A Wicked Liaison

by Christine Merrill

  When they neared the orchestra pavilion, she requested another glass of wine, and he left her alone in the crowd to go find her refreshment. She suspected it would take many more glasses to get through the evening, but it would be worth any price to settle Barton’s vicious temper until she could think of a better plan.

  The music began again. It was to be a waltz. She looked around her with resignation. Barton would return and claim her for a dance. She had been lucky so far, and seen no one familiar. But if any who knew her were present, there would be talk. It could not be helped.

  A hand from the crowd seized hers and pulled her out on to the floor. And she found herself not in the arms of Barton, but staring into the face of Anthony Smythe, inches from her own.

  ‘There, now. Did I not promise you that you would run into me at many gatherings, now that you know me? And here the truth is proved, for you are waltzing with me.’

  She looked over her shoulder, in panic. ‘I had promised this dance to another.’

  ‘I suspect it is Barton, for he is coming towards us and looks most furious.’

  She struggled to escape from Tony’s grasp. ‘He must not see us together.’

  Tony’s grip held tight and he pulled her closer. ‘I do not see how he can help it, for we are together before his very eyes.’

  She stared into the crowd, looking for Barton, sick with dread of what was to come.

  ‘Do not search after other men, when you are in my arms. I find it most damaging to the spirit to think I cannot hold your attention for the space of a single dance.’ His tone hardened. ‘Particularly if you must look at Barton. I had hoped, after what I needed to do for you last week, and all the fine talk in the garden about wanting an honourable marriage, that you would have the sense to stay away from him.’

  ‘I could not help myself,’ she admitted with honesty.

  ‘Nor could you the last time. You needed my help, as I remember it. And were willing to go to surprising lengths to get it.’

  She lifted her chin. ‘And I do not need you any more.’

  ‘You are done with me, then?’

  ‘Yes,’ she insisted. ‘I wish you to leave me alone. And leave Barton alone, as well.’

  ‘And what happened to all the pretty words about preferring my attentions to those of Barton’s?’

  ‘The situation has changed.’

  ‘I see.’ He could see exactly what she wanted him to see. He was angry. Angry enough to leave, she hoped, since she did not know how much longer she could stand to lie to him.

  ‘I do not need your help or your company, and wish you to stay far from me in the future.’

  Instead he pulled her even closer, so that her body brushed his coat front and his lips were near her ear. His voice was rough as he said, ‘I will leave you, then. But before I go, let me help you one last time with a word of advice. Stay away from Barton. His star is no longer on the rise. When things come crashing down about him, I would hate to see you caught in the result.’

  She felt sick and frightened and angry, all at the same time. She could go to Barton because he forced her to, only to have Smythe destroy her along with Barton. Or she could not go to Barton, and he would destroy Smythe and everyone else around her. Either way, she was trapped.

  ‘And that is your idea of help, is it?’ She slapped him on the shoulder hard enough to knock him out of step. ‘And now, Mr Smythe, I will tell you what I think of your help. You have been breaking into Barton’s home for reasons of your own, and only pretending to help me. But it does not really have much to do with me, does it? For you have been spying on Barton since that first day, when I caught you spying on me. You claim you want to help, and you pretend to be different. But you are no different than Barton is. First you flatter, then you steal, and if you are not successful, you try blackmail. And at last, you resort to threats to make me do as you wish.’

  ‘Threats?’ He pushed her away so that he could look down into her eyes, trying to read the truth in them until she was forced to look away to hide it. ‘He is threatening you still?’ The hand that held hers squeezed her fingers and he pulled her close again. ‘Why did you not just tell me? When I saw you together, I thought…Well, never mind what I thought. I was a fool.’ He glanced at the musicians. ‘The dance will be ending soon. Tell Barton whatever you like: that I forced you to dance or that you went willingly to spite him. Then, the first chance you get, lose yourself in the crowd. Do not go to him tonight, no matter what he is holding over your head. And I will be sure he does not come to you. You needn’t be afraid of him or do anything that you do not wish to do. I can still help you, if you will let me. Why did you not ask?’

  She thought of Barton’s threats, and what might happen to Tony if she involved him again. ‘The last time, what I asked you to do was wrong. I can not ask it again. It is too dangerous.’

  He leaned forward and laughed in her ear. ‘It is in my nature to do wrong. There is very little you can do to redeem my character other than to allow me to use my more improper talents in a good cause. What you asked was no imposition, and a chance to see some much-needed justice done in the world. I do not care a fig for the dangers that concern you. I will bring down Barton in any case, but I do not want my actions to injure you, for you are innocent of his villainy. If he is doing something to thwart that, then will you do me the great honour of allowing me to help you again?’

  She hesitated, and he spun her around the floor so that Barton could not see them speak.

  ‘Say the word, your Grace. I will not impose on you further, if you truly do not wish it. But if you but nod, I will come to your rooms later, and you can tell me all. Then, if you do not wish my help, send me away.’

  She was almost weak with relief at the thought of talking to him, and leaned against him and let him feel the change in her body as she gave herself up to his protection.

  He squeezed her hand again. ‘Very well, then. Go home and unlock your window.’ He smiled at her. As the music ended, he spun her back to the place she had been, to stand by the irate Barton. ‘Delightful, your Grace, and so sorry to impose, but I could not resist the temptation to steal the dance.’

  She watched the light of recognition flare in Barton’s eyes at his choice of words.

  Barton glared at him. ‘You should be careful what you steal, sir. For you know what happens to thieves.’

  Tony laughed. ‘I have but to read The Times to see that, sir. Hanging. But at least it is not so bad as the thing that happens to traitors. While the courts might show leniency to a thief, counterfeiting is high treason. To be hanged, drawn and quartered for acting against your own country?’ Tony shuddered theatrically. ‘A nasty end, is it not, Jack?’

  Barton’s normal composure broke, and he grew even angrier than he had been; his cold smile turned to a grimace of fury and his colouring was mottled red. ‘Then a traitor need have no reason to fear doing murder, Smythe. The slow and painful death of another will add nothing to the severity of the punishment, should one be caught.’

  She reached out and tugged Barton’s sleeve to distract him, and he shook her off.

  Tony tipped his head to one side, considering. ‘I suppose it would not, if one could manage such a feat. But in your case, I have my doubts. Shall we see?’ And he turned and started towards the dark walks.

  And Barton cursed once, and made to follow. Then he turned back to her. ‘You are to return home immediately, go to your room, and wait for me there.’

  She grabbed his arm. ‘I will do nothing of the kind. I know what you mean to do. And you promised you would not.’

  Tony turned back and looked at her curiously. ‘Do as he says, Constance. Go home. Whatever occurs, I do not wish you to be a part of it. Do you understand?’

  She looked between the two men, both implacable. ‘Go.’ Barton pointed towards the exit as though ordering a dog to its kennel.

  ‘Please, your Grace,’ Tony added.

  And then he walked away, in the dire
ction of the most secluded paths, disappearing into the nearest crowd.

  Barton followed.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Constance sat on the end of her bed, knotting and unknotting her handkerchief in quaking hands. Why had she listened to either of them? She should have thrown herself onto Barton and held him back.

  But Tony had gone so quickly and left Barton to push and shove his way through a group of people. When she had gone after him, she had been swept along with the group, and was near to the exit before she got clear, having seen no sign of Tony or Barton.

  She had searched for a while, but been afraid to venture into the darkness alone, and finally had hired a hackney and hurried back to her house, shooed the maid away, locked the door and unlocked the window. Please, dear Lord, let it be Tony who arrived and not Barton. She did not think she could bear the sight of him, much less his touch, if she knew that he had come to her rooms with Tony’s blood on his hands.

  ‘By your leave, your Grace?’ Tony stood framed in the open window, awaiting her permission to enter.

  ‘Oh, do not be such a fool. Come in before someone sees you.’ She rushed to the window and reached to pull him in herself, patting at his chest with her hands, searching for some sign of injury.

  He stepped into her room as easily as if he’d entered it from the hall, laughing as her hands touched him, catching them and bringing them to his lips. ‘You thought I would come to harm from Barton?’

  She looked at him incredulously. ‘I was terrified. You must have known what I would think.’

  ‘That I would go into the darkness and let him brawl with me, in a public park? Not knowing who he might have brought with him for aid or what trap might await me? I’m sorry to disappoint you, darling, but I ran like a rabbit until I was quite sure he was lost on the paths, and then I came here. And I can assure you; I am quite unharmed.’ He placed her hands against his chest again. ‘But you may touch me as much as you like. I find it most pleasant.’

  She snatched her hands away and turned from him. ‘I was a fool to agree to this. I should never have allowed you to come. I put you at risk for helping me, and you treat it as if it were a joke. But I thought you deserved a warning. Barton knows I had help getting the deed. And yesterday he forced his way into my home and took it back. After tonight, he must know it was you who helped me. He wants revenge. He means to hurt you.’

  Anthony laughed. ‘I gathered that. I wish him luck in it.’

  ‘Do not talk that way. You do not understand what he is capable of.’

  He smiled. ‘I am sorry, but so many men have threatened me over the years. I am still here, and quite whole.’ He stood before her, hands outspread, inviting another examination. When she did not reach for him, he became serious again. ‘I thank you for the warning, although I am not particularly concerned by Barton’s threats. And what might all that have to do with your kissing him in a public place?’

  ‘You saw?’

  ‘Indeed. You were not enjoying it? Because you appeared most enthusiastic.’ His smile was gone, and his tone demanded an explanation.

  ‘What choice do I have? He gave me a demonstration yesterday of the depths he is willing to stoop to ensure my obedience. He beat my servants. He tortured my maid before my very eyes, until I gave him the key to my house. And threatened to do the same to you if I did not submit to him.

  ‘He has everything, and yet he wants more from me. I have no money, no power in this. But I cannot allow him to hurt you. And he would, since he knows how it might hurt me.’ Her hands had begun to shake and her breathing was becoming unsteady. If she did not get hold of herself, she would be gasping, and the gasps would turn to sobs. And she feared the crying would never stop.

  ‘And why did you not come to me when I asked you to?’ His voice was gentle.

  ‘He is watching me. Every move I make. He was waiting for me to go to you, so that…He said…’ She closed her eyes. ‘That he would know who helped me, because I would go to him, or he would come to me, just as you did tonight. And when he found you out, he would get back at you. It would go hard for you, but it would go harder still if I did not co-operate. He said that I must tell you he knows what you are seeking more than the deed. He will kill you, if you try again. There might be clemency, if I do as he says. But if I resist, he will take pleasure in hurting you, and that I should know that it would be all my fault.’ She stared at him, willing him to understand enough to be worried.

  But he laughed. ‘That is all, then?’

  ‘Tonight, when we danced, he suspected. And then you taunted him and removed all doubt. How could you be so foolish?’

  ‘I could not help it. He stood there, all puffed up like an angry red balloon. It was too tempting to deflate him.’

  ‘You called him traitor.’

  ‘Because he is one,’ Tony replied simply.

  ‘And so you know he has nothing to lose. He is angrier still and will be watching us both. For all I know he has followed you here tonight.’

  ‘He did not follow me,’ he reassured her. ‘No one knows I am here. You need have no fear of it.’

  She smiled in relief. ‘If he does not know where to find you, then you are safe for now. But he must know your direction. He will try to find you there. He may be waiting for you at your home, even now.’

  ‘Very astute of you. That is exactly where he is. I followed him to my home and have seen him, watching my house. I left him catching a chill on the street corner, waiting for me to return, so that he could do me mischief. And I have set a man of my own to watch the watcher. If Barton moves from the spot, he will not get far.’

  She reached out to clasp his hand. ‘Then you can get away. Leave from here. Leave tonight. Get out of the country. Go to the Continent, or perhaps the Americas. I do not care. But swear to me that you will be far away from here by morning, so that I need have no fear for you.’

  He smiled and shook his head. ‘And what will become of you, if I leave?’

  ‘He does not mean to hurt me. He has assured me of that.’

  ‘He will be quite public about keeping you, and everyone will know it. Think of what you will lose, Constance. Your friends. The prospects you held so dear, even this morning. All of it will be gone.’

  ‘Honour is only an idea. It will not hurt to lose it. I am no innocent, Tony. I know what must be done, and it means nothing, compared to your life. It does not matter to me, as long as I know you are safe.’

  ‘You would be willing to ruin yourself, to preserve my miserable hide?’ His eyes were serious. Then his face spread in a lazy grin, but he showed no sign of taking his leave. ‘On the contrary, I think it matters a great deal.’

  ‘Not to me. Not any more. I will go to him if I must. If that is what it takes to keep you safe. But you must leave him alone. Whatever you are after, do not seek it in his house. Has no one told you that it is wrong to steal? It was only a matter of time before you met someone like Barton, who was worse than you and could punish you for your crimes.’

  He waved the argument aside, his grin wide and without care. ‘Leave off with your begging, for I am not moving from this spot until I am good and ready. But tell me again, because I love to hear you say it—you do not go to him by choice?’

  ‘Of course not. The man is horrid.’

  ‘And you are only tolerating his attentions to protect me?’ he prompted.

  ‘I cannot let this go any further. He will not have you, if there is anything I can do to prevent it.’

  Anthony sighed and fixed her with his smile. ‘I cannot tell you how relieved I am to hear that. I thought your problem was something serious, or difficult. Or that you secretly fancied Barton and were using me to control him. But you are trying to save me?’ He laughed. ‘And that is all? Do not worry. You need do nothing. I will take care of everything.’

  She paced the room, wringing her handkerchief in her hands. ‘You will go back out the window to search his rooms, and I am to stay here and
wait for a report of your death? I vow, your offer of assistance is most welcome, but there is nothing you can do that will not put you in greater jeopardy.’

  Tony replied, with gentle insistence. ‘You need have no fear. Relax. Let everything to me.’

  ‘That is what my late husband said. Do not worry, Constance. Do not be such a goose. Everything will be fine. I trusted him in all things, and look what I have come to. Barton means to have me and kill you. It is too late for me. But you can still escape him. Run, Tony. Run far away. If you come to harm because of me, I swear I shall go mad.’

  He moved as silently as a cat and was upon her before she realised, taking her by the shoulders and pinning her to the wall to stop her pacing. He looked down into her face with his wild smile and dream-filled eyes, and said, ‘I shall go mad, if I must watch you make another circuit of the room.’ He reached behind her and caught the tie of her bodice, tugging to undo the bow. ‘Although it is rather pleasant to see you so overwrought for my sake.’

  ‘But he is a villain, Tony, and he knows about you. What are we to do? I—’

  His lips came down on hers, stopping her words. The kiss was forceful, almost brutal in its intensity, and he held her tight against him, so that she could feel his body responding to her. She could feel his hands on her back, dealing, one by one, with the hooks of her dress. Then he pushed away from her, placing his hands on her shoulders, holding her tight in place. ‘You shall do nothing tonight. Not with Barton, at any rate.’ He trailed his fingers forward, along the gaping neckline of her dress.

  ‘Stop it,’ she muttered. ‘We mustn’t. There isn’t time. He will come for me tonight. And if he finds you here…’

  ‘I said—’ he pushed at the fabric, and the dress slipped off her shoulders ‘—I would take care—’ he reached behind her to undo her stays ‘—of everything. But if you are sure you want me to run away, then you need merely say the word, and I shall go.’