The Rake's Revenge

Chapter Three

A fton glanced around the grand ballroom of the Argyle Rooms. The elegant setting, replete with crystal chandeliers and fresco-painted walls, was like something from a fairy tale. Everything was perfect and boded well for Dianthe’s further success. It would never do to have other guests at the Lingate fete overhear their conversation and ruin it all.

She pulled her aunt toward a quiet corner. “I tell you, Aunt Grace, it was eerie,” she whispered. “I know what each of the cards is supposed to mean, but I could not make out the meaning in the way they fell. I was in his fortune, and I was a danger to him—or he to me, I could not tell which. I tried to think, but I kept hearing the word danger, and I could not banish it from my mind. I vow, for a moment I thought it was Auntie Hen whispering to me.”

Grace blanched. “You do not think—”

“No! Oh, no. Of course not,” Afton assured her. “It wasn’t real. The voice was in my head—more like a memory. But it distracted me, and Lord Glenross must think I’m quite mad. I had only started to tell his future when I…became mystified. He said he would be back.”

Grace’s clear brown eyes widened. “And so he is.”

Afton turned in the direction of Grace’s gaze. Lord Glenross, dressed in elegant eveningwear, was wending his way around groups and couples, progressing relentlessly toward them. Light-headed with anticipation, she said a quick prayer that she would do or say nothing that would betray her as Madame Zoe.

When he arrived before them, he gave a polite bow and straightened with a smile. Afton noted that he’d had a haircut since this afternoon. He now had the look of the haut monde, but there was something primitive in his bearing and his movements—as if someone had dressed a lion in a lamb disguise. She liked him better without his “civilized” veneer.

He gave a short bow. “Mrs. Forbush, I am in your debt.”

Grace tilted her head to one side and returned his smile. “Whatever for, Lord Glenross?”

“Your assistance in contacting Madame Zoe. I hope it did not inconvenience you greatly.”

“Not in the least, my lord. The information came easier than you might imagine. Were you successful?”

“Quite. I met with her this afternoon.”

The knowledge that he did not know who she was intoxicated Afton and made her feel daring. She couldn’t contain her curiosity. “Was your appointment satisfactory, my lord?”

He turned to her, looking surprised that she had addressed him. He smiled and nodded. “Miss Lovejoy, is it not? Yes, I was satisfied with the appointment. I found Madame Zoe to be quite…insightful.”

“Is she as good as the on dit has it?”

“That remains to be seen.”

Afton was about to reply when she noted Sir Martin Seymour coming their way. He was blond, tall, slender, handsome and perfectly groomed—a fair complement to Lord Glenross. He bowed to her and Grace before turning to Glenross.

“If it isn’t the McHugh, my childhood chum,” he said, grinning and embracing him. “I heard, but I dared not believe. Glad you made it back, old friend.”

Glenross clapped the other man on the back and said, “Seymour, it is good to see you. Have you been well?”

“Tolerable. And you?”

Glenross’s face clouded. “As you might expect.”

“Sorry,” Martin murmured. “I did not mean to awaken any loathsome memories.”

“There are not many of the other kind.” Glenross gave a short, self-deprecating laugh. “I do not usually indulge in self-pity. Bear with me, Seymour. I will regain my balance in another day or two.”

Afton was touched by his obvious dismay. She was certain he did not often betray himself in such a blatant manner.

“No doubt,” Martin said. He turned to her and Grace, then bent in a debonair bow. “Ladies, please excuse our lapse of good manners. The McHugh and I grew up not three miles apart, and I have not seen him since…before Algiers.”

“How nice,” Grace said. “It is always a pleasure to reacquaint oneself with old friends, is it not?”

“Without a doubt,” Seymour said. “Are you ladies enjoying yourselves?”

“We have not been here long,” Grace answered. “Mr. Julius Lingate claimed Dianthe for a waltz upon our arrival, and we have been awaiting her return to us. I believe she was claimed for another dance, but—”

“Ah, there she goes again.” Martin laughed, gesturing at the waltzing couples. He nodded toward the dance floor and reached for Afton’s hand. “We should join her, Miss Lovejoy. Since you are standing here, you cannot be spoken for.”

Afton did not like being manipulated, but she could not disengage her hand without appearing rude. “Oh, Sir Martin, I am a poor partner. You can be nothing but disappointed. I had scant opportunity to practice waltzing in Little Upton.”

“Leave it to me, Miss Lovejoy. I have enough skill and practice for us both.” He paused long enough to bow again in Grace’s direction and call a farewell to Glenross as he led her toward the dance floor. “Come ’round to my club later, Rob. We’ll reacquaint you with some late entertainments.”

Afton felt heat creep into her cheeks when she wondered what sort of late entertainments that would be, and before she knew it, she was dancing her first waltz.

Her partner smiled. “I say, Miss Lovejoy, you look quite fetching in violet. You ought to wear it more often.”

“Thank you, Sir Martin,” she murmured as she scuffed the toe of his boot with her slipper. She liked the rhythm of the music, but she did not care to have Martin Seymour mere inches from her face. Nor did she quite understand what steps would be required of her next.

Her partner’s hand on her waist gave her no guidance. Her foot landed squarely on top of his boot and he winced, trying, no doubt, to cover a look of annoyance.

“Oh, I am sorry. Perhaps I am not suited.”

“I shan’t hold it against you, Miss Lovejoy. You will learn.”

She wondered if she would. She suspected she was more suited for country reels and quadrilles. Then a sudden thought occurred to her. Sir Martin was eminently qualified to court Dianthe. “My sister is much in demand. Have you danced with her?”

“I have, indeed. She is light of foot, but she hasn’t your fire.” Sir Martin gave her a meaningful look.

“You like red hair, sir?”

“Your locks are more a reddish-blond, and I like it very much, indeed. My inquiries have revealed that you have been in town six entire months, Miss Lovejoy. How is it that you are yet unattached?”

“Luck?” she ventured.

He grinned. “My good luck. I should have been distraught if you’d been spoken for before I had my chance.”

Afton blinked in surprise. Was he asking if his attentions were welcome? “I…I have not been much in society, sir. Did your inquiries reveal that I am my aunt’s companion?”

Sir Martin affected a wounded look as he spun her in a tight circle. “Miss Lovejoy, say you do not think me so parsimonious as to be a fortune hunter.”

She laughed. “Sir, most women are judged as worthy as their fortunes, and I come with more liabilities than assets.”

“Noted. And yet I am undaunted.”

What will it take? Afton thought. Ashamed of herself, she smiled. “You are very kind, sir.”

“Not at all. Bloodlines are also important, would you not agree? You are of a good family, and your father was only once removed from a title, I think?”

“The Lovejoy pedigree stands up to scrutiny.”

The waltz ended. Sir Martin offered his arm as he escorted her back to Grace. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “We shall waltz again, Miss Lovejoy.”

She put on a polite smile. “Do not forget Dianthe.”

The moment Sir Martin departed, Grace took Afton’s hand and led her apart from the little group she’d been standing in. “Glenross said he’d be back to claim a dance. He was asking about you, Afton, and your circumstances.”

“What if he suspects I am…”

“I pray that is not possible. Though he seemed to study you overmuch, you betrayed nothing of your identity.”

“I am certain of it. I was swathed head to toe in Auntie Hen’s disguise. Why, I even wore gloves to cover my hands. I lowered my voice and spoke with an accent. Still, he was behaving oddly.”

“Then he must be smitten with Afton Lovejoy.”

“Also impossible, Aunt. From the on dit, Glenross is notorious for being blind to a pretty face. I’ve heard that from too many sources to doubt it. And he is still mourning his late wife, Lady Maeve.”

“Did you see that in the cards?”

“Heavens!” Afton laughed. “You mustn’t believe such silly stuff. Who would know better than I what balderdash that is? A parlor game, Aunt Grace. Put no more stock in it than that.”

“Then perhaps you ought to tell your own fortune, Afton. But later. Here comes Glenross again.”

“I think I am not meant to dance the waltz, Lord Glenross. I fear I have lamed poor Sir Martin for life.”

He deflected her mild protest with an unarguable counter. “Allow me to worry over the state of my own feet, Miss Lovejoy. You cannot know just how sturdy I am.”

She laughed, thinking it would be interesting to make a comparison between him and Sir Martin. She offered her hand.

“When you ran off last night, I thought I might have offended you in some way,” he said when the music started.

“Not in the least, my lord.” She placed her right hand across his left palm and was fascinated by how small it looked in his. As he settled his warm right hand at her waist, a quiver of excitement traveled up her spine. She was acutely aware of his size, his scent, his proximity and the odd gentleness of his touch despite his rough strength. No, he did not offend her in the slightest possible way.

“That is a relief,” he said as he led her into the dance. “I am usually deliberate when I am giving offense, but I must allow for the occasional faux pas. You will correct me if I err, will you not?”

“With alacrity,” she teased. “I thought you had been back long enough to have reclaimed your social graces.”

He gave her a curious look, his cool eyes searching hers. “I have, Miss Lovejoy. What you see before you is the polished version of Rob McHugh.”

“I suspected as much, my lord.” Indeed, he was so polished that he left her breathless. His admission that she was looking at that side of him made her ashamed of teasing him. Thus far, as Afton, she had seen little of the cold, dangerous, fierce reputation that the ton gossiped about. Ah, but as Madame Zoe she had experienced a decided frost.

She took a deep breath and stiffened her spine. She had to be very careful not to betray the tiniest hint of Madame Zoe to Glenross. She suspected he would not take kindly to being deceived.

Seeking a change of subject, she realized she had not stepped on his toe once since the dance began. “I think this is going rather well,” she ventured. “Better than my first waltz.”

“Beginnings are always difficult, Miss Lovejoy. One cannot be proficient in…any task on one’s fledgling tries. ‘Firsts’ can be disappointing.” His voice lowered to that deep timbre that tickled her psyche. “But with a skilled and patient instructor, you may exceed your highest hopes.”

Afton grappled with that statement for a moment. “A…a good instructor can accomplish much,” she finally allowed.

Glenross tilted his head back in a hearty guffaw and led her into a quick turn. Miraculously, she did not even stumble. The strength and firmness of his hand had guided her unfalteringly through the maneuver. “I shall be pleased to devote myself to the task of teaching you to waltz, Miss Lovejoy. I cannot wait to see how much you might accomplish.”

Even though she wished the dance could last forever, the whisper in her ear was back. Danger. Danger.

As Seymour prattled beside him at the tavern bar, Rob tossed back another whiskey. He’d meant to go back to his room and make an early evening of it, but when little Miss Lovejoy had challenged him, made him laugh, made him forget—just for a minute—he’d become rife with guilt. A guilt he was desperate to assuage. In any way possible. He didn’t need the damn guilt to remind him that he’d failed—at being a father and a husband.

Failed so miserably that Maeve had been moved to tell him so. He was too intemperate, too fierce in his passions, she’d informed him. He unsettled her, she’d said. She’d feared he would consume her if she let him. She’d said she needed a finer emotion from him—something gentler, less intense. Safer. He was, according to his deceased wife, on a level scarcely above an animal. “McHugh the Destroyer,” she’d called him, because he’d destroyed her only chance for happiness. Thus far, he’d been unable to find anything that would prove her wrong. He had wanted her each time he’d been with her, but he hadn’t…what? Become soft and moon-eyed over her many vaunted attributes? Craved her? Thought of her constantly when they were apart? Been anxious for the next time he’d see her?

Loved her?

Sadly, he hadn’t. Their marriage had been arranged by their families when they were still in the nursery. And that lack of love was the true source of his guilt. He was left to conclude that he simply did not possess the finer emotions. So, when Maeve had ripened with child at a time when he could not have been the sire, he’d remained silent and claimed Hamish as his own. That was the least he could do for a wife he had failed in every other way.

But, animal that he was, he’d obsessed over the identity of Hamish’s sire, and about many interesting ways he could kill the damn poacher. Who had given Maeve what Rob had not been able to give her? God help him, it made no difference now, but that question still ate at him.

Tonight, he’d thought a trip to the gaming hells and brothels of London’s squalid side would sate his animal needs. He’d thought he’d be able to overcome the humiliation of the atrocity his body had become. He’d hoped he’d find relief, release, repose, if only for the night. Instead, when Seymour had taken him to the most popular brothel in London, he’d chosen a saucy redhead with blue eyes and a teasing smile. When he realized he’d selected a pale copy of Miss Lovejoy, he’d given the prostitute a guilty pass. He damn well wasn’t dead below the waist, but he also wasn’t interested in simple ejaculation. Fool that he was, he craved possession. He craved contact on a deeper level than the physical. He craved meaning.

“McHugh?” Seymour asked.

A sideways glance revealed an ale-sodden gentleman staring into his tankard. “Aye?”

“Too bad about Maeve and Hamish.”

Rob had no reply for that. He gestured to the publican for another glass of whiskey.

Seymour shook his head. “You shouldn’t have let them go.”

“I live with that every day, Seymour.” He studied the wet circle left on the bar by his glass.

“Too late now, though.”

He tossed his whiskey down in a single gulp and slammed the glass on the bar. “I’m gone, Seymour. My pillow is calling.”

“But you haven’t made the two-backed beast yet. ’Tisn’t natural. You’re on edge, McHugh. The least little thing could set you off. When was the last time you—”

Rob shook his head as he turned to the door. He wasn’t about to tell Seymour he hadn’t been with a woman in months—no, years. They’d all blurred together and been so exceedingly forgettable, the women and the years. And he’d grown accustomed to being on edge. Hell, he’d almost grown to like it.

Afton drew the warm velvet robe closer around her and went to curl up before the fire as she waited for Grace and Dianthe’s return. Though she had more important things to think about, her mind kept wandering back to her dance with Lord Glenross and the feeling of his hand on her waist. She craved more of that feeling, and cringed with guilt every time she thought of it. She was taking his money, pretending to tell his fortune, and using knowledge she gathered as Afton Lovejoy to deceive him into thinking Madame Zoe was clairvoyant. For the first time, she felt like a common fraud.

To complicate matters, since her sister’s arrival in London one week ago, Afton had purchased ball and riding gowns, shoes, riding boots, dancing slippers, gloves, bonnets, reticules, morning and afternoon gowns, calling cards—and the costs added up. She would not have the resources to give Dianthe a second season. In fact, if she gave up the income as Madame Zoe, she would not be able to see Dianthe through this season.

Gads! Five years of scrimping and saving, five years of mind-numbing drudgery in Wiltshire and now in London, and all her carefully laid plans were about to go awry because an unspeakable villain had murdered Aunt Henrietta!

Afton stood and began pacing. She had lost so much. Her mother, her father, Aunt Henrietta, the meager savings for her dowry—all gone. Lord, she was so tired! Dianthe found the uncertainty exciting, but Afton ached to feel safe for just a moment.

Near dawn, the clatter of hooves on cobblestones pulled her from her reverie, and she hurried to her bedroom window to watch as the Forbush coach pulled up to the front door. Dianthe, accompanied by Grace and Lord Ronald Barrington, one of Grace’s many admirers, stepped out and hurried inside just as the tall grandfather clock struck the hour of four. Afton knew the routine. Lord Ronald would beg a bedtime sherry and then leave, still unrequited in his lust for Grace.

Turning away from the window, Afton went to wait, cross-legged, on her bed. By the time her door flew open and Dianthe danced in, she had a smile fixed firmly in place.

“Was it wonderful, Di? Did all the ton fall at your feet?”

Her sister untied the strings of her cape and let it slide to the floor. “It was extraordinary! I feel like a princess. I adore London! I revel in all my new gowns! Why, oh why, did you not send for me ere now?”

“I did not know how much you would like town,” Afton replied with a laugh. “I have not experienced your success.”

“I cannot imagine why not.” Dianthe gazed at herself in the looking glass. “You are much prettier than I, Afton, and so petite. Men love that.”

“I am not your competition, Di.” Afton smiled.

“I know you would not want it so, but men are positively intrigued by redheads.”

“I am past my prime.”

“Au contraire,” Dianthe laughed. “Twenty and five is fully ripe. You are poised to fall from the tree.”

Afton had a sudden image of herself as an apple clinging to the tree with her last scrap of strength as Robert McHugh stood below, his hand cupped and ready to catch her. She shivered and put the distracting thought away. “No, Dianthe, you will be the one to make a match before the season ends.”

“Oh, I hope so. That is why I ordered a new ball gown when I was shopping with the Thayer twins this afternoon. Hortense and Harriett said I shall need every advantage I can secure.”

A new gown? Afton winced. Between Dianthe’s recent purchases and Auntie Hen’s death, where would she find the resources?

Dianthe’s eyes widened as she took in Afton’s expression. “Oh, dear. Should I have asked before I ordered the gown?”

She touched her sister’s cheek tenderly. Dianthe would be crushed to think she had caused a problem. “I wish I had gone with you. You know how I adore shopping.”

“Then you must come next time.” Dianthe began pulling the pins from her silken blond hair, letting it fall around her shoulders. “Why have you not entered society, Afton? Aunt Grace told me that she offered to pay your expenses and to sponsor you, but that you would not accept.”

Dianthe softened her voice. “Have you refused Aunt Grace’s offer because of Papa? You know you cannot go through life trying to make up for his shortcomings.”

“Shortcomings?” She gave a gentle laugh. “You are a master of understatement, Dianthe. Father was a pauper who borrowed from his friends and family until he had none left. People fled when they saw him coming. Do you not remember the humiliation? I will never impose in such a manner.”

“He did it for us, Binky,” Dianthe said, using Afton’s pet name.

“I’d rather have done without than live by charity,” Afton murmured.

“Never mind,” Dianthe soothed. “With hard work and determination, we have reversed the family fortunes—you, with your excellent business sense and the pay for assisting Aunt Grace, Auntie Hen hiring out to wealthy widows as a tour guide, and me with my little jams and jellies to sell at market.” She paused and gave Afton a sideways glance. “Ah, but you could make a brilliant match, Binky, and then we wouldn’t have to work so hard.”

Afton studied Dianthe’s face until she saw the twinkle of laughter in her eyes. She swung a pillow at her sister. “That’s your job, Dianthe! You make the brilliant match, then you can take care of me in my dotage.”

“I shall be delighted to do so.” Her sister sighed dreamily. “There are half a dozen men I’ve met so far to whom I could give my heart. But where is Auntie Hen? In her last letter she promised to meet us in town and help me make a choice.”

Guilt tweaked Afton and the pain crept forward. She could not give in to it yet. If Dianthe suspected the truth, she’d withdraw in mourning, and there might never be another chance to launch her in society. “She has been delayed in Greece, Dianthe. I am certain we will hear from her soon.”

“Oh, I do hope so. I miss her dreadfully and I know you and she are anxious for me to make a good match. I only wish she were here to guide me.”

Was a measure of desperation tainting Dianthe’s enjoyment of her debut? “You know I would not have you marry for advantage alone, do you not? Swear you will not marry without affection.”

“Of course not, Binky. And I do not think I will have to worry about taking care of you.” Dianthe grinned. “I saw that darkly handsome Lord Glenross dancing with you, and Sir Martin Seymour seemed quite smitten.”

Glenross. A queer shimmery sensation came over Afton when she recalled the way he’d looked at her. His quick flash of vulnerability when she’d teased him about his manners had touched her. She would have sworn that vulnerability went deeper than his wife’s death. Ah, but she would never know. Glenross was uncomfortably intense. Challenging. Exciting.

She’d had enough of that. Her father had been wildly exciting, carrying his family along in the wake of his high spirits. But his irresponsibility had cost his family their fortune and their future. After her mother had died of consumption, her father had squandered what was left of their resources to bury his grief in alcohol and games of chance. Five years later he had fallen off his horse in a drunken stupor and broken his neck, leaving Afton and his sister, Henrietta, to deal with the aftermath of his excesses.