not have any hesitation at all in letting
her take all the risks she wished.
Lucas reached out a little roughly
and caught her chin between thumb
and forefinger. Victoria, if a romantic
liaison is truly what you want, then
it will be my privilege to give it to
you."
Her sudden smile was much too luminous
and her eyes glowed with what looked
suspiciously like feminine triumph. In the
spirit of intellectual inquiry, my lord?"
Somewhere inside Lucas a warning bell
belatedly clanged. He studied Victoria's
delighted, cheerfully smug expression and
a nasty notion was born in him that he'd
just been well and truly outmaneuvered.
I have always been a great believer in
the benefits of intellectual inquiry," he said
grimly.
Oh, Lucas, how can I ever thank you?"
She threw her arms around his neck and
hugged him fiercely. You are always so
good to me."
Swearing silently, he succumbed to the
allure of her obvious delight. He was
beginning to realize that it would always
be difficult to refuse Victoria whatever she
happened to want. He would do well in
the future to remember his weakness in
that regard.
Reluctantly Lucas pulled her arms from
around his neck, kissing her reassuringly
on the tip of her nose. Then tis settled.
Now, my sweet, you had better get back
into the house. I think I hear a carriage
coming down the street."
Oh, dear, that must be Aunt Cleo. I
must go." She turned swiftly, the cloak
whirling around her sadly dampened
slippers. Then she swung back with a
quick frown of concern. Do be careful
of your leg when you go back over the
wall, Lucas. I worry about all this climbing
about. It cannot be good for you."
I'm inclined to agree." The damned leg
was already aching from his first assault
on the wall this evening. Now he must
repeat the process. I look forward to the
night when this wall climbing is no longer
necessary. Good night, Vicky."
About our plans for our first, uh,
liaison ." She glanced anxiously toward
the conservatory door as she, too, heard
the carriage in the street.
Don't fret, Vicky. I will arrange every
thing."
You will?"
He paused, straddling the garden wall,
and looked down into her upturned face.
He bit back an oath. Yes, Vicky, I will.
That's my job, is it not?"
You will let me know just as soon as
you have got the details worked out?" she
called out hopefully.
Believe me, my dear, you will be the
first to know." He cleared the wall and
dropped down into the alley. His thigh
protested strongly and his limp was more
pronounced than usual as he made his
way back toward the street where he had
left the carriage. One way or another he
definitely had to put a stop to this wall
climbing.
Lucas checked the street and saw no
one. He crossed it and started around the
corner. He very nearly walked straight into
the man holding the knife.
The footpad appeared equally surprised
at the suddenness of the encounter. He had
obviously been lounging in the shadows,
waiting for his quarry, and had not
heard Lucas approach. But he reacted
immediately, lunging forward with the
blade held low.
Lucas was already diving to the side,
cursing as he felt his bad leg give away.
He landed hard on the knee of his injured
leg and forced himself to ignore the pain
while he reached up and grabbed for his
attacker's knife arm.
The man yelled in rage and surprise as
Lucas rolled onto his back and tugged
hard. The assailant slammed into the
brick wall of the darkened house on the
corner and the knife clattered to the paving
stones.
Lucas kept rolling, moving up onto his
knees. Then he staggered to his feet,
bracing himself with one hand against
the brick wall. Raw agony tore through
his left leg.
The footpad was already thudding away
into the darkness, footsteps echoing harshly
in the night. He did not stop to retrieve
his knife.
Ere, now," the coachman yelled, pound
ing up the street as he belatedly realized his
passenger was in trouble. What's goin" on?
What'appened, m'lord? Are ye hurt?"
No." Lucas glanced down at his expensive
Weston jacket and swore again. He
had just paid a fortune for the damn
thing and now he would have to purchase
a new one.
Some footpad lookin" to prig a gennel
man's purse," the coachman declared,
reaching down to scoop up the knife.
Wicked-lookin" thing. The cove meant
business, didn't e?"
Yes," said Lucas. But I am not certain
just what sort of business he had in
mind."
Streets ain't safe for man nor beast,"
the coachman remarked. You andled him
right proper m'lord. Saw the way you sent
im flying." Learn that sort of thing at
Gentleman Jackson's academy, did ye?"
No. I learned that sort of thing the hard
way." Lucas started toward the coach and
sucked in his breath as his left leg nearly
collapsed again. He summoned up a vision
of the bottle of port waiting in his library.
Let's be off, if you don't mind. It is not
my intention to amuse myself standing
around the streets at this hour."
Certainly, sir. But I'd just like to say I
never met a member o" the fancy could
andle imself as well as you just did
in a street fight. Most of the nabobs I
run across would o" ended up with their
gullets slit."
Victoria stepped back into her room and
closed the door quietly behind her. Then
she shut her eyes and leaned back against
the wooden panels. Her heart was racing
and she felt as though her legs were going
to melt.
She had done it.
It had taken more raw courage than she
had dreamed it would, more than she had
even believed she possessed, but she had
done it. She was going to have an affair
with Lucas Mallory Colebrook, the Earl of
stone vale.
Her hands were trembling as she came
away from the door and walked a little
unsteadily across the room to stare out of
the window into the darkness.
Now that she had accomplished her goal
after days of agonizing over the matter, she
discovered she was weak with reaction.
There were so many dangers, both for
herself and for Luca
s.
But the chance to discover passion in
Lucas's arms was worth any risk.
Such an admirable man. He was not a
silly, foppish dandy or a callous rake hell.
He cared about her reputation yet he
accepted her desire to avoid marriage.
He was not after her fortune, it seemed,
only her.
Dear God, listen to me. I sound as if I
am in love with the man." Victoria caught
her breath as the realization momentarily
swamped her. I am in love with him."
She hugged herself with the wonder
of this latest adventure. To be in love
and yet to be free. What more could a
woman ask?
She stood at the window for a long time,
trying to see the future in the darkness.
But everything seemed cloudy and without
solid form. After a long while, she went
to bed.
At dawn she came awake suddenly,
sitting bolt upright against the pillows.
Demon bitch. I will send you back to hell.
The knife.
Dear God, the knife.
She did not remember much about the
nightmare that had jolted her from sleep,
but she did not need to recall the details.
She'd had similar dreams often enough
during the past few months and they
always ended the same way, leaving her
restless and disturbed, filling her with a
sense of dark, brooding menace that could
not be logically explained away.
At least she had not cried out this time,
she thought in relief. Occasionally she
screamed in the middle of the terrible
dreams and poor Nan would come running
to check on her.
Victoria got out of bed. She knew from
experience that daylight would banish the
disquieting sensation. In the meantime
there was not much point in trying to
go back to sleep.
She reached for her wrapper. It was
a clear day and soon the morning light
would be streaming into the conservatory.
A perfect day for painting. When all else
failed, she could frequently find peace of
mind by losing herself in her art.
Dressing quickly, she hurried downstairs.
The household was just beginning to stir.
She could hear cook clattering the pans in
the kitchen.
Her easel, paintbox, and sketchbooks
were just where she had left them. Victoria
stood looking around the lush conservatory
for a moment and then her eyes fell on the
glorious blooms of Strelitzia reginae.
In the morning sunlight the flower was a
wonderful cross between gold and yellow,
a fabulous shade of amber touched with
highlights of royal blue.
She quickly set about shifting all her
equipment to a new vantage point where
she would have a clear view of Strelitzia.
She remembered how Lucas had admired
it that first day in the conservatory.
She was going to paint it for him,
she decided on a sudden impulse. He
had appeared genuinely pleased by her
botanical watercolors and sketches and
there was no doubt about his new
enthusiasm for horticulture. Perhaps he
would like Strelitzia reginae as a memento
of their first night together as lovers. It
would be her gift to him on that memorable
night.
Almost like a wedding gift, came the
unbidden thought. She banished it quickly
and sat down to go to work.
She saw the snuffbox inside her paintbox
the moment she raised the lid.
For a few seconds she simply stared at
it, astonished, and wondered why anyone
would deposit a perfectly good snuffbox in
her paintbox. It was as odd to find such an
object here as it had been to discover the
monogrammed scarf on the conservatory
door a few nights earlier.
With a small, niggling sense of dread,
Victoria picked up the tiny snuffbox
and examined it carefully. It was a
nicely worked box but not particularly
distinguished except for the letter W
engraved on the inside of the lid.
For a minute she was short of breath.
She reminded herself violently that she did
not believe in ghosts. But the thought that
someone might be playing a macabre game
with her was even more chilling than the
prospect of a phantom.
And even more impossible, she told
herself, taking several deep breaths to calm
her nerves. She had to be sensible. This
could not be her stepfather's snuffbox any
more than the scarf could possibly have
belonged to him.
This was all some sort of bizarre
coincidence. One of her aunt's numerous
acquaintances had been on a visit to the
conservatory and had left the scarf and
snuffbox behind. The scarf had been found
immediately but the snuffbox had been set
down and forgotten only to be discovered
much later. By her.
It was the only possible explanation
because no one, no one except herself
knew what had really happened on that
dreadful night when her stepfather had
died at the foot of a flight of stairs.
Four days later Victoria looked around
the Middleships" glittering ballroom at
the sea of fashionably dressed guests and
realized she was as nervous and excited as
a bride at her own wedding party. This was
the night.
As this was as close as she ever intended
to get to a genuine wedding celebration,
she had best enjoy it, she decided.
Three days ago Lucas had calmly told
her that he had made all the arrangements
for their first night together. The plans were
contingent on Lady Nettleship accepting
a long-standing invitation to a weekend
house party in the country, he had
warned. But that had been no problem.
This morning Cleo had set off cheerfully
for the nearby country home of one of her
dearest friends.
You are quite certain you do not mind
staying here alone for one evening?" Aunt
Cleo had demanded for the third time as
she tied her bonnet and prepared to follow
several bags into her traveling coach.
Hardly alone, Aunt Cleo. I have all the
servants including Nan. I shall do very
well. You will recall that I am invited
to the Middleships" ball tonight and their
soirees never end before dawn. I shan't be
home until sunrise and you will be back
in the afternoon."
Well, you are nearly twenty-five. I
daresay no one can remark upon you
staying here in your own home for one
night without having me, and you will be
accompanied by Lady Lyndwood and her
daughter when you attend the ball, so all
is well. Take care, Vicky." Cleo had given
>
her a good-bye peck on the cheek before
settling into the coach for the trip.
Victoria had waved from the steps and
then felt her stomach do a series of strange
little flips as anticipation set in with a
vengeance.
This was the night. There was no turning
back now. This was what she wanted;
Lucas was the man she wanted. She was
on the brink of a romantic liaison with the
man she loved. The dazzling prospect of
this sort of intellectual inquiry was enough
to take away her breath.
The time had come. Victoria began
to edge through the crowd, making her
way unobtrusively toward the door. Lucas
would be waiting.
Off so soon, Victoria?" Isabel Rycott
seemed to materialize out of nowhere.
I fear I have a number of engagements
this evening," Victoria said politely. I
promised a friend I would drop in at the
Bridge waters" for a while and then I have
to go on to yet another rout after that."
Isabel tapped Victoria's gloved wrist
admonishingly with her fan and smiled her
mysterious smile. I understand completely,
my dear. You will slip from one party to
another until you happen across your earl,
will you not?"
Victoria flushed. I have no idea what
you are talking about, Lady Rycott."
Isabel laughed softly but with a strange
touch of bitterness. Don't be embarrassed,
my dear. It is not so very unique to find
oneself attracted to an interesting man. It
is part of the female condition. But a wise
woman takes care to remain in command
of her emotions and the situation at all
times. She is careful to choose men who
are not particularly strong, men who can
be easily managed."
Really, Lady Rycott, I must be off."
Yes, of course. But do keep my words in
mind. As Samuel's and Caroline's friend, I
want only the best for you." Isabel's eyes
glittered with sudden harshness. And you
needn't act so superior, damn you."
Victoria was shocked. I assure you, it
is not my intention to offend you in
any way."
Isabel's mouth twisted in a smile that
was not in the least charming or even
particularly mysterious. Yes. You are
noted for your kindness, are you not?
But I know what you think of my friend
Edgeworth. I saw it in your eyes the day
we met in the park. You find him sadly
lacking when you compare him to your
precious earl."
Victoria started. I never said"
You did not have to say anything. I saw
it in your eyes. Such arrogance. You think
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