Compromising Miss Milton
Page 15
‘You are being very brave, Daisy, but it is utterly unnecessary.’
‘Sometimes, one has to take risks.’ Daisy wiped her hands on her gown. ‘The sooner the plan succeeds, the sooner the time will come when I can be free of you and your interference in my life.’
Adam’s fingers drummed against his thigh and she wondered if she had gone too far. He placed the necklace in the palm of her hand.
‘As you wish, but you will keep out of danger. You are simply there to wear the necklace, and to provoke a response. Allow me to deal with the response.’
‘Agreed.’
His mouth took on a sultry expression as he raised her fingers to his lips. ‘I trust you are able to dance, Daisy. Do governesses waltz? Perhaps you need a private lesson.’
The statement hung in the air. Daisy ignored the sudden image of his hand on her waist, holding her as they twirled around the ballroom’s floor. His only purpose would be to show off the necklace, rather than having his arm about her waist. They had agreed on it being platonic.
‘I enjoy dancing.’ She kept her shoulders down and her voice steady. ‘Mrs Blandish insisted that both Nella and I be present when the dancing master gave Miss Blandish her private lesson, so that Nella could be up to the minute with her accomplishments. I am well aware of the finer points of the waltz as well as this Season’s quadrilles.’
‘I look forward to waltzing with such an accomplished dancer then.’ Adam gave a half-smile, a smile that threatened to entwine itself around her insides and weaken her resolve. ‘I do love a good waltz with a willing partner.’
‘I will keep that sentiment in mind.’ Daisy closed her hand around the necklace. The stones appeared to radiate a sudden warm glow. Looking at them, she could almost start believing in its curse. ‘Sewing calls if I am to alter the ball gown in time.’
‘If you decide against the idea…’
‘Once made up, my mind keeps to the same course.’
A small smile touched his mouth but there was the faint glimmer of respect in his eyes. ‘In short, you are stubborn.’
‘We both desire the same result—a return to our respective lives as quickly as possible.’ She forced her lips to turn upwards. Every single time she uttered the phrase, her heart protested. ‘I will be ready at half past nine.’
‘It is good to know that governesses are punctual as well as mule-headed.’
* * *
‘I think my hair should be off my forehead, Polly,’ Daisy said as the maid worked on the elaborate hairstyle.
‘Your face looks better with ringlets about it. It softens your features, like,’ the maid declared, stepping back from her handiwork. ‘Take a look, miss, before you decide.’
Daisy picked up the mirror and turned her face first one way and then the other. Reluctantly she had to admit that Polly was right. Her face did look younger with the curls. Over the course of a few hours, she had come to appreciate the stout Northumbrian with her ready smile and quick fingers. It had been an age since she had had anyone to discuss matters of dress and hair style with. Polly seemed to know instinctively what suited her face and figure.
With Polly’s help, the ball gown had been rapidly altered. The neckline was now lower and in keeping with this Season’s style. And instead of staid governess, she resembled one of the fashionables set for a society ball. Daisy fluffed out the top tier of her skirt.
‘Is it possible to make the stays any tighter, Polly?’
‘They are as tight as I can make them, miss.’ The maid frowned, walked around Daisy, making small considering noises. ‘Your waist is small enough. But perhaps you need to emphasise it more.’
‘But how?’
‘The rose-pink walking dress has a burgundy sash. It will be the work of a moment to transfer it. Aye. It is almost exactly the same colour as them there rubies.’
‘That would be a good idea, even though strictly speaking it should be just white as we are in mourning for the king. However…’ Daisy hesitated. Against all common sense, she wanted to see Adam’s look of surprised shock when he first glimpsed her, and the sash would be the final touch.
‘And, miss, if I might be so bold, would you please consider taking me when you leave Gilsland?’ Polly made a quick curtsy after she had fastened the sash. ‘My uncle says that a fine lady like you would be needing a lady’s maid permanent like and I’m right handy with the needle. I’ve always dreamed of seeing the world and the closest I have ever come was Hexham market on a wet Tuesday afternoon. My aunt says that shy bairns get naught and so I am asking.’
‘I will keep the request under consideration, Polly.’ Daisy forced her voice to be light. The worse thing was that if she did have a maid, she’d prefer to have one like Polly rather than a French lady’s maid. She hated that Adam had chosen so well.
She would play the part of a fiancée to perfection and Adam would see… Daisy hated the sudden lump in her throat. He would see what? She had to keep her emotions out of it, just as she had kept her emotions out of her teaching. Adam wanted to use her.
Daisy pulled the sleeves of the gown slightly so that her shoulders rose above the cream froth of the lace. She gave the mirror one last glance and barely recognised the woman who stared back at her. The necklace appeared to have cast its glamour and transformed her into a fairy princess.
Daisy touched the now warm stones. A shiver went down her back. The stones seemed to be more alive than ever. What was Adam’s story about the curse? Was she pure of heart or would her heart turn to stone? A shiver went through her, but instantly she straightened her backbone. She was an English governess, and English governess were unmoved by Indian superstition. It was stuff and nonsense.
The men who wanted to harm her were flesh and blood. They were after the necklace for its value on the open market, not for its meaning.
Chapter Ten
Festooned with garlands of evergreens and blazing with candles, the ballroom held an air of hushed excitement when Adam arrived at ten o’clock. Perhaps the décor with its slightly faded bouquet of painted flowers was not as fine as Almack’s or another London venue, but it held a certain charm. And the standard of dancing could easily grace any fashionable ballroom.
Despite the king’s funeral earlier in the month, everyone here appeared determined to enjoy the occasion. Women’s dresses were a bit more sombre, and made from velvet rather than silk, but white shoulders rising from décolleté necklines remained.
Adam scanned the room for Daisy, who was no doubt hidden in the shadows or sitting forlornly against a wall. She had left a note pinned to the door—gone down to the ball as you were late. The irony of his deliberately giving her a few extra moments was not wasted on him. No woman had ever been punctual before. He had misjudged Daisy.
A trilling laugh sent a pulse down his spine and he slowly turned. A vibrant woman stood in the centre of a growing throng of soldiers. Daisy—but it was a Daisy he had not encountered before. He took back all his statements about her looking forever like a governess. This Daisy easily could grace the most elegant of drawing rooms. Her golden hair glowed in the candlelight of the chandelier, and her white dress showed her shoulders off to perfection. The blood-red sash made her waist look as if it was no more than a hand span. His fingers itched to try his hunch. Resolutely he forced his gaze upwards.
As promised, the necklace sparkled on her throat, but instead of overwhelming her as he had feared it might, it only enhanced her luminous beauty. The end-teardrop ruby nestled within the shadow of her breasts. Adam clenched his fists as a primitive urge to haul her away from the staring eyes filled him. He waited a breath and willed his shoulders to relax. That had been the point of Daisy wearing the necklace—to draw attention to it, except now he wished that the attention was a little more focused towards the necklace and little less on the swell of her bosom.
He advanced forwards, and touched her gloved hand. She smiled up at him and made her excuses to the soldiers, several of whom reminded her
that she had promised them dances later in the evening. The primitive desire to separate heads from bodies swamped him as one or two raised her hand to their lips.
‘Here I discover you,’ he said in her ear, leading her into the nearly deserted portico. The cool night air rose up around them, allowing him to regain control of his emotions. ‘I would have been willing to wager that you would still be doing your hair or finding an excuse to hesitate, but there was no answer to my knock. Was that wise?’
She tapped her fan against the elbow-length kid glove and her eyes danced with a secret pleasure. ‘Being a governess means accurate time keeping. When it became quarter to the hour, I assumed that you had wanted us to meet in the foyer. Polly came down with me. She’s seated in the withdrawing room.’
Adam allowed the remark to pass. She would learn that he was not a pupil of hers to be lectured, but her husband-to-be. And he looked forward to administering the lesson in seduction. She would insist on it before the night was out. He would remain in control and she would begin to understand the meaning of passion.
He glanced down at where her bosom rose amongst the ruffles. The lesson would be very pleasant indeed…for the both of them.
‘You are wearing a fortune around your neck. I had thought we could have a brief conversation about the plans. Actions you might take if approached, or signals that you could send to me if you felt threatened.’
She raised her fan, hiding her expression. ‘I had no wish to make a false step, particularly after we made our agreement.’
‘And what agreement was that?’
The fan snapped shut, revealing her delectable frown. ‘About our engagement and its boundaries. You will respect my wishes on the matter.’
‘Nothing will happen that you do not wish. Nothing has.’
‘Sometimes, you are far from a gentleman.’
Adam permitted a tiny smile to cross his face as Daisy quickly raised her fan again.
‘I did warn you that I could be a devil,’ he reminded her. ‘You should have believed me on the riverbank.’
‘What did you want to speak with me about?’
‘A few useful remarks about what might be expected.’ He placed his hand under her elbow and noticed how agreeably her skirts moved against his leg. ‘Something to ease your way in society.’
‘I have been in society before. It might not be as grand as London, but I do believe that I can behave in the approved manner without instruction.’ She arched an eyebrow and gestured towards the ever-growing crowd in the ballroom. The efficient governess was back despite her attire. Adam’s neck muscles relaxed slightly. The governess he could handle. The fairy creature was a more difficult proposition altogether. He wanted to take her back to her room and keep her there.
‘Have you considered the hidden dangers? Have you thought about an escape route?’
‘Shaw’s ballroom is safe.’ She demurely lowered her lashes, but the necklace twinkled back up at him, its fire shifting and glowing like a living thing. ‘Otherwise why would you allow me to wear such a precious object?’
‘Danger lurks everywhere. The entire countryside appears to be at the ball tonight.’ Adam removed his gaze from her bosom and forced it to stay on her determined chin and dancing eyes. She knew the effect she was having on him and every other man in this room. Adam groaned. He should never have agreed to her terms. He longed to throw her over his shoulder, take her back to his room and claim what was his by right. But he managed to restrain the impulse.
‘You are overreacting.’
‘Have you heard any gossip?’ he asked in an attempt to move his thoughts away from the sudden image of her long limbs wrapped around his as she wore nothing but the necklace.
‘Mrs Blandish considers the necklace to be vulgar and in poor taste.’
‘Has she said so?’ Adam stared with surprise at where Mrs Blandish held court. A half-dozen women surrounded Mrs Blandish and they were all regarding Daisy with distinctly uncomfortable expressions as if the blossoming of a dowdy governess was entirely unexpected and unwelcome. ‘Northern manners must be far more forthright than southern ones.’
‘I saw it from the look in her eyes and the curl of her lips when she raised her lorgnette. Then she mouthed vulgar to Miss Blandish and tapped her nose. She can be the most frightful tabby.’ Daisy shrugged a shoulder, revealing a bit more of the swell of her bosom. Adam hurriedly transferred his gaze to her heart-shaped face. ‘She remains annoyed that you slipped away before she had time to fully consider your suitability. Had the jewels been on her daughter’s neck, she’d have been praising their stylish cut and uniquely refined charm from here to London.’
‘I’d never have allowed her to wear them,’ Adam said with a frown. ‘The daughter has little charm. Heritage thinks he will be in charge, but with such a woman, I would not like to place bets.’
Adam examined the way Daisy’s ringlets kissed the back of her neck. It amazed him that he had hadn’t properly appreciated the exact sheen of her hair and how it shone in the candlelight. He wanted to whisk her away from here and keep her locked in his own private harem. It had been a mistake to have her wear the necklace. It was not the thuggee he was worried about, but the other men. Once they were married, he would settle down to a quiet country life, or else he’d spend his entire time jealous of the demands on his wife’s attention.
‘Who are your suspects?’ A frown appeared between her eyes. ‘Everyone seems to be looking at me this evening. I am not certain if it is because of the necklace or…’
‘That is a crude attempt at fishing for a compliment, Daisy. You need to learn finesse.’ Adam put his hand on her waist and enjoyed the way she worried her bottom lip. ‘Everyone is watching you because of the dress and the way your eyes sparkle.’
‘And the necklace?’
‘We will find out in time if your hunch is correct. Keep to well-lit places with lots of people about.’
‘Are you my keeper?’
‘I intend to be.’
Daisy halted and focused on the patterned floor rather than Adam’s face. An insidious warmth had curled about her insides. His dark looks suited perfectly the formality of evening dress. Ever since she had spied him, her pulse had pounded loudly in her ears, giving a lie to her appeal for a platonic friendship. She tried to tell herself that it was the excitement of the adventure, but it also had to do with the prospect of crossing swords with the infuriating man. She had to remember that he was more than capable of using seduction for his own ends. She would hold him to his promise. Daisy’s heart skipped a beat. He had promised, hadn’t he? It bothered her that a significant portion of her hoped that he hadn’t.
‘I do possess a modicum of self-preservation.’ She glanced up through a forest of lashes and smiled as sweetly as possible. ‘The necklace is about my neck, not yours.’
‘Then you should have waited for an escort, but, Miss Daisy Milton, I think you enjoy taking risks now that you are no longer a governess. In that dress, you would take your place amongst the reigning beauties. That is your second compliment of the evening.’
Daisy opened and closed her mouth several times before attempting a dignified silence.
The corner of his mouth twitched. ‘When you are through behaving like a cod fish, shall we make our grand entrance at the ball?’
‘I never behave like a cod fish.’
‘Or maybe behaving like a woman who desires to be kissed. You do keep pursing your mouth up.’
The warmth inside her threatened to burst into flame. Daisy fingered her fan. A tiny action, but it gave her the time she needed to regain control and dowse the heat.
Daisy bit her lip, her heart sinking. She had thought that this was the perfect way to demonstrate her independence, but she had come out of it seeming younger than Nella. ‘Next time, it would help if you informed me exactly where you wanted me?’
‘Oh, I know where I want you.’ His voice tickled her ear. ‘The question is getting you there.’
‘As my lady requires.’
The announcement of their engagement was short and the entire room applauded. Several of the elderly ladies lifted their lorgnettes to gain a better view and Daisy was distinctly pleased that she had spent time on the ball dress. She looked the part, even if on the inside she knew she was a fraud. It was pleasant for a few moments to dream that this could be real.
‘And now, the time has come for the main event.’ Adam’s breath tickled her ear and sent her stomach into loops. ‘Who is going to appear? If they are not already here.’
The main event. The words penetrated her haze and she came crashing down to earth, all her palaces in the clouds vanishing. She was only here because Adam needed her to be. She was simply a warm body. Any woman would have done.
He put his hand on the hollow of her back and steered her in the direction of an elderly man who closely resembled a fierce walrus. ‘Lord Denning has been eyeing the necklace ever since he saw you. He has a great fondness for jewels of all sorts.’
‘Lord Edward’s uncle?’ Daisy said. ‘I have encountered him before. He is quite formidable. I do not think he altogether approves of Miss Blandish.’ Daisy stopped and glanced up at the shadows in Adam’s face. ‘You cannot suspect him! He has a reputation of the utmost probity.’
‘He interests me for a number of reasons. He has quizzed me about India and its legends before.’
Daisy took a deep breath and wished that she had not had the stays pulled quite so tight. ‘Nella swore that Lord Denning ate little girls and spat them out. Her remarks caused much upset.’
‘I begin to like Nella more and more.’ His eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘A pity that she is not here to enliven the proceedings.’
‘Ah, Ravensworth, where have you been hiding this exquisite creature? She is quite the talk of the ball,’ the elderly man’s voice boomed out.