A Scandalous Portrait: Rose Room Rogues ~ Book One

by Hutton, Callie

  “No. A man can change his mind, but I’ve not known you to vacillate. Once you make up your mind, you rarely change it.”

  Again he toyed with the idea of bringing Diana into his confidence. She could keep Lady Eunice at bay so he could conduct his investigation. However, this was a sensitive matter and, although he had no reason to believe Diana would compromise his assignment, he would still be breeching protocol. Maybe if he told her only enough to get her cooperation without revealing the entire matter, it would assuage his conscience.

  Hunt cleared his throat. “Actually, Diana, you are correct. I don’t usually change my mind. However, I am here for a specific purpose. To gather information for someone at the Home Office.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “The Home Office?”

  “Yes. Once in a while they ask my assistance on something that is very sensitive when they don’t want to go through the regular channels.”

  Diana’s mouth dropped. “You’re a spy?”

  “Shh.” Hunt looked around. “Hardly. But in this case, I need to be able to move freely and observe various people. Lady Eunice hinted—no, she flat out stated—that she intended to spend a lot of time with me.”

  Diana’s eyes snapped. “The hussy!”

  Hunt grinned.

  * * *

  Diana was not only surprised by Hunt’s revelation about the Home Office but impressed. She’d known Hunt all her life and never had she suspected that he did work for the department.

  “I can help.”

  Hunt blanched. “No. I only want you to keep Lady Eunice away so I can do what I need to do.”

  “Well maybe not really help, but I could cause a distraction now and then so you can sneak off.”

  Hunt closed his eyes. “Diana, I tremble to think of what sort of a distraction you could cause.” Despite his words, he turned toward her and offered a smile.

  They stood and continued their walk, and Diana became uncomfortably aware of how her body was reacting to this innocuous stroll. She’d been telling herself for days there was no attraction between the two of them, that it was all her imagination.

  No. She’d been fooling herself. Something had shifted between them and, not only was she feeling it, but it was quite possible Hunt did as well. She decided to take the bull by the horn.

  “Have you been avoiding me?”

  She felt Hunt’s muscles tense under her arm.

  “No. Why would you say that?”

  “Well, perhaps because for the past week I didn’t see you at any of the normal events a man who is looking for a bride would attend.”

  He glanced down at her. “Who said I was looking for a bride?”

  “You did.” She tilted her head to look into his eyes. “And I heard it from a number of people after I returned from Italy. Apparently when one of the most eligible bachelors in the ton makes it known he is ready to settle down and set up his nursery, ferocious mamas and desperate daughters take note.”

  He shrugged. “It had crossed my mind. I am not getting any younger.”

  Why did that bother her so much? The thought of Hunt marrying and taking a sweet, silly debutante to his bed and into his life depressed her. Someone perfect, of course. Not like her with her scandals and other mishaps.

  A blasé attitude would be best. “Any prospects?”

  Just when she decided he wasn’t going to answer, he said, “No. Not really.” He kept his face forward and didn’t look at her.

  That was not a sense of relief she felt. No. It didn’t matter to her one whit if he had his eyes set on someone or not.

  It didn’t matter at all.

  10

  Three days of the blasted house party had passed, and Hunt was no closer to obtaining the name of the person working to bring down the government than upon arrival.

  Despite Diana’s best attempts to keep Lady Eunice away from him, the young girl found more reasons for him to assist her than one could imagine. It got to the point where he almost asked her if she employed any footmen.

  The games had been as silly and degrading as he’d feared, but Diana had come through once or twice by asking him to walk with her in the garden to get a breath of fresh air.

  Although it would leave them open to speculation, they didn’t return to the drawing room until the tea carts had rolled out. There were a few raised eyebrows, but since Hunt and Diana had been in view of other couples the entire time, nothing was said.

  Except Lady Eunice had looked daggers at Diana.

  Today, Lady Grafton had set up a trip to town for the guests. They would visit Roman ruins outside the town, then do some shopping and meet afterwards at a local pub for lunch.

  Hunt stepped out of the front door and immediately went to Diana’s side. “Do not leave me alone today,” he murmured from the side of his mouth.

  Diana laughed, a hardy sound that one would never hear from any other young lady of the ton. She leaned closer and whispered. “Are you afraid of someone, my lord? Do you need protection from pirates or other brigands?”

  “Not funny. I don’t expect to uncover any information in a trip to town, but Lady Eunice and Miss Allison have taken turns talking my ear off, and I prefer a morning of peace and quiet.”

  “And you think to get peace and quiet from me?” Diana laughed even harder.

  “Your type of peace and quiet I’ve been handling for years, my sweet.”

  Diana took the arm he offered. “Were I you, I would be more concerned with one of them attempting to make it appear as if you compromised her.”

  “Yes, there is that, too.”

  He couldn’t help but think of Diana’s flight to Italy after the same thing happened to her. Except she hadn’t been the one who’d planned the discovery of them together. It had been Viscount Stratford, eager to get his hands on Diana’s money. She’d been wise to refuse to marry him. The man would have made her life miserable.

  But she paid the price.

  There were only two days left to gather information before they returned to London. So far he’d not seen any of the staff speaking with a guest, except for the normal interaction one would see at any house party.

  He’d taken to wandering the halls at night to see if anyone had left their room to consult with a staff member. All he’d gotten for his trouble was frustration at the arousing sounds coming from behind the doors. House parties were notorious for bed partner switching.

  Prowling the corridor, all he could think of was Diana in her bed, soft and warm and dressed only in a nightgown. And under that nightgown were curves he’d seen, even if they were not completely accurate. He had to stop torturing himself.

  He would be happy when this blasted party was over.

  The next morning, Hunt helped Diana into one of the carriages, and they were immediately joined by Lady Eunice and Miss Allison.

  He offered a slight bow. “Good morning, ladies. It looks like a perfectly pleasant day for a trip into town.” Hunt smiled at the two girls, hoping they did not plan to tag along with him and Diana.

  “Yes. This is delightful weather,” Miss Allison agreed.

  There were several carriages transporting the guests to town. All those who planned to enjoy the outing had arranged themselves in the various vehicles. Diana’s companion, Mrs. Strickland, had apparently decided not to join the group, which was fine with Hunt. He didn’t really care for the woman, and he hoped to have some time alone with Diana.

  “Say, I hope you don’t mind if I join the group,” Nelson Connors said as he climbed into the carriage and sat next to Diana. With the two young ladies across from them, it would have made more sense for him to sit there, instead of crowding him and Diana.

  Hunt’s jaw tensed as Diana shifted a bit, so she and Connors were not touching. She’d already made it perfectly clear to the man that she was not interested in him or the idea of a dalliance, so what was his game?

  At least it wasn’t a long ride into town, so Hunt concentrated instead on the lack of progress in
the investigation. He didn’t like to fail and the prospect of returning with no name frustrated him.

  * * *

  The carriages began to roll away from the manor in a line. “Where are you off to this morning?” Diana asked the two young ladies across from them.

  Both girls looked in Hunt’s direction. He looked out the window.

  “I don’t know, actually. There is just so much to see. . .” Miss Allison continued to gape at Hunt who maintained his interest in the scenery.

  Lady Eunice had no qualms in getting what she wanted. “Where are you headed, my lord?”

  Hunt faced her but, before he could answer, Diana said, “Oh, his lordship has promised to accompany me to the bookstore. I understand it is a wonderful one for a small town.”

  “Yes, that is what I hear,” Lady Eunice mumbled.

  “I’m sure you’ve been there many times. It would be boring for you,” Diana said.

  Lady Eunice narrowed her eyes at what she must have considered a sabotage from Diana. “Actually, I have never been there.”

  “I agree, bookstores are boring,” Mr. Connors said. “I suggest you two ladies join me in a walk to the Roman ruins. That is much more interesting.”

  Diana was thrilled. She wanted some time alone with Hunt, and Mr. Connors had just provided the perfect excuse. “Yes, do go with Mr. Connors to the ruins. I’ve already seen them, and I believe you will be as fascinated as I was. I’m sure Lord Huntington and I will be in the bookstore for some time.”

  Apparently, Mr. Connors now had his eye on one of the young ladies. It was known that he had a problem with drink and gambling, which was why he most likely needed a wife with deep pockets to continue his lifestyle. As far as Diana knew, both Miss Allison and Lady Eunice came with nice dowries.

  As they continued the ride, Diana had a hard time not noticing Hunt’s closeness. She had automatically shifted toward him when Mr. Connors entered the carriage and sat next to her. It was a good idea at the time, but now she was trapped next to Hunt, captured by the heat coming from his body and the enticing scent from his bath soap.

  She really needed to stop this nonsense. If there was any woman in all of London who would be the least appropriate bride for the Earl of Huntington, it was her. Over the years, she’d learned what Hunt wanted in a wife, and one of the simpering young ladies sitting across from them was perfect.

  Then why was he dodging them? And asking her to ‘protect’ him from Lady Eunice’s wiles? Were they not prime examples of a ‘perfect’ Lady Huntington?

  She snuck a side glance at Hunt who still stared out the window. Mr. Connors had the girls involved in a conversation about the various events of the Season so far and what was to come.

  Diana was more interested in Hunt. Did he truly want a wife who was so placid and mellow? As well as she knew the man, she didn’t believe he would be happy with that sort of a wife. But wherever her thoughts led her, one thing was certain. He would never want her. And, in some ways, that hurt.

  Once they arrived at the town center, Mr. Connors held both elbows out to the ladies, and off they went. Neither one of the girls looked happy.

  “That was easy,” Diana said as she took Hunt’s arm.

  “For as annoyed as I was when Connors climbed into our carriage, I am now grateful to him.”

  The bookstore was a mere few steps from where the carriages left the guests. Diana was already impressed before they opened the door. Despite it being a small town, the place was quite large and took up a goodly space on the square. The large window in the front held a display of books relevant to the season.

  A soft tinkle from a bell at the top of the door announced their arrival. Several people browsed the shelves, and a young mother sat on a comfortable chair next to the wall with a small child on her lap, reading him a story.

  “This is a lovely bookstore!” Diana said as she turned in a circle to view all the shelves of books.

  “I’m glad you think so. Welcome to Brenner’s Book Store.” An older man, a bit stooped over with a scant number of strands of white hair on his head and thick spectacles perched on his nose approached them. Despite his age, he was cheerful, with rosy cheeks and bright, twinkling blue eyes. He was the sort of man one liked immediately.

  “Good morning, my lord, my lady. I hope you find something interesting and enlightening here in my humble bookstore.”

  “Oh, I’m sure we will. Are you Mr. Brenner?”

  “Yes, indeed. Although I am not the original Mr. Brenner. That was my grandfather, and then my father.”

  “Ah. Keeping the business in the family, I see,” Hunt said.

  Mr. Brenner nodded. “Please take your time and browse to your heart’s content.”

  Hunt went in the direction of the shelves that were marked as Land Management and Diana was almost—but not quite—embarrassed to make her way to the fiction bookshelves.

  Mr. Brenner had a good selection of fiction, so Diana intended to be engaged for quite a while.

  After about twenty minutes, her attention was taken up by two men on the other side of the shelf from where she stood. They were speaking in a low voice, and one of the voices sounded familiar.

  Keeping an open book in her hand, she walked slowly to where Hunt was, taking a quick glance at the two men as she passed. One was very tall and broad and, even though she could not see his face, she was quite certain he was one of the footmen at the Grafton estate.

  His large body blocked the man he was speaking with. She continued to where Hunt was just sliding a book back onto the shelf.

  He turned to her and smiled. He must have seen something in her eyes because he frowned. “What?”

  She leaned forward, and he dipped his head so he could hear her. “There are two men on the other side of the fiction bookshelves. I am quite certain one of them is a footman from Grafton’s. He’s blocking the other man so I can’t see him, but his voice sounds familiar.”

  Hunt nodded to the three books she held in her arms. “Are you purchasing those?”

  “Yes.”

  He took her by the elbow and walked her to the front of the store. Mr. Brenner was at the front desk. “Well, it looks like you found something to your liking, my lady.”

  “Yes. I did. I would like these three books. I am so looking forward to reading them.”

  Mr. Brenner added up the cost, and Diana dug in her reticule and retrieved the coins to pay him.

  He smiled at her as he handed her the change. “You have a wonderful day.”

  Hunt and Diana thanked the man and left the store. “Now what?” she said.

  “We wait in a place where we cannot be seen. Soon one or both men will exit the store.” He walked her over to a park bench on the green, across from the bookstore.

  They chatted amiably while a few people went in and out of the store. After about five minutes the footman left the store, looked around, and walked off. No more than two minutes later, one of the guests at the house party left and walked toward the pub where they were to meet for lunch.

  Diana and Hunt looked at each other. “Lord Melrose,” they said in unison.

  11

  “What do you know of Lord Melrose?” Diana asked Hunt as they made their way to the pub, trailing only a couple hundred yards behind the man.

  Hunt shrugged. “Not much. I’ve seen him about town and in the halls of parliament, but he is pretty much a nondescript sort of fellow.” Of course, Hunt knew from his work with the Home Office that nondescript fellows often made the best spies. But an anarchist? That was quite a stretch for Melrose. As a matter of fact, working with anarchists was a stretch for any peer.

  Although it had been Hunt’s plan to depart the party as soon as he had the name of the man involved with the nihilists, he found himself reluctant to leave. He’d enjoyed the time spent with Diana and, thus far, he’d been able to keep his lust in check.

  Because of their long friendship, he was not surprised to find her witty with a bit of sarca
sm regarding the other guests. She was also a stalwart partner in keeping him from being thrust into a situation that would require swift wedding bells.

  Although he’d known for years that Diana was a charming person to spend time with—when she wasn’t in trouble, that was—it seemed since her return from Italy, he was enjoying her company even more. But in a much different way. Truth be told, a more dangerous way.

  He tried very hard to convince himself that the portrait had nothing to do with this change in attitude. Some days he was close to successful. Was he truly that much of a cad?

  There was only one day left of the festivities. The party would end the next night at a ball for all the guests as well as surrounding gentry. Since he’d come this far, he might as well stay to the end and avoid concerns and questions when he took an early leave.

  The following evening, Hunt descended the stairs from the bedchambers’ level to the ballroom floor. His eyes immediately drifted to where Diana stood with Lady Eunice, who looked pale and insignificant next to Diana, who wore an emerald green satin gown that hugged her curves to perfection. Low in the neckline with slight capped sleeves, the dress had a sparkling netting overlay that draped from Diana’s waist to the floor.

  Only Diana would dare to wear such a gown. He shook his head at her once again pushing the limits of acceptable apparel for an unmarried young lady. She was surrounded by men, some from the party, and some obviously from those who had been invited from the local gentry.

  Annoyed at the attention she was receiving, he made his way across the room, nodding at acquaintances and friends. Now that it was near the end of the party, he was anxious for the event to be over so he could report back to DuBois-Gifford. Hunt had watched Melrose since he’d discovered his perfidy and the man was good. He showed no sense of alarm or guilt. Hunt also noticed that the footman who had met him in the bookstore paid no attention to Melrose while performing his duties.