A Dangerous Debut: A Sweet Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair Book 5)

by Wendy May Andrews

  They both fell into an uneasy silence as they contemplated their options. “I am doubtful if this is comforting, but we need not trouble ourselves overly at this time. You can be certain if the baron had a big enough reason to search you out, if he has not accomplished whatever his purpose was here today, he will be back at some point.”

  “You are right — that is not comforting.” She heaved a sigh, which she followed up with her sweetest smile. “But I will do my best to put it from my mind for the moment. What would you suggest we should do now?”

  “Let us go deal with the marquis. We can be sure he is fuming quite nicely right about now.”

  “How do you propose we do that?”

  “Just follow my lead, my dear, and we shall be perfectly fine.”

  Daisy’s smile wobbled about the edges, but she managed to hold onto it. She gave a firm nod and said, “Lead on then, my lord.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  They found the marquis where they had left him, and Daisy found that fact distractingly curious. It niggled at the back of her mind that there might be something significant about this, but the concerns at the forefront of her mind prevented her from thinking on it at the moment. She hoped she would remember later.

  "My lord, thank you for letting us know that the toad, Sadbury, was looking for us. We have had him escorted from the property. Hopefully we will not have any further trouble from him." Daisy was relieved that Jasper had kept it simple and did not bother the marquis with her concerns.

  Her relief was short-lived as she noticed the marquis' cold gaze boring into the two of them as they stood before him.

  “So, Seaton, do I understand this correctly? You were aware of your guest being a governess?”

  Daisy felt Jasper stiffen next to her. He stepped closer to her and put his hand gently at the small of her back. She welcomed the comfort but worried what sort of message he was sending to his father. It would break her heart to be the cause of an even bigger rift between the two noblemen. She wondered if she should distance herself from the viscount for his own good, but she was unable to make herself do so.

  “I am aware that she has been so in the past, yes, my lord.” Jasper did not elaborate.

  “So was this all a ruse? Have you brought her to our home as a lark?” The marquis’ grey eyes smoldered despite the cold glare he was directing at them.

  “There is no rule of etiquette that says a viscount cannot court a lady who has fallen upon hard times. Having to make her own way in the world by means of finding a position as a governess does not put Miss Pembroke beyond the pale. In fact, I think it displays incredible resourcefulness and demonstrates what a remarkable match she will be. She did not sit down and wring her hands crying over the hard lot life cast for her when her parents died. She made do, and for that I am incredibly proud of her.”

  Jasper had made this speech in a hard voice that brooked no argument from the marquis, but Daisy listened to it with her mouth slightly agape and tears gathering in her eyes. In her entire life, no one had ever come to her defence so spectacularly. Making an effort to maintain her composure and prevent the tears from escaping, Daisy tore her eyes away from Jasper and glanced at the marquis. She was surprised to see the unguarded look of shock upon his face. She almost laughed but managed to restrain herself.

  The desire to laugh was quickly wiped away when the marquis turned his attention to her. It would seem he had accepted Jasper’s explanation, but he now had other concerns. “So are you after my son’s fortune, Miss Pembroke? Have you finagled your way into his heart with your sad story and beautiful face in order to get your greedy claws into his pockets? Will you break his heart?”

  Daisy gasped at the ferocity of this unforeseen attack, and then she burst into giggles. “Oh my lord, you are a complete hand. As if anyone could finagle the viscount. Surely you realize what a knowing one he is. He could spot a scam a mile away, I am sure. And certainly there have been ladies far prettier than me throwing themselves at his head since he came of age. I can assure you, I have not the needed skills to entrap anyone, let alone one as sharp as Lord Seaton. But I do thank you for the compliment. A miss like me can never receive too many of those.”

  The marquis appeared nonplussed by her outburst. He gazed at the two before him as though undecided whether or not he believed a word coming from their mouths. For Daisy, it was easy to appear guileless as she firmly believed in what she had said. She was unsure if Jasper had said what he had for the benefit of their ploy or if he truly meant it, so she avoided looking at him. Instead, she kept her own gaze steady upon the marquis, waiting to see what he would say.

  Lord Abernathy remained disconcertingly silent. Daisy found this quiet maddening. She longed to break the spell that held the three of them still, but she had promised Jasper she would follow his lead, and she was determined to keep to her word. It was painfully difficult to do, though. Finally, Jasper had had enough of the silent game and broke it.

  Taking Daisy’s hand in his, Jasper nodded respectfully to his father. “If you have nothing further for us at the moment, we should be rejoining the other guests. I am sure Miss Pembroke is ready for her luncheon after the rigours of this morning’s sports. We shall bid you adieu for now, my lord.”

  Daisy quickly dipped into a brief curtsy as Jasper tugged her to follow him. She had to hurry to keep up with his long-legged stride.

  When they were out of the marquis’ earshot, Jasper quickly turned a corner, stopped short, and pulled Daisy into his arms. She felt as though she had run into a very warm wall as her cheek made contact with his chest. When his arms came up to encircle her, Daisy had the dizzying sensation that she had finally come home.

  Her heartbeat picked up and began pounding in her chest and sounded loud in her ears. She could barely hear him as Jasper whispered, “You were magnificent,” just before he dropped a light kiss on her forehead.

  It was all over before it had even begun. Jasper allowed his arms to drop from around her and picked up her hand once again. This time, instead of holding it and pulling her along, he placed it very properly in the crook of his arm and escorted her at a decorous speed to where the rest of the guests were gathered drinking tea and eating some of the Abernathy cook’s delicious pastries.

  Daisy had the sensation that she was in a strange fog and wondered how she could possibly force herself to swallow anything after the upheaval of the past interlude. It felt as though hours had passed, but a quick glance at the clock on the mantle revealed it was less than an hour since they had left the games to answer the marquis’ summons.

  The marchioness glanced curiously at her as she and Jasper slipped into the room. She thought of refusing the cup Lady Abernathy was passing to her, but then her stomach let out a soft gurgle. Daisy was torn between wishing to die of embarrassment and relief that she would be able to eat some of the delicious looking treats. She glanced over at Jasper and caught his amused gaze. They shared a smile before going their separate ways to mingle with the other guests.

  Daisy could have screamed with frustration as she heard Lord Ethan Hawkridge hailing her attention. Instead she managed to offer a pleasant smile, seating herself upon an empty settee. Lord Hawkridge quickly took the place beside her.

  Suppressing the sigh that tried to escape her lips over his presence at her side, Daisy nodded at him but did not say anything. Instead she brought her cup of tea to her lips and took a delicate sip. The familiar comfort of a cup of tea allowed her to relax for the first time since the footman had told her that Lord Abernathy wanted to speak with her. The moment would have been much sweeter if Hawridge was not at her elbow, but Daisy did not allow that to prevent her from enjoying the moment.

  Hawkridge must have expected her to strike up a conversation with him as soon as he sat down. He appeared nonplussed by her silence, which made Daisy feel like giggling. Thankfully he finally began to speak.

  “Where did you disappear to earlier today, Miss Pembroke? You were missed. Th
e game of croquet just was not the same without you.”

  “Thank you for your concern, my lord. A messenger had arrived for me with whom I needed to speak.”

  “Was it a matter of grave concern? Is there anything I can assist you with?”

  Daisy was perplexed over the strange man’s sudden interest in her. “Thank you again for your concern, my lord, but all is well. Lord Seaton was with me, and we dealt with the matter without incident.”

  “Perhaps you would care to stroll with me in the gardens after we have finished our nuncheon.”

  Daisy blinked rapidly in surprise at the young man’s words. Is he trying to court me? she asked herself dubiously. From the look on his face, she discerned he was trying to appear innocent, but there was a hard gleam deep in his dark eyes. She knew he was scheming something, but she could not for the life of her imagine what or how it could possibly involve her. Daisy began to feel as though she were on a runaway carriage without a driver, out of control and sure to come to a bad end.

  Unfortunately, there was really no other answer possible. “A walk in the garden would be lovely, thank you, my lord.” She only hoped her smile looked as sincere as his had been.

  Before long, everyone was finished with their tea and pastries and began to move about and make plans for their activities before it was time to dress for dinner. Hawkridge stood and extended his hand to Daisy. She knew her smile was tight, but she was relieved it was not a grimace.

  Daisy accepted Hawkridge’s hand and allowed him to escort her from the room. She felt Jasper’s gaze upon her as they made slow progress through the milling guests. She wondered if she ought to invite others to join them but realized he would recognize that as a cowardly move. There was nothing inherently improper about them strolling in the garden together, even if there was no one else about. But she could not shake the feeling that something was afoot. She resolved to be on her guard, squaring her shoulders and trying not to worry overmuch.

  The gardens of Abernathy were extensive and breathtaking. “It must require an army of grounds men to keep the gardens so spectacular, and yet I have never seen anyone working on them while I have been here. Do you know what is the marchioness’ secret?” Daisy hoped she would be able to keep the conversation light and flowing while she got over her inconvenient feelings of awkwardness.

  “Lady Abernathy is nothing if not organized. You would not know it to look at her, but she rules the estate with an iron fist. She no doubt had the grounds men and even many of the footmen working long hours to have it looking so perfect before the guests arrived. And it cannot fall apart too much in a week, so the workers must all be assigned elsewhere for the time of the party so that our enjoyment will not be marred by the presence of those of the more lowly orders.”

  The nobleman’s snide tone caused Daisy’s eyebrows to rise in surprise. “I think I do not grasp your meaning, my lord.” Was the man insulting her or the marchioness? She could not tell.

  “Everyone credits the marquis or the marchioness for the beauty of this estate. Even you asked what Lady Abernathy’s secret was for the spectacular garden. Do you really think either of them have ever lifted a finger to work on these properties? The marquis inherited this house from his ancestors. While it is true that they are well aware of how to ensure their servants obey them, would you not agree it is probably the gardener’s secret that has the roses blooming so bountifully?”

  Daisy fervently hoped her jaw was not hanging open in her shock. “You sound practically plebeian in your opinions, my lord. I would not have expected it.”

  “Why not, Miss Pembroke? Because you have found me in such exalted company here at Abernathy? What about your presence here? You are clearly not as high on the social order as many of the others present. Do you not agree with me that it is ridiculous for all of this to belong to someone just by the coincidence of their birth?” He gestured wildly, but Daisy surmised his sweeping arm was meant to encompass all of Abernathy.

  “Your words sound remarkably revolutionary for an Englishman, my lord. Considering the fact that the war with France has just ended, should you not choose your words more carefully?” His words rang a bell at the back of her mind, but she was unable to concentrate on why.

  “Are you going to tell on me, Miss Pembroke?” he asked, his sneer matching his tone perfectly.

  “Who would I tell, my lord? I do believe his grace, the Duke of Wellington, has better things to do than be bothered with the ramblings of a few bored guests at a house party.” She tried to make it a jest, but the nobleman’s gaze remained disconcertingly fierce. So much for thinking that discussing the scenery would be a safe conversational gambit, she thought with a roll of her eyes.

  “Have I done something to offend you, my lord?” she finally asked when she could no longer stand his strange, strained silence.

  “Not at all, Miss Pembroke, why do you ask?”

  Daisy was surprised by his answer. “Because you have been glaring at me as though I have. We met for the first time last night, and you have been acting strangely toward me ever since. I would think it was my lack of nobility that offended you, if not for the fact that you seem to be offended by nobility. You are a conundrum to say the least, Lord Hawkridge.”

  The daft man threw back his head and laughed. “I like you, Miss Pembroke. You do not bother with flattering speeches or missish airs. I can see why the viscount seems so enthralled with you. Perhaps I ought to try to cut him out of your affections.”

  Daisy was beginning to wonder if the young man was touched in his upper works. But then she once again saw the speculative gleam shining in his eyes. She feigned a shrug of indifference. “You could always try, my lord, but your success would be in doubt.”

  Hawkridge laughed again but merely tucked her hand more firmly in his elbow, directing her toward the rose garden further along the walkway. “Tell me a little more about yourself, Miss Pembroke. You have been remarkably reticent about yourself. Most young ladies like nothing better than talking about themselves.”

  “Really, my lord? Is that not considered ill mannered?”

  “Perhaps, but that does not seem to stop most of them.”

  Daisy could not help giggling over his words. She could not discount them. Over the past several days it was one of the things she had been finding most trying about being here at Abernathy. While most of the other young ladies present seemed pleasant enough, they did not seem to have much to talk about aside from gossip and fashions or their own questionable accomplishments. She had to wonder how playing an instrument or being able to paint beautifully would help them run a household if they did manage to catch themselves a noble husband in the Marriage Mart. The nobility certainly were a strange lot.

  She was finally becoming a little more comfortable in Hawkridge’s presence when they were surprised to hear Jasper’s voice hailing them from the other side of the hedge.

  “It would seem the two of you have lost track of the time,” he said, his face expressionless. “All of the other ladies have returned to their chambers to ready themselves for dinner. I know how you hate to be late, so I thought I ought to remind you.”

  Despite having warmed up to the nobleman, Daisy was happy to be rescued from his company. “Thank you, my lord, for coming for me. You are quite correct, I would be highly uncomfortable if I was to show up late to the drawing room.” Always polite, she turned and bade Hawkridge adieu. “Thank you for your escort, my lord, it has been an interesting afternoon.”

  Hawkridge bowed and allowed her to be escorted away from his presence by the viscount. Jasper, glancing back, was surprised to see how attentively Hawkridge was watching them as they headed back to the house. He was on the verge of ringing a peal over Daisy’s head for spending so much time with the other man, but she forestalled his words.

  “Thank you for rescuing me once more, my lord. It seems to be our destiny, does it not? For one who prides herself on not needing anyone’s help, I seem to be looking to you for
it rather frequently of late. Is that not divertingly odd?”

  Jasper eyed her curiously. “Were you in need of rescuing?”

  “Is that not why you turned up?” Daisy countered with a question of her own. “I find Lord Hawkridge to be a strange, mercurial individual. When he asked me to walk with him in the garden, I did not know how to politely decline the invitation without seeming to be a prude or rude or worse. At first he was very strange, but then he seemed to make an effort to be pleasing. I am definitely not sorry that you interrupted us when you did. Is it really very late?”

  “Not terribly late, but many of the ladies have retired for a time. I suspect some wish to have a rest after last night and the rigours of the sports today. Perhaps a wee nap would do you good as well.”

  Daisy laughed. “Are you trying to get rid of me? When I could no longer bear the Sadbury children I always discovered it was time for their nap.”

  Jasper joined her in her laughter. “I would never try to get rid of you, especially not in such a churlish way. If I had not desired your company, I would have left you with Hawkridge.”

  “That is true. So did you wish to speak with me in particular or were you merely being gallant?”

  Jasper’s chest swelled at Daisy’s good opinion of him. He realized it could be addictive. He was so unfamiliar with anyone thinking well of him. Even his friends enjoyed him for a lark, but no one ever looked at him the way Daisy did. He knew she was as surprised as he was by her placing her trust in him. He meant to never make her regret it.

  “Actually, I did wish to make you a proposition.” He knew his tone of voice alerted her to the serious nature of what he was about to say. The laughter drained from her face, and she watched him with attentive, serious eyes.