by Wolf, Bree
Fortunately, he soon took his leave, allowing Rebecca to focus on more important matters.
And then the night of the Cavendish ball arrived.
In the carriage, Rebecca sank into the seat next to her cousin, her aunt and uncle across from them, and fought to keep her feet from dancing on the spot. Never before – or at least rarely before – had she felt such excitement, such a sense of adventure! It was most invigorating, strengthening her resolve not to accept Lord Tedious’ proposal…should it come. Never would she be able to bear the boredom of the life he led, and besides…her heart beat for Zach.
And no one else.
“You look most appealing tonight, my dear,” her uncle complimented her, the look in his eyes calculated as it always was when he thought of the promise of connection she represented. “Lord Coleridge will be most pleased.”
“Thank you, Uncle,” Rebecca mumbled, praying that her uncle was wrong and Lord Tedious wouldn’t even have the chance to lay eyes on her tonight. Had Zach succeeded? Oh, she ought to have asked him to inform her of his plan! Yes, it would have been a risk, but she hated being kept in the dark.
Sighing, her uncle leaned back, exchanging a look with his wife before turning back to his niece. “I’m quite certain you’ll be a viscountess soon enough. Fortunately, it seems Lord Coleridge did not hear of your scandalous behavior in Hyde Park.” How that was possible was beyond Rebecca! “In fact, he was most impressed with your appearance the night of the Cowell ball.” He chuckled. “I admit I thought your attire a bit too scandalous for a proper young woman,” his gaze narrowed in disapproval before he exchanged another look with his wife, “however, Lord Coleridge spoke with great admiration of your sense of style.”
“He did?” Rebecca croaked, unable to believe that Lord Tedious could be interested in anything else but his damned dog. Indeed, besides nonsensical chitchat about the weather and such, the man had never remarked on anything beyond the dratted canine. Or had he, and she had simply missed it? After all, she tended to do her utmost to ignore him. Perhaps –
Her uncle’s head bobbed up and down. “He said the emerald ring you wore the other night was one of a kind fit for a woman as unique as yourself.” Shaking his head, her uncle sighed in a most unbecoming way. “I admit that perhaps as a young woman you’re more adept at catching a man’s attention than I thought. Bravo, Niece! Well done!”
Rebecca couldn’t help but scowl at the thought that she had unintentionally encouraged Lord Tedious’ affections. In fact, she’d hoped her rather daring attire would shock him, sending him running for the hills. How inconvenient!
Entering the Cavendish ballroom, Rebecca could see her uncle’s gaze sweeping the crowd, no doubt looking for the most boring man in all of England. Fortunately, the man in question didn’t seem to materialize out of thin air as he so often did whenever she arrived at an event. Today, he was strangely absent, and while her uncle’s face bore a frown of utter concern, Rebecca couldn’t help but sigh in relief.
It would seem Zach was someone capable of formulating and executing a plan as well as she was herself. A match made in heaven!
A match made in heaven?
That thought threw her off balance for a moment before her gaze settled on a pair of brilliantly blue eyes across the room…
…and suddenly all became clear. How foolish she’d been! How afraid to admit something so simple! Indeed, she’d always ever asked herself what it was she wanted. However, the question she should have asked was, who she wanted?
For all of a sudden, the answer was quite simple, smiling at her from the other side of the ballroom.
Zach.
But did he want her as well? Not merely as a co-conspirator? But as much more than that?
Following her aunt and uncle as they made their rounds, Rebecca was very much aware of the man who never allowed her out of his sight. Whenever she moved, so did he, that teasing smile on his lips she’d come to love.
“It seems you’ve made your choice.”
Blinking, Rebecca’s head snapped up. “What?”
Beside her, Caroline smiled knowingly. Then she glanced over Rebecca’s shoulder. “He’s been following us ever since we arrived. Are you telling me that doesn’t mean anything?”
Suppressing a grin, Rebecca shrugged.
“You look happy,” Caroline remarked, delight in her eyes. Then she leaned closer, casting a wary glance at her parents standing off to the side. “Has he stated his intentions?”
Rebecca sighed. “He has not.”
“But you’re hoping he will?”
Grinning, Rebecca nodded, feeling inexplicable warmth rush to her cheeks.
Caroline laughed. “Fortunately for you, Lord Coleridge does not seem to be in attendance tonight.”
Before Rebecca could think of an inconspicuous way to reply, her uncle and aunt came striding toward them, their faces taut and full of concern as though they’d just received troubling news.
“Mother, Father, is something wrong? You look distressed,” Caroline exclaimed, moving to grasp her mother’s hand.
Rebecca met her uncle’s gaze, wondering what could have possibly disturbed him thus. “What happened?”
“It is quite horrifying, indeed,” he replied, his face pale, as he wrung his hands, shock momentarily freezing his tongue. Then he lifted his gaze and looked at her.
Not at Caroline.
Not at them both.
But at her.
Only her.
Rebecca’s stomach plummeted. Could these ill news be of importance to her?
“I just heard,” her uncle began, the look of concern in his eyes oddly unsettling for it was a rare sight indeed, “that Lord Coleridge was set upon on his way to the ball.”
Rebecca’s jaw dropped. “What?” Could Zach have had anything to do with it? Had it been part of his plan? She needed to speak to him!
Ignoring her inappropriately worded response, her uncle grasped her hands. “Do not worry, my dear. Fortunately, he suffered no lasting ill effects, however, he won’t be attending the ball tonight.”
While Rebecca barely managed to hide her sigh of relief, the expression on Caroline’s face spoke of agitation. “How awful! What on earth happened?”
Her father shrugged. “That is still unclear. Apparently, his carriage was attacked by highwaymen. They struck him down and stole his belongings.”
Caroline’s gaze narrowed. “Highwaymen? More than one?”
Her father shook his head. “That I cannot say for certain, but surely it would take more than one common man to subdue a lord like Viscount Coleridge.”
Caroline seemed on the verge of replying when she suddenly clamped her mouth shut, her usual quiet demeanor sliding back into place. A perfect mask if ever Rebecca had seen one! Odd! Very odd, indeed!
“Perhaps we ought to return home out of respect for Lord Coleridge,” Rebecca’s uncle suggested. “It would not be right to enjoy ourselves after he suffered such a vicious attack.”
Rebecca tensed at the thought of all their hard work having been for nothing. Whether or not Zach had had anything to do with the attack on Lord Tedious, tonight was their chance to lure out the man who’d won the original to the replica once more dangling on a necklace around her neck. “Oh, but Uncle, should we not stay and assure people that Lord Te-Coleridge is fine? That he stood against highwaymen and came out the victor? Surely, it would ease his mind to know that no vicious rumors are spread about him.”
Her uncle’s head bobbed up and down vehemently. “Quite right, my dear. Quite right. We must speak of his fortitude.”
“Rebecca and I will make our rounds,” Caroline told her parents as she slipped her arm through the crook of her cousin’s. “We’ll assure everyone that Lord Coleridge is recovering swiftly.” Then she drew Rebecca away before her parents could object. “Nicely done, dear cousin,” she whispered once they were well out of earshot. “I assume you have plans for tonight and no intention of leaving before seeing
them through?”
Rebecca chuckled, squeezing her cousin’s hand in gratitude. “You assume correctly.”
“Then you won’t mind if we walk over to the other side of the ballroom where a certain gentleman seems to be waiting for you?”
“Not at all.”
“And you won’t mind if I get distracted by…say, a dear old friend and leave you alone for…oh, a minute or two?”
Rebecca smiled at her cousin. “What would I do without you?” She patted Caroline’s hand, her eyes searching her cousin’s. “I hope you know that if you ever need my help, I—”
“I know,” Caroline assured her with a smile. “You’re sweet to say so, but I’m perfectly fine.”
“Are you?” Rebecca’s gaze narrowed. “The mention of the highwaymen seemed to upset you.”
Clearing her throat, Caroline maintained the polite smile she always bore in order to hide her true thoughts. “Oh, the thought of being set upon by such criminals is most disconcerting!”
Rebecca laughed. “Oh, fine. Don’t tell me, but please, be careful.”
“Am I not always?” Caroline grinned. Then her gaze rose and fell past Rebecca’s shoulder. “He seems rather impatient.”
“Promise me,” Rebecca insisted, unable to suppress the unease that had settled in her stomach. “Promise me you will be careful.”
Caroline squeezed her hands. “I promise. Now, go to him.” And with another squeeze of her hands, Caroline turned away, greeting an acquaintance. “Have you heard…?”
Smiling, Rebecca shook her head at the unusual woman who was her cousin. Perhaps sometime down the line, the day would come when they could both share their secrets and reveal to each other all they felt compelled to keep in the dark.
“Are you all right?”
At the sound of Zach’s voice, Rebecca felt a delicious shiver dance down her spine. “I’m fine,” she said turning to face him.
His blue eyes searched her face as though he did not believe her and needed to see for himself that she was unharmed. “After your uncle spoke to you, you seemed…”
Rebecca nodded, enjoying the warmth his concern wrapped her in. “He told me something most shocking.” Zach tensed. “Something about Lord Tedious.” His jaw clenched. “Something I hadn’t expected.”
“What?” he all but growled, the look in his eyes one of murderous agitation.
“Are you unwell?” Rebecca teased.
His hand shot out and gripped hers, all but yanking her against him. Then his head lowered, his gaze drilling into hers, as he hissed, “Don’t toy with me, Becca. You know what I want to know.”
Batting her lashes, Rebecca reveled in the sound of her name on his tongue. “Do I?”
Zach’s shoulders tensed further. Then he gritted out, “Did he ask for your hand?”
“Who?”
“Becca!”
Rebecca smiled. She knew she was being unfair, horribly mean and downright tormenting him…but she couldn’t help it. The look in his eyes made her heart soar into the heavens. He was jealous! He cared for her! He didn’t want her to marry Lord Tedious! If she was not at all mistaken, he wanted her for himself, did he not? Was that not what had brought on his anger? What had brought on that tortured look in his eyes?
Smiling up at him, Rebecca finally shook her head. “He did not.”
A large boulder seemed to fall off Zach’s chest as he exhaled loudly and his muscles relaxed as the strain of fearing the worst fell from them.
“You care for me, don’t you?” Rebecca whispered as her gaze sought his. All of a sudden, she was the one to feel vulnerable. What if she had misread him? What if she was wrong?
Fortunately, her fears died a quick death when Zach smiled at her in that gloriously mischievous way as though he were sharing a secret too scandalous for anyone to hear. “Are you truly surprised?”
Rebecca shook her head, suddenly too overcome to speak.
His eyes lingered on hers, and he once again drew in a slow breath as though to fortify himself. “Then I shall speak to your uncle.”
Rebecca’s heart flipped. “About what?”
Shaking his head, he grinned at her.
“Can you truly blame me?” Rebecca demanded, raising an eyebrow in challenge. “After all, I do not recall you asking me a question, much less me providing an answer.” Again, she batted her lashes at him to show that she was teasing. “And besides, we have something important to take care of tonight, do we not?”
“That is no longer important.” He reached for her hands, but she took a step back, knowing that she could not allow him to give up on his father’s ring. If not now, one day he would surely come to regret it, and she did not want him to suffer when that day finally came.
“Is it not?” Rebecca demanded. “You did your part, and now I will do mine.” She gave him a short nod. “If you’ll excuse me, I shall attempt to be seen.” Her fingers touched the small replica decorating her neck.
Still, before she could walk away, he stopped her once more. “If it was not a proposal, what was it that your uncle told you? What upset you so?”
“I wasn’t upset,” Rebecca corrected him. “I was merely…surprised.”
“Fine. What were you surprised about?”
Rebecca frowned. “Do you truly not know?”
“How can I when you refuse to answer me?” he asked, throwing up his hands. As people were beginning to take notice of their conversation, Zach urged her further back toward the wall where an army of potted palm trees stood waiting. “Tell me what happened.”
“Lord Tedious was set upon by highwaymen,” she said, watching his jaw drop and his eyes widen. “You didn’t know?”
“How could I have known?”
Rebecca shrugged. “Well, I thought it might have been part of your plan to keep him away tonight.”
His face darkened. “Do you truly believe I would—” His voice broke off, and the blood seemed to drain from his face. “Oh.”
“What?”
Anger then surged to his eyes, and his hands balled into fists. “I asked him for advice,” he muttered, fury lacing his voice. “He said he’d take care of it. He wouldn’t say how, but I—” Rubbing his hands over his face, Zach met her gaze. “I didn’t know.”
Rebecca sighed. “The Black Baron strikes again?”
“So it would seem.”
Why, exactly, Lord Markham had been dubbed the Black Baron, no one quite knew. Of course, whispers abounded about oddities at his remote estate as well as his shady activities in town and in the country. Rumors saw him as a smuggler, a pirate and a…a highwayman. Still, all that was certain was that he had charming manners, an easy smile and liked to keep to himself. As much as he tended to mingle with polite society, he never seemed to reveal anything about himself which, of course, spurred on the gossips even more.
“How well do you know him?”
Zach shrugged. “He never shares anything about himself.” He sighed. “But I thought him a friend.”
“He must be a good friend if he is willing to go to such lengths to see your plan succeed,” Rebecca counseled, remembering the many rumors that circulated about the Beast of Ravengrove. In truth, the man behind the mask was a loving husband, who’d only needed a little prodding to dare risk his heart.
Rebecca smiled at the memory of her visit to Ravengrove.
“Would a friend do such a thing?” Zach asked, clearly not convinced. “I’ve never thought of myself as—”
“You broke into people’s homes to try and find your father’s ring.”
“That is different!” he snapped. “I never hurt anyone.”
“Are you truly concerned about Lord Tedious?”
Zach heaved a deep sigh. “It’s a matter of principle. What does it say about a man who harms others? What does it say about those he calls friend?”
Placing a calming hand on his arm, Rebecca moved closer – as close as she dared. “You don’t know what happened. You don’t know why he
did it or whether or not his means were justified. You clearly care about him, so go and ask him. It’s the only way to know for sure.”
Zach nodded. “Very well. I shall give him the benefit of the doubt.” Still, the look in his eyes was one of loss, and Rebecca felt her heart twist painfully at the thought of him losing someone he had come to care about.
“But first, we need to use this opportunity afforded us,” Rebecca said, seeking to distract him. Then she sighed as her eyes wandered around the ballroom, taking note of the number of gentlemen currently in attendance. “This might very well take all night.”
Next to her, Zach exhaled an equally discouraged breath. “After you wore it the last time,” he glanced down at the ring around her neck, “no one addressed you? No one mentioned the ring? Asked where you got it?”
Rebecca grinned up at him. “You did.”
A chuckle left his lips, and the dark cloud above his head seemed to grow lighter. “Well, if I had the ring, I wouldn’t be in this predicament, would I?”
Keeping a polite expression on her face, Rebecca shifted from one foot onto the other, thus brushing her arm against his. “If your father’s ring had never been taken, we might still be strangers.” She exhaled slowly, then looked up at him.
His eyes glowed with something yet unspoken, something meaningful and utterly heart-stopping. “Then it was well worth it,” he whispered, and his fingers brushed against hers in an achingly sweet gesture.
Rebecca felt her heart pause in a way it never had before, and the moment she forced herself to turn away and stride across the dance floor in order to be seen brought on almost physical pain. Her body ached to return to his side, and her heart cried out for the soft glow of his eyes looking into hers. If only she didn’t have to waste her time dancing with these stuffed shirts!
And waste her time she did.
While the occasional gentleman glanced at the ring or her décolletage – truly, it was anyone’s guess! – none made any comment or remark on the item itself nor did they try to extract information on how she’d received the ring. Neither did Rebecca detect looks of surprise or even shock on anyone’s face. Their eyes didn’t narrow in suspicion, and their jaws were not tempted to drop in shock.