It was nearly an hour before the carriage turned off the country lane onto a gravel drive flanked by thick woods. Finally they halted before a large manor house. Vanessa scarcely noted the secluded setting as she climbed down from the carriage without assistance.
She nearly ran up the steps to the front entrance, and was supremely grateful when the door swung open to reveal Lord Clune himself.
“Damien, how is he?” she demanded breathlessly.
The smile Clune gave her was reassuring as he drew her into the house. “Well enough, my lady. He is upstairs resting comfortably.”
“May I see him?”
“But, of course.”
He led her through the elegant foyer, up a wide flight of steps to a long hallway. They passed numerous rooms, to which Vanessa paid no mind. At the end of the hall, Clune opened a door and stood aside to let her enter.
Anxiously, she took three steps and came to an abrupt halt. The large bed that dominated the room was empty. Damien was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is he?” she asked in confusion.
“He is still out with the hunting party, I would imagine.”
When she turned to give Clune a questioning look, his smile was apologetic. “I must beg your indulgence, Lady Wyndham. I hope you won’t object to being my guest for a short while.”
“I… don’t understand.”
“I plan to play a prank on my good friend Damien, and your presence is necessary.”
“A prank? Then… he hasn’t been wounded?”
“No, not at all. I’m afraid that was merely a ruse to bring you here.”
Relief flooded Vanessa, followed swiftly by anger and alarm. “I trust you mean to tell me why you require my presence?”
Clune flashed another smile, one full of disarming charm. “You needn’t fear me, I assure you. You won’t come to the least harm. I intend this to be a good-natured jest.”
When she made to leave the room, however, he remained in the doorway, blocking her path.
“You mean to keep me here against my will?”
Clune shrugged. “Only for a short while. Damien should be returning any moment now.”
“He won’t be happy to find me here.”
“I don’t doubt it,” the earl agreed easily. “But the opportunity is too priceless to resist. Sin is long overdue for a public humbling.” Clune surveyed her for a moment. “I suppose it is asking too much for you to play along with me?”
“It is indeed,” Vanessa replied, furious at his insensibility.
“You are angry,” he commented almost sadly.
“Surely that doesn’t surprise you. First you frighten me half to death by lying, allowing me to believe Sinclair wounded, perhaps mortally. Now you tell me I must remain as your prisoner.”
“I’m afraid so. But it is only in fun.”
“I don’t find your idea of fun humorous in the least, my lord.” She took a deep breath. “If you allow me to return home, I will say nothing of this to anyone, least of all Damien.”
“Alas, that would destroy my well-laid plan.”
“Just precisely what is your plan?”
“To compel Sin to show his hand. More precisely, to test the depth of his attachment to you.”
“His attachment?”
“All these years he’s vowed he would never give his heart. As recently as this week he denied being smitten. But I believe that the mighty Lord Sin has fallen, and I mean to prove it. I intend to make him admit his feelings for you before the Hellfire League.”
“You are either a fool, or you are mad!”
Clune brandished that sensual smile again. “Perhaps a bit of both. But I should think you of all people would be keenly interested in the outcome. Don’t you wish to know if you’ve managed to capture his heart?”
“No! Certainly not in this manner.”
“I know of no other way to bring him to the sticking point. And, truly, I am acting for his own sake. If Sin is deceiving himself, he is better off realizing it. I have a simple scenario in mind that should shock him into revealing his true feelings.”
Vanessa eyed Clune warily. “So I am to be the bait in your trap?”
“Precisely. At gatherings such as these, the entertainment is usually of a carnal nature. I will simply intimate to Sin that you are to be the prime attraction for the evening and see how he reacts. I doubt that he will be able to conceal his jealousy.”
“He is apt to be more enraged by your trick than jealous.”
Clune gave her a tolerant smile. “Sin and I have been friends forever. The worst he will do is plant me a facer, but I’m willing to risk it.”
She’d heard enough boxing cant from her brother to understand his meaning, but she wondered if Damien would be content with only throwing a punch.
“Naturally I have no intention of actually putting you on display,” Clune added, “but merely giving the suggestion of it. I’m afraid, however, that I must lock you in here for a short while to prevent your attempting escape.”
She stared at him.
“I hope you will make yourself comfortable, my lady. I will send a maid up with some tea-or wine, if you prefer.”
“How generous of you,” Vanessa said, her tone scathing.
Without replying, he withdrew and closed the door softly behind him. Vanessa flinched when she heard the key turn in the lock.
Still somewhat dazed by her abrupt change in circumstances, she moved across the room to the window, only to discover it locked also. Even if she broke the glass, it was rather a long jump to the gravel below. She was likely to break an ankle, or worse.
Vanessa took a steadying breath to calm her nerves. It wasn’t as if she were truly captive. The footman at Rosewood knew where she had gone.
Even so, she hadn’t divulged a word about Damien’s alleged accident for fear of alarming the entire household. They would think she was with him and wouldn’t worry if she didn’t return home before this evening…
She turned away to pace the room. She would not allow herself to panic. Damien wasn’t hurt, that was the important thing. She could bear the embarrassment of Clune’s outrageous prank if she had to. And it looked as if she might have no choice but to go along.
Her anger swelling anew, Vanessa grimaced in disgust. She was getting a taste of the disreputable life she had chosen, and, frankly, it repulsed her. Even so…
She didn’t know whether Clune was acting for his own amusement or out of spite, but in either event, she might be wiser to play his game. If Damien saw her outrage, it would only fuel his own. If this farce, however, could avoid being turned into a public spectacle, perhaps then she could manage to salvage some shred of reputation.
* * *
The hunting party returned in a jovial mood and settled in the gun room with glasses of ale all around, exchanging tall tales of past shooting exploits under the benign surveillance of the stags’ heads mounted on the walls.
Damien was silent, his thoughts miles away rather than with his Hellfire colleagues. He’d found it nearly impossible to keep up the pretense of enjoyment. The endless pursuit of pleasure had palled entirely-
A burst of laughter interrupted his seditious reflections. Awareness returning, Damien realized that Clune was scrutinizing him thoughtfully.
“Is something on your mind?” Damien asked.
“Indeed there is. I’ve arranged a surprise for you.” The earl flashed a secretive smile that Damien didn’t much care for, and then turned to their American guest. “Sabine, you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing our initiation ritual into the Hellfire League. You have a real treat in store.”
Several voices seconded the observation as glasses were raised.
“Oh?” Sabine murmured noncommittally. “What might that be?”
“You have to satisfy a court of maidens,” Lord Thornhill replied.
“A court?”
“A dozen beauties plus a queen.”
“ “Tis little more than an
orgy,” someone else remarked amicably.
“You have it wrong,” Pendergast disagreed. “It’s a test of how long you can stay aroused without spending.”
“You must prove,” Clune explained, “that you possess the stamina to service the entire court before dawn. They then pass judgment on your performance and score how well you bring them to pleasure.”
“We’ve all been through it,” Thornhill commented, “with varying degrees of success.”
Cheatham laughed. “Devil a bit. The year Penny was inducted he nearly expired, the queen drained him so dry.”
“By Jove, so did I. I’ve never fucked so hard in my life.”
Ribald laughter was followed by several admiring remarks about Sin holding the record for most accolades of any court. Damien modestly acknowledged their praise by lifting his glass.
“If your cock passes inspection,” Penny added, “you become a full-fledged member in the Hellfire League-pun intended.”
Nicholas Sabine smiled wryly at the strained humor.
Another lewd joke or two ensued before Chine regained control of the conversation. “Since Lambton couldn’t be here, and I am acting as host, I’ve begun arrangements for an induction ceremony later in the week. I’m pleased to report, gentlemen, that I’ve found the perfect queen to reign over the proceedings. But I should like Sin’s approval before I make the final decision.” He glanced at Damien. “Will you accompany me upstairs to inspect my choice?”
“You have her here?” someone asked.
Clune nodded. “Yes. And you will be hard-pressed to imagine a lovelier queen. But as Sin is the noted expert, his blessing is warranted.”
“By all means show him this beauty you promised us,” Cheatham said.
A chorus of male voices indicated agreement with the suggestion.
Something in Clune’s tone made Damien suddenly wary, but he reluctantly acceded to the plan. Rising, he accompanied the earl up the stairs and along the hall.
Clune rapped gently on the door and unlocked it. Then, with a grin at Damien like a cream-fed cat, he swung open the door.
A woman stood at the window, her back to them, yet her silhouette was heart familiar. When she turned slowly to face him, Damien went rigid.
Vanessa returned his gaze levelly, her lustrous midnight eyes cool and unwavering.
His gaze shot to Clune, who maintained an owl-eyed look of innocence. “What the devil is the meaning of this? What is she doing here?”
“She will make a perfect queen, don’t you think?” Clune queried in a silken tone.
Damien clenched his fists at the thought of Vanessa being the prime attraction of an orgiastic ritual. “You intend her to rule the ceremony?” His eyes narrowed with disbelief. “And you agreed?” he demanded of Vanessa.
Clune replied for her. “She hasn’t yet consented to be our queen, though I tried to persuade her.” He cast Damien a probing glance. “Truthfully, Sin, I brought her here merely to see your reaction.”
“My reaction?” Staring at him, Damien recalled the locked door and Clune’s speculative glances earlier. Vanessa wasn’t here willingly then. A quiet, poisonous rage surged through him.
“You bastard…” Lunging unexpectedly, he grabbed Clune’s cravat and pushed him from the room, forcing him against the hall’s far wall with a resounding thud. “Is this reactive enough for you?”
The earl gave a triumphant laugh, despite his friend’s ferocity. “Quite. I never expected you to permit anyone to touch her.”
“By the blazes,” Damien gritted out through clenched teeth.
Chine bared his own teeth in a taunting grin. “I thought you claimed indifference, Sin. If you aren’t besotted, then why does the prospect of her becoming our queen upset you so?”
Tight-lipped with fury, Damien increased the vise of his hand. “She is under my protection, damn you!”
Clune had difficulty speaking with the grip on his throat. “You… are still… deluding yourself, my friend.”
Damien’s fist tightened further in the silk. When Clune made a choking sound, Vanessa protested behind him, “Damien, stop… you’re hurting him!”
Just then almost a dozen Hellfire League members appeared at the far end of the hall, apparently alerted by the commotion.
“What the devil is going on?” Thornhill exclaimed.
“Damien, stop… please…” Vanessa implored anxiously, but he refused to loosen his grip.
When Clune’s strained face turned crimson from lack of air, several gentlemen voiced protests of concern and alarm. Finally one of them physically intervened.
Nicholas Sabine stepped forward to put a restraining hand on Damien’s arm. “You don’t wish to kill him, do you?”
“Don’t I?” Damien retorted savagely.
Releasing his hold, though, he made a visible effort at controlling his violent urges and stepped back, his blazing gaze fixed on Clune. “You will give me satisfaction. The choice of weapons is yours.”
He heard Vanessa gasp at his challenge. “Damien, you cannot-”
“I advise you to name your seconds,” he told Clune tersely, the hushed vehemence of his tone deadly serious. “I trust Thornhill and Matthews will act as mine.”
Ignoring the astonished gazes of his colleagues then, Damien took Vanessa by the arm and ushered her along the hall, away from the spectacle.
Chapter Nineteen
The curricle ride home was fraught with tension. Vanessa felt herself shiver in fear, while beside her Damien seethed with fury.
“You can’t possibly mean to challenge Clune to a duel,” she said finally as he guided the pair of chestnuts onto the road to Rosewood. “Surely you will call it off.”
A wintry smile touched his lips. “I have no intention of calling it off.”
“Damien, it was a prank, nothing more. Harmless enough-”
“Harmless?” His jaw clenched. “Clune compromised you before a gathering of the premiere rakes in England. That is hardly harmless, to my mind.”
“My identity might have remained secret if not for your outburst. Whatever possessed you to such violence? Had you behaved rationally, your friends would never have been aware of my presence.”
“Clune would not have been satisfied with a rational response from me. He deliberately orchestrated my outburst. But he overstepped the line, holding you prisoner.”
She took a deep breath, trying to control her own anger. “What he did was ungentlemanly, even despicable, I’ll agree, but it is over now. And a duel would only publicize my humiliation and compromise me further. Please, can you not simply forget the incident?”
Damien slanted her a fierce glance. “It’s too serious to forget. I would be fostering the notion that he can dishonor a lady under my protection with impunity. I won’t sanction his scurrilous behavior.”
“You won’t sanction?” Her own glance was scathing. “What gives you the right to sit in judgment of others? To play God with people’s lives? First Aubrey, and now Clune-”
“Enough! I don’t intend to discuss it further.”
Vanessa pressed her lips together to stifle an angry retort. She would have been furious, if not for her feelings of dread.
She endured Damien’s simmering silence for the entire journey home. But the moment he drew up before the manor, Vanessa stepped down from the curricle.
Without speaking another word, she marched up to her bedchamber and changed into a traveling dress. With the help of two maids, Vanessa packed her trunks and ordered them taken to Damien’s carriage. It was late afternoon, but she intended to try to catch the stage at the coaching inn in Alcester. If she could make London tonight, she would reach her own home in Kent by tomorrow.
She gave one last glance around the bedchamber where she had known such pleasure and heartache, then shut the door quietly behind her. She went downstairs again without stopping by Olivia’s room. She couldn’t bring herself to say farewell just now, not when she was so emotional. But she would writ
e the moment she arrived home.
She found Damien in his study, sitting at his desk, inspecting a set of dueling pistols that, according to the name engraved on the case, were the exquisite work of Manton. Vanessa paled.
For a moment she studied his perfect profile, her heart aching with fear and love. “You really mean to go through with this?” she asked finally.
“Yes,” Damien replied without looking up.
“You could die, don’t you realize that?”
“I don’t expect to die. I’m considered a crack shot.”
“And that makes it all right? You could kill Clune. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Taking another man’s life?”
He raised his head to stare fixedly at her. “Honor won’t permit me to back down.”
“This is not about honor! This is two spoiled, reckless schoolboys fighting over a prize.” Vanessa swallowed the fierce ache in her throat. “I won’t stay to watch. I can’t bear the thought of your killing another man-or worse, being hurt or killed yourself. I am leaving.”
His gaze took in her traveling cloak. “Where will you go?”
“Home, to my family. I mean to take the stage.”
“What about our bargain?”
She stared into eyes as gray as a storm. “My term as your mistress is nearly up. If my leaving means that I forfeit our wager, then so be it.”
His expression remained impassive.
Vanessa bit her lip to contain her frustration. “You wanted to know why I refused your proposal,” she said finally. “This is why.” She gestured angrily at the dueling pistols. “I could never be certain if you would return home to me alive or dead. I still have nightmares about Roger’s death. About his life and the scandals he caused. I won’t go through that again.”
She might have been talking to a stone statue for all the emotion Damien showed.
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