that was so fashionable. His powerful
shoulders, flat waist, and strongly molded
thighs needed no padding or camouflage.
Perhaps he will turn out to be rather
amusing," Isabel said.
Yes, indeed," Annabella agreed cheer
fully.
Victoria glanced again at the tall, dark
figure beside Lady Atherton. Amusing may
not be quite the right word." Dangerous was
the right word.
But Victoria was suddenly willing to
experiment with this dash of danger; the
social whirl of the ton, which lately she
depended upon more and more to fill up
the long hours of the night, was no longer
enough. She needed something else to help
her hold the restless nightmares at bay.
The Earl of stone vale might be just the
tonic for which she had been searching.
Dearest Lucas, what did you think of
her? Will she do?" Lady Atherton gazed up
at stone vale with an anxious expression in
her beautiful, gentle eyes.
I think she will do nicely, Jessica." Lucas
sipped champagne from the glass in his
hand, his eyes moving across the crowd.
I know she is a bit old."
I, myself, am a bit old," he pointed
out dryly.
Nonsense. Thirty-four is an excellent
age for a man intent on marriage. Edward
was thirty-three when I married him."
Yes, he was, wasn't he?"
Jessica Atherton's eyes were instantly
filled with a heart-wrenching contrition.
Lucas, I am so sorry. How clumsy of
me. You must know I did not mean to
hurt you."
I'll survive," Lucas finally spotted Vic
toria in the crowd. He kept his gaze
on the tall figure of his quarry as she
stepped out onto the dance floor with a
plump, elderly baron. Victoria obviously
enjoyed dancing, although she appeared to
restrict her partners to very young, socially
awkward males or those much older than
herself. She probably viewed such men as
harmless.
He regretted he did not dare risk asking
her out onto the floor. It would be
interesting to see if she followed him
there as easily as she had followed him
into the card room. But he was not certain
how well she would tolerate the lack of
grace in his damned left leg, and at this
juncture he could not take any chances.
He sensed no streak of cruelty in her,
though. She definitely had a temper,
but he knew she would not stoop to
insults or cutting remarks about his limp.
Nevertheless she might very well tread quite
forcefully on his toes if he managed to goad
her as he had in the card room. The image
made Lucas smile.
It was quite outrageous of her to
accompany you into the card room, of
course," Lady Atherton said. But, then,
I fear that is our Miss Huntington. She
does have a tendency to come very close to
the edge of what is considered proper. But
under a husband's guidance, I am certain
that regrettable element of her nature could
be controlled."
An interesting notion."
And she does have a noticeable pre
dilection for that rather overbright shade
of yellow," Lady Atherton added.
It's clear Miss Huntington has a mind
and a will of her own. But I must allow
that the yellow looks attractive on her. Not
many women could wear it successfully."
Lucas studied Victoria's tall, willowy
figure in the high-waisted gown. The
yellow silk was a ray of honeyed sunlight
in the crowded room. It gleamed with a
warm richness amid the array of classical
white and watery pastels.
The only real problem with the gown
as far as he was concerned was that the
bodice was cut far too low. It revealed
entirely too much of the gentle, high slopes
of Victoria's breasts. Lucas had an almost
irresistible urge to borrow some matron's
shawl and wrap it firmly around Victoria's
upper torso. Such an impulse was so out of
character for him that he was momentarily
astonished.
I fear she has a reputation for being
something of an Original. Her aunt's doing,
no doubt. Cleo Nettleship is most unusual
in her own right," Lady Atherton said.
I would much prefer a lady who is
out of the common run. Makes for more
interesting conversation, wouldn't you say?
One way or another, I suspect I shall have
to endure a good many conversations with
the woman I eventually marry. No getting
around it."
Jessica sighed softly. Tis unfortunate,
but there simply is not a large selection
of heiresses around this Season. But, then,
there rarely is. However, there is still Miss
Pilkington. You really should meet her
before you make up your mind, Lucas. I
vow she is a very admirable female. Always
perfectly correct in her behavior, whereas,
I fear, Miss Huntington has a certain
tendency to be somewhat headstrong."
Never mind Miss Pilkington. I'm quite
content with Miss Huntington."
If only she weren't very nearly five and
twenty. Miss Pilkington is only nineteen.
Younger women tend to be more amenable
to a husband's influence, Lucas."
Jessica, please believe me when I tell you
Miss Huntington's age is not a problem."
You are quite certain?" Lady Atherton
eyed him uneasily.
I would far rather deal with a woman
of a certain age who knows what she's
about than a young chit straight out of
the schoolroom. And I would have to say
that Miss Huntington does, indeed, know
what she is about."
You mean because she has managed
to stay single so long? You are probably
right. She's made it very clear she has
no interest whatsoever in turning over her
inheritance to a husband. Everyone but the
most desperate of fortune hunters has quite
given up on her."
stone vale flashed a crooked smile.
Which narrows the field for me."
Don't misunderstand me. She is an
engaging creature, rather refreshing in some
ways, like her aunt. Victoria does have her
share of admirers. But they all seem to be
relegated to the status of friends."
In other words, they have all learned
their places and they stay in them."
If they overstep themselves, she drops
them immediately. Miss Huntington is
known for being kind for the most
part, always has a smile and a charming
word. Quite willing to dance with the less
attractive men in the room. But she is
very firm with all of the gallants who hang
around her," Jessica added.
That did not surprise him. Miss Hunt
ington would not have remained her own
mistress this long unless she had learned
the trick of manipulating the males in her
orbit. He was going to find himself walking
a very narrow line during this courtship.
She is well educated, I take it?" Lucas
asked.
Some would say extraordinarily so. I've
heard that Lady Nettleship assumed most
of the responsibility for educating her niece
and one can certainly see the results. Miss
Huntington would undoubtedly have come
to grief in Society long ago were it not
for the fact that her aunt's position is
unassailable."
What happened to Miss Huntington's
parents?"
Lady Atherton hesitated, then spoke
evenly. Dead. All of them. Quite sad,
really. But the Lord giveth and the Lord
taketh away."
He certainly does."
Lady Atherton cast him an uncertain
glance and then cleared her throat. Yes,
well, the father died when Miss Huntington
was a small child and her mother
soon remarried. But Caroline Huntington
was killed in a riding accident a little
over eighteen months ago. Then Miss
Huntington's stepfather, Samuel Whitlock,
died less than two months after his wife.
A terrible accident on a flight of stairs,
I am given to understand. Broke his
neck."
A strange list of tragedies, but it does
have the net effect of leaving Miss
Huntington free of parents who might
feel obliged to inquire deeply into my
finances. The useful rumor of my uncle's
hoarded wealth would not hold up under
close scrutiny."
Jessica pursed her lips in disapproval.
I fear there's no getting around the fact
that Miss Huntington spent the minimal
amount of time in mourning after her
stepfather's death. She made it quite clear
she mourned only her mother, and even
that ended as soon as it was seemly to
do so."
You reassure me, Jessica. The last thing
I want is a woman who enjoys such
entertainments as extended mournings.
Life can be very short and it's a
shame to waste it in a lot of useless
grieving for what one cannot have, don't
you think?"
But one must learn to endure the
tragedies thrust upon us. Such things build
character. And one must also be conscious
of the proprieties," Jessica admonished,
looking faintly hurt. In any event, Lady
Nettleship, the aunt, is an excellent female
with fine connections, but there is no
denying she is a trifle odd in some ways.
I fear she has allowed her niece to run a bit
wild. Do you think you can tolerate Miss
Huntington's rather unusual manners?"
I think I can manage Miss Huntington
very well, Jessica." Lucas took another
swallow of champagne, his attention on
Victoria, who was still dancing with her
middle-aged baron.
She was not what he had expected,
Lucas reflected with a curious sense of
relief He had been prepared to do his
duty to his name, his title, and the many
people for whom he was now responsible,
but he had not expected to be able to
enjoy himself in the process.
Definitely not what he had expected.
For one thing, he had not anticipated
this near-violent rush of physical attraction.
Jessica had informed him that Victoria
Huntington was presentable enough, but
that was as far as the description had
gone.
She was taller than he had been led to
believe, much taller than the majority of
the women around her. But Lucas was
a tall man and it was good to find a
woman who's head would rest nicely on
his shoulder instead of somewhere down
around the middle of his chest.
Not what he had expected.
And she moved with a long, graceful
stride that had not a trace of the customary
mincing quality women so often affected.
She also danced well, he realized, not
without a small pang of annoyance. He
knew he could not even compete with
the middle-aged baron when it came to
partnering her.
Lucas watched as Victoria's baron guided
her effortlessly under a glittering chandelier.
The massed lights revealed the
golden highlights in her rich, tawny
brown hair. She wore the thick stuff
cut entirely too short for Lucas's taste.
But the short, artfully careless style did
reveal the delicate, enticing line of her nape
and framed her fine amber eyes. The lady
definitely knew what she was about when
it came to fashion.
Not what he had expected.
Jessica had warned him that although
there was nothing truly objectionable about
Miss Huntington's features, she was not
an outstanding beauty. Studying the lively,
animated quality of Victoria's face from
a distance, Lucas supposed Jessica was
correct in one sense. But he decided that
the warm golden eyes, so full of challenge,
the arrogant yet feminine nose, and that
flashing smile went together very nicely.
There was a fascinating, vivid element
about Victoria that caught and held the
eye. It hinted at an underlying passion
that was just waiting to be set free by the
right man.
Lucas took another glance at the smile
Victoria was giving her baron and decided
he would very much like to taste Victoria's
mouth. Soon.
Lucas, dearest?"
Reluctantly Lucas turned away from the
sight of his heiress. His heiress, he thought,
amused as he ran the phrase through his
mind again.
Yes, Jessica?" He looked inquiringly
down at the beautiful woman he had
once loved and lost due to the lack of
a title and a fortune.
Will she do, Lucas? Truly? It is not too
late to meet Miss Pilkington, you know."
Lucas reflected on how Jessica, bowing
to the dictates of her family, had married
another man to secure both a title and
a fortune. At the time he had not really
comprehended or forgiven her. Now,
having acquired the title but still lacking
the fortune he desperately needed, Lucas
finally understood the position Jessica had
been in four years earlier.
He knew now that marriage was not a
matter of emotion; it was a matter of duty.
Duty was something Lucas understood
very well.
Well, Lucas?" Jessica prompted again,
beautiful eyes full of grave concern. Can
you bring yourself to marry her? For the
sake of stone vale?"
Yes," Lucas said. Miss Hun
tington will
do very well."
/in
Is my aunt at home, Rathbone?" Victoria
inquired as she hurried into the front hall of
the town house. Carriage wheels clattered
on the street outside as Annabella and
her elderly aunt, who had accompanied
Victoria to the ball, took their leave.
Victoria was rather glad to be out of the
close confines of the vehicle. Annabella's
aunt, who had acted as a chaperon for the
younger women, had felt obliged to read her
charges a lengthy lecture on the subject of the
rather doubtful propriety of females playing
cards with men at fashionable parties.
Victoria hated lectures of that sort.
Rathbone, a massive, distinguished-look
ing man with thinning gray hair and a
nose that would have graced any duke,
solemnly indicated the closed door of
the library. I believe Lady Nettleship
is engaged with several members of her
Society for the Investigation of Natural
History and Horticulture."
Excellent. Pray, do not look so glum,
Rathbone. all is not lost. Apparently they
have not yet managed to set fire to the
library."
Only a matter of time," Rathbone
muttered.
Victoria grinned as she sailed past him,
stripping off her gloves as she went toward
the library door. Come now, Rathbone.
You have been in the service of my aunt
ever since I first came to visit as a small
child, and never once has she burned the
place down around our ears."
Begging your pardon, Miss Huntington,
but there was that time you and she
conducted the experiments with the gun
powder," Rathbone felt obliged to point
out.
What? You mean to tell me you
still recall our pitiful little attempt to
manufacture our own fireworks? What a
long memory you have, Rathbone."
Some moments in our lives are indelibly
etched in our recollections, as sharp
today as on the day they occurred. I,
personally, shall never forget the look on
the first footman's face when the explosion
occurred. We thought for one horrifying
instant that you had been killed."
But, as it turned out, I was only slightly
stunned. It was the fact that I was covered
in ashes that gave everyone pause," Victoria
noted.
You did look as gray as death, if
you don't mind my saying so, Miss
Huntington."
Yes, it was a rather spectacular effect,
was it not? Ah, well, one cannot reflect
too much on past glories. There are far
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