by Ashley March
“Not very.”
“Surely there is something in your life that you’ve wanted beyond all reason.” A gain, with no necessity for doing so, Willa glanced across the table at A lex—
this time discreetly, at least, using the pretense of lifting her wineglass in order to covertly observe him. His head was tilted toward the lady at his side, and he was covertly observe him. His head was tilted toward the lady at his side, and he was making her laugh.
She returned her attention to Lunsford without saying anything.
Lunsford cut a piece of veal and popped it into his mouth, moaning with delight as he chewed. The sound caught the attention of the lady on his opposite side.
“A pologies,” Lunsford said, then: “That veal is delicious!” Turning back to her, he motioned to her plate. “Have you tried the veal?”
“I have, thank you.”
“I’d heard Laurie was able to steal the Fenwicks’ chef, but until now I didn’t believe it was true.” He then cut another piece and said, “I think you should marry Laurie.”
Willa stared. “I beg your pardon?”
He inclined his head. “Of course, if you must marry at all, then I understand your first choice would be to marry a title, but I must tell you that even though I’m the son of an earl, I’m only the second son. No need to woo me.”
“I have no desire to marry you, Mr. Lunsford.” She grinned at his expression of feigned injury. “A lthough if you were the heir, I might change my mind.”
“A h, but he’s to announce his betrothal soon to Lady A lthea, so that will do you no good.”
Surely she’d misheard. “Lady A lthea?”
“Unfortunately for my brother, yes. A lthough I must say, I did try to warn him.” Lunsford continued cutting into his veal, as if the subject bored him. “However,” he continued a moment later, “I would like to bring your attention to the fact that you are currently in England hoping to make a match among the aristocracy, and my dear fellow Laurie purchased a house in Belgrave Square with an accompanying carriage that—” He shuddered. “Regardless, let us say that he has made great sacrifices with the hope of also marrying into the aristocracy. I assume your hope for marriage is the same as his: to expand his family’s . . .” His voice trailed away as he looked across the table.
She didn’t correct him about her reasons for being in England. She didn’t say anything. Instead, Willa followed his gaze and found A lex giving Lunsford a questioning look. A s he noticed Willa’s stare, he shifted his focus to her, then looked away.
Lunsford sighed. “A s I was saying, Miss Stratton, have you considered merging the two companies through marriage? You would be stronger together than apart, every investor helping the two of you instead of only one.” Willa lifted a brow. “A nd as a result investors would probably receive more, too.”
He smiled. “This is true.” Leaning forward, he turned his head and peered up the table. “Yes, there. Sitting three seats away from Lady A lthea. Do you see the man with the black hair?”
Willa leaned forward and peered, too. The man sat straight and tall, his black hair thick, his shoulders broad. When he smiled, his teeth formed an even white row. He seemed to suck in the air of those around him, as if his mere presence row. He seemed to suck in the air of those around him, as if his mere presence commanded their attention and their every breath. Odd that she hadn’t noticed him when she’d strolled through the drawing room beside A lex earlier.
“Yes, I see him,” she said.
“That man is the Earl of Uxbridge, the heir to the Marquess of Byrne. He is the only unmarried lord here at the dinner party tonight. You could marry him and lead a life of dull monotony, plagued by people constantly deferring to your elevated status, with your children one day ruling over Society during their generation.”
A t the mention of the name Uxbridge, Willa’s attention held. A pparently Lady Marianna wasn’t the only reason A lex hadn’t wanted her to come to the dinner party. She knew Uxbridge was Woolstone’s brother, but she’d had no idea what he looked like before. If she were honest, she’d imagined him . . . differently.
Middle-aged, paunchy perhaps, with crooked yellowing teeth. But Woolstone’s brother was neither older nor ugly. He was actually quite . . . mesmerizing.
She found it suddenly advantageous to pose as the rich A merican heiress seeking to marry an English title. Turning back to Lunsford, she smiled as he continued.
“Or you could marry my friend the untitled but very debonair Mr. Laurie over there”—the tines of his fork arced through the air—“and live a life of excitement as you discuss potential investors together. A nd enjoy your mutual obsession with dyes. A nd . . .” He paused.
Willa shook her head. “You seem to have stalled in listing the reasons why we should marry, Mr. Lunsford. A nd after only two. This isn’t very encouraging, I’m afraid.”
He frowned. “No, it isn’t. Not at all.” He tilted his head, considering her. “But, of course, there remains the only reason why I mentioned it in the first place.” She fought against the urge to look down the table at Uxbridge, to catch his eye and begin the flirtation at once. “A nd what is that?” she asked.
A grin spread wide across his face. “Such a merger would make me very, very rich. Wealthier even than Lady A lthea’s family. She wouldn’t be able to stand it.”
* * *
Cigars were nasty things. Port was almost as bad. A fter a fair amount of time—
half an hour seemed far too long, in A lex’s opinion—he stood from the table and gestured toward the dining room doorway. “Shall we rejoin the ladies in the drawing room, gentlemen?”
A s they walked back, Lord Dutton attached himself to A lex’s side. “My wife has ordered me to leave Miss Stratton alone, Mr. Laurie, but I’m interested in hearing more about this dye business.”
A lex tensed. “Would you like to hear of the Stratton dye business or the Laurie dye business, my lord?”
The older man’s gaze was shrewd. “I imagine I’d like to hear more about the The older man’s gaze was shrewd. “I imagine I’d like to hear more about the Laurie dye business. Specifically, I’d like to hear about why, if I decided to invest in such a business, I should invest in your company and not in Stratton’s.”
“That is a very good question, my lord.”
A s they entered the drawing room, A lex searched until he spotted Willa sitting near one of the windows, speaking to Jo, Lady A lthea, and his mother. His mother was smiling—no, laughing—as Willa spoke, her hands shaping a box in the air.
A lex frowned, even though she had settled herself far away from Lady Marianna.
He would far have preferred seeing her becoming good chums with Woolstone’s sister.
Willa had no need to charm his family. A nd he didn’t want them to like her. Of all the people, surely his mother understood why Willa Stratton could be nothing more than their enemy. A t least Kat appeared to have gone off somewhere else, making friends with the other ladies as she was supposed to do. But he needed to separate Willa from Jo and his mother—
“A nd do you plan to expand to A merica, Mr. Laurie?”
A lex swung his head toward Lord Dutton. Damn it. He’d forgotten he was still there. This was more important than she was. Lord Dutton was an earl with much influence among the other gentlemen of the ton. A nd he even had a daughter . . .
“Indeed I do, my lord. Stratton might be the largest dye maker in A merica right now, but there’s a new competitor he’s dealing with. While they’re dueling it out, I have plans to slip in and make Laurie and Sons the best-known and favorite dye maker among all A mericans.”
“Plans, you say?”
A lex glanced toward the window. “Yes, but I’m afraid I can’t explain everything yet. A s a shareholder, of course, you would be the first to hear of the news and the first to see any new invention.”
Dutton was silent for a moment as he regarded him. “I’m interested in hearing more, Laurie. Wil
l you be at the Massey ball?”
“I will, my lord.”
“Then I look forward to seeing you there. A nd we shall talk some more.” He clapped A lex on the shoulder. A lex bowed as Dutton turned and walked away.
Well. That couldn’t possibly have gone any better even if Willa had somehow shipped herself back to A merica. A lex straightened and squared his shoulders with a smile. Only a week into the Season, too. He’d made the right choice.
Moving into Holcombe House, taking Lunsford’s offer to help him become part of the ton circles. The rest of his family would soon see he was right.
A t the window, it appeared his mother and Jo had moved on. Only Willa and Lady A lthea remained to speak, and A lex had no qualms about leaving his nemesis with Lady A lthea. He had two people he needed to speak with tonight.
He’d failed in getting beyond formal parlor chatter when he visited Lady Marianna before, but he had every hope that either Woolstone’s sister or brother would be able to point him in the right direction.
able to point him in the right direction.
He had to find the Madonna dye before Willa did. Before it had been a simple matter of making the ton envious and arousing aristocratic investors’ interest in Laurie & Sons. The possibility of increasing their wealth was nothing to be scoffed at, either. But now everything had changed; the Madonna dye meant more. Now it was a matter of pride.
A lex turned and let his gaze roam over the other guests in the drawing room.
He found Lady Miranda, Lord Dutton’s daughter, and cringed. She looked even younger than Kat’s nineteen years. Fresh-faced debutante, indeed. He watched as she simpered and giggled, but it didn’t take long for his attention to drift away. He would dance with her at the Massey ball, but at the moment he was not intent on the subject of his future bride.
Soon he located Lady Marianna, Woolstone’s sister, as she stood among a group of other guests nearby.
Lunsford had all but salivated at the sight of her during the masquerade. With her mask off, she appeared even more beautiful. Glossy black curls were piled on top of her head and hung in tendrils at her neck and ears. Her eyes—doe-shaped and pale blue—watched everyone around her carefully. Observing. Considering.
Measuring. She stood in a group mixed with both lords and ladies, but she didn’t speak much. Her bearing spoke of nobility and breeding, she didn’t giggle, and after bantering back and forth with Willa earlier in the evening, her quiet grace would be calm and refreshing—good God, Lady Marianna might actually be the perfect woman.
A lex strolled toward her and stopped at her side. “Good evening, Lady Marianna.”
“Good evening, Mr. Laurie.”
“My apologies,” he said after a moment. “Is it often that men are struck nearly speechless by your beauty, or am I the only one to be afflicted in this manner?” She hesitated. “You don’t sound nearly speechless.”
“How could I miss an opportunity to speak with you again?” he asked softly.
She pursed her lips, as if trying not to return his smile, but it didn’t work. A t last she turned her head toward him and offered her hand. “Congratulations, Mr.
Laurie. You’ve now gained my attention.”
He lifted her hand toward his lips. “A re congratulations necessary, Lady Marianna? Do you not give your attention to everyone who addresses you?”
“No, I don’t.” She let her hand rest in his. Through her gloves, he could feel that her fingers were cold.
Willa’s hand was always warm.
Damnation. Would the woman never cease to bother him, even in his mind?
A nd then, as if standing before Lady Marianna while thinking of Willa was the perfect, magic combination he needed, his thoughts fixed on the idea. He’d planned to draw out the information of Woolstone’s location from her, but of course he had no reason to believe she would comply. A nd especially with her aloof manner now, it seemed impossible that she would give up such a secret to a aloof manner now, it seemed impossible that she would give up such a secret to a stranger. But if Lady Marianna was the woman he would pursue, if she were the one he would marry . . .
Not only would she be more likely to help him find Woolstone if he courted her, but she was also the daughter of a marquess, the sister of an earl. Her connections were impeccable, perfect to assist him in growing the company. A nd with her beauty and poise, she would also be the perfect wife upon his arm and as the hostess of future events such as this. She could even help to instruct his sisters on how to behave! He couldn’t ask her about Woolstone at the moment, of course, because then she would think that he only meant to use her when he also meant to marry her, but the realization of the perfect circumstances—perfect, yes, she was, in every single way—made A lex want to crow with triumph.
Instead he laughed with triumph and shot a glance toward the window—
Willa was gone.
Twisting, A lex found her after a moment in the middle of the room . . .
speaking and flirting with Woolstone’s brother, the Earl of Uxbridge.
A lex’s laughter died as he watched them interact. No.
“Mr. Laurie? Oh, have you met my brother the earl yet?” A lex shook his head.
Willa touched Uxbridge, placing her hand on his arm, then laughed and retrieved it, clutching it to her chest as she tilted her head back.
A lex switched his gaze to the earl.
The man was smiling outwardly, but the smile didn’t extend to his eyes. He watched Willa as if she was a little canary and he’d suddenly developed an insatiable hunger for birds.
A lex looked at Willa. “Bloody hell,” he swore beneath his breath.
“Mr. Laurie?” Lady Marianna tugged her fingers from his grasp.
Uxbridge wanted her, and she knew it. It was all there, in the way she stroked her fingers along her bodice, in the way she peered at him beneath her eyelashes, her gaze knowing and her lips curved in a seductive smile.
She had never smiled seductively at A lex.
“Mr. Laurie?” Lady Marianna said again, this time her voice bordered with impatience.
A lex’s gaze remained glued to the other pair. His perfect plan no longer seemed so clever. Willa Stratton meant to use Woolstone’s family to find the dye’s creator, too.
Chapter 8
“H urry, Ellen.” Willa ran across her bedchamber at Mivart’s Hotel and sat at the dressing table. “Something simple will do. We don’t have time for anything else.”
Blast.
Blast. Blast. Blast.
She’d told Ellen to wake her up at her usual time, and she had. But then—
apparently, for she couldn’t remember—Willa had told the maid it was fine if she slept for two more hours and to leave her alone until then. Her maid, obedient as always, had abided by her orders.
A nd now here they were with only an hour to spare before the time for callers.
If they came; they might not.
Willa sighed as she peered at her reflection in the mirror. They always did. Since the Earl of Uxbridge had begun showing her favor a week ago, the other gentlemen of the ton had decided she was not indeed another brash A merican heiress, but a woman of the greatest sophistication and grace.
Ellen scraped the brush through her hair, the bristles tangling in the waves that had become little knots during Willa’s sleep. She winced.
“Sorry, miss,” Ellen said, then hurried on.
A s her head was jerked back and forth, Willa called into the adjoining sitting room of her suite. “Is everything in place, Sarah?”
“Flowers have arrived. Waiting for the tea service now,” Sarah replied, her voice carrying, although she didn’t shout as Willa did. Refined. Calm. Her companion’s response reminded her to take a breath. It wouldn’t do to ruin her newly gained reputation as a woman of the greatest poise.
Interesting to note that all the wealth and charm in the world did not matter to the snobbish English ton as much as the opinion of one man.
If she were to marry into the aristocracy for the sake of her father’s company, as A lex had once accused her, then the Earl of Uxbridge would no doubt be her first choice of suitors.
It also didn’t hurt that in addition to being quite handsome and possessing a wicked wit, he also excelled at putting a glower on A lex Laurie’s face whenever he touched her hand or bent his head near to hers.
She would have felt almost smug if not for the fact that when she’d ventured to ask Uxbridge about Woolstone—he seemed to prefer and be amused by her directness—he’d waved away her concern that he’d been taken by force and assured her that Woolstone was no doubt merely in hiding to thwart their father.
assured her that Woolstone was no doubt merely in hiding to thwart their father.
He also said that he hadn’t the slightest idea where his brother could be.
“But for you, my dearest Miss Stratton, I will endeavor to find out,” he’d said.
Unfortunately, he then went on to say that he suspected his sister knew of Woolstone’s location, for they’d always been close companions since childhood.
That had been three days ago. It was also three days ago that Willa had begun stalking A lex Laurie as best she could, certain that Lady Marianna would surrender Woolstone’s secret to her nauseatingly devoted suitor. It was also the reason why Willa had gone to bed so late the night before, having skulked around Holcombe House into the early hours of the morning, torn between the desire to sneak into A lex’s study to see what information he had about the dye and the inclination to not turn herself into a common criminal.
If she could have called upon her father’s resources to help her find the dye’s creator, she would have. But she knew their loyalty lay with him, and she couldn’t risk having letters sent back to A merica about Daniel Stratton’s daughter searching for a man named Woolstone. Not when she was supposed to be charming Mr.
Lunsford.
Ellen gathered her hair into her hands and coiled it tightly, then began with the pins. “I laid out the pink dress for today, miss.”
