“Save a dance for me, will you?”
She froze as she peered into his eyes for a long second then leaned in closer. “I thought we were to be cold and distant,” she whispered. Being careful that no one else would here.
He smiled at her, “I have made several adjustments to my plans.”
Her eyes grew very big at his words.
“Besides,” he continued. “One dance together will not hurt us. Although, if I had my way, you would dance with no one but myself ever again.”
Her face drained of color as he stepped past her. Good, he thought, let her chew on that for a while, perhaps it would keep her diverted long enough for him to finish what he needed to finish tonight.
Ah, there he was, Lord Hicks, stood next to the towering Nathanial Caldwell. Perfect, he thought as he scanned the room placing people. Nathanial’s wife, Lady Alice and several of her friends stood by the garden doors.
Olivia and Bradford were dancing but not with each other. He noticed Bradford shoot Olivia’s partner a deep frown. For the first time, he understood the feeling of possessiveness in his friend’s eyes.
Lady Weston was sitting with the old biddies along the far wall. Four old women perched like wizened owls. Judging, assessing, ready to issue a disapproving glance at the slightest mistake.
Knowing Lady Weston, she had placed herself there purposely to ensure nothing reflected poorly on the family. As she would say, - best to stop rumors before they start.
His Grace, the Duke of Hamilton and his Duchess were also in attendance. Both of them dancing together. The two of them looking at each other like lovebirds trapped in their own world. But then they had never worried about decorum.
As he wove his way through the crowd, he tuned out the sharp smell of a dozen different perfumes. With a little extra effort, he ignored the orchestra. All he could see was his quarry.
The man was short, especially next to Nathanial. A fact that Hicks did not even consider. Many such short men would have felt intimidated, or embarrassed and found a reason to be elsewhere. But not Hicks.
Lord Warwick studied the man. Narrow shoulders, a balding head, nothing significant. But the eyes. They told a different story. Intelligent, almost feral. Like a wild dog. Eyes that missed nothing.
“Caldwell,” Warwick said as he stepped up next to the two men. His friend Nathanial nodded back then to the man next to him.
“You know Lord Hicks, I believe,” Nathanial said, raising a questioning eyebrow. An expression that could mean simple curiosity. Or as Warwick well knew, that was secretly asking him why his sister had been forced to invite such a disagreeable guest as Lord Hicks.
“Of course,” he said as he extended his hand to the short man. “Wasn’t it last year, at court?”
“Two years ago,” Lord Hicks said as he took Lord Warwick’s hand.
Both of them held their grip, as they stared directly at each other for a long moment. The tension grew as Lord Warwick fought the impulse to punch the man there and then. Right in the middle of Olivia’s ball.
Lord Hicks stared back at him, almost daring him to take action.
“Yes, … Well …” Nathanial said. “Um. If you will excuse me. I believe my wife is signaling that she expects a dance.”
The tense moment was broken, both men released each other’s hand and stepped back.
“Of course, Caldwell,” Warwick said. “Please ask Lady Alice to save me a dance.”
Nathanial snorted as he shook his head. Without another word, the big man left them, parting the crowd as he made his way to his wife.
“A remarkable man,” Lord Hicks said with a strange smile. “I believe his grasp reaches into almost every part of the empire. What knowledge he must possess.”
Lord Warwick’s stomach clenched up. So that was how it was to be.
“Yes,” he said, “And once that knowledge of the empire was merged with Lady Alice’s insights to the ton. It has made him even more powerful.”
Lord Hicks nodded as he turned from watching Nathanial to look back at Lord Warwick.
“Are you well enough to dance, Warwick?” Lord Hicks asked with a false sense of concern.
Lord Warwick’s brow narrowed in confusion, “Why would you think that I wasn’t?”
Lord Hicks shrugged slightly. “Oh, I thought I saw a slight limp as you made your way through the crowd. What, an old wound perhaps?”
Warwick pushed back the rising anger, the man was too confident. Too sure of himself. Why? What did Lord Hicks know that he didn’t?
“Oh, it is nothing. A slight altercation.”
Lord Hicks smiled knowingly. “Yes, London has become such a cesspool. Why I heard that a man was shot only last month. Twice in fact. I heard that he crawled off like a wounded beast only to disappear.”
Warwick smiled down at the man, “That would be a concern. It is common knowledge that wounded animals often return and take down their attacker.”
Lord Hicks laughed slightly as he raised his glass for another sip of his drink. “I have always found that it is best to just put the dumb beast out of his misery.”
The man knows I can’t take action against him, Lord Warwick thought. The man was almost taunting him, daring him to stop him.
“That is where we differ, Lord Hicks. I only believe in disposing of an animal if it betrays its master. There really is nothing worse than disloyalty. Don’t you think?”
Lord Hicks’ eyebrows rose slightly at the veiled insult but he quickly gathered himself. “That would depend upon the master. Now wouldn’t it.”
Warwick nodded as he raised his glass. The two of them stood there, a tense wall of pure awkwardness between them. He so wanted to put his hands around this man’s neck and drag him to the chopping block.
Time, he reminded himself. Give it time. This man would pay for his betrayal. He would pay for all the soldiers and sailors who had lost their lives because of the information he had fed to the French.
Finally, after a long silent minute, Lord Warwick spotted a head bobbing through the crowd. This should be interesting he thought. Let us see if you are able to maintain that smug expression for very long.
“Ah, Bartholomew, there you are,” Lord Warwick said as he pulled the young man towards them.
Freddie Bartholomew looked as if he had just been forced to drink Hemlock. As if he knew he was to die within the next few minutes. His eyes darted to Lord Hicks, then back to Lord Warwick. It was very obvious he desperately wished to be anywhere else.
“I believe you know Lord Hick,” Warwick said to the young man.
“Um, … Yes,” Freddie said, quickly glancing at Lord Hicks as he offered a quick bow. He was obviously worried if he had said the wrong thing.
“Oh, yes,” Lord Hicks said, “Freddie and I are old friends.”
Warwick had to fight not to smile. The man’s face had lost some of its color and his eyes were probing Freddie. Desperately trying to understand what had happened The man had not known about the arrest. Interesting, his talons did not extend into the King’s jail.
Good, Warwick thought. That first chink in the armor. That look of surprise behind the man’s eyes was most satisfying.
He smiled to himself as he answered his own question, Lord Hicks had lost a little of the smugness.
“Yes,” Lord Warwick began. “Freddie and I met just the other day. Such interesting stories we shared.”
Lord Hicks pursed his lips as he nodded. Looking at the young man, silently sending some unknown message. Then, very quietly, he looked out over the room, examining exits and possible routes of escape.
Yes, the man was worried. For the first time, Lord Warwick saw a hint of concern. Slowly, Lord Hicks was realizing that things might not be as safe as he had assumed. Only after seeing that the room remained free of his King’s men did his shoulders slump in relief. There would be no arrest, no not tonight.
Turning back to Freddie, Lord Hicks cocked an eyebrow. “I am surprised to see you to
night, Freddie, this is a little higher on the ladder than your normal event. It seems you are raising yourself quite well.”
Freddie blushed as he quickly looked down at his feet. “Yes, My Lord.”
“Oh, I asked Lady Bradford to add Freddie to the guest list. We have become so close and there are so many things about the young man I have yet to discover.”
A little more blood drained from Lord Hicks’ face as he slowly nodded. “Of course. Um… now if you will excuse me, I have spotted someone I must talk to.”
Lord Warwick stopped his lips from cracking into a broad smile. “Yes, I understand perfectly.”
Lord Hicks froze for a long second as he looked up into Lord Warwick’s eyes. The two men stared at each other, exchanging messages that only the other would ever understand.
“I will say goodnight, then,” Lord Hicks said as he placed his glass on a side table. “Freddie, until we see each other again.”
Freddie swallowed hard, “Yes, My Lord.”
Warwick chuckled to himself as he watched the man walk away. He had accomplished his goal this night. He had put Lord Hicks on the defensive. Now it was but a matter of stepping back and watching what happened.
His men were in place. Each of the culprits had a dozen men keeping them under observation. Hicks himself had the best dozen, three shifts of four. None of them would be allowed to escape. All Warwick could hope for was that Hicks tried to contact his conduit and use him to escape.
Turning to the young man next to him, Warwick smiled. “Go find my man Sanderson, he will escort you back to your new home at Newgate.”
Freddie sighed visibly as he slumped in on himself.
“You did well, Freddie.” Lord Warwick continued. “You might very well have kept your head tonight. Literally.”
Warwick watched him turn and slink out of the room. There was no need to worry about the man trying to escape. He well knew he would lose everything if he was to attempt such folly.
Sighing heavily, Warwick took a long sip from his flute of champagne. Although truth be told, he really would have preferred whiskey. Perhaps he could raid Bradford’s study.
The thought had no sooner occurred to him when a tiny feminine hand grabbed his arm and spun him around.
“Are you insane?” Amanda demanded through clenched teeth as her eyes darted left and right to see if anyone had heard her outburst.
He laughed and slowly shook his head. “No, not as far as I know,” Lord Warwick replied as his heart settled into a comfortable beat. What was it about this woman that brought calm to a world out of control.
“But then,” he continued. “If I was? Would I know?”
She sighed heavily, obviously upset with him. “You needn’t wonder, You are, I promise you.”
He laughed and twisted to grab two more flutes from a passing waiter. Once again, Nathanial’s reach into France was to be admired. He would wager that Jocko, Nathanial’s man, had smuggled this home just last week.
He held one out for her and raised an eyebrow, daring her to refuse his offer.
She frowned at him in disappointment as she took the glass from his hand. Their fingers brushed and he had to fight the urge to take her into his arms, there in front of everyone.
“Now, then,” he began. “What have I done to upset you this time?” he asked her.
She shot him a look that only a woman could ever master. A look of pure feminine disapproval.
“What are you thinking?” She hissed. “You have as much as told Lord Hicks you know he is guilty and that it is only a matter of time until he is arrested.”
“Yes, I thought the Freddie Bartholomew part went very well. It was the factor that might put our Lord Hicks over the edge.”
Amanda stared at him for a long moment then slowly shook her head. It was rather obvious the woman did not believe in his plan. No, to her she would want all the ramifications laid out and narrowed down to just one possible outcome.
He didn’t operate that way. It took too long and besides, no plan ever worked out as it should. No, better to remain flexible and react.
“Besides,” he said as he removed her drink from her hand and placed both glasses on the side table. “This is our dance. And you know how well we dance together. Both of us in rhythm.”
Her cheeks grew slightly pink as her eyes held his for a long moment. She knew exactly what he was talking about. She didn’t know whether to smile or slap him. He laughed as he took her hand and led her onto the dance floor.
Yes, A most becoming look. Miss Amanda Waters was a remarkable combination of innocence and worldliness. A woman that a man could fall in love with if he were not careful.
But then, it might be too late, he thought to himself. And surprisingly, the realization did not frighten him to his very core. No, it was almost a relief to finally admit the truth to himself. He was in love with this woman and would be for the rest of his life.
A sadness washed through him that he fought to hide from her. He would never be able to have this woman. Not as she deserved. His life had no room for a wife. A hostage to fortune. No, it was not to be.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Amanda pulled on her glove then leaned in to give Olivia a goodbye kiss.
“Everything was perfect,” she told her friend.
Olivia smiled with relief and said, “I do wish you would stay the night. Heaven knows we have more than enough of rooms.”
Amanda slowly shook her head as she pulled on her second glove. No, not tonight. Tonight she needed to be in her own bed so she could dream about Lord Warwick.
The man had confused her more than once this evening, she needed time alone to decipher everything. First, he invited Hicks and that Freddie character. Then throws them together. Even worse, he had ignored his entire cold and distant plan.
Instead, he had danced with her, then joined her at Olivia’s side. Even flirting occasionally. Right there in front of everyone. What was the man thinking? Their friends and then eventually the ton itself would surely discover the truth.
And while the scandal would not hurt him or his family. It would destroy her.
Yet, she hadn’t been able to stand aside either. She could have closed him down. A sharp word. Even a special look and he would have stopped being so solicitous. But she hadn’t. Instead, she had basked in his attention. Loving the feeling of specialness it gave her.
Both Olivia and Lady Weston had shared more than one knowing look. She could see it in Olivia’s eyes. The woman was a born matchmaker and had learned at the knee of an expert in Lady Weston. The two of them would be arranging supposedly accidental meetings between her and Lord Warwick within a fortnight.
Throwing them together in the hope they found a connection. What would they think if they knew exactly how … connected they had already been.
As Benson draped her cape across her shoulders, she asked him to have one of the footmen hail a cab.
“It is waiting, Miss Waters,” the butler said with a soft smile.
“Thank you, Benson,” she said before turning back to Olivia. The concern in her friend's expression made her feel loved.
“Really, Olivia, I will be fine. Anderson will meet the cab when it arrives. I will never be alone. I assure you.”
Olivia studied her for a long moment then nodded in acceptance. That was the thing about Olivia, she despised being thwarted.
“It is a shame that Lord Warwick left so early,” Olivia said with a knowing smile. “Perhaps he could have escorted you. He is enough of a family friend that there shouldn’t be any scandal.”
Amanda’s stomach dropped. It was starting already.
“Olivia, this is the nineteenth century. I am perfectly able to travel across town without a man escorting me.”
Again, Olivia rolled her eyes. “Amanda, I saw the way you two were acting tonight. If I didn’t know better, I would think you were lovers.”
Swallowing hard, Amanda turned towards the front door, determined to give
no hint to her friend. Instead, she shook her head and said, “Don’t be such a ninny. And put away your matchmaking urge. Lord Warwick and I are from two different worlds.”
Olivia followed along by Amanda’s side. “Maybe. After all, the man is a rake. It is impossible to imagine you ever being interested in him. But tonight … I saw something.”
Amanda waved her hand in dismissal. “Really Olivia, you are being silly.”
Her friend shrugged, but Amanda could tell that this was far from over. Her insides curled up at the thought that she would have to spend the coming months in constant denial. It was going to be hard enough to hide her feelings without Olivia constantly pushing at her.
“Goodnight,” Amanda said. “Thank you again. As I said, everything was wonderful. You did very well. As always.”
Olivia brought her in for another kiss on the cheek then let her friend go, her eyes studying her as if she were an old puzzle with new pieces.
Amanda shook off the sudden feeling of dread and allowed a footman to hand her up into the cab. Once inside, she pulled her cape in close against the crisp night are and closed her eyes as she settled back. Letting the dark night fold itself over her. The evening had been one stressful moment after the other.
Seeing Warwick again. His handsome face and those wide shoulders calling to her. Then watching him with Lord Hick and that Mr. Bartholomew. Her heart had raced so fast she thought for sure it would never stop.
Add to that, their dance. She shuddered, remembering how close she had come to simply pulling him near and kissing him right there in the middle of Olivia’s ballroom. It had taken every fiber of her self-control to stop herself.
What was she to do? The man was her soul mate. The one person she knew she should be with for the rest of her life.
Yet, it was not to be. No. It could never occur. The thought sent a sadness through her. A sadness that felt as if it would weigh her down and keep her from ever being happy again.
The cab rocked as it turned a corner. Amanda sighed. She was returning to her life, she reminded herself as she checked her reticule to ensure she had a coin ready for the cab. Back to a life of boredom and loneliness.
Challenging A Rake (A Rake's Redemption Book 4) Page 17
