Scandals of Lustful Ladies: A Historical Regency Romance Collection

by Meghan Sloan

  “Mr. Tattershall.”

  Gabriel looked up. Emily was standing by his table, holding a tray under her arm. She was watching him with a bland expression. Normally the woman had a bit of sparkle in her eyes, but it wasn’t there. If anything, her eyes were watching him warily.

  “Miss Barrington.” Gabriel rose to his feet. “How was your evening with my family?”

  “Very pleasant. Your parents are always so kind.”

  “Good.”

  Gabriel bit back a retort to that. His parents hadn’t been too kind for him. But that was his own doing. He shouldn’t have been so stupid with how he acted. Now it was too late to change his father’s mind, for the most part. Gabriel wouldn’t be able to enjoy social family gatherings as he had done before.

  Had he enjoyed them? Yes, he had. Now, Gabriel was realising that he missed it more than he had thought.

  “What are you up to, Mr. Tattershall?”

  Gabriel blinked. Emily was frowning at him.

  “Whatever do you mean?”

  “You wanted Cassie to be there, didn’t you?” Emily accused. “From the way your brother interacted with her, I don’t think Percy’s ever spoken about her before last night.”

  Gabriel chuckled, which just made Emily’s cheeks flush.

  “I think you’ve been around Miss Seton too long, Miss Barrington. You doubt things as much as her.”

  “When you're involved, I think we have a right to doubt things.”

  With that parting shot Emily turned and walked away, leaving Gabriel staring after her. He hadn’t factored Emily Barrington into this, and maybe he should have done. Emily was known to Norman and they got along well, and Emily was very loyal to Cassandra. She could become a problem, but that would just mean being a bit more cautious around her. Emily could let Cassandra know of the plan, and then Gabriel would be back where he started.

  He wanted this. He wanted Montgomery’s, and he wanted to be the most successful owner in Ipswich. Which meant lowering Seton Hall’s chances. That did mean directing Cassandra’s attentions elsewhere so she didn’t focus all her energy into the gambling hall, but Gabriel couldn’t think of any other way to distract her.

  He really was beginning to distract himself.

  Allen was right. Maybe he hadn’t thought this through.

  You have thought this through, and you’re going to carry on because you know what’s at stake. This is about what you want.

  “Gabe?”

  Gabriel looked up. Percy was standing in front of him, watching him with a quizzical look. Gabriel hadn’t noticed him enter the public house. Shaking himself, Gabriel managed a smile and embraced his brother.

  “Percy. Forgive me; I didn’t realise you had arrived.”

  “Are you all right?” Percy drew back and inspected him. “You look...I don’t know, you look a little off.”

  “I’m fine. Perfectly fine,” Gabriel lied. He gestured at a chair. “Come and sit down. And thank you for meeting me here.”

  “It’s fine. Your note did remind me that I had some errands to do that were long overdue.” Percy took off his hat and sat down. “But why couldn’t we do this at the cottage? You’re only a short walk across the estate. It’s close to an hour’s carriage ride into Ipswich.”

  “I had some errands to do myself,” Gabriel lied. “I thought it would be preferable to talk here, seeing as I’m not allowed at the house and Father might object to you coming to the cottage.”

  “I thought he didn’t mind.”

  “That I don’t want to push to find out.”

  It sounded plausible, but Gabriel hoped Percy didn’t push it. Thankfully his younger brother didn’t pursue it, putting his hat on the table.

  “All right. But this shouldn’t be too long. Father’s expecting me home soon.”

  Gabriel laughed.

  “There is an advantage of being disowned. You don’t have a curfew. You can have more freedom.”

  “I wouldn’t say that. Your friends have practically deserted you, and you have no money.”

  “Point taken.” Gabriel sat back in his chair, stretching out his legs. “I’m eager to find out how last evening went. Did you and Miss Seton get along?”

  “We did. Very well. She’s...”

  Percy paused.

  “What?”

  “Did you know that she’s Ernest Seton’s daughter? The man who owns Seton Hall on the other side of town?”

  “I did know. You don’t get to know people without knowing connections. Of course I knew she’s Ernest Seton’s daughter.”

  Percy looked pained.

  “You could have told me, Gabe!”

  Gabriel frowned.

  “What are…? Why is it important? She’s not Ernest Seton. She’s a young woman who happens to be his child and she finds you attractive.”

  “But she’s part of a family that owns a gambling hall,” Percy scowled. “Now I know where you met her.”

  “I swear she’s not involved in it. We crossed paths elsewhere.” Gabriel hoped that lie sounded convincing. “How did you find out, anyway? Did Miss Seton tell you?”

  “No, she didn’t. Father did.” Percy sat back and folded his arms. “He likes Miss Seton and thinks she’s a nice young lady. But he was concerned that I might get drawn into the gambling world myself considering what her father does for a living.”

  Gabriel almost burst out laughing at that.

  “That’s not how it works, Percy. Miss Seton is not someone who goes out looking for new customers.”

  Although Gabriel wouldn’t be surprised if Cassandra tried that as a new tactic to gain more customers. The men would flock around her. He pushed that thought away.

  “I suppose you and Father talked about it.”

  “We did. He knew as soon as she came into the room.” Percy rubbed his eyes. “But he was very surprised. She’s not...she’s not what he would have expected coming from that environment. Once I knew, I was surprised as well. She’s sweet and kind, gentle. Very polite, actually. A...she’s something, certainly.”

  “I’ll agree with that.” Gabriel murmured.

  Percy’s description of Cassandra differed greatly from what Gabriel knew of her, but he also knew that not everyone would see the true person in polite society. A facade had to be maintained if someone wanted to be accepted. Cassandra had shown her true side to Gabriel, albeit briefly, and it seemed to have lit a fire underneath Gabriel. It captivated him.

  Captivated? It wasn’t supposed to be him getting captivated. But it was a little concerning that Gabriel saw the real Cassandra Seton whereas Percy saw the polite mask that she put on. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

  “I would’ve thought she’d be a bit more colourful. A little more vibrant, and not in a good way.” Percy looked a little...dazed. He smiled. “She’s so angelic, so sweet. And she doesn’t mind it when I stumble over my words or make a mistake.”

  “So you’re impressed with her.”

  “Very much so. Mother and Father like her as well,” Percy’s smile widened. Gabriel was surprised that he wasn’t puffing out his chest in pride. “They’d be happy to extend an invitation again for her in the future. I just hope that I made a good impression on her.”

  Gabriel was sure he had done. From the sound of it, Cassandra had accepted his flaws. Maybe this would work better than he expected. His brother certainly looked very excited about having a woman interested in him. That didn’t happen very often; women weren’t keen on a shy, awkward young man, no matter how good-looking he was.

  “See if you can get her out and about with you,” Gabriel suggested. “Go for walks in the countryside or a picnic. You know the best places we used to explore when we were children. Perfect to get to know each other.”

  “That’s a good idea. I might just do that.”

  Gabriel should have been pleased. His plan was working. Soon, Cassandra would be completely focused on Percy. The two of them would fall in love and Percy would become
Cassandra’s priority. So why did he have a sick feeling in his stomach over this?

  Pushing that aside, Gabriel rose to his feet. He needed to escape before he started second-guessing himself.

  “I’d better get going. And you need to head home if you don’t want Father to get upset.”

  “It’s only because we’ve got Uncle Victor and his family coming to stay. He doesn’t want me to be late for dinner tonight.” Percy paused, “Claire and Christian will want to see you.”

  Gabriel wanted to see them as well. Twins Claire and Christian were about to enter society at eighteen and Gabriel loved them. They adored him, and Gabriel always went out of his way to see them. But it would be easier said than done now he was banned from the house. Gabriel managed a smile even as his chest tightened.

  “They’ll figure out how to sneak away. Just let them know I’ll see them tomorrow afternoon, if they wish, by our spot at the river.”

  “All right.” Percy rose and embraced his brother again. “Thank you again for this, Gabe. I appreciate it.”

  Gabriel wasn’t sure if he could say the same.

  Chapter 12

  Cassandra had got everything sorted at the business and at home. Ernest had retreated into his study to work, so Cassandra concentrated on sorting out everything else. It was all done and prepared for the evening at Seton Hall, so there was nothing much for Cassandra to do until later on. Which was good, as she had arranged to have dinner with Emily’s family, and Cassandra didn’t want to be late.

  There wasn’t a carriage around when Cassandra stepped outside, so she decided to walk. There was plenty of time before dinner started, and she liked walking. Even with the smog in the air, it was refreshing. Cassandra couldn’t think of a better place than Ipswich. She had been to London before, but it always came up short. Instead, Cassandra stayed close to her hometown, the place that would always have a soft spot in her heart.

  Some of her friends were always talking about London and how beautiful it was, and they couldn’t understand why Cassandra didn’t like London as much as they did. Cassandra simply shrugged and said she wasn’t going to change her mind because they wanted her to. London was nice, but it wasn’t the centre of everything. And she wasn’t going to follow the season like everyone around her did so religiously. It wasn’t the end of the world if she didn’t.

  That had made her lose a few friends in the past. If she couldn’t get excited about the latest fashion or the most recent gossip, Cassandra was pushed out. No problem for her; she wasn’t going to waste time with superficial friends.

  At least Emily had always been there. It would be devastating if she was to turn her back on Cassandra as well. Although Cassandra had worried a little the night before. Emily had drifted away and wouldn’t talk about the evening. She had been remarkably quiet, and Cassandra had put it down to tiredness. It had been very late. Now she was beginning to wonder if there was something else going on.

  Hopefully, Emily would be back to normal and they could talk about it. Cassandra didn’t want to have Emily cross at her without any explanation.

  Cassandra arrived at the public house. She was about to cross the road when she saw Percy Tattershall leaving. That had Cassandra stepping back behind a group of women hovering outside a dress shop and watching as Percy put his hat on and walked down the street. What was he doing here? Percy had said only the night before that he disliked going into public houses. Had he been lying to her?

  She waited until he was around the corner before crossing the street. Someone had some explaining to do later on.

  The door opened just as Cassandra reached it and she stopped abruptly before she ran right into the man coming out. She gasped and stepped back. It was Gabriel. Now Percy’s presence made more sense.

  Gabriel stopped when he saw her. They simply stared at each other, Gabriel’s eyes darkening as they drifted over her face. Cassandra felt a shiver down her back at the look. Why did he have to look at her so intensely? It made her feel like he was physically touching her, warmth travelling across her skin.

  That was not good.

  “Miss Seton,” Gabriel arched an eyebrow. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here.”

  “I came to see Emily.” Cassandra squared her shoulders. Why did this man want to make her a quivering mess? “I’m having dinner with her family.”

  “And you’re here without a chaperone?” Gabriel looked over her shoulder. “Unless my mind is playing tricks on me. Should you be walking around without one?”

  Cassandra lifted her chin.

  “You keep forgetting that I’m not a woman of high social standing. I have a little more leeway. What are you doing here, anyway?”

  “Can’t a man have a drink once in a while?”

  “Not when they’re you, Mr. Tattershall.”

  Gabriel raised his eyebrows. He chuckled.

  “You need to stop being so skeptical about me, Miss Seton.”

  “With you, I have to be,” Cassandra shot back. “You’re always up to something.”

  Gabriel smiled, his eyes glinting. And Cassandra found herself momentarily speechless. Why did he have to be so attractive? Her pulse should not be skittering just because he’d smiled at her. No man had made her feel like this before. She didn’t want to feel like this. It knocked her off-balance, and Cassandra hated not being able to stay on an even keel. Gabriel just whipped the rug out from under her.

  She counted to ten in her head. And again. If he would just get out of the way, then Cassandra could go inside and get away from him. She could think more clearly when he wasn’t there, looming in the doorway in front of her.

  “How was your meal last night with my family?” Gabriel asked. He leaned against the wall, giving her a lazy smile. “Did my little brother pass muster?”

  Cassandra bristled.

  “If you mean did we get along, we did. He’s a very nice young man.”

  “Just nice?”

  Cassandra frowned.

  “Are you trying to get me to list everything about your brother like I’m head over heels? He’s a nice young man and we got along well enough. That’s all you're getting from me, Mr. Tattershall.”

  Gabriel was silent for a moment as he regarded her. Cassandra resisted the urge to squirm.

  “Well,” he drawled, “I know he’s a loyal man who would never do anything to harm anyone. He’s a good person, Miss Seton.”

  “I know that,” Cassandra narrowed her eyes. “But why are you so insistent about it? Why does it feel like you’re trying to push us together?”

  “Because I know what Percy wants.”

  That was not a good answer. Cassandra still felt like she was on Gabriel’s chessboard and he was pushing her around. She didn’t like it. She stepped onto the porch and tried to step around Gabriel, but he wouldn’t move.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Tattershall? I would like to go inside.”

  “Cassie.”

  Gabriel took her wrist. And Cassandra froze. The heat from his hand travelled up her arm so fast she almost swayed. Her heart began to race, and her stomach tightened into a knot. Whoa. She had never felt a reaction like that just from a first touch.