that he had the power to seduce her at will
was enough to make him want to carry her
straight back home and take her to bed.
Instead he had been obliged to escort her
into the Foxtons" ballroom, where he had
been forced to spend his time fending off
a lot of Victoria's old admirers. Every last
one of them had felt it necessary to profess
heartfelt anguish at the news that she
had accepted another's hand in marriage.
Victoria had enjoyed herself immensely
and had flirted so outrageously that Lucas
was determined to exact retribution when
he returned home.
Just what form his retribution would
take was a matter to which he intended
to give considerable attention. But in the
meantime there were other matters that
needed his full concentration.
The first person Lucas saw when he
walked into the club was Ferdie Merivale.
The young man smiled in welcome.
Congratulations on your marriage. stone vale.
Cannot say I was terribly surprised.
Wish you the best and all that. You
are a lucky man. Lovely lady, your new
countess."
Thank you, Merivale." Lucas poured
himself a glass of claret.
Come to play a few hands of cards?"
Merivale inquired.
Unfortunately, I fear my gaming days
are behind me. I'm a married man now.
Cannot spend all night playing cards
anymore."
Merivale chuckled. I expect Lady Stone
vale would have a few words to say about
that, wouldn't she?"
My wife is rarely at a loss for words,"
Lucas agreed. Any news of interest?"
That's right, you have been spending the
last few weeks rusticating in the country,
haven't you? Since you had that bit of a
scene with Edgeworth shortly before you
left Town, you might be interested to
know that he is rarely seen in the clubs
these days. He was obliged to resign from
this one, in fact."
I cannot imagine Edgeworth giving up
his gaming."
Oh, don't think he has. But word has it
he's carrying on his business in somewhat
less respectable surroundings. Heard he
was seen in that same gaming hell you
rescued me from a while back. The Green
Pig. Nasty place. Rather suits him, though,
don't you think?"
I am sure he will feel very much at
home there," Lucas agreed.
It was another two hours before Lucas
walked into the Green Pig. Nothing had
changed since the night he had brought
Victoria here. It was still the same
oppressive, noisy place it had been when
he'd deliberately chosen it with a view to
shocking Victoria into realizing she did not
really want to frequent gaming hells. Not
that it had achieved its purpose, Lucas
thought with an inner grin. Victoria had
had a great time that night.
Edgeworth was sitting at a card table
with a group of well-dressed young dandies
who were clearly deeply into their cups.
They had apparently set out to spend an
evening savoring the dregs of town life.
Lucas got a pint of beer from a passing
barmaid and walked over to the group of
card players.
Gentlemen," he said calmly, I wonder
if you would all be so good as to allow
Edgeworth and myself a word in private."
One of the young pups looked up,
scowling. Here, now, we were just getting
into some deep play. You've got no right
to barge in like this."
But another young man was already
on his feet, eyes widening in belated
recognition. Your pardon, stone vale. Take
your time. I believe we can all wait to
continue this particular game. Perhaps our
luck will turn in the meantime."
Lucas glanced at the man and smiled
faintly. The only way your luck will come
about is to find another game. As long
as you play with Edgeworth, you will no
doubt continue to lose."
I'll have you know I won several
hundred pounds not more n an hour
ago," the first man declared.
Did you really? And how far down are
you now?"
The man glared at Lucas. That's none
of your business."
I agree. But you may do as you wish. I
assure you I have no great interest in your
losses. Now, if you will excuse me?"
Come on, Harry," the second man
muttered, dragging his friend away from
the table. You don't want to get into a
brawl with stone vale. Take my word for
it. Friend of mine served under him on
the Peninsula. Says he knows how to take
care of himself."
Edgeworth watched the two young men
disappear and then he turned to face
Lucas. I don't much appreciate your
scaring off my lambs before they have been
properly fleeced, stone vale. Just because
you have had the good fortune to marry
money does not mean the rest of us must
not continue to make a living."
I am certain you will find other sources
of income before dawn. You have always
been quite adept at relieving the unwary
of whatever they happened to have in their
pockets. Tell me, Edgeworth, is there a bit
more sport to be had in cheating foolish
young men who have merely had too much
to drink than there is in stealing from
young men who are dead or dying?"
Edgeworth ruffled the cards on the table.
So you did see me that day. I wondered
about it at the time. I should have slit your
throat while I had the chance and made
quite certain you were dead."
Why didn't you?"
Edgeworth shrugged. To be honest, I
did not think you would live until sundown
with that hole in your leg. Who could
have guessed you'd make it, stone vale?
You do seem to have the most amazing
luck."
Lately someone has been trying to
change my luck. I decided to consult
with you to see if you might have any
notion of who would want to do that."
Edgeworth smiled, his eyes glittering
behind half-closed lids. Someone who
has lost a great deal of money to you
at some point in the past, perhaps?"
- That list would include yourself."
So it would."
Lucas paused. Are you going to force
me to kill you, after all, Edgeworth?"
Rest assured, I have no intention of
letting you call me out. Just how do
you perceive your luck to have changed?
It seems to me you have done very well
for yourself lately."
There have been one or two minor
incidents. There is no need to detail
them. If you truly know nothing about
them, then the less said, the bet
ter. If
you do have some knowledge of them,
however; then you may want to see that
they cease."
Why should I care what happens to
you? You have been a great nuisance to
me, stone vale."
Let me put it this way. If there is
another incident of any sort that I find,
shall we say, disturbing, I shall come
looking for you and we will discuss the
matter in more depth. Perhaps at Clery
Field? At dawn?"
Edgeworth's hand stilled on the cards.
Hardly fair if I am not the perpetrator of
these incidents."
Yes, but very little in life is fair, is it?
I found that out for certain the day I
watched you walk among the dead and
wounded and take whatever you could find
in their pockets."
Lucas got to his feet, turned, and
walked away from the card table without
a backward glance.
Victoria was standing at the window
clad in her nightgown when she heard
the connecting door open behind her. She
whirled around. Lucas had changed into
his dressing gown.
There you are. Thank heavens. I have
been so worried." She flew to him on bare
feet and threw herself into his arms.
Lucas staggered a bit as his bad leg gave
slightly under the impact, but he caught
his balance quickly. His arms closed tightly
around her. I shall have to see to it that
you get worried more often if this is the
greeting I can expect."
Pray do not tease me." She raised
her head from his shoulder and frowned
severely. Where have you been? What have
you been doing? Did you discover anything
useful?"
Lucas caught her chin in his hand. One
question at a time, sweetheart. I have had
a long night."
Well, so have I. And I must tell you,
Lucas, that I will not allow you to order
me to stay home again while you are out
larking about in search of information.
Sitting around waiting is very hard on
the nerves. Now, just what did you do?
Did you find Edgeworth?"
He released her and dropped into a
chair. I found him, for all the good it
will do. I cannot tell if he knows anything
about what is going on or not. But he does
have some motive for wanting to cause
trouble for me."
She nodded quickly, sitting down across
from him. Because you are more or less
responsible for making him unwelcome in
the clubs."
Lucas rubbed his leg. Actually, it all
goes back a bit farther than that."
She studied him intently. Just what does
it all go back to, Lucas?"
To the day I got this damned hole in
my leg. Edgeworth was there."
You mean he also fought that day?"
Not exactly/ Lucas said. Let us say
he chose to watch the battle from a safe
distance."
Victoria finally understood. He broke
and ran?"
It happens in battle. Edgeworth was not
the first, nor will he be the last. Who
knows? If more men had the sense not
to stand their ground and shoot at each
other until there was no one left standing,
we might have less warfare."
Victoria was astonished. Lucas, you are
not condemning him for his cowardice?"
Not particularly. Cowardice under fire
may not be considered an admirable
trait"
I should think not."
But I can understand it." He slid her
a cool glance. And forgive it. Fear is
not easy to deal with and warfare is a
remarkably unintelligent way to resolve
problems. If I learned nothing else during
my career in the army, I learned that
much. The idea of a man choosing to
flee from the scene of battle is not so
difficult to accept. It almost seems rather
logical when you think about it."
Victoria recovered from her initial shock
and gave that notion some close thought.
You may have a point. Never let your
friends in the clubs hear you say such
things, though."
He smiled. I am not a complete fool.
I only say such things to you, Vicky. You
are the one person I know with whom I
can talk freely."
She smiled at him, aware of a sweet
warmth welling up inside. That is the
nicest thing you have ever said to me. I
am very glad you feel that way, Lucas,
because I have discovered I feel exactly the
same toward you. I have told you things I
have never even told Aunt Cleo."
I am glad," he said simply.
Victoria smiled warmly. But no matter
how you feel intellectually on the subject
of cowardice under fire, I know you would
be incapable of behaving like a coward
yourself. Edgeworth undoubtedly knows
that, too. Is that why he holds a grudge
against you? He knows you saw him flee?"
That is partly it. The other part is that I
saw what he did after the battle. He walked
through the field and robbed the dead."
Victoria stared at him. Good God, I
can hardly credit it." Then another thought
shook her. Did he know you were lying on
that field? Did he see you?"
He saw me."
And he did nothing to help you?"
He assumed I wouldn't last long anyway
and he was rather busy collecting jewelry,
watches, and other souvenirs," Lucas
explained.
Victoria leapt to her feet and raged back
and forth across the room. She had never
been so shaken with fury. I will shoot the
man the next time I see him, I swear I will.
How dare he sink so low? How could he
act in such a despicable fashion? To leave
you lying there like that. It is absolutely
unforgivable."
I tend to agree with you that he sank to
the depths that day. Nor has he conducted
himself with much honor since," Lucas said
grimly.
No, he certainly has not. I wonder if
Isabel Rycott found out about his habit
of cheating at cards. Perhaps that is why
she dropped him. She likes weak men,
but she may draw the line at that sort
of weakness."
Perhaps."
Victoria whirled around and paced back
the other way. So you believe Edgeworth
really is behind the incidents? That he
holds a grudge against you because you
know the truth about him?"
It is possible. I cannot escape a certain
feeling that he knew more than he was
willing to say tonight. I warned him that
if anything else happens, I will look to him
first for an explanation, but ."
She eyed him carefully. But you are
not one hundred percent convinced he is
to blame for what has happened to us
?"
I think there is more to the story."
Because I was the target of some of the
incidents?"
Tis entirely possible Edgeworth selected
you as a target because he knew it would
annoy me," Lucas said.
Victoria sat down on the edge of the
bed. This is very frustrating. We are no
better off than we were before you sought
him out."
That remains to be seen. If there are no
more incidents, I will be able to assume I
warned off the right man."
True." She frowned, thinking about it.
But if the incidents continue, we must
also consider the fact that my stepfather
is alive."
Regardless of the outcome in that
quarter, I, personally, feel that I made
tremendous progress in another area this
evening," Lucas continued smoothly.
She looked over at him, intrigued. How
is that?"
I was referring to your admission that
I have the power to seduce you anytime I
please."
Oh, that." She felt the heat flood her
cheeks.
Lucas got to his feet and came toward
her. Yes, that. A minor issue to you,
perhaps, my dear, but a matter of
overwhelming import to me. It gives
me great hope, you see. One of these
days you are going to take the last step
and admit you love me."
She rose and backed away from him.
You probably should not read too much
into what I said as we got out of the
carriage, Lucas. I was very annoyed with
you at the time and spoke without
thinking."
He smiled. Are you going to retract
your words now? You cannot possibly
deny them. I will not allow it?"
She groaned and took another step
backward. You are going to assume far
too much from this. You will see it as a
form of surrender. I just know you will."
Would surrender be so bad, Vicky?"
Intolerable." She took one more step
backward and found herself up against
the wall. Her eyes widened as he stalked
toward her.
Lucas's eyes were gleaming as he
closed the distance between them. Very
deliberately he caged her, flattening his
palms against the wall on either side of
her head. His mouth hovered bare inches
above hers.
Intolerable, hmmm? Very well, madam,
why don't we call it a step toward a
negotiated truce rather than a step toward
surrender?"
She caught her breath. In order for it
to be a step toward a negotiated truce,
we would both have to give up an equal
amount of ground, my lord. You would
have to admit I have the same power
Surrender Amanda Quick Page 41