The Perfect Suitor (Bewildering Love Series)

by Hilden, L. A.

  “I must say I was tempted, not for the money but for the sheer pleasure of being right.” Cole lit a cigar. “Alas, I would have had to explain why I thought you were going to show up, and that would mean an explanation of your relationship with Lady Evelyn, which is no easy task.”

  “We are friends.” Paxton gave him an irritated look that said, “Don’t argue with me.”

  “Yes, I assumed as much.” Cole laughed and then changed the subject. “Did you find out who your sister’s mystery man is?”

  “Not yet, but I will. Have you ever seen him before?” Paxton played with his new glass of bourbon, swishing the liquid around in a circular motion as he tried to picture the man in his head.

  Cole leaned back on the hind legs of his chair. “He looked familiar. I think I’ve seen him around, perhaps at Gentleman Jackson’s or Almacks or Tattersall’s, or even here for that matter. It’s hard to miss a man of his stature.”

  “True. Do me a favor and keep an eye out for him. I think he and I should have a little discussion.” Paxton slammed his fist down on the table as he remembered the villain’s bold advance upon Lydia in the middle of his cousin Rebecca’s annual gala, and in front of him, no less.

  “I will ask around and see what I can dig up. Did you ask Rebecca for her guest list?”

  “The list is endless. Besides, he may have come with an invited guest and my cousin invited more than half of London’s elite. It’s like trying to find a glass of drinking water in the Thames.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The ball held at the Stonehaven home was a smashing success. It appeared the viscountess had invited every available bachelor in the city, and it seemed they all decided to attend, all except for the Earl of Devonhurst. At first, Eve was thoroughly disappointed by Paxton’s rudeness, but after thinking it through, she realized his nonattendance was for the best, which was obviously how he saw his absence as well. Besides, Lord Bakersfield and Count Vernon were present, filling up Eve’s time with dances and pleasant conversation.

  Lydia Witley and her cousin, the Duchess of Arlington, were also present, and both ladies had felt it necessary to explain Paxton’s lack of manners to Eve. Lydia had told her how her brother hated such gatherings. She claimed he was only seen at previous such events because he felt it his duty to his sister. Now that she was staying with Rebecca, his escort wasn’t necessary and hence his absence.

  When Lydia realized how much her explanation hurt Eve, she added that it was clear Paxton cared for Eve and his staying away from her was a way to protect his heart.

  At which point, Rebecca stated that she thought Paxton was a coward for not attending Eve’s party. The duchess then said she was certain the earl was in love with Eve and his denial of this fact was only going to destroy him. She was being overly dramatic, in Eve’s opinion, but she appreciated the sentiment. Nevertheless, Lord Devonhurst wasn’t there. Eve decided to enjoy the evening that she and her mother had put so much effort into planning.

  At the end of the evening, Eve found herself alone with Henri, who stayed until the last guest departed. He had been cordial to her all evening, although he spent most of his time weaving in and out of the clusters of people, conversing with all the men he passed. Upon taking his leave, he kissed the back of Eve’s hand with a bow and left. It was then that Eve became suspicious of his behavior. It wasn’t that she expected or even wanted Henri to take advantage of their seclusion, but she could not help but wonder about his intentions toward her.

  She had a feeling that, if Brandon had been the one standing there at the end of the night, more would have transpired, at least a kiss holding more affection. Earlier that evening, Brandon had kissed her, albeit gently, on the lips. It was a brief interlude, and Eve was glad it had happened for she couldn’t help but compare how different Brandon’s kiss was from Paxton’s heated embrace. She enjoyed a closeness with Brandon, and the kiss they shared had been nice but far from earth shattering. His kiss definitely didn’t leave her reeling for control as Paxton’s kisses did. A lone caress from Paxton made her tremble and filled her with desire.

  So if Count Vernon considered himself one of her suitors, why didn’t he try to take advantage of their time alone? What were his feelings toward her? Something was decidedly odd about him.

  ***

  It was now the full light of day, and after contemplating her suitors for a good deal of the night, Eve came to the conclusion that Count Vernon held no serious affection toward her, nor she him. He was a man, and thus he was supposed to lust after her. Yet he never looked at her like most men did. She knew she wasn’t being vain, for Count Vernon didn’t give any woman attention or admiring glances. She was aware some men actually preferred other men to women, but she didn’t think that was the case with the count. He always seemed preoccupied when he was in her company. More importantly, when she played back all the times they had spent in each other’s company and she pieced bits of conversations together, she realized Henri never spoke of himself. He never really talked about anything other than government issues, which under normal circumstances wouldn’t mean anything. However, since he was French and their countries had only recently stopped fighting, his interest in such matters was questionable.

  For instance, why would the count choose now to holiday in London? And why, London? There had to be many other more fascinating places in the world to visit. She knew relations between England and France were stable with the Bourbons back on the throne, but she was also aware of the ongoing unrest in France.

  Usually bored by such matters, she couldn’t help but listen once in a while to Henri’s diatribes regarding his country. It was clear he was disappointed at how the now limited monarchy had given up the territory gains won by the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte. And it seemed to upset him that the layoffs in the army and bureaucracy were causing discontent.

  Yet, he was happy that the émigrés, who fled under Napoleon’s rule and then returned once the Bourbon’s had regained the throne, did not regain their lands confiscated by Napoleon’s government. And he was gladdened by the fact that special privileges were not restored to the hereditary nobility. Though he didn’t say so in such explicit detail, it was obvious to Eve when she thought about his words that he held no love for the Bourbon regime or the new bicameral legislature. He was completely against the Chamber of Peers and yet for the elected Chamber of Deputies. He was also strongly against the fact that only the wealthy were allowed to vote. Because Henri limited his conversations to certain people, and only expressed his opinions once in a while and never all at one time, no one but Eve would have been able to outright call him a revolutionary, but it was suddenly clear to Eve that Henri Leverett, Count Vernon, was a staunch supporter of Napoleon Bonaparte.

  It was also apparent that Eve knew more about France than she realized. She was now suspicious of Henri’s reasons for being in England for, if he was so concerned about France’s state of affairs, why was he here? Why was he not in his own country trying to correct the wrongs he felt had been dealt to his fellow Frenchmen? The only logical and scary conclusion was that he was a spy. She wondered why he would be spying on England when Napoleon was exiled on some far away island. And what in the world was she going to do about her discovery? She could inform her father of her suspicions, but he’d probably think she was reading too much into the things Henri said.

  While she contemplated the small list of people she knew, the Earl of Devonhurst continued to come to mind. Paxton was a noble and a peer of the realm and so could certainly see that this information was given to the right people.

  Deciding Paxton was the person to confide in, she was determined to do a little investigating herself. She penned a note to the Earl of Devonhurst informing him of her suspicions and then readied herself for a ride with Lord Bakersfield. Tonight she would insist Henri escort her to the Duke and Duchess of Talesman’s gala.
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  ***

  Paxton sat in his study poring over the ledgers and then sorting the correspondences that had arrived that morning from his estates. He noticed the pink one and cursed as he tossed the note into the trash. It was one of many missives he’d received in the last few weeks from Lady Beverly. She was trying to reconcile with him, which was never going to happen. The deceitful woman was very persistent. Her husband hadn’t been in the ground more than a few hours before he received the first such letter. He didn’t lift his head at the knock at the door. “Come in.”

  “My Lord.” James came in carrying the silver salver, atop which was a small white missive. “This just arrived, and noticing it wasn’t an invitation, I thought it may be of some importance.”

  Paxton grinned. James was a good butler, always taking his job seriously, always acting with the utmost dignity, and always so stiff and polished in his manner that Paxton couldn’t help but smile. At this moment, James stood ramrod straight at the side of Paxton’s desk, perfectly balancing the tray on one hand. Paxton took the message. “Thank you, James.”

  James nodded and, like a loyal English soldier, marched out of the room. Paxton set the note down and continued with his ledgers. As time went by, he decided to take a break and turned to look out the window at the park. It was then that he saw her. Eve, dressed in a burgundy confection, was linked arm in arm with Lord Bakersfield as they strolled along the park path. He realized that, before he turned around in his chair, he had a feeling she would be there, and there she was. She looked happy, but he did notice how she glanced at his house a few times when they went by. He wanted to go to her, to tell her he was sorry that he missed her ball for his sister had informed him of Eve’s upset at his not attending. But looking at her now, he realized he made the right decision to put some distance between them. She deserved a man who could give her his whole heart. He wanted her to be happy, and from the looks of it, the marquis did that for her. He ignored the emptiness filling him and turned back to his work.

  It wasn’t until later that evening that he finally got around to reading Eve’s message and cursed himself for not reading it sooner. He would never have guessed the note from her.

  To my dear friend Paxton,

  I fear one of my suitors is the dastardliest of men, and knowing I can rely on your privacy in this matter, I have enclosed his initials to indicate to you the person of whom I write: H.L. I will keep a close eye on him this evening and let you know if my suspicions prove correct.

  Your friend,

  Evelyn Manning.

  “Hell and damnation!” Paxton shouted as he jumped from his chair. The woman was going to get herself killed. He quickly went through his stack of invitations trying to gain an idea on where to look for Eve this evening. He pulled out the Talesman’s invitation. Theirs was the largest event for which there was an invitation among the stack. He decided to start his search there. He could only hope Eve was behaving herself and not giving herself away, or worse, that she wasn’t telling the count her suspicions. He didn’t know how Eve found out the count was a spy, and he blamed himself for underestimating her. It was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.

  ***

  Eve sat across from Henri in the grand carriage contemplating her plan. She was not about to expose her suspicions regarding the reason he was in England for she feared the outcome of such a move. Earlier this afternoon, she had almost confided in Brandon, but she hadn’t. A part of her knew it was because she wanted Paxton to help her with this so they could spend time together. It had been weeks since she last saw him.

  Eve looked at Henri, and when he smiled, she felt an eerie sensation fill her body. She refused to be fearful. She felt it her duty to find out the count’s true purpose for the good of her country. This could be the most important thing she would ever do in her life, she thought, and she could not allow fear to cause inaction.

  She turned to Lydia, happy her new friend had agreed to accompany her to this evening’s gala. She hadn’t told Paxton’s sister about Henri, nor was she about to. The fewer people involved, the better, she felt. She was glad of Lydia’s escort because the last thing she needed were her parent’s watching her all night. Besides, she knew Lydia would enclose herself in the card room, thus allowing Eve time to be alone with Henri to do a bit of spying of her own.

  ***

  It didn’t take Paxton long to find Eve at the Talesman’s. She was the only woman who stood in a group consisting of all men. As he entered the circle of males, he greeted acquaintances and then politely asked the count if he could steal Eve away for a dance. Seemingly not caring one way or the other, Count Vernon nodded his approval and continued to discuss France’s state of affairs.

  Eve suddenly found herself led toward the dance floor. “My lord, I would rather remain next to my escort this evening, if you don’t mind.” She tried to pull her arm out of his grasp.

  “I do mind.” Paxton swung her around and into his arms and began to move them effortlessly around the dance floor.

  “Really, Paxton, you can be the most boorish, selfish…” They separated for the dance called for it and then came back together. “Rude, egotistical…”

  “That’s enough.” He smiled down at her as they met again.

  “No, actually, it’s not. First of all, friends don’t behave cowardly toward one another.”

  He looked confused.

  Is he so obtuse that he’s unaware of his rudeness? They separated and then came back again. “If you didn’t want to attend my ball, you could have given me an excuse for your absence.” Eve tried to disguise the hurt in her voice by clearing her throat. She looked down to blink away tears.

  She knew he hadn’t meant to hurt her and most likely thought he was doing the exact opposite by staying away. He seemed to want to say something but then realized the dance floor was not the place to discuss it, especially with her on the verge of tears. He looked around to make sure they were not seen, and then pulled her down a long carpeted hallway, then down another hall and through a door and into a lovely conservatory. She followed willingly.

  Eve felt warmth from all the lush greenery suddenly encircling her. Amidst the ferns and lemon grass was an iron bench beneath a matching white trellis. The trellis was covered with honeysuckle vine. She inhaled the sweet scent deeply.

  “I like this place.” Eve wiped a tear from her cheek.

  “I knew you would.” He led her to sit on the secluded bench.

  “Do you always know the particulars of houses you visit?”

  “It’s good to know,” he answered, clearly not about to explain anything further about his knowledge of this room.

  Eve shrugged, no longer feeling sad now that he was talking to her again. “Now that we are alone, what do you wish to discuss?” she asked in a no nonsense way, willing herself not to be drawn in by him.

  “I’m sorry about not attending your ball. I…”

  She interrupted. “No need to apologize. Next time you won’t be invited.”

  “Even if I promise to be there?”

  She laughed at the pleading look he put on his face. “Especially if you promise.”

  He was evidently glad she was no longer upset. “I merely felt it best to put some distance between us.”

  Eve knew he was right in doing so, for whenever they were around each other common sense seemed to fly out the window. Eve stood. “And you are right, of course. Now I need to return to Henri.”

  “Henri, is it?” He grabbed her hand, indicating for her to sit again. “Speaking of whom, Henri is precisely why I am here.”

  She could tell by his tone that she was in for a lecture and she felt her own anger surface. If necessary, she could handle Henri without the Earl of Devonhurst’s help. She was not going to allow Paxton to bully her. “If you are here to tell me to be careful, then don’t b
other for I will be. If you are here to tell me to stop my investigation, don’t trouble yourself for I will not do any such thing.”

  “You’re acting foolish. If Count Vernon were to learn you’re observing him or if he even perceives your suspicions of him, we don’t know what he will do. You’re putting yourself in danger. The authorities are no longer watching him.” She heard the sound of exasperation in his voice.

  “The authorities?” Eve questioned. “Do you mean to say that you already knew he was a spy?” She could tell by his expression that he had. “Well, now, you certainly had me duped. Don’t you think that, as my friend, you should have told me my suitor was a scoundrel of mammoth proportions, that I am being courted by a known spy? I could have been hurt…or worse, killed!” Her face was reddening as she continued to raise her voice.

  “All right, calm down. I was told not to interfere. You see, he hasn’t actually done anything wrong. And as far as you’re concerned, I have been watching out for your safety, which brings me back to why I am here.”

  “I think he has done plenty wrong. He is in England under false pretenses.” Eve tried to relax again for Paxton was here, and after all, he did come to warn her. “I’m sorry. I guess you’re a better friend than I thought.”

  “As your friend…” He paused for countless seconds. “I’m concerned about you and I want you to stop your nosing about and leave Henri Leverett to the authorities.”

  “But you said they were no longer watching him.” She pointed to the door. “Right now he is in there discussing a multitude of topics concerning our government and the previous war. Who knows what information he’ll obtain. What if someone tells him our military strategies or the locations of military garrisons or…”

  Paxton put up his hand. “All right, all right. I relent. I will inform some of the necessary people and they will follow up on the information. Now go back in there, plead a headache, and tell him to take you home. If he decides he wants to stay, I will take you home.”