Finessing the Contessa

by Wendy Soliman

  “Whom do you have in mind for me this time, Sophia?” he asked, flashing a wry smile.

  “Bah, I have quite given up on you.” She flapped a hand and then linked it through Rob’s arm. “You’re hopelessly stubborn and far too particular. None of the ladies I’ve introduced to you appear to find favour.”

  “Which won’t stop her from trying that much harder,” Billingham predicted.

  “I do so enjoy a challenge,” she said with an engaging smile. “Besides, a gentleman in your position owes it to society to find himself a wife.”

  “The Forsters are toeing the line,” Rob reminded her. “Hal and Flick are both comfortably settled.”

  Sophia laughed. “And you could do worse than follow their example.”

  “You’re right, as always.”

  “Why do I feel that I’ve just fallen into one of those traps you and Charles are always dreaming up for one another over the chessboard?”

  Rob adopted a censorious expression. “You’ve acquired a suspicious nature over the years, Sophia.”

  “I’m a mother,” she responded sweetly. “It’s my job to be suspicious.”

  They were laughing as the three of them ascended the steps and entered the hall. The house was enormous, which was just as well, given the size of Billingham’s family. It was elegant in an understated sort of way, Sophia’s good taste evident everywhere Rob looked.

  “Despite appearances to the contrary, I do appreciate your interest in my affairs,” he said.

  Sophia dealt him a suspicious look. “You do?”

  “Certainly I do. It’s just that matrimony isn’t something I’m yet ready to consider. Should that situation change, I shall be entirely at your disposal.”

  “Be careful, Rob,” Charles cautioned. “She won’t forget your words.”

  Rob laughed. “I’m sure you’re right.”

  He glanced over Sophia’s shoulder as he spoke, scanning the drawing room where a whole host of grandly attired people were taking tea. He tried to see if the contessa was amongst them without making it obvious he was looking for anyone in particular. He couldn’t smell gardenias, nor could he see a dark-headed, taller-than-average lady among those scattered about the room. It hardly mattered since he didn’t plan upon their being formally introduced until the evening. Even so, a glimpse to satisfy himself that she’d arrived safely would have set his mind at rest.

  “Go and sit with your friends, my dear,” Charles said. “You ought not to be standing about in your condition.”

  “Again?” Rob asked.

  “It seems I breed every time Charles so much as looks as me,” Sophia said with a sardonic smile.

  “Ah, so that’s how it’s achieved. I did wonder.”

  Charles barked out a laugh. Sophia coloured.

  “Congratulations,” Rob said diplomatically. “And this will be number, er—”

  “Five,” Charles said, grimacing.

  “Stop pretending you don’t enjoy having such a large brood,” Sophia said. “Rob knows you too well to be deceived.”

  “Even so, you ought to take better care of yourself,” Charles insisted.

  “Nonsense! If I don’t know how much I can do after four previous confinements then I deserve to be committed to Bedlam.”

  “You sound as bad as Leah,” Rob remarked. “Poor Hal is tearing his hair out trying to get her to slow down.”

  “We ladies know best about these matters.”

  Rob rolled his eyes. “Try telling that to Hal. In all honesty, your invitation arrived at an auspicious juncture, providing me with a perfect excuse to escape their marital bliss. My presence at the Hall was definitely surplus to requirements.”

  “If that’s the case,” Charles said, “perhaps it’s time to find a place of your own.”

  “Yes, very possibly.” But Rob wasn’t seriously thinking along those lines. He’d exaggerated about the situation at the Hall. Hal and Leah were desperately in love—that part was certainly true—but Rob had his own suite of rooms and was never made to feel uncomfortable by his brother and new sister’s closeness.

  “I’ll write to Leah to see if she requires any advice,” Sophia said.

  “Thank you.” Rob kissed the back of her hand. “I know she will appreciate having a friend at such a time. There’s no one close to her who’s been through a confinement. That doesn’t worry her in the slightest but I think your intervention will set Hal’s mind at rest.”

  “Then I shall see to it immediately.”

  Sophia left the two men alone. They both watched her retreat at a rapid pace, her condition not appearing to slow her down.

  “She’ll be the death of me yet,” Charles said with a long-suffering sigh. “Come, I’ll show you up, although you must know the way perfectly well by now. You’re in your usual room.”

  “You seem to have a houseful,” Rob said as they ascended the stairs together. “I thought this was to be a small gathering of chess aficionados.”

  “So it is. Most of those people in the drawing room are close neighbours and will be gone before we get down to the serious business.” Charles shrugged. “You know Sophia. She’ll grasp at any excuse to entertain.”

  Rob smiled. “True enough.”

  “In her condition, too.” Charles shook his head, his disapproval lacking conviction. “Anyway, to answer your question, there are several decent players here already whom you know. Plus, of course, the contessa. Her presence will shake us up and make things a great deal more interesting.”

  “Ah yes, the contessa. What’s she like?”

  “Beautiful, alluring and distracted,” Charles said without hesitation.

  Ah, so you’ve noticed as well. “Why do you say that?” Rob asked as they entered his room.

  “I’m not sure precisely. She only arrived an hour or so before you. She greeted Sophia and me with great charm but then asked to be shown to her room and we haven’t seen her since. Her maid sent word that she’s tired after her journey and plans to rest until dinnertime.”

  “That’s not unreasonable.”

  “I suppose not.” Charles sounded as though he was trying to convince himself. “Ignore me, I’m seeing shadows where none exist.”

  Rob doubted that. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, she arrived with no male servants at all. As well as being risky, don’t you think that’s rather odd for a lady in her position?”

  “Possibly, but—”

  “Her carriage was hired and has been dismissed.”

  “Presumably she’ll hire another when she’s ready to leave.”

  “Yes, but her family are supposed to be fabulously wealthy, so why skimp on her travelling arrangements?”

  “These are still unsettled times for Sicily. Besides, I don’t believe her family holds any property on these shores so she would need to rely on hired transportation.”

  “She still could have done a great deal better.”

  Rob, who agreed, made no comment.

  “It also seems strange that she’s chosen this particular time to visit England.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  Charles shrugged. “You know as well as I do that, up until now, all invitations to attend chess tournaments outside of Italy have been politely declined.”

  “Which probably added to her reputation,” Rob said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re all so keen to play against her.”

  “Precisely. But my point is that she doesn’t know me since we’d never actually met before today. When I heard she was in England, I sent her an invitation to join this little party but never supposed she would accept.” He frowned. “I’m conscious of the honour, but can’t help wondering what persuaded her.”

  “You don’t make allowance for your own r
eputation as a player, Charles. Even I have difficulty besting you on occasion.”

  “Cheeky young pup!”

  Rob chuckled. “Besides, her circumstances have changed. She’s now a widow and presumably free to please herself.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.” Charles sighed and turned towards the door. “Ignore me, having a lively imagination can sometimes be a curse.”

  “If you’re concerned about the contessa’s reasons for being here, I’ll keep an eye on her, if you like.”

  “Thank you.” Charles fixed him with an intent gaze tinged with a fair degree of amusement. “Are you sure you haven’t met the lady?”

  “We’ve not been introduced. Why do you ask?”

  “Watching her will place no strain on your eyes, so I wondered—”

  “You have a suspicious mind, Charles.”

  “And, unless I miss my guess, you won’t be the only gentleman here keen to win the contessa’s favour.”

  “Then we’re in for an interesting time.”

  “I enjoy blood sports,” Charles said, clearly amused.

  “You’re becoming as bad as Sophia.” Rob yawned. “When’s Turner due to arrive?”

  Rob was due to make his report to the Foreign Secretary’s private secretary, Turner, who was a fine chess player. When Hal heard that both Rob and Turner were to visit Billingham, he identified a failsafe method of delivering his report, clear of prying ears and eyes at Whitehall. It also provided him with a perfect excuse not to leave Leah again so soon after reluctantly making an excursion to Sicily on behalf of the government. The contessa’s visit to Rob’s bedchamber to steal that report confirmed Hal’s concerns about security. Someone had discovered Rob was Hal’s courier. Spies were clearly busy beyond the corridors of Whitehall since very few people could have known of the arrangement.

  “Not until Monday,” Charles said. “Some urgent business has delayed him until then, apparently.”

  Another two days. Rob thought of the contessa and suppressed a smile. A lot could be achieved in two days.

  Chapter Four

  “The green.” Full of indecision, Electra bit her lip as she examined her row of evening gowns. “No, perhaps the hazel.”

  “Make up your mind, m’lady. Time’s getting on.”

  “Yes, definitely the hazel.”

  “That’s your best. You sure you want to wear it your first night here?”

  “Yes. No.” She threw her hands up, the fear and indecision that had gripped her all day refusing to loosen its hold. “Oh, I don’t know. You decide for me.”

  Luci patted her bare shoulder. “What is it? It’s not like you to be so nervous.”

  “I’ve never been in a foreign country without the support of my husband before. It’s an unsettling experience.”

  Luci sniffed. “He wasn’t that much of a support, if you ask me.” Electra hadn’t but she allowed the remark to pass unchallenged. “He was always more concerned with his own affairs.”

  That’s undeniably true. “Even so, some of the best chess players in England are under this roof tonight.”

  “You’re easily their equal.”

  “Am I? Now the time’s arrived to prove myself, I’m starting to doubt it.”

  “You have a couple of days to get used to your surroundings. Word below stairs is that the serious games won’t start immediately.”

  “Yes, Lord Billingham told that much himself.”

  Not that it helped much. It wasn’t the chess that really worried her. She couldn’t tell Luci her concern was actually directed towards a certain elegant gentleman who was owed an explanation for her bizarre behaviour. Electra stood up and paced the length of her sumptuous chamber, wearing just her shift. How had she managed to land herself in such an impossible farrago? If the ground would be good enough to open up and swallow her whole, she would be very much obliged to it.

  Lord Robert had arrived. She’d watched him guiding a beautiful pair of black horses up the driveway, controlling them with an indolent skill that probably underscored everything he did. He’d stepped from his carriage and greeted their host and hostess with a degree of affection that only served to heighten her feelings of isolation. He was even more formidable in daylight. He was dressed in the height of fashion, his hair tousled from the wind.

  Not that she’d been looking for him, precisely. Restless and unable to sleep, she’d wandered to the window at the exact moment of his arrival. She observed him out of curiosity, trying to convince herself that her memory had played tricks on her and he wasn’t quite as handsome or sophisticated as she recalled. Fascinated by his easy manners and ready laughter as he exchanged pleasantries with Lord and Lady Billingham, she couldn’t have looked away if her life had depended upon it.

  It very possibly might.

  Per amor del cielo! This admiration for a man who could orchestrate her downfall with a casual flip of one elegant wrist really wouldn’t do. She had no choice but to somehow ingratiate herself with him and acquire the papers Maynard so urgently required. The thought of duping Lord Robert made her feel ashamed. When she thought how matters could have turned out last night—how they would have developed had she entered uninvited the chamber of just about any other man in the inn—her heart stalled, and then fluttered. Annoyingly, that fluttering didn’t only represent relief. There was also a degree of disappointment in the mix. The longings he’d agitated when he kissed her seemed reluctant to subside.

  Sighing deeply, Electra re-seated herself, aware she could no longer procrastinate. Luci attacked her hair with gusto.

  “Dress it high, Luci, as though I was attending Court.”

  “If you think it appropriate.”

  “I sense curiosity about me so I might as well give my fellow guests something to look at.”

  If Lord Robert was ungentlemanly enough to remark publicly about the events of the previous evening, then she would simply deny them outright. If necessary she would apply to Luci to attest that she hadn’t left her chamber once. Not that she thought he would mention it—at least not in company. But, at some point, she would be asked to explain why she’d ventured into his room in the first place. They both knew she hadn’t mistaken it for her own.

  It was scant comfort to recall that kissing her seemed to divert him, preventing him from pressing her for a true explanation. It had merely postponed the inevitable because, if he hadn’t known who she was last night, he would surely recognise her the moment she stepped into the drawing room. That being so, she would pull out all the stops, play the part of the autocratic contessa to the hilt and defy him to assume he had any right to question her.

  “The diamonds, Luci,” Electra said after her maid had helped her into her sumptuous gown of deep hazel silk overlaid with spangled Flemish lace. The neckline was daringly low, showing off her décolletage to its best advantage. It was a view that appeared to deflect most men’s attention when she sat across from them at a chess table. Electra was desperate enough to make use of any advantages at her disposal.

  With diamonds at her throat, ears and wrist, Electra checked her appearance for the umpteenth time, looking for excuses to delay. She barely recognised the creature who stared back at her, taking courage from the knowledge that she’d seldom looked better. Perhaps Lord Robert wouldn’t know who she was after all.

  “Wish me luck, Luci,” she said, picking up her fan.

  “I’m sure you’ll bewitch them all, m’lady.” Her maid opened the door for her and patted her hand. “Just like you always do.”

  Well, that makes one of us.

  Feeling almost sick with nerves, Electra lifted her chin and floated into the crowded drawing room as though she owned it. Conversations stopped as her presence was observed and she quickly became the centre of attention. She didn’t allow that to concern her. She
’d become accustomed to being stared at during the years of her marriage. Her husband had made a habit of parading her about as though she was his chattel, enjoying vicariously the effect she had on rivals and friends alike. She had never supposed she would be grateful for the way it had taught her to discourage unwanted attention by seeming distant and aloof.

  Lord Billingham detached himself from a group which she couldn’t help noticing included Lord Robert, resplendent in a superbly cut charcoal coat and bright silk waistcoat in blue and green stripes. His hair fell across eyes that lifted towards her as though he sensed her presence before actually seeing her. A smile that was pure predatory male played about his lips when his gaze came to rest upon her and was slow to move on. Helpless to look away from him, Electra felt as though she’d been caught in a snare.

  “Contessa.” Lord Billingham’s voice recalled her attention as he bowed over her hand and kissed it. “Allow me to introduce you to some of my guests.”

  * * *

  The delicate aroma of gardenias warned Rob that she’d finally arrived. He had no intention of looking at her quite yet, but his gaze drifted in her direction without his permission, and her appearance rocked him to the core. He had seen enough of her the night before to realise she was beautiful, but he had failed to appreciate the full extent of that beauty. Seeing her now, dressed in an evening gown foreign enough to make a statement about her personality, filled him with a reckless desire to sweep her into his arms and kiss her witless. Only, unlike last night, he wouldn’t stop at merely kissing her.

  She looked right at him, her eyes briefly flared but otherwise she showed no indication that they’d previously met. Rob averted his gaze first, willing to bide his time. He returned his attention to the flighty chit who’d been doing her utmost to engage his attention, and made some banal reply to a comment she addressed to him.