Lord of Mischief

by Sasha Cottman

  Eve came to his side but uncharacteristically said nothing.

  “Eve, what’s wrong?” he asked, reaching out and touching her arm.

  She turned to him, her face a sudden study in seriousness. “What will your family say when they see the dog? Will they think I am a foolish young miss who should be at home under the watchful eye of her mother?”

  Freddie paused for a moment. He hadn’t actually thought what his family would say about the dog. When it came to the subject of Eve, they were completely in the dark.

  His heart went out to her. When their relationship came to the attention of their respective parents it would put Eve’s behavior in particular under scrutiny.

  The thought pulled him up short. A relationship did exist between them. He couldn’t deny he felt a strong attraction to the free-spirited Eve. Looking at her now, standing beside him, he was possessed of the need to kiss her until every single one of her worries was gone.

  “It’s alright. I won’t mention that it came from you. My family are very keen on dogs, so they will likely take to this big furry beast with gusto,” he replied with a smile.

  It was a good thing his family did like dogs. While Saintspreserveus had been purchased as part of the challenge, it was now his dog to feed and look after.

  He bent down and gave Saintspreserveus a scratch behind the ear. “I promise, when this is all over, you will go and live at my family estate in the country. There are lots of places where you can run free and be happy.”

  Freddie stood and offered Eve his arm. Overbearing brothers could go hang. He wanted to walk with Eve by his side, and he would damn well do it.

  Eve sighed with relief as she took Freddie’s arm. It had been a risky move to go and buy the dog, but as soon as she had seen him she knew he was exactly what the game required. A small animal, who could fit in a coat pocket, would never be enough to cause the sort of mayhem the Bachelor Board challenge required. Chasing Saintspreserveus through the streets of London while crying out his name would earn Freddie more points.

  She reached into her reticule and pulled out a piece of paper. She wrote a few notes on it and then handed it to Freddie.

  “Today’s score sheet for the challenge, I have added in the dog,” she said, handing it to him.

  He smiled as he took the paper and put it in his jacket pocket.

  “Thanks, you are the best partner a chap could ever ask for.”

  His words were exactly what her heart longed to hear. With every win, he would see how important she was in his life. If she kept to this path, in time, Freddie would come to the realization their futures were inevitably linked together as one, and that she deserved a place by his side at Rosemount Abbey.

  With Saintspreserveus safely on his lead, they made good time in getting to Grosvenor Square. Eve had attempted to slow their pace, but Freddie and the dog had other ideas.

  Crossing Grosvenor Square, she was relieved to see the Saunders family town carriage was not waiting out the front of Rosemount House. As they reached the front steps of his home, Freddie gave a quick glance around them and pulled a surprised Eve inside the front door.

  “We don’t want the neighbors seeing you arrive. It will get back to your parents,” he said.

  He waved away the footman who came to enquire as to whether he and the young lady required refreshments. Instead, he handed him the dog’s lead and instructed him to find some food and water.

  “We can wait in here until your carriage arrives. We should be able to see it out the front window,” he said. He showed her into a ground-floor sitting room and closed the door behind him.

  Eve had taken two steps toward a nearby couch in order to sit down before Freddie grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to him. Before she could utter a word of protest, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her hard against him. “I’ve been wanting to do this since the first day we met,” he said.

  His lips descended and she felt the soft heat of his mouth as he took her in a searing kiss. She tilted her head back and relaxed into the embrace.

  He ran his tongue along the bottom of her lip, and when she opened her mouth, his tongue swept inside. The kiss deepened as their tongues met and slowly began to move against one another in a passionate dance. This was everything she had ever hoped for in a first kiss. Heat and passion.

  His hand drifted down lower and he took a firm grip of her bottom, pulling her even harder against him. The layers of her cloak and gown could not disguise the hardness of his manhood as he held her in this tight embrace. The knowledge she was arousing him both frightened and thrilled her.

  She softened her lips. He kissed exactly like she had hoped he would. There was no youthful fumbling in his actions.

  “Oh, Eve,” he murmured, pulling away from her lips.

  She looked into his eyes and saw the glaze of passion in them. She reached up and put a hand to his cheek, drawing him back to her. Their mouths met once more in a soft kiss, which rapidly grew in its intensity. A kiss that spoke of an understanding of the change in their relationship. His hands pushed open the folds of her cloak and she felt fingers brush against her nipples. When he took her nipple between his fingers and gently squeezed, she let out a low groan of satisfaction.

  Desire stirred within her body, and she sensed she was about to lose the little power she had over the situation. If Freddie decided to lower her to the sitting room rug and take her innocence here and now, she would let him do it.

  He pulled out of the kiss and let out a stuttering breath. “Sorry, I got a tad carried away there for a minute.”

  Eve stepped back and tidied up the front of her gown and cloak. Through the lace curtains of the sitting room window she saw her family town carriage draw up out the front. Disappointment descended on her happy mood. The moment between them was at an end.

  “I have to go,” she said.

  “Yes, of course. Thank you for the dog. He is exactly what we need.”

  An awkwardness descended on what had been an intimate moment only seconds before. Freddie ushered Eve toward the door, but he no longer met her gaze.

  As she climbed into the carriage, she gave him a hopeful smile. He returned it with a friendly wave and closed the door. When the carriage drew away from the edge of the road, Eve looked back.

  A second carriage now drew up outside Rosemount House, and Freddie turned away from her. She silently wished he would look back, but whomever was in the other carriage had captured his attention.

  She sat back and faced forward. They had shared a kiss—one which spoke of desire and a hungry need. She could only hope he felt more than mere lust for her. With her heart now in dangerous territory, her greatest fear was that he would be guided by society expectations and be forced to offer for her. She might beat Caroline to the altar, but a loveless marriage would be the most hollow victory of all.

  It would be the greatest gamble of her life to risk both her heart and reputation, and it was a decision she was going to have to make alone. With Lucy on her honeymoon in Paris, and Caroline barely on speaking terms with her, there was no one to turn to for advice. Freddie was a risk she was going to have to take on her own terms.

  Chapter Eleven

  Freddie stood and watched as Eve’s carriage pulled away. He had half turned away when another carriage drew up outside the house.

  It was the Rosemount travel coach. Seated at the nearest window was his mother. A footman stepped down from the coach and opened the door.

  “Frederick, what perfect timing. One guest leaves as the other arrives,” she said, taking his hand.

  Freddie schooled his features into that of the dutiful son, while inwardly thanking the gods his mother had not arrived five minutes earlier.

  His mother was spending a few days in town to check up on him, and once she was satisfied he had not burnt the house to the ground, she would head back to Rosemount Abbey. Hopefully.

  Freddie Rosemount was not the first son of any family to wi
sh his parents would stay out of his life.

  “Who was that you were saying farewell to? The footman on the back of the carriage looked to be wearing the livery of the Saunders family,” his mother said.

  Freddie’s heart sank. His mother had seen the carriage with Eve leaving and he had no time to find a lie. Within the hour his mother would have penned a note to Adelaide Saunders mentioning having just missed the family member who had been visiting at Rosemount House.

  He could not stand by and let Eve’s reputation be called into question. It was time to step up and defend his girl.

  “Come inside, Mama. You must be tired from the journey. Then we can talk.”

  Eve kept a low profile for the next day or so. Freddie had sent word that his mother was in town and they would have to wait a few days before attempting to resume the game. She took his note as a blessing in disguise; a rest from the game gave her the opportunity to catch up on some well needed sleep. Going out night after night with Freddie was taking its toll.

  It also gave her time to think on how she could get Freddie to reveal his feelings for her. The kiss had been all that she had hoped for, but whether it led to him declaring himself to her was uncertain.

  “Ah, just the person I wish to speak to,” said her mother, catching Eve in the upstairs hall.

  Eve held her breath. Those words were never ones she enjoyed hearing. It usually meant she was either in trouble or, worse still, about to spend an evening listening to the latest gossip from among London society. She wasn’t sure which she hated more. Gossip never transpired to be half as good as it was initially reported.

  With reluctance, she followed her mother into her formal drawing room and took a chair near the window. She straightened her back and sat with hands clasped ladylike in her lap. She waited for her mother to speak.

  Instead, her mother came and sat next to her, taking Eve’s hand softly within hers. “I received a note from Lady Rosemount this morning. Apparently, you have become acquainted with her son, Frederick, and she would like to meet you. Isn’t that lovely news?” asked Adelaide.

  Eve stilled. She had thought of several things her mother could take her to task over, including her treatment of Caroline. The news that Freddie’s mother wanted to meet her was a lightning bolt she had not seen coming.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  She felt Adelaide’s gaze boring into the side of her head. Nothing got past her mother. If Freddie had decided to make mention of their friendship, then it made sense she do the same.

  “We met a few weeks ago at a party. He knows Francis,” she replied.

  Throwing her brother’s name into the mix could only help to steer her mother away from thoughts of impropriety on her daughter’s part. She privately prayed the sibling code of silence would still hold.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t make mention of him until now. Or was it your intention not to tell me about this young man?” asked Adelaide.

  Eve swallowed deep and turned to her mother. “We are friends. Though matters may eventually head in the direction of something more, I cannot at this point say.”

  Adelaide met her gaze. Eve suddenly felt naked. Why did mothers know when their daughters were not telling the whole truth? “Well, Lady Rosemount has invited you and I for tea later this week. I have accepted the invitation on our behalf, assuming you would want me to do so.”

  Eve nodded. There wasn’t much else she could do. It felt odd that while she had been making secret plans to win Freddie’s heart, he had made several unexpected moves of his own. The kiss had taken her completely by surprise, and she had thought of little else since.

  Meeting his mother took things several miles past where she thought they were in their budding romance. With Adelaide now aware of the relationship, it wouldn’t be long before the discussion turned to the matter of a betrothal.

  “Yes. That would be lovely. I am looking forward to meeting Lady Rosemount. Though of course, if you think Will’s impending homecoming will disrupt our visit I would be happy to postpone it.”

  Adelaide smiled. “Absolutely not. Your happiness is as important to me as is your brother coming home. Once he is back here in Dover Street, I shall be able to see him every day. The opportunity for you to meet with your potential future mother-in-law is something to be treated with the dignity and reverence it deserves.”

  Mother-in-law.

  The very words sent shivers of fear down Eve’s spine. What if Lady Rosemount was a stickler for protocol and behavior? She would see right through Eve’s charade of a well-bred young woman and know she was entirely unsuitable for her son.

  Then where would she be?

  Chapter Twelve

  “Where can he be?”

  Eve and Caroline shared a knowing look and went back to writing notes.

  Will’s ship from Gibraltar had docked in London early that morning. Word had been sent from Charles’s shipping agent as soon as the Canis Major had berthed at the docks. Adelaide had taken up a post in the downstairs sitting room nearest the front door to wait for Will’s arrival.

  By mid-morning she was pacing the front hallway. By noon she stood just inside the front door, arms crossed. Waiting.

  Will’s luggage arrived early in the afternoon, but there was no sign of Will himself. At three o’clock, Adelaide marshalled her troops. Eve and Caroline were each given a small pile of cards with instructions to write to everyone in London who could possibly tell Adelaide the whereabouts of her first-born son.

  “That boy owes me three years of my life. I lost count of the nights I sat up and worried about him while he was on his secret mission in Paris. He is a wicked and cruel son if he thinks I should have to wait a day longer for his return.”

  “He may have some pressing business matters he needs to finalize before he comes home,” offered Caroline.

  Eve’s heart went out to her mother. For as long as she could remember, the arrival of the morning post had been an occasion of silence and dread within the family. Dread that among the letters and invitations would be a communication from British army command that the French authorities had uncovered Will’s true identity and he had met his fate at the hands of Madame Guillotine.

  “Mama, he will come. If not today, then tomorrow. His luggage has arrived, so he clearly intends to come home,” said Caroline.

  A knock at the door heralded Charles Saunders. Adelaide rose from her chair, a handful of notes held tightly in her hand. Charles came to his wife and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

  “Will sent word. He has urgent army business to attend to which he cannot discuss. Suffice to say, he is in London and will be with us as soon as he can. In the meantime, I suggest we go on as we have done for the past one thousand, eight hundred and however many days since he has been away,” said Charles.

  Adelaide took her husband’s advice and as a result, Eve found herself sitting in Lady Rosemount’s drawing room late the following morning. If her mother was still anxious about not being home when Will eventually did arrive, she hid it well.

  The talk meandered through various safe topics, while Eve sat quietly waiting for it to land on the real reason for her and Adelaide’s visit to Rosemount House. She was nervous, all her self-confidence having fled the moment she set foot inside the front door.

  “So, Eve, Frederick tells me you and he have recently become friends. I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am he has found new friends since his arrival in London. He is not the most outgoing of young men and finds it difficult to socialize,” said Lady Rosemount finally.

  Eve continued to chew on her cake long past when it was well and truly ready to be swallowed. It allowed her time to gather her thoughts and frame a suitable response.

  The Freddie his mother described was nothing like the man she knew.

  “Oh, so he is a shy young man. I hadn’t realized,” replied Adelaide.

  Eve crossed her toes in her slippers and prayed. One of the lessons she had learned from pl
aying the Rude Rules challenges was that keeping a straight face at all times was imperative. If people thought you found humor in a situation, they were likely to do one of two things: they either wanted to be in on the jest, or they got angry. Very angry, in the case of several people she and Freddie had managed to offend during the game.

  “He is a quiet young man, almost bookish I would say, which is why it is encouraging to see he has caught the eye of a lovely young lady. Especially, may I say, one from such a respectable and well-connected family,” replied his mother.

  She caught her mother’s eye. Adelaide was beaming proudly at her daughter.

  Eve picked up her cup of tea and took a hesitant sip. She was content to let her mother and Lady Rosemount do the talking. It allowed her to add to the long list of questions she was going to ask Freddie when next they were alone.

  “Do you enjoy the countryside, Evelyn?” asked Lady Rosemount.

  Eve felt the heat of two pairs of eyes looking straight at her.

  “Yes. I’ve always enjoyed going to Scotland at Christmas. Mama’s family castle, Strathmore Castle, is in the wilds of Scotland, and I do love long walks among the hills and the valleys,” she replied.

  Both her mother and Lady Rosemount sat back in their chairs, smiles evident on their faces. It was a morning for smiles. Eve had given the correct answer. They would see little point in a marriage between a headstrong city girl and a bookish lad from the country, but Eve had set their minds to rest.

  “Well, then. May I suggest you and your mother come and visit us at Rosemount Abbey. I am certain the rest of the family would like to meet you both. My eldest daughter-in-law, Cecily, most especially would be interested in meeting Evelyn.”

  A small bubble of excitement and fear formed in Eve’s stomach. Lady Rosemount had invited her to visit Freddie’s family home, which could only mean he had told his mother he was intending to make an offer for her hand in marriage.

  “Mama?” she replied, suddenly in need of her mother’s reassurance. Things were beginning to move at a pace Eve could no longer fully control.