Nick’s eyes moved beyond Woodley’s shoulder and came to rest on the figure of Maria standing in the open doorway. Outraged indignation twisted her lovely features into a noxious expression.
It was then that he realised his mistake.
“Ah,” he said under his breath, “I see it all now.”
“Alicia.” Frederick offered her his arm. “May I escort you to the drawing room?”
“No, thank you.”
“I understood that you didn’t intend to dance tonight,” he said. “But if you’ve undergone a change of heart I’d be honoured to partner you.”
“Thank you, Frederick, but I’m fatigued and shall retire now. No, don’t trouble yourself,” she added when it seemed her cousin was intent upon escorting. “I’m quite familiar with the route.” She looked over her shoulder directly at Nick, twisting the stem of the rosebud between her fingers. An alluring smile lit her features. “Good night, Your Grace, and thank you for your advice. You’ve given me much to think about.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Woodley.”
“I say, Alicia, what advice?”
But Alicia didn’t choose to enlighten Frederick and glided gracefully away. He was left looking rather ridiculous, hovering in the centre of the small salon that adjoined the conservatory. Nick strode past him as though he wasn’t there, and the others stumbled over their feet to clear a path for him. He returned to the drawing room in a reflective frame of mind.
In spite of the machinations of several young ladies, principally Maria, he didn’t dance at all. After an hour he felt he’d more than done his duty and slipped away.
“How did yer conversation with Miss Woodley go?” Gibson asked as soon as Nick returned to his chamber.
“Well enough, until we were interrupted by a deputation from the drawing room. We were unable to complete it.”
“You mean I used me charm on her witch of a maid in order to get her to help, and you didn’t make the most of the opportunity.” Gibson appeared highly affronted.
“I didn’t say that.”
“How did you come to be interrupted then?”
“Woodley was tipped off by his daughter.”
Gibson let out an exasperated sigh. “And how did she know?”
“Because my vigilance was at fault.”
Gibson chuckled. “Wonder wot distracted you?”
“Whilst I was conversing with Alicia, I was aware of some rustling in the plants, close to the external door. They have a veritable jungle in that conservatory, which would easily conceal someone of slight build.”
“You think the Woodley girl followed you there.”
“Yes, I do. She’d been besieging me all evening, trying to get me to dance. But I was mindful of your warning and didn’t oblige her.” He slapped his palm against a tabletop. “Damn it, Gibson, I’ve known some determined wenches in my time, but this one’s in a class of her own.”
“She’s been encouraged by her parents to think she’s something special and don’t understand how anyone could resist her. I’ve told you before, when you speak to a woman you have a habit of giving her yer entire attention and appearing fascinated by whatever she’s saying. I know you’re only being well-mannered and not listening to one word in ten. But a self-obsessed chit like Maria Woodley is bound to misinterpret and think you’re soft on her.” Gibson rolled his eyes. “Saints preserve us, if you take that one back to Dorset as your duchess, I’d be back off to the peninsula in the blink of an eye.”
“Gibson, if I was obliged to marry that creature, I’d accompany you.”
Gibson chuckled. “Glad to hear it.”
“I think,” Nick said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “that when she failed to entice me onto the dance floor, she followed me when I left the drawing room. She was hoping to get me alone.”
“Very likely. But if she’s so set upon snaring you, why draw the attention of her father to the fact that you were alone in the conservatory with her cousin? Surely if she hoped to gull you into marriage by that means, then the same must apply in her cousin’s case?”
“I suspect she acted out of jealousy and spite, without thinking it through.”
“She’s either very desperate or very sure of herself, and that makes her dangerous.”
“Quite.” Nick sat on the edge of the bed and removed his coat. “If her father had found me alone with Maria, which was undoubtedly her plan, he would have demanded that I do the right thing by his treasure. But there was no question of that when he discovered it was Alicia I was with. She displayed no signs of distress at having supposedly been compromised. Anyway, he still seems set on his son marrying her.”
Gibson screwed up his eyes shrewdly. “You look disappointed.”
“It was Maria Woodley in the conservatory, all right.” Nick ignored Gibson’s barbed speculation. “I remember now, I saw those plants sway and there was definitely a flash of blue silk. It happened whilst I was dancing with Alicia—”
“You danced with her?” Gibson stared at his master, a knowing grin spreading slowly across his face.
Nick sighed. “You’re reading too much into a whim, Gibson.”
“I must say I’ve never known a chit make you work so hard to have yer way with her before.” Gibson appeared highly diverted. “But this one’s got the measure of you and no mistake. How does it feel to be played at yer own game for once?”
“And guess who was wearing blue silk this evening?” Nick turned his back on Gibson’s mocking face.
“Aye, well, you’re lucky Maria Woodley didn’t manage to get you alone before her cousin arrived, is all I can say. You’ve had a close escape.”
“There was nothing improper about my liaison with Alicia, if that’s what you’re implying, Gibson. Her maid was outside the whole time, just as we planned.”
“Here, hang on.” Gibson scratched his head. “I thought you just wanted her there until Alicia arrived. I’d no idea you expected her to stay. Blimey, how did you imagine you’d get anywhere with the chit with her standing guard?”
Nick grinned. “You told me her maid was a fierce protector so I figured to get her on my side. She highly approves of me.”
“You crafty—”
“Besides, I wanted to warn Alicia that her life might be in danger, not ravage her when she was a mere stone’s throw away from her uncle’s crowded drawing room.”
“You don’t usually let that sort of thing stop you,” Gibson said reflectively. “I ain’t never seen you so smitten before. Nor can I remember you putting yerself to so much trouble for the sake of a bit of skirt. That Alicia Woodley has really got to you.”
“She’s an amusing diversion from Woodley and his wretched daughter, that’s all.”
“Oh, of course.” Gibson’s irrepressible grin was wide and infectious. “Anyway, wot did she say when you told her about the nonaccident?”
“Well, she was reluctant to believe anyone in her family intended her harm.”
“That’s hardly to be wondered at.”
“No, it’s how I expected her to react.”
Nick paused, his mind reluctant to relinquish its hold on memories of the dance he’d shared with Alicia. He relived the feel of her curvaceous body beneath his hands, experiencing a well of tender affection for her spirited defiance of convention.
Touching a woman’s body was nothing out of the ordinary for him so he was at a loss to understand why he’d been so strongly affected by the feel of this particular one. He could only surmise that Gibson was right and the chit had turned his boredom to her advantage, using it to engage his attention. But still, the precise nature of his feelings baffled him.
“However,” he said with a heavy sigh, returning to his conversation with Gibson, “she has a deal of common sense. When she’s had an opportunity to reflect. I believe she’ll accept that I’m in the right of it.”
“Even if she does, where will that leave her? She can hardly remain in a house where someone wants to top he
r.”
“Indeed, we didn’t get the chance to discuss that difficulty.” Nick untied his neckcloth and threw it on the bed. “You may leave me now, Gibson.”
“Aye, but wot about—”
“Not now, I need to think. Good night.”
Gibson’s astonishment at his abrupt dismissal was obvious. He stared closely at his master for a protracted period before slowly leaving the room.
When he’d gone, Nick lay flat on the bed and stared at the ceiling. At last he was at leisure to think without distraction about what lay ahead. He had time to spare, since he must wait for the household to settle down before keeping his assignation with Alicia. Nick had few secrets from Gibson but, on this occasion, for reasons he had yet to fathom, he’d chosen not to take him into his confidence.
Alicia walked back to her room, outwardly calm. But her head felt as though it was about to explode. She wasn’t sure what had made her agree to meet with the duke at a later hour. Alone in her bedchamber too! She blushed at her brazenness. Not that she’d been given the opportunity to do anything other than nod briefly in agreement to his whispered suggestion. He’d made it sound vital, but she could see now that there was nothing more for them to discuss. The attack on her couldn’t have been deliberate. No one had anything to gain from her demise, so she was in no danger from anyone in this house.
Except him.
But the only way to send a message cancelling the assignation would be through Janet. That would mean confessing that she’d agreed to it in the first place. Shocking Janet in such a fashion was out of the question so she’d just have to go through with it.
His Grace wished to exploit her for his own amusement, he’d made that perfectly plain. Indeed, it was insulting that he’d not made a better effort to disguise his intentions. She ought to be furious with him for holding her in such scant respect simply because she wasn’t as highly born.
Her face hadn’t recovered from its blush of a few moments previously before it was again invaded with heat. But this time her discomfort was caused by recollections of his questing fingers, separated from her body by a mere layer of silk and a flimsy corset. To her shame she’d not wanted the dance to end. Her entire body had come alive, consumed by such sublime sensations that she’d been lost to all reason.
Which was why she really shouldn’t entertain him in her bedchamber. He might stick to his word and not lay a finger on her unless she begged. But, in her current highly emotional state, Alicia couldn’t be sure that she wouldn’t be reduced to begging. It was all his fault, of course. She’d not been able to rid her mind of his expression as he smiled down at her during their dance. It had been devoid of all arrogance, and there was something reflected in his eyes that made her feel as though she had somehow captivated him. It was a ridiculous notion, of course. She shook her head to get rid of it, laughing at her own foolishness, but it stubbornly refused to budge.
Up until yesterday she’d have been able to convince herself that she had no interest in the duke. But yesterday she’d considered him high in the instep and far too full of his own self-importance. If she thought about him at all, it had been to congratulate herself upon seeing through his sophisticated façade to the base individual lurking beneath it. She appeared to be the only member of her family who’d not been taken in by his glamour. But now she understood him a little better, which left her in something of a quandary. She’d caught glimpses of the sensitive and rather lonely person beneath all that hauteur and no longer knew quite what to think of him.
Janet bustled along behind her, not saying a word. That wasn’t a good sign. She must be waiting for privacy in order to take her to task for being alone with the duke. Alicia didn’t know what she’d say to defend herself, since her behaviour had been all but indefensible.
Much to her surprise, Janet merely beamed at her when they were finally alone. She busied herself by helping Alicia to disrobe and brushed out her hair, smiling all the while. When she’d completed her tasks to her satisfaction, she plucked the rose from between Alicia’s fingers and placed it in a bud vase on the bedside table.
“You’ll be able to see it from your bed, my love.”
“Leave the candle,” Alicia said. “I won’t be able to sleep with all the noise coming from downstairs so I’ll read for a while instead.”
“All right, but don’t tire yourself, mind. I know what you’re like when you get your nose in a book.”
“I won’t read for long. Good night, Janet.”
“Good night, pet. Sleep well.”
Alicia settled in an armchair in front of the fire to wait. She was clad in her nightgown, a robe belted across it. Her hair was tightly braided but on a whim she pulled it free and it tumbled around her shoulders. She didn’t know what to do next and tried to concentrate on her novel, but so few words penetrated her brain that she might just as well have been holding the book upside down.
The party downstairs was gathering momentum. She heard snatches of conversations on the terrace beneath her window. Noise and laughter rose above the melodic dance music and Alicia wished she could be a part of it. The desire to be whirled around the floor in the duke’s arms just once more was intense. She needed a distraction but nothing was to hand so she stood and paced the length of the room, trying to concentrate on the duke’s suspicions and think of an alternative explanation for the attack on her.
Unable to concentrate, she gave up almost immediately and resumed her chair. Where on earth was he? She tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair, her nerves taut as a bowstring, endeavouring to remain calm. He wouldn’t risk coming until everyone was abed. He was taking a risk even then, but his presence was unlikely to be detected. The rest of the family slept in another wing. The rooms on either side of hers were vacant and no one else had any business in this part of the house after dark.
She must have dozed off in the chair. A light tap on the door caused her eyes to fly open. For a moment she was disorientated. Then she recalled where she was. And why. Flustered, she rose unsteadily to her feet and cautiously opened the door. She blushed deeply at the sight of His Grace standing on the threshold. He wore a shirt, open at the neck to reveal a thick mat of hair curling across his chest, and a pair of tight-fitting breeches. His feet were bare.
“Come in.” She opened the door wider and turned away from him, shy suddenly.
“I thought the party would never end.”
She was conscious of his calm assessment as he took the seat opposite hers.
“What hour is it?”
“After three.”
“Goodness, we’ll get little enough sleep tonight.”
“You ought to remain in bed in the morning and recover your strength. You’re still very weak. I imagine that Will can manage your animals.”
“Perhaps I’ll follow your advice.” Alicia stared in fascination at her half-dressed caller. She’d never encountered a gentleman anything other than fully dressed before, so her curiosity was entirely natural. But that didn’t account for the salacious nature of the thoughts which flooded her mind. He was watching her, and the languid, half-amused expression on his sculpted features made her suspect that he’d interpreted her thoughts. She shook her head, determined to remain aloof. “You had something else you wished to say to me? In view of the hour, we should make it brief.”
“Indeed.” His eyes came to rest on her face, and more specifically on her wayward hair, and he appeared to be in no hurry to do so.
“I’m listening.”
“Well then, where to start?” He cleared his throat but his eyes, once again focused on her face, didn’t waver. “I most particularly wish to impress upon you the fact that someone wishes you harm.”
“Yes, so I apprehend from our earlier conversation.” She wrinkled her brow. “But I really don’t see who it could be. Or why.”
“No, no more do I. But I intend to the get to the bottom of the matter before I leave Ravenswing Manor.”
“Oh, but I thought y
ou were due to depart tomorrow.”
“I’ve made no immediate plans to leave.” The heat of his eyes on her face, the intensity of his expression, made her quake with emotion. Inexplicably she also found herself shivering. How was it possible to be both hot and cold at the same time? He noticed her difficulty, of course. “Are you cold, Alicia? Shall I bank up the fire?”
“No, I’m not cold.” She trained her eyes on the floor, unable to meet his gaze.
“I don’t wish to alarm you or tax your strength but I’m afraid you must hear what I have to say.”
“Very well.”
“Good. Now, where were we? Oh, yes, about the threat to your person and my plans to leave here. At the moment I’m motivated by a desire to keep you alive, which transcends everything else.”
He spoke with a deep sincerity that caused her breath to catch in her throat. She heartily wished that he’d stop looking at her in such a penetrating fashion. She was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate upon his well-intentioned if misguided warning whilst his eyes held her captive.
The only light in the room came from the dwindling fire and the single candle by which she’d been pretending to read. She couldn’t bring herself to look directly at him. She didn’t need to because she was acutely aware of his presence. The emotion spiralling through her, causing havoc with her level-headedness, was desire. She wanted him. She wanted to experience, just once, the type of passion that could escalate between a man and a woman when they shed their inhibitions and followed wherever instinct led.
She couldn’t take his words about danger seriously. She was too preoccupied with other feelings for them to make any sense. She ground her teeth. If he didn’t remove his eyes from her face and leave this room in the next few minutes, then she didn’t think she’d be able to muster the strength to continue denying her passion.
“Thank you, sir, but it’s unnecessary for you to inconvenience yourself on my behalf,” she said in a commendably even tone, given the mayhem his presence was causing to her senses. “I’ll be perfectly safe here.”
Of Dukes and Deceptions Page 12