Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle

by Bronwyn Scott

  Smiling would definitely hurt her position. It would be hard to convince Paine she was angry with him, but she found herself smiling nevertheless.

  ‘Happy to see me?’

  Julia settled on the front-facing seat. ‘I asked for a loan of a travelling coach and driver so that I could leave this morning.’

  ‘And my brother has graciously supplied all that you asked.’

  ‘That’s an understatement. I didn’t ask for company.’

  ‘Aha, but you didn’t not ask,’ Paine countered smoothly.

  Julia frowned. ‘How is that? I don’t think that’s even a grammatically correct sentence.’

  Paine’s eyes were dancing in jest. He warmed to his game. ‘You didn’t not ask,’ he repeated. ‘You merely said you would be returning to London. You never stated we couldn’t come along, or specifically that I couldn’t come along.’

  Julia grimaced. ‘I said you were relieved of obligation.’

  ‘But that doesn’t mean I can’t come. It only assumes that I am not obliged to come or that I was obliged to do anything in the first place, which I’ve already pointed out that I was not.’

  ‘You’re being obtuse. It was implied that I wished to return alone,’ Julia snapped.

  ‘And I implied that I disagreed with that choice.’ Paine smugly rapped on the coach. ‘Let’s be off!’

  ‘You’re insufferable,’ Julia huffed, although inwardly she wasn’t nearly as upset as she appeared because, at that moment, the carriage door opened and a smiling Cousin Beth poked her head in. ‘Good morning. Be a dear, Julia, and move over.’

  ‘What is this, Beth?’ Paine protested, his surprise at her appearance evident.

  ‘A young woman of virtue can’t ride around the countryside in a carriage alone with a man,’ Beth scolded. ‘You might have played fast and loose with the rules to this point, young man, but, from here on, it’s by the book.’ Beth took a seat next to Julia and took out her knitting. ‘I’ll have a nice scarf by the time we get to London,’ she said with far too much cheer.

  Paine groaned. ‘Now who’s being insufferable?’

  ‘That makes two of you,’ Julia replied stiffly.

  The house disappeared behind them and Paine leaned forwards. ‘You cannot tackle Oswalt alone, Julia. It is the height of foolishness to think so.’

  ‘So you’ve said. You seem quite certain of that. Would you care to tell me why? It’s a long ride to London—days, in fact—and I think it’s time I knew what it is exactly that lies between you and Oswalt.’

  Beth looked up from her knitting. ‘Yes, Cousin. Tell her. She has a right to know.’

  The sharp eyes that pierced him from across the carriage were acutely reminiscent of the way Julia had looked at him that first night in his office when she’d put her request to him. She’d given him that same unwavering gaze, so forthright, so honest and so bold that he’d known there would be no refusing then. And he knew it now. It was an ironic quality of hers that she possessed such an abundance of feminine beauty and none of the covert wiles that usually went with such attractiveness. Nothing escaped her notice and nothing was safe from her comment.

  Julia tapped a foot impatiently, her eyebrow giving a supercilious quirk. ‘You may begin.’

  ‘Why should I tell you at all?’ Paine protested. He seldom shared his past with anyone; now, he would have shared it twice in quite recent times—once with Peyton and now with Julia.

  Julia narrowed her eyes. ‘You should tell me so I can determine if I will let you meddle in my business.’

  Paine would have teased her if she hadn’t looked so serious. ‘Meddling, is it?’

  ‘Yes. Meddling. This was my problem from the first and it’s still my problem, even if the parameters I thought I was dealing with have been a bit altered in their scope,’ Julia insisted. ‘I say who has access to my life.’

  ‘You’d better decide I do. You will need me before this is over.’ Paine matched her blunt tone.

  ‘Convince me.’ Julia sat back against the seat and crossed her arms, challenging him to deny her request.

  She softened slightly for a moment, becoming the image of the Julia he liked best—the Julia that moaned beneath him on the picnic blanket, who thought he could slay dragons, who brought him his secret peace. ‘Come, Paine, how awful could it be?’

  He gave a small smile at that. ‘It could be pretty awful, Julia.’

  ‘Let me be the judge.’ She leaned forwards, all rapt attention.

  Paine drew a deep breath. ‘I was a rowdy youth. I ran with a fast crowd of young bucks when I came up to town. Most of the people in my set were younger sons and rather cynical about their lot in life. It became the trademark of our group that we flaunted the fact that we were the spares and in some cases, like mine, the spare to the spare. We were “non-essential” to our families so we lived hard, pushing convention as far as it could be pushed with outrageous feats: races, affairs, bets and dares.’

  Julia made a quizzical frown. ‘I can’t believe Peyton made you feel that way.’

  ‘Of course not, not directly, but Father had done the job for him. By the time Peyton was earl and I was ready to storm around town, I felt pretty “non-essential”. Peyton was head of the family, Crispin was doing a stint in the military as an officer—and a fine officer he was, too, I might add. Then there was me. Peyton sent me to Oxford. I think he hoped I’d find direction there. However, I finished with no particular purpose in mind, although I received a first-class degree in the classics and loved history. Peyton wanted to set me up as an estate manager on one of the smaller family properties, but I wasn’t interested in land management. Without any direction and with too much time on my hands, I was a prime candidate for falling in with that crowd.’ Paine chuckled. ‘It’s amazing how clear the pattern seems from a distance of years.’

  ‘That’s understandable. You’re not the only young man to run into that sort of trouble,’ Julia offered sagely.

  ‘Trouble with your cousins?’ Paine probed.

  ‘The two younger ones are something akin to hellions. I wouldn’t be surprised if their antics have heavily contributed to the family situation these days.’ Julia dismissed the subject, wagging a finger at him. ‘You won’t get off that easily, Paine. Now, you said you pushed convention as far as it could be pushed. Go on.’

  He didn’t mind her direct probe this time. Now that he’d started talking, it was easier to continue. ‘Yes, I pushed convention and one day it pushed back. There was a…um…“party” for gentlemen only at an estate out in Richmond, far enough out of town to avoid real trouble or censure.’

  ‘Party, Paine? Don’t mince words. What kind of party?’ Julia pressed, sensing his hesitation.

  Paine cast an uncomfortable look at Cousin Beth, who looked back blandly.

  ‘Don’t mind me. I’ve seen more than you think, Paine. I am not so shocked by the world as you might think.’

  ‘It was an orgy. Do you know what an orgy is?’ Paine asked, shifting in his seat with acute embarrassment. If they were being blunt, he might as well ask.

  Julia blushed. ‘I have some idea.’

  Paine nodded. ‘Well, this was worse than the usual masked demi-monde affair, if that’s what you’re thinking of.’

  Julia bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably. He felt ashamed for having brought it up. He easily forgot she’d only seen parts of his world for a few days. It was a sharp reminder of the type of life he’d been leading, so far away from the standards of the ton.

  He went on, wanting to get the next part over with, to spare her. ‘The gathering was to be held at a place Oswalt owned. Peyton encouraged me not to go when he heard about it. Apparently, Oswalt had acquired the property from a baron in a card game. Peyton felt it was wrong to attend an event at a place acquired in such a manner by such a person. But I didn’t listen.

  ‘In all honesty, I didn’t fully understand the depth of depravity that would be on display there.’ Paine waved a hand
negligently. ‘I thought it would be high-class prostitutes and a few wild moments in the dark. At that time, it seemed like a lark.’

  He shook his head, trying to shake off the memories of the altar-like marble block set up in the ballroom, surrounded by candles and silken ropes, and of the young woman Oswalt had forcibly bound to the altar and then begun accepting bids for public congress with her.

  Paine could not look at Julia or Beth, who helpfully kept her eyes on the knitting needles, as he spun his morbid tale. He’d thought it was a game at first, that the woman was a high-paid prostitute hired to play the role of sacrificial virgin. Although telling himself that did not make the spectacle any more palatable. Then it had become clear to him that the woman was not there of her own accord.

  ‘I thought someone would speak up, someone close to Oswalt, who would carry some sway with Oswalt. Surely all these men gathered wouldn’t condone such an act. But no one did and the girl was clearly terrified.’ Paine swallowed hard here. ‘I pushed my way through the crowd and demanded this activity be halted. I had stupidly thrown off my mask in my outrage and Oswalt merely laughed at me. He said, “Or what? You’ll tell your brother, the earl?” Well, I was on the outs with Peyton, knowing he was displeased with my choice to attend in the first place and my pride was stung that Peyton had been right after all. I could not settle for such a remark that night. I threw down my glove and challenged him to a duel in front of everyone.’

  ‘That’s very noble of you,’ Julia offered softly.

  ‘No one else thought so. I wasn’t the only nobleman or nobleman’s son in the crowd that night. No one wanted breath of their attendance reaching the proper circles of high society. When it became known that the girl was the daughter of an unremarkable merchant, it was implicitly decided that the event simply didn’t exist, it hadn’t happened. No one ever spoke of it. No one acknowledged what I had seen. The event suddenly became nothing more than a squabble between me and Oswalt over a girl of questionable background, hence questionable virtue. The girl was ruined from the gossip and I was expendable as a third son whose brother had already inherited the title.’

  ‘And the duel?’ Julia asked, expectantly. At least she hadn’t completely shunned him yet. That was a good sign.

  ‘It happened. Almost. I was determined to see it through, even though I knew what had happened to the social understanding of the events. But either London society or Oswalt himself decided that the duel would not take place. Suffice it to say, someone tipped off the authorities.’ Paine shrugged. ‘You know the penalty for duelling.’

  ‘Exile,’ Julia supplied. ‘But what happened to Oswalt?’

  ‘Nothing. I think he bargained with the authorities to overlook his participation in the duel. When the authorities showed up, Oswalt pressed for exile as my punishment. The outcome was decided so swiftly, Peyton could do nothing in time to intervene. He had left a few days prior to attend business at an estate not too far from London. But it was far enough away that he didn’t get the news in a timely fashion.’ Paine shrugged. ‘Not that I would have wanted his assistance. I was too stubborn then.’

  ‘Just then?’ Julia teased.

  ‘Vixen.’ Paine smiled. ‘That’s the story. I think Oswalt feared what would happen if I stayed in London and had a chance to rally support and re-introduce the issue, so I had to be sent away.’

  ‘That’s awful.’ Julia sighed, worry shading her eyes.

  ‘It’s the truth. I want you to know that this incident with your uncle and Oswalt is not an isolated occurrence. The man has been ruining peers, quietly and subtly, for years. He’s been preying on innocent girls for much longer than that.’

  ‘I can’t believe no one has done anything about it.’ Julia shook her head in disbelief.

  ‘That’s society’s way. If we talk about it, it gives the problem validity. If it’s ignored, then it must not exist.’ Paine spread his hands on his thighs. ‘But it’s not my way, Julia. That’s why I want to help you.’

  Julia smiled at him gamely. ‘And that’s why I’ll let you help.’

  ‘Let me, is it?’

  ‘Yes, let you.’

  Paine pulled out his pocket watch and flipped it open. ‘And my brothers, too, I hope?’

  ‘Why is that?’ Julia eyed him curiously.

  ‘Because, by my calculations, they’re an hour behind us on the road.’

  Julia shot him a considering look. ‘I was never going back alone, was I?’

  ‘No, you never stood a chance,’ Paine confirmed, although the reason that was true was the reason he was hesitant to acknowledge, even to himself. The idea that he should at last find himself falling in love was too new, too foreign to his way of thinking. He would need some time to get his metaphorical hands around the distinct possibility that Julia Prentiss had permanently garnered his affections.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dursley House glittered a regal welcome in the summer twilight after a dusty, jouncing two-day journey back to London. Inviting as the town house looked, Julia also found it imposing, with its four storeys of long elegant windows. Dursley House on Curzon Street was an enormous step up from the home her uncle had rented on the fringes of Belgravia, which was still a respectable location, but just barely.

  Julia tossed Paine a longing glance as he helped her down from the carriage. She knew it was important for her to be at Dursley House, but it didn’t stop her from wanting to be alone with Paine. She’d much rather be at his Brook Street property, just the two of them, where they could shut out the world. She wondered if he felt the same.

  Paine seemed to read her thoughts. ‘We have to think about your reputation,’ Paine said seriously in a tone that caused her stop and stare. When had he become the arbiter of the moral code? It certainly hadn’t been last night at the inn. He’d hardly waited a decent interval before showing up in her room, although he’d been very quiet so as not to wake Cousin Beth in the antechamber or Peyton next door.

  ‘My reputation?’ Julia had to remember to shut her jaw. ‘I thought the whole point was to ruin my reputation.’

  ‘It was, but we can’t openly flaunt society while we’re living under my brother’s roof. Remember, for the public we’re a case of love at first sight. My Aunt Lily will be in residence at Dursley House with Cousin Beth, so everything will look legitimate, less like a bachelor household.’

  They climbed the steps and were greeted by the butler at the door. Peyton and Crispin entered behind them, Peyton making a low-voiced inquiry of the butler as he passed. Aunt Lily met them in the large foyer, looking for the world like an efficient hostess instead of a woman who’d been uprooted from her London residence that morning to see Dursley House opened and ready for five impromptu guests that evening. She was indeed the woman Julia had seen with Paine earlier and Julia liked her immediately. She seemed the complete antithesis of her own aunt, who worried and fussed herself into a state over unplanned happenings.

  ‘Aunt Lily, thank you for coming. May I present to you Miss Julia Prentiss?’ Paine made the necessary introductions.

  Aunt Lily fixed Julia with a gimlet eye and a slow inspection. Julia imagined the woman was weighing whether or not she was worth the trouble of moving residences. It seemed that even the brothers held their collective breath. At last, Lily spoke. ‘So you’re the gel that has Paine running in circles. That boy’s a lot of trouble. Are you sure he’s worth it?’

  ‘Julia, Aunt Lily will show you to your room. You can freshen up. A maid will see to the unpacking,’ Paine said before Aunt Lily could impugn him further.

  Aunt Lily shot Julia a conspiratorial glance. ‘Just like a man. Paine has no desire to stand in the foyer and be taken to task by his aunt any more than he wants to hear your answer to the question. But you can tell me upstairs if the boy is worth all this fuss. Come with me, dear. I’ll show you to your room and you can enlighten me as to what is really going on. Dursley’s note made a lot of demands, but little sense. You come, too, Beth. At
least I’ll get sense out of you.’ She shot Peyton a quelling look and Julia fought back the urge to laugh at the Ramsden brothers being taken to task like errant schoolboys.

  ‘I hope you will find everything to your liking,’ Peyton put in. ‘Tell Aunt Lily if there’s anything you need. I’ve instructed Cook to lay out a light supper in the dining room in an hour, if you’d like to join us.’

  To their credit, Aunt Lily and Beth sensed Julia’s need to gather her thoughts and they didn’t stay long in Julia’s chamber in spite of Lily’s comments to the brothers. Julia was certain the two women were down the hall right now, exchanging news, and was glad for the privacy to settle into her new rooms.

  Julia’s room overlooked the gardens and the open windows caught the scent of the climbing roses that grew below. As town gardens went, Dursley House boasted quite a large one by urban standards.

  She was glad for it. The trees and the greenery blocked out the city din and provided a soothing calm. Her nerves were on edge at the thought of being back in town. She would have preferred going to Paine’s house and being alone with him in his exotic bedroom. Perhaps he would have, too. She was starting to understand what had goaded his passionate display at the inn. It was doubtful he’d be able to come to her room as long as they stayed here under the watchful eyes of Peyton and Aunt Lily, who occupied the room next door to her. It was all part of her ‘protection’. Paine had made it clear that he didn’t want her left alone at any time and Peyton had staunchly supported his brother’s wishes.

  In his residence, there would be just the two of them and a handful of day servants. Here, she was surrounded by him, his brothers and the family servants, whose loyalty was unquestionable. If need be, Dursley House could be her fortress.

  She appreciated their efforts to see her well guarded. But it was both stifling and unnerving. Peyton was probably downstairs now, meeting with the staff, coaching them about their latest guest.

  Julia leaned out the window to inhale the roses. She closed her eyes and breathed in their peace. She would need the peace of the garden in the weeks to come. Paine’s arguments of propriety and protection aside, there were other reasons they had to be at Dursley House. Dursley House was about status. She and Paine needed the credibility of the Dursley name behind them for their plan to succeed.