Seeking Scandal

by Nadine Millard

  She'd looked at him then. With those eyes that were dangerously close to piercing his soul once more.

  Minutes ago they had blazed with the blue flame of her glorious anger. Now, they were sparkling from the remnants of her tears and gazing at him.

  And, dear God, he could not resist them now any more than he'd been able to in the past.

  He wanted to kiss her senseless. Remind her of what they'd had. What she'd rejected.

  But his conscience pricked him. Hadn't she just been in a frightening tangle with one of the worst rakes of the ton? He should not take advantage.

  He'd even made a colossal effort to put a stop to it. But then Caroline had pulled his head toward hers and decidedly taken advantage.

  Tom had never been able to refuse her anything before, and he was starting to remember why.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CAROLINE FELT THE last vestiges of her control slipping away and she couldn't care less. Her damned control had controlled her for far too long.

  Her heart wept with joy. Tom! Tom was back, holding her in his arms and kissing her once again.

  His mouth held hers captive and Caroline thought her knees would finally give way she was trembling so much.

  Her breathing became ragged but she would rather pass out than pull away from him now. Her predicament was solved however, when Tom removed his mouth from her own and began a slow, gloriously agonizing trail across her jaw and down to her neck.

  Caroline felt a surge of something she did not recognize but she very much wanted to explore, settle in the pit of her stomach. She almost sobbed at the sensations Tom was evoking in her.

  "Tom," she breathed, her voice hoarse with longing, "I missed you so much."

  Caroline stumbled as she was abruptly pushed away from Tom's intoxicating body.

  She looked up in confusion, and was filled with an icy dread at the look on Tom's face. He looked angry again. But more than that, he looked disgusted. With her?

  Caroline shivered again, but this time in fear of what she was seeing on Tom's face. Oh, she wasn't afraid of him. Just petrified of the hold he still had on her heart. And how much his emotions still affected her.

  "Tom, I—"

  "Don't." Tom's voice lashed at her overwrought nerves.

  "What a fool I am. You missed me?" He laughed but the sound was so bitter it caused her heart to clench. "Who would miss something discarded so easily, my lady?"

  My lady?

  Caroline swallowed painfully.

  "I—"

  "I said don't."

  He turned his back and Caroline could only stare at his broad shoulders, his slightly long, roguish hair.

  Finally, after agonising seconds, he turned back to her.

  "I should take you back inside."

  "But—"

  "No buts, Caroline. It's not safe out here with me."

  "I don't feel unsafe," she whispered.

  Tom stared intently at her for what seemed like an age, his eyes boring into hers, his face a picture of some emotion that seemed to be causing him acute pain.

  Eventually, he reached out and took her hand, tucking it into the crook of his arm and turning her toward the lights and sounds of the packed ballroom.

  "Perhaps you don't," he said, his tone gravelly, "but I do."

  Tom was furious. Beyond furious. With her, with himself, with Edward and Rebecca for not doing their bloody jobs and watching her.

  He had no idea what had gotten into her. Certainly the Caroline he had known would never test the bounds of propriety enough to go, unescorted, outside with a man.

  Glowering at would-be conversationalists, Tom battled his way through the crowded ballroom to find his wayward cousin.

  She was very quiet.

  He glanced at her in consternation. He had expected icy fury or superior distain. Not meek silence.

  "Lady Caroline." A red-faced Hadley appeared in front of them, forcing them to come to a stop. He was out of breath and sweating. "I've been searching high and low for you."

  Tom was in no mood to entertain the young dandy, particularly since he'd spotted Edward and Rebecca and meant to tell them in no uncertain terms how bad they were at chaperoning people.

  "Move."

  Hadley's face fell comically at Tom's abrupt tone.

  His complexion, though Tom would have thought it impossible, turned even redder. His eyes darted from Caroline, who still hadn't spoken a word, to Tom before he appeared to come to some sort of decision.

  "Forgive me Mr. Crawdon, but it was Lady Caroline I sought to speak with."

  There was a moment's tense silence as Tom stared down at Hadley and he stared mutinously back. Tom's lips quirked in amusement. The man had guts, apparently.

  "Move," Tom repeated, "now".

  Hadley swallowed so hard that his Adam's apple disappeared for a moment. His face fell even further and he paled dramatically.

  Tom felt rather than heard Caroline's giggle beside him.

  Well at least she had reacted to something.

  "I—that is to say, excuse me but—but I—" Hadley stuttered about for a moment before heaving a great sigh of resignation.

  Without another word, he stepped aside and watched miserably as Tom marched Caroline once more through the room.

  "So you are alive then after all."

  "I beg your pardon?"

  "Your laughing at that runt Hadley has proven that you are, in fact, alive. I had wondered since you've been mute since we left the balcony."

  Caroline glanced up at him, and Tom had to physically restrain himself from grabbing her and kissing her senseless once again, in front of nearly every member of the ton.

  She gulped before answering in a small voice, "I do not know what to say."

  Well, they had that in common. Because Tom didn't have a damn clue either.

  Caroline knew she should feel angry or humiliated or something at Tom's heavy handedness. But she could rouse no feeling other than one of melancholy. Being adventurous was all very well. But so far all she had gained from it was a terrifying experience with a horrible man and another nail in the coffin of her relationship with Tom.

  Yes, there'd been a glorious kiss, but at what cost? He was furious with her. Still incredibly bitter about what she'd done and still his treatment of her made her want to weep.

  She barely noticed when he pulled her to a stop in front of her sister and brother-in-law.

  "Well, I didn't expect to see you two together."

  Rebecca's voice brought Caroline's head up and as they locked eyes, Caroline could see that Rebecca knew something had happened.

  Tom rather rudely ignored her turning to face his cousin instead.

  "Edward, much as you seem to enjoy ignoring everything outside of you and your wife lately, you would do well to remember that a chaperone is supposed to, in fact, chaperone his charges."

  Caroline felt her mouth drop open at Tom's speech to his cousin. He sounded coldly furious and barely in control of his temper. Little did she know that he was fast losing control of everything and was desperate to get away from her.

  It seemed he had been doing nothing since his return to England but run away from her.

  Edward seemed as surprised as Caroline but schooled his face to an impassive mask.

  "Thank you, Tom. Since you're such a wonderful protector of young ladies' reputations yourself, I feel privileged to have your input."

  "Don't try to be clever, Edward. It doesn't suit you."

  Caroline and Rebecca shared a look of incredulity. Tom and Edward seemed intent on bickering like old ladies. Thankfully they had not yet resorted to hitting each other with fans so hadn't drawn a crowd.

  "Gentlemen, really." Rebecca stepped neatly between the two and turned to Tom with a sweet smile.

  "Tom, dearest, thank you for taking care of Caroline in our absence. I confess myself surprised that you bothered. After all, you did not seem overly concerned with her welfare before.

  It
seemed that under the sweetness, Rebecca had her claws sharpened.

  Caroline felt that the time had come to intervene and stop this spectacle before it embarrassed them all.

  "Rebecca, Tom was—"

  "I was doing your job!" Tom interrupted explosively.

  Several heads turned toward them and Caroline groaned at the avid interest from some of the worst gossips in London.

  "Watch yourself, Tom." Edward's voice was furious now too. He obviously did not take kindly to his cousin shouting at his wife.

  Tom however seemed to be beyond reason. He swung back toward Edward.

  "Watch myself? When I'm wholly occupied with your sister? Since you haven't even bothered to ask, I shall tell you why I'm escorting her back to your side, shall I? Not thirty minutes ago she was being attacked on the balcony by Lord Stanley. And where were you?"

  Edward's face registered his shock at this piece of news. Rebecca looked horrified, but Tom did not give either of them a chance to speak. His rant continued.

  "If you can't do your damned job and look after her, Edward, find somebody who will. Because God only knows what would have happened if I had not seen her leave with him. And if something happens to her because of you, so help me I'll—"

  Tom cut off abruptly. Caroline desperately wanted him to finish what he was going to say but he had closed up again.

  Without another word Tom turned on his heel and stormed out, leaving a pregnant silence in his wake.

  "Caroline, are you alright?"

  Caroline dragged her eyes from Tom's retreating form to smile at Rebecca.

  "Of course. A little shaken but I am unharmed."

  "I am glad to hear it. Who is this Lord Stanley anyway? Why do I not know of him?"

  Caroline was spared from having to give an answer by a very angry Edward.

  "He was a young pup with no scruples and far too much ego."

  "Was? Past tense?"

  "Yes, past tense. Because I'm about to kill him."

  "Thank you, Edward. But murdering him seems a tad excessive," Caroline commented dryly now, having found her voice. She had a lot to think about and once again found herself rather desperate to leave. "Besides, Tom scared the wits out of him. As well as bloodying his nose. I suspect he shall keep his distance from now on."

  "Tom hit him?" Rebecca asked, a calculated gleam in her eye.

  "Yes, and probably would have done more had I not stopped him."

  "Hmm."

  "What?"

  "Oh, nothing. It is just, for someone who professes not to care about you he seems terribly interested in what happens to you."

  "Believe me, Becca, his feelings towards me have not changed. But I am grateful to him all the same."

  "As am I. I cannot believe what happened to you. I am so sorry, Caro, that we didn't know."

  "Oh please do not worry yourself. How could you know? I asked for freedom and I got it. I just got more than I bargained for in the process."

  Caroline smiled reassuringly, but Rebecca remained unhappy and guilty, and Edward remained silent and brooding so, once again, it was a rather sombre group who returned home that evening.

  CHAPTER NINE

  TOM WAS FURIOUS as he stormed from the Hadley Townhouse and into his carriage. The damned woman had gotten under his skin again. Had he learned nothing from his time away? From her previous rejection?

  Why had he kissed her? Why the hell had he shouted at and practically threatened Edward, his own flesh and blood, over her? How was he still losing control like this? How did his heart still beg him to make her his? How did he still, after all this time, dream only of her face and awake each morning with her name on his lips? And how the hell was he to make it stop?

  He was tempted, oh so tempted, to turn tail and head back to America. His life had gone from easy and carefree to, well, to Caroline in the space of two weeks. It was enough to drive a man to drink. Which he intended to do.

  Tom sighed and leaned his head back against the plush velvet of his carriage. He couldn't run away, much as he wanted to. He had come back here for a reason. He wanted to settle down. Not necessarily marry — the scars were still too deep for that. The wounds too fresh.

  But he belonged here, in England, with the family that he'd just threatened to kill.

  He had planned to surprise them all with the news that he was now the proud owner of a sprawling estate in Essex and would live the remainder of his life at it, keeping his business interests going from a distance. Before leaving for America he had lived a leisurely life on a small estate in Surrey. Now, however, his wealth had increased massively and Tom had an estate that actually required his hands-on management.

  His plan had been to spend the majority of the season in London, then invite his family and an assortment of friends to a house party on his new estate. He still wanted to do so. Only now, he would have Caroline along too. Bloody hell and damnation, this was not what he had envisioned.

  Well, he would just have to be sure to invite plenty of young ladies to keep his mind off Caroline. He smiled to himself as the idea took root. Yes, and it would have the added bonus of seeing Caroline suffer the jealousy that he'd been suffering all evening.

  Provided of course that she cared whom he was with.

  A frown replaced the smile. Why did he want to make her jealous? He was supposed to be forgetting all about her. Being civil but aloof. Getting on with his life while she got on with hers.

  The carriage rolled to a stop outside Tom's newly acquired townhouse not far from Edward's. Ironically enough, it was on the same street as the Ranfords'. Tom's man of business had taken care of the sale whilst Tom was still in America so he had not known of the connection until he'd returned home.

  Mercifully, the Ranford house remained closed. He did not think he could have borne living only steps from Caroline and having to watch every available red-blooded male in London falling over themselves for admittance.

  The headache increased, as did the desire to drink the entire contents of his cellar.

  Tomorrow he would visit Edward and apologise for his behaviour. He seemed to be doing that a lot more often lately.

  He headed directly to his study issuing orders for brandy, lots of brandy, and no disturbance.

  Some way, somehow, he would rid his mind of the woman. As for his heart? He'd rather not think about it.

  "Perhaps threatening to do you harm was a tad out of line. So, I suppose I apologise."

  Edward leaned back in his chair studying him as Tom came to the end of his rather grudging apology. Tom leaned back and studied Edward right back. It never crossed either of their minds that they might be being ever so slightly immature.

  Finally, Edward relented.

  "Apology accepted. Lord knows it was deserved. I realise how remiss I've been with Caroline. Rebecca said she wanted some freedom and, well—"

  "And you still haven't grasped the concept of saying 'no' to your wife," Tom finished dryly, "which is all well and good. But not when it puts her in danger."

  Tom sat forward as he warmed to his subject.

  "I meant what I said last night, Edward. If you do not intend to watch her closely enough, then you need to find someone who will. I do not know what has gone on in the years I've been gone, but the Caroline I knew would never have put herself in such a position."

  Edward's face had taken on an expression that Tom knew all too well and never trusted. He looked… scheming. That was it. He'd clearly been spending too long in Rebecca's company.

  "I'm a worse chaperone than I thought I would be, I grant you. And Caroline is not as proper as she once was. I do not know what has changed either. All I know is that I thought this Season would be like having a saint living in the house, but she has most definitely been plotting something." He sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

  "So then, what do you intend to do about it?"

  "Take you up on your offer, of course."

  Tom stared at him. What offer? Was he
more addled from a night of brandy drinking than he thought?

  "What offer?"

  "The offer to act as a chaperone for my errant sister, of course."

  Tom gaped at Edward wondering if he had run mad. He? Chaperone Caroline? Of all the ridiculous notions.

  "That isn't funny, Edward."

  "Good. It wasn't intended to be."

  Tom jumped up from his seat, suddenly feeling too agitated to remain sitting.

  "For God's sake. I can't chaperone her."

  "Why not? Because of how you feel about her?"

  Tom didn't know whether to punch Edward or — well, no he just wanted to punch Edward.

  "I do not feel anything for her."

  Edward raised a sceptical eyebrow.

  Now Tom really wanted to punch him.

  "I don't. And even if I did, which I don't, it would hardly be proper, would it? To be chaperoned by a single man who is unrelated? Do you have no care at all for her reputation?"

  "Do calm down Tom. Of course I do. And I'm not asking you to attach yourself to her side for God's sake. Just to do what you've clearly already been doing. Watch out for her and if you see anything amiss — punch it."

  Tom dragged his hands through his hair. The headache from his previous night's overindulgence was not being helped by this frankly ridiculous conversation.

  "Why? Why ask me to do this?"

  Edward's expression lost the faint humour and he was suddenly all seriousness.

  "I don't pretend to know what is going on in your head when it comes to Caroline. I have no idea what is going on in hers. But regardless of whether you are ready to admit it or not, the truth is that you care about her. A lot. And she needs people who care about her to look after her. She is fast becoming the shining light of the Season and I don't need to tell you what sort of man shining lights attract since you nearly killed one of them last night."

  "I did what any gentleman of honour would have done," Tom protested.

  "Yes, you did. But it wasn't a gentleman of honour who rescued her, it was you."