drink?”
~~~~~
When Scarlett and Taran returned from their shopping excursion, the butler informed them that the family had returned from the country. Upon arriving at Langford House, they were shocked to discover that Stefan had married, and that Juliette was insisting the entire family attend the Mortimer's ball that evening to welcome his bride into the fold.
