Scandal of the Season

by Christie Kelley

  “It is not that easy,” she blurted out before realizing her mistake. This would only encourage the woman.

  Hannah frowned and picked up Suzette when the infant started to fuss. “Nonsense.”

  Victoria stared down at her wool skirt. She wondered again if Hannah and Somerton had been lovers. He would never answer that question, and asking Hannah seemed highly inappropriate. Somehow, she would have to get past this slight jealousy she felt on the matter. Hannah was in love with her husband.

  Thinking back to her first time with Somerton, it had been anything but good. While ten years had passed, she still wondered if it would be different than before. If he attempted to seduce her, she doubted she would have the strength to resist him again. But would she feel the incredible magic she’d heard her friends speak of after being with their husbands?

  “Anne, what are you woolgathering about?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing important. I shall take your advice and do my best to get him into bed.”

  “Good girl. Once you get him back in your bed, I’ll share my secrets for keeping him there and getting that ring on your finger.”

  Marriage? To Somerton? She could think of nothing worse than that. She highly doubted the man even had a heart. Besides, she didn’t want marriage. Even though money was tight at times, she only had to answer to herself.

  And Lady Whitely.

  But in nine short years, Victoria would not have to do that either. Then the house would be turned over to her free and clear. She could keep the home open to orphans if she wished, or live in it on her own. She knew turning the orphans out wasn’t an option but there were days she dreamed of having no responsibilities.

  “Anne, you really should mind this penchant you have for woolgathering. A man wants to know the only thing you have on your mind is him.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Now, go speak with that man of yours. We have no activities planned until dinner. Tomorrow we shall decorate the mantels with the greens while the servants hang the mistletoe.”

  Victoria frowned. “I had always heard that bringing in the holly before Christmas Eve was bad luck.”

  “Oh, that is nonsense. I don’t believe it at all. Now, we have several sleighs, and with the snow overnight, it would make for a romantic ride for you and Somerton.”

  Victoria did her best to keep from rolling her eyes at the romantic notion. “I shall think about that.”

  But instead of even attempting to get Somerton into her bed, she decided to do her best to ignore him the rest of the day. At lunch, Hannah changed the seating arrangements so everyone would have a chance to talk to each other. Victoria found herself sitting next to Mr. Hardy and Lord Bingham.

  Victoria took her seat next to Mr. Hardy and smiled over at him warmly. “Good afternoon, Mr. Hardy. Lovely weather we are having.”

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Smith.” He slid a sly glance down the low bodice of her gown. “I will be far happier when spring comes. I am not one for snow.”

  She took the opportunity to examine the man. With sandy brown hair, small brown eyes, a bent nose, and slightly crooked teeth, he was not the type of man to inspire the sighs of a young girl. While not particularly handsome, he did have some good features. She supposed he might look handsome in a rough manner.

  So what caused that sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach? Her skin crawled when he looked over at her.

  “Tell me what you do with yourself, Mr. Hardy,” she asked.

  “I have an estate in Kent left to me from my uncle who had no sons. Unfortunately, no title came with the inheritance so I am merely a country squire.”

  “Hmm, there is nothing wrong with being a squire.”

  As the footman placed the plate of fish in front of her, she asked, “What type of amusements do you enjoy?”

  He glanced over at her with an eyebrow raised and a smile on his face. Leaning in, he whispered, “I would be happy to show you the amusements I enjoy, Mrs. Smith.”

  She suppressed a tremble and smiled. “I am sure you could but I am with Lord Somerton right now.”

  “Of course.” He slid another glance down the bodice of her gown. “Should that situation ever change, I would be pleased to learn of it.”

  Victoria swallowed back the nausea. Somerton was right about the degenerate men at this party. She would need to be on her guard at all times.

  The luncheon proceeded with dull conversation on the weather and politics. Not particularly interested in politics, she kept quiet and observed people at the table. Lord Farleigh appeared in a deep discussion with Lord Ancroft but she couldn’t determine the topic from her position.

  She looked over at Somerton who, while in conversation with Mr. Singleton, appeared to be listening in to the dialogue between Lord Brentwood and another man. What was Somerton about? He did not seem to be enjoying this party, so why did he insist on attending? She wondered if his reason stemmed from a desire to get Hannah in bed with him.

  Although, Victoria had the impression that Hannah loved her husband. So why would Somerton attempt to take Hannah as a mistress? And if that was the case, there was no reason to bring Victoria along with him.

  Something else was going on here.

  Anthony glanced down the table to where Victoria sat next to Hardy. Perhaps he should have spoken with her as Nicholas suggested, but he could not do it yet. He knew her type. Money was everything. She would not hesitate to give information to another person who paid her more.

  Nonetheless, she was sitting next to Hardy. She could have used her wiles to get information from him. Information Anthony desperately needed. No one at this party really seemed to know Hardy.

  The only thing Anthony had heard is Hardy might have business with Farleigh. Yet, Anthony had not seen the two say more than a sentence or two to each other. He was starting to wonder if the information Ainsworth had given him was incorrect.

  It wouldn’t be the first time.

  As the luncheon ended, Anthony decided to find out exactly what Victoria might have learned about Hardy. He rounded the table to catch her before she left the room. Clasping his hand onto her elbow, he led her toward their bedroom.

  “What are you up to now?” she hissed.

  “Am I interrupting some plans you made with Mr. Hardy?”

  Reaching the top step, she stopped. “Perhaps you are. It is a beautiful day for a sleigh ride.”

  “Good, then we shall do just that.” He led her down the hall and into their room. “Get your cloak and muff and we shall be off.”

  He’d had no intention of spending the afternoon with her when he should be watching Hardy. But knowing Nicholas hated the cold, Anthony could have him watch Hardy for an hour.

  “I am not going…” Her voice trailed off as he glared at her.

  “I am paying you to do as I say,” he reminded her.

  “Of course you are. I will get my things.” She quickly returned with her black cloak.

  He put on his greatcoat and headed for the door. Once he had the sleigh ride arranged, he escorted her outside. A biting wind took his breath away, and he wondered at this idea. It would have been far more comfortable to talk to her in their room.

  With a big bed nearby. And a warm fireplace.

  His mind quickly filled with all the wrong ideas.

  He shook his head to rid it of all the erotic yearnings. He could not have her again. She was only here to pretend to be his mistress. If only there wasn’t that shared past between them. He could have seduced her and started to become tired of her already. Just like every other woman he’d been with.

  He tucked the fur blanket around them and then grabbed the reins from the stable boy. With a flick of the reins, they were gliding down across the fields. He looked over at her and smiled. Her eyes twinkled with excitement.

  “Can I guess that you have never been on a sleigh before?”

  She shook her head. “No,” her voice sounded breathy.

  Noticing h
er red cheeks, he asked, “Are you warm enough?”

  “Yes.” She looked around the open expanse. “It’s so beautiful here.”

  He slowed the horses down and took the time to look around. A fresh coating of snow had turned all the trees to white. The only sounds were the birds chirping. It was as if they were the only two people in the world.

  But he was here to do a job. That was all. And if she could assist him, even better.

  “How did you find Mr. Hardy?” he asked.

  “Do you know him?”

  “No. Do you?”

  She shivered but he didn’t know if it was from the cold or the idea of knowing Hardy.

  “I found him to be typical of the men at this party. A libertine only interested in his pleasure.”

  Anthony’s hand fisted. “Indeed?”

  “The man looked down the bodice of my dress even though he knew I was with you. He told me it would please him to learn of our parting.”

  “Did he now?” The idea that Hardy propositioned her while Anthony sat only six seats away stirred his anger. He’d been unable to find a way to get close enough to Hardy without rousing his suspicion. “I am not certain why that bothered you so terribly. A woman in your position must get used to the leering looks of men.”

  Her jaw tightened but he waited for her retort disputing her occupation. When she said nothing but glanced away from him, he had no doubts about her.

  “Oh, look!” Victoria pointed to a small deer at the edge of the forest. “He’s beautiful.”

  “She is beautiful,” he corrected.

  “How do you know it’s a she?”

  “No antlers.”

  Her cheeks darkened from embarrassment. “Oh.”

  “How would you know if you have never seen one?” he asked softly for some reason wanting to ease her discomfiture.

  “Shall we continue on? Or have you not received all the answers you needed regarding Mr. Hardy? Or perhaps you are not done disparaging my character?”

  “Was anything else mentioned?” Ignoring her last comment, he gave a quick slap of the reins and the horses started down the road.

  “No. He started to speak of the weather and politics to Mr. Singleton.”

  “Politics?”

  She shrugged under the fur rug. “I didn’t really listen at that point.”

  “Why ever not?” he asked harshly.

  She turned her head and stared at him oddly. “Because I have no interest in politics or Mr. Hardy. Why ever would I listen?”

  Since he had told her nothing about his mission, she would have no idea why he would be interested in anything Mr. Hardy said. He released a long breath. The air swirled around him like a mist.

  “Of course, you would not be interested in politics,” he finally replied.

  She tilted her head. “Should I have listened in?”

  The woman was far too intelligent. “It might have been useful.”

  “Will you tell me why?”

  “I cannot do that, Victoria. I’m sorry.” He actually did feel bad that he couldn’t tell her the truth. An intelligent woman might get farther with Hardy than him. But that was out of the question. He could not risk her safety.

  “Very well,” she said stiffly. “Will we need to stay the entire week?”

  “I am not certain yet.”

  “When will you be certain?”

  “I will let you know when I know.” He slapped the reins a little harder, eager to be back to the house. “Why are you so impatient to return to London? I thought you would like your adventure out of town.”

  “I miss my children.”

  Of course she did, he thought sarcastically. More than likely her reason to return was to get away from him. “I understand.”

  “If there is something I can do to help us get home faster, will you let me know?” she asked in a soft voice.

  He wanted to say no. He wanted to say yes. But in the end, he said in a vague tone, “Perhaps.”

  Chapter Twelve

  After returning from the strange sleigh ride, Victoria walked to her room. Thankfully, Somerton decided to stay downstairs with Lord Ancroft. She wondered what Somerton was truly about today. More and more, she believed he had an ulterior motive for being at this party. And somehow, both Ancroft and Hardy were involved.

  She walked slowly from one end of the room to the other. Why would Somerton be interested in Hardy? She knew Somerton would never tell her the truth. Perhaps she could glean some information from Lady Farleigh.

  That might work. Talking with Hannah might give her some more insight into Somerton, too. Victoria sat down at the desk in the salon and wrote a quick note to Somerton, telling him she intended to meet with Hannah.

  She just hoped she could get to Hannah before it was time to dress for dinner. As she made her way to the door, she realized she needed to relieve herself first. After finishing behind the screen in the bedroom, her breath caught when she heard the door open.

  “If she is not in our room, we can talk privately in here,” Somerton said quietly.

  She heard footsteps walking around the salon and then they stopped. She sat down on the stool behind the screen and waited for them to leave.

  “She is with Hannah,” he said.

  He must have read the note she left on the desk for him. This might give her the opportunity to find out exactly what they were looking for.

  “Why haven’t you told her yet?”

  That was Lord Ancroft’s voice. Her cheeks burned with mortification. Please don’t let them walk into the bedroom, she prayed silently.

  “I cannot trust her,” Somerton replied. “She’s a thief, Nicholas.”

  “You can’t trust any woman,” Ancroft commented. “But I think she might be able to help you.”

  “How?”

  “Use her to get to Hardy.”

  Victoria’s eyes widened. So she was right!

  “She finds the man to be a lecher,” Somerton said. “He was looking down her bodice at the luncheon table even though he knew she was under my protection.”

  Nicholas laughed. “Sounds like something you would do and yet, she doesn’t find you lecherous.”

  “No, I’m far worse than that in her opinion,” Somerton muttered.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Nothing important.”

  Why would Somerton believe she thought so poorly of him? While he hadn’t always been a gentleman, he certainly didn’t turn her stomach like Hardy. With Somerton nearby the air was always charged with excitement and tension.

  “I can’t get close to Hardy to find out if he’s received the missive. I checked his room this morning and found nothing in there.”

  “If you’re not willing to use Miss Seaton, then I would suggest you engage him in cards tonight. Perhaps attempt to befriend him.”

  Ancroft knew her name! How did he find out…unless Somerton told him? Somerton knew how important keeping her name secret was to her. She pressed her lips together as disappointment cut through her.

  She pushed away her feelings of betrayal and listened to them again.

  “All I need is that missive, and then I can get out of this place.”

  Nicholas chuckled. “And away from temptation.”

  Somerton muttered something that Victoria couldn’t decipher.

  What was this note he was looking for? If she could help him find it then they could leave this dratted party and return to London. She would be away from him before she let her defenses crumble. There had to be a way she could assist him.

  Ancroft had said they could use her to get close to Hardy. True, if the note was on his person, she could probably pinch it from him. But how would she know if Hardy had the note?

  “Get Miss Seaton to pick his pocket, Somerton.”

  Ancroft knew about that, too!

  “I will not use her for this. She is only here to keep Farleigh off my back about Hannah.”

  “When will he understand that Hann
ah loves him?” Nicholas asked.

  “It doesn’t help that she will still look at me as if she wanted to take me to bed right in front of him.”

  Victoria listened as they both moved in the room. She prayed they were not walking toward her. The door creaked open and then closed behind them. At least she hoped they had both left. Somerton would be furious if he discovered her eavesdropping on his conversations.

  Sitting quietly, she waited for some noise, which would indicate his presence. After a minute, she stood and peeked around the room. He wasn’t in here. She tiptoed to the doorway of the salon and peered around the corner. The room was thankfully empty.

  She tossed the note for Somerton into the fireplace since she no longer needed to speak with Hannah. Taking a seat by the warm fire, she wondered at that. Hannah might be able to give her information on Hardy. But somehow, Victoria would need to get those details without making Hannah suspicious of her actions.

  And as the door opened and Somerton walked inside the room, she knew she had to do something because every time she saw him, her defenses crumbled a little more.

  “What are you doing in here?” Anthony asked after closing the door behind him. “I thought you were with Lady Farleigh.”

  She shrugged. “I needed to think so I decided to return for some privacy. Besides, it will soon be time to dress for dinner.”

  “Wear the blue velvet tonight,” he said then tossed his jacket on a chair.

  “Why?”

  Could she not know how beautiful she looked in that gown? Perhaps she was acting coy with him. “It matches your eyes.”

  “Somerton,” she started then paused.

  “Yes?”

  “Do you think we could talk for a few minutes?”

  He took the chair across from her and stared at her. “That might depend on the topic.”

  “I am sleeping in the same bed with a man I know practically nothing about. I thought it might be pleasant if we became better acquainted.”

  “Why would it matter? You are only here to pretend to be my mistress.” Yet even as he gave his usual retort, he wondered at her intent.