Drew bolted upright. Hearing Bollrud say these words aloud sent a bolt of anger to his core. The man must be incredibly dense if he thought Miss Hillary would accept his proposal. Bollrud wouldn’t suit her at all. She hadn’t given her promise yet, had she? Drew might become sick at the thought.
“In case she hasn’t told you, sir, the lady is set on remaining unwed. I’m afraid you are fighting a losing battle.”
The gentleman balked. “She never mentioned she has no intentions of wedding.”
“Has she indicated she will marry you?”
Bollrud’s mouth thinned and a glower darkened his face. “Not in so many words.”
Drew repressed a show of relief. “Yes, well. Why would Miss Hillary confide in you? She has barely made your acquaintance. Unless you’ve declared your intentions, she would have no cause to speak of her wishes. It’s a pity. She’d make someone a lovely wife some day.” Just not for this bugger. Drew drummed his fingers against the tabletop. “You wouldn’t want the chit refusing your proposal outright. A man does have his pride. Listen, Bollrud. I might be able to assist with your dilemma.”
The man scoffed. “Why would you help me?”
“I wouldn’t. I barely know you. Nevertheless, Miss Hillary doesn’t realize the foolishness of her decision. She needs to make a match before it’s too late, so essentially I’m helping her. At this point, her prospects are dwindling.”
Trickery had become a way of life for Drew. It was useful at the gaming tables. Yet, he didn’t know if he could pull off this particular lie. Anyone with eyes could see Miss Hillary would have no trouble attracting a mate, aside from the impediment of her mother. But Drew hardly viewed Miss Hillary’s relations as an insurmountable obstacle. He cared nothing about her mother’s eccentricity, and his only point of contention with Mrs. Hillary was the lack of attention she paid to chaperoning her daughter. Of course, her distractibility worked to Drew’s advantage at the moment.
Bollrud still regarded him through slits. “What are you proposing, Forest?”
“If you intend to offer for Miss Hillary, you need to find another way to win her approval. I say you should go through her mother.”
“Her mother?”
“Miss Hillary will be unable to resist the pressure her mother will surely put on her if she has a serious suitor.”
“You suggest I go through her mother?”
Drew nodded slowly, fighting to keep his expression neutral.
“How would I go about such a task?”
“Spend as much time with Miss Hillary’s mother as you can, and show her what a charming husband you would make for her daughter. No mother wants her daughter to marry a scoundrel or a ninny. Show her you are an upstanding member of the ton.”
Would Bollrud take the bait? If this toad-eater occupied Mrs. Hillary, Drew could spend more time with her charming daughter, and all without arousing the woman’s suspicions, possibly resulting in an unwanted match between Miss Hillary and him. It was perfect.
Bollrud scratched his head, appearing more perplexed than usual. “You’re sure this is the way to proceed?”
“I realize things may be done differently in Bavaria, gent, but in England everyone knows to court the mother first. It’s the only way to get what you desire.”
Bollrud pressed his lips together and nodded as if this argument made perfect sense. “Courtship is much different than I had been told.” He crammed another bite into his gaping mouth.
“It’s a complicated maze to navigate. I wish you luck.” Drew pushed from the table. Everything was in place.
Fourteen
Lady Gabrielle claimed Lana’s attention as soon as she arrived at Irvine Castle, linking arms and dragging her toward the maze.
“How about a lovely stroll, Miss Hillary?”
“P-perhaps Lady Phoebe would like to join us.” Lana glanced over her shoulder but couldn’t locate Phoebe.
“I highly doubt it. Phoebe complains of swollen feet all the time. I never knew babies could affect a woman so. Her ankles resemble plump sausages.”
“Lady Gabrielle,” Lana reprimanded with a giggle.
“I speak the truth, Miss Hillary.”
They entered the lush maze arm-in-arm. Lana had walked the hedge corridors almost daily on her last visit two years ago. “I do feel bad for leaving her alone. Perhaps I should forgo the walk.”
“Don’t be silly. Phoebe enjoys her solitude.” Lady Gabrielle tugged Lana’s arm. The young woman was stronger than she appeared. “This way.”
Lana furrowed her brow. “As you wish, Lady Gabrielle.”
“Call me Gabby. We’re practically family.”
Family? What a strange young woman she’d become in the last two years. “Very well, Gabby, but I insist you call me Lana in return.”
The towering hedges closed out almost all outside sounds as they strolled deeper into the maze. It was quite peaceful. “Ah, this was a nice idea, Gabby. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed our strolls.”
“We walked this path many times in the past. How well do you remember the layout?”
Lana accessed the mental map she still carried, surprised by her recall. “Fairly well, I believe.”
Gabby darted a look behind them. “It appears no one followed us.”
Lana reflexively looked as well. What did it matter if anyone joined them?
“Do you recall where the Cupid statue is housed?” she asked.
“I believe I do. It’s a dead end, correct?”
Gabby leaned close. “Drew is waiting for you there,” she whispered. “I’ll create a distraction, but don’t be missing for long.”
“Lord Andrew?” Lana’s heart pounded out of control. This was beyond the pale. Why, she had gone to great lengths to avoid him the last several days, resigning herself to a match with Lord Bollrud, and Drew wished a clandestine meeting with her? What could he want?
Dizziness engulfed her, and she gripped Gabby’s shoulder to regain her equilibrium.
Blast it, Lana, breathe already. She gulped in a deep breath, filling her lungs and slowly banishing the dizziness.
“Please, hurry, Lana. Someone might discover us any moment. He will think you didn’t wish to meet him.”
Lana snapped out of her daze and broke into a running walk.
Left. Left. Right. Left. Right. Right. Dear heavens, the Cupid statue would be around the next corner. Lana stopped and worried her bottom lip. Perhaps she should turn back. If discovered with Lord Andrew, her reputation would be ruined beyond repair.
Before she could change her mind and run in the opposite direction, he stepped into the opening.
He offered a glorious smile. “You came.” His sudden appearance determined her course. Like a sleepwalker, she moved toward him.
“Lord Andrew, what is the meaning of this?”
A tiny crease formed between his brows. “I thought we’d established you are to call me Drew when we are alone.”
She glanced around to see they were very much alone. “I shouldn’t be here, my lord.”
“Here in Cupid’s room? Have you lost your way, my sweet?”
She had lost something. Perhaps her God-given good senses.
Drew smiled like an innocent choirboy, which they both knew was a fabrication.
“I should return before Mama realizes I’m no longer with your sister.”
He offered his arm. “I promise not to keep you long, Miss Hillary. Please, stay a moment.”
She hesitantly placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, her acceptance bringing another radiant smile to his face.
“If I’m to call you Drew in private, then perhaps you would like to refer to me as Lana?” She forced a frown so as not to give him a false impression. “But don’t expect we will continue to meet privately. My mama would be crushed if I sullied my name.”
He led her farther into the Cupid room. “I have no intentions of ruining you, Lana. I only wish to speak with you for five minutes without incurring
the wrath of my kin.”
“Five minutes then,” she conceded.
“Splendid.” Drew dropped her arm and walked to the hedge wall, feeling along the edges. “Here we are.” He held out his hand. “This way, please.”
“Have you gone mad?” Despite her protest, she took his hand.
“There’s an opening here. You’ll have to shimmy through, but you’ll meet with no impediments.”
Lana detected the narrow passage now that she stood close. “Is this supposed to be here?”
Dropping his hand, she moved carefully to avoid snagging her dress.
“It’s a hidden exit from the maze. My father added it years ago.”
“Wh—?” Her question was lost on an intake of breath. They stood on the edge of an open field dotted with millions of wildflowers. The sun saturated the field, making the purple and yellow flowers even more radiant. “Oh, Drew. How beautiful.”
A huge smile spread across his lips. “I thought you would appreciate the view. If you want to come back with Gabby to pick some, you approach from that direction,” he said, pointing to their left. “It comes out by the stable yard.”
“That would be lovely.” She walked farther into the field until a blanket of purple, yellow, red, and white surrounded her in every direction. With a giggle, she turned in circles to see them all. “Truly magnificent.”
Drew chuckled.
She stopped mid-pirouette. “Do I amuse you, my lord?”
“I only now realized how truly untouched you are, Lana, watching you spin ’round in a field of flowers.” He held out his arm. “Allow me to escort you back to the maze.”
She pulled at his sleeve. “Nonsense. We just arrived. Walk with me farther.”
He didn’t budge and instead shoved his hands into his pockets. “I realize now I can’t. Have you no care for my reputation?”
Lana tossed her head, her laughter carrying on the breeze. “What harm could I do to your reputation, my lord? It’s already atrocious.”
Drew’s forget-me-not eyes sparkled with merriment. “Yet, you would tarnish my reputation by drawing attention to my sensitivity? Have a heart.” He took her hands in his and coaxed her back toward the maze. “We can’t allow anyone to discover us, peach.”
Although he made light of the situation, his warning sobered her. What was she thinking wandering off with a scoundrel like Lord Andrew? They both had much to lose, Lana’s reputation and heart, and his freedom. She tromped toward the maze, wishing she had an excuse to ignore her good sense.
“Heaven forbid anyone should discover you possess a soft spot,” she grumbled.
“Apparently I do.”
Reaching the hedge, she whipped around to face him. They stood inches apart, his heat infusing the space between them. “Did you really bring me here to view the flowers?”
He held her gaze without wavering, his blue eyes darkening and sending a rush of desire to her belly.
“I wish I were that noble, Lana.”
Her eyes trailed to his lips. Oh, how she wanted to taste him. A scrumptious blend of sandalwood and seduction wafted across the short distance between them. Never had Lana met a man who emitted sensuality from every pore.
She licked her lips. “I wish you were less noble, my lord, like that night in the Eldridge’s garden.”
His dimpled smile stole her breath. “Why, Lana, I do believe you are trying to seduce me again.”
His voice washed over her, filling her with warmth and tingles from head to toe, even in her unmentionable spot. Unable to resist temptation any longer, she grazed her mouth over his, flicking the tip of her tongue across his bottom lip to satisfy her curiosity. Heavens, he tasted sinful.
Tentatively, she threaded her arms around his neck and pressed her lips harder against his. When his soft hair touched her fingers, she buried them into his locks then leaned into his firm chest.
Drew groaned against her mouth. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”
Pardon?
She fell back a step and released him. Hurt shook her to the core. She didn’t know how to kiss a man properly?
Drew’s fists were shoved to his sides, and a grimace marred his handsome face. His eyes fluttered open. “Is something wrong?”
Good heavens above! He hadn’t been kissing her back, had he? She repulsed him. A scoundrel who had kissed hundreds of women, and she, Lana Hillary, repulsed him.
Clamping her lips tightly, she fled toward the maze. No lady should have to endure such humiliation.
“Where are you going, peach?”
She stopped long enough to glare over her shoulder. “Stop calling me that, you scoundrel.”
“Lana, wait.”
Before Drew could reach her, she wiggled through the secret passage and dashed for the maze exit.
Fifteen
Drew wrestled with the urge to run after Lana. As much as he wanted to discover what went wrong, he couldn’t risk her reputation by chasing after her. Though he didn’t want to see her married to Bollrud, he wouldn’t stand in the way of her making a match with a decent gent if she wished to reconsider matrimony.
What in the devil’s name came over her? One moment she nearly sent him over the edge with the start of a sensual kiss—Good God, what a kiss that could have been—and the next she took off in a fit of anger. Lana Hillary was as predictable as a tempest and twice as destructive. His body was in shambles, thanks to that woman. What type of lady stoked a man’s passion then left him in misery? She was a cruel chit, indeed.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he stalked around the outside of the maze. If he hurried, he could cut through the house and intercept Lana on the veranda. He would demand she explain her outburst.
Drew had faced many angry women over the years, but at least he usually knew the cause of their ire. And if he didn’t know the reason, he didn’t bother finding out. He’d always considered it fortuitous if the woman stomped away, leaving him to consider his actions, at least until now.
As soon as he passed through the double glass doors, he spotted a small crowd of women huddled together, distracting him from his mission for the moment. The ladies clucked over a figure slumped in a chair. His curiosity piqued, he moved closer only to discover the crumpled figure was Gabby.
Lady Eldridge vigorously fanned his sister while their mother clutched her hand. Lana loitered right outside of the circle, her expression troubled.
He trotted over to them, his heart accelerating. “What happened to Gabby?”
His mother’s watery eyes fixed on him. “Oh, thank heavens. I need you to carry your sister to her chambers.”
“There, there, Lady Gabrielle,” Lady Eldridge cooed.
“Oh, my poor, poor darling.” Worry etched his mother’s forehead.
“What in God’s name happened to her?” he demanded. His furious gaze shot around the veranda. He’d kill the blackguard who’d dared to touch his sister.
“Drew, please watch your tongue,” his mother scolded. “There are ladies present. I need you to carry your sister to her chambers right away. She must stay abed the rest of the day.”
“No,” Gabby protested a little strongly, but then repeated in a much weaker voice, “I’m better, Mama. I simply overheated. That’s all.”
Drew’s eyes narrowed. The air was pleasantly warm, but not hot enough to cause problems for a young woman her age. She lied. “Overheated you say?”
His sister’s eyes bore into him. “Yes, Drew. I overheated while playing a game of hide-and-seek with Miss Hillary in the maze. I’m afraid I was forced to stop searching for her after five minutes passed with no sign of her. I felt faint, you see.” Gabby swooned again, eliciting shrieks from the older women around her. With a weak smile, she blinked up at Lana. “Miss Hillary, I’m sorry to have left you waiting in your hiding spot. Thank heavens you didn’t become lost.”
Drew unsuccessfully tried to capture Lana’s eye.
Their mother stood and shook his arm. �
�Drew, please. Carry your sister inside where she may recover.”
“Yes, Mother.” What a little pretender. Drew scooped Gabby into his arms and toted her into the house.
On the stairway and out of the center of attention, she scowled. “Why didn’t you return her when you said? I didn’t know what to do when Mrs. Hillary cornered me outside the maze.”
“I’m sorry, princess. I hadn’t intended to keep her.”
Gabby’s gaze narrowed. “What did you do to Lana?”
Her intense accusation startled him. “Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you, Andrew. Lana is obviously upset. Thank goodness my plan worked. Everyone attributed her troubled expression to worry for me.” She poked her finger against his chest. “You promised not to hurt her.”
They made it to the top of the stairs before he dropped Gabby to her feet. Grabbing her shoulders, he met her accusing stare. “I did nothing to Miss Hillary. I was a perfect gentleman. She was fine one moment then without warning, she stormed away.”
Gabby wrinkled her nose. “Did you pat her on the head? I hate it when you pat me on the head.”
“No,” he answered, unable to suppress a chuckle.
“What about an insult? Did you call her a silly name?”
“Absolutely not. Princess, this line of questioning is ridiculous. I don’t pat grown women on the head or insult them, not if I wish to get anywhere.”
“Aha!” Gabby poked him in the chest again. “You tried to seduce her. I knew it. I never should have trusted you. You’re a scoundrel and a rogue.”
“That’s practically the same thing, princess.”
“Oh, be quiet. You—you roguish scoundrel.” His sister flounced into her chambers and tried to slam the door, but he jammed his palm against the hard surface.
“One angry lady is more than any man should have to contend with in a day. I swear to you, I didn’t touch Miss Hillary.” A grin stretched his lips. “She touched me.”
His sister’s mouth fell open, but no sound came out.
“Believe me, Gab, I wanted to kiss her, but she caught me quite by surprise.”
Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel Page 10