Lord of Mischief

by Sasha Cottman

  He shook his head.

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Francis and Caroline approaching. From the angry look on her brother’s face, the dance had not gone well. It wouldn’t be long before Caroline was demanding he take her home, which would also mean that Eve would shortly be leaving the party.

  It was time to take a chance.

  She leant in close and placed her hand on his arm. If Francis saw, he could take her to task over her familiarity with Freddie later on.

  “Promise me, if you need a friend to help you win the game, you will consider me. I know lots of people and places in London. I could be of immense assistance to you,” she said.

  Her cousin Lucy had done the exact same thing for Avery Fox when he had newly arrived in London, and she had managed to snag him as a husband. While Lucy had made a mess of things in the end, Eve was determined to take all the lessons from Lucy’s heartbreaking experience and use it to her own advantage.

  She held her breath. Please say yes. Please say yes.

  He looked down at her hand, which was still placed on his arm, and then, to her delight, placed his hand on hers.

  “If there is an opportunity for you to help me win the game, then yes I shall ask. But we would need to be mindful of your reputation. You are an unwed young woman. What was it your sister was saying about Lord Towell?”

  Eve schooled her features into blandness. Trust Caroline to mention Lord Towell who, until this evening, had sat at the top of Eve’s list of potential husbands. Her interest in the earl had not been reciprocated, but Freddie’s appearance at the ball had taken the sting out of her sense of rejection.

  “Oh, nothing. Lord Towell was on my dance list for later this evening, but I have discovered he has two left feet and an eye for another young lady. By not dancing with him

  I am saving my feet and making sure the path of true love runs smooth,” she replied, ignoring the slight raise of Freddie’s eyebrow.

  Francis and Caroline drew closer and, true to form, as soon as they got within earshot, Eve could hear her sister complaining about wanting to leave. Eve stepped back from Freddie and schooled her features into a calm, placid look, which would make her mother proud.

  Caroline could protest all she liked. Eve’s evening had been a success. She had caught Freddie’s attention. He now knew she existed and had taken her into his confidence.

  It was time to go home, tear up her potential list of husbands, and prepare her battle plans to win Freddie’s heart.

  There was only one man on her list, and she was going to have him.

  Chapter Seven

  “Gentlemen, I must voice my disappointment in your efforts to secure a seat on the Bachelor Board. There are only so many challenges left, and the clock is ticking.”

  Freddie had been waiting for the moment when Osmont would make mention of the previous evening’s party.

  Osmont marched over to Godwin who was seated in his usual chair by the fireplace at the Barton Street office and came to a hard stop behind him. He reached out and gave Godwin a hearty pat on the shoulder.

  “This young man had the balls, and I mean balls, to sample the delights of my hostesses. I know you came to the party Rosemount, but Godwin was the only one who actually came.”

  Freddie ignored the tavern-grade, vulgar remark, while Godwin sat with a huge self-satisfied grin on his face. Embry, who had his nose stuck in the newspaper didn’t respond.

  “Ah, but your nephew did offer me points if I came upstairs with him,” replied Freddie.

  Osmont harrumphed. “He meant you were to go upstairs and participate in the entertainment. So, you get nothing from last night. Lord Godwin here got his cock well and truly sucked, and therefore collects himself a solid fifty points,” replied Osmont.

  Freddie gritted his teeth. While Godwin had scored points and numerous sexual favors the previous evening, Freddie was still in the lead for membership of the board. He began to wonder if he truly had the measure of Lord Godwin.

  “So, what now for the next challenge?” asked an eager Godwin.

  “Well the board and I have had a think, and we have decided that the challenge needs to be spiced up a little. As from today, the Rude Rules apply,” said Osmont.

  “And pray tell us, Firebrace, how do the Rude Rules work?” asked Freddie.

  “Quite simple, actually. If you play the Rude Rules, you must take every opportunity to be a complete arse. If, for example, you can be rude to a lady and get away with it, you score points. The higher the social standing of the person you cause personal offence to, the higher the point score. Though I must caution you on attempting to be cheeky with the Prince Regent. Considering his temper and the current situation with his father’s mental incapacity, you might just find yourself in the Tower of London if you try to play the Rude Rules at the Royal Court,” replied Osmont.

  Freddie sat back in his chair and considered this latest development. While the Rude Rules were simple in their plan, he could see how they could cause serious trouble while being executed. He was suddenly very grateful for the fact his parents were back at Rosemount Abbey. If his mother found out her youngest son was going about making a complete fool of himself in London society, she wouldn’t hesitate to box his ears. His being of age meant nothing to his mother when it came to dishing out punishment for real and imagined transgressions.

  Godwin sat back in his chair and softly chortled. His father was a duke, and Godwin had easy access to the highest levels of society. He was also known as being a bit dim among his family, so he had the advantage of having said many inappropriate things already. He could get away with the Rude Rules, and no one would think anything unusual about it. He could become a serious threat to Freddie’s plans.

  “Oh, and one other part of the rules. You need to have a willing partner. Someone who will play the game alongside you. While you are making a complete arse of yourself, they are to keep a straight face and not give any indication anything is amiss. They will be the person who writes a report each day of your Rude Rules efforts, which you shall hand directly to me. Of course, if I discover your partner has been untruthful in their account of your efforts, you will be immediately disqualified from the challenge.”

  Freddie chuckled as the smile on Godwin’s face disappeared. No one wanted to be tarred with the same brush as socially awkward Godwin Mewburton.

  “Just how much are we allowed to tell this other person about the Bachelor Board?” asked Freddie.

  He had made mention of the game to Eve Saunders the previous night, and she had been keen to aid him in his quest. He didn’t know anyone else in London he could ask, or at least no one as enticing as her.

  “Only that you are playing a secret game and they have been selected to play along. I shall leave it up to your judgement, but I would suggest the bare minimum of details should be imparted. Just enough to secure their ongoing assistance in the challenges,” replied Osmont.

  This suited Freddie’s plans. Eve had already sworn to keep the game secret. She looked like the sort of girl who would be up for some hijinks. As soon as he finished at the House of Commons, he would head home and search through the pile of invitations which no doubt had arrived at the house during the day. The Saunders siblings did not strike Freddie as the kind to sit at home all evening and do needlework; they would be out and circulating within the social set. He was comfortable with his assumption that he could catch up with Eve at one of those parties and get her on board as a member of his Rude Rules team.

  Chapter Eight

  The moment Eve walked into the ballroom she knew she was being watched. The chill that ran down her spine had her searching for hidden eyes.

  She caught a glimpse of a tall figure, in part shadow, near the entrance to the supper room. She sucked in a startled breath, then quickly turned her head, pretending not to have seen Freddie.

  With a glass of champagne in her hand, she moved to the other side of the room. Much as she was tempted to cast a backw
ard glance she kept her gaze forward. Patience, Eve. Patience.

  She had learnt enough from Lucy’s illfated plans to make Avery fall in love with her to know she should not appear to be overeager to gift Freddie with her attention. He would have to come to her.

  “Good evening, Miss Saunders.”

  She turned, and feigned surprise.

  He had followed her across the floor and sought her out. She liked that he appeared to be eager to see her again. “Mr. Rosemount, when did you arrive? I have been here for some time and did not notice you before,” she replied, coolly.

  Freddie bowed. As he did, she caught him looking up at her, a sly smile painted on his lips. A bubble of excitement began to dance in her stomach. He was just what she had been looking for all these years. “I must have arrived after you,” he replied.

  Eve laughed, and gently tapped him with her closed fan. “Oh, you liar! I saw you as soon as I arrived. Don’t pretend you weren’t trying to be the dark and mysterious stranger hiding in the shadows.”

  Freddie gave her a look of mock horror, then settled into a playful chuckle. “Ah, you have me. How are you this evening, Miss Saunders?”

  “I am well, but I would be better if you called me Eve. My sister likes to be called Miss Saunders; it helps to keep a distance between her and her crush of admirers. For myself, I prefer to bestow a little familiarity on my friends. It makes cultivating relationships that much easier.” She met his soulful gaze, swallowing deeply as she felt herself drawn to him. Freddie wasn’t like the other young men she knew. There was depth to him … a certain mystery that enticed her.

  Her imagination fleetingly took hold and she wondered what it would be like to wake up beside a man such as him every morning. Those eyes and that hardened body would keep her abed until late after the dawn.

  She licked her lips. When she blinked back to the now, she saw that he was staring at her. She wasn’t alone in the moment.

  He cleared his throat and looked away briefly. “Do you recall our discussion of the other night, when I mentioned the secret game I am currently playing?”

  Eve licked her lips a second time. She had thought of little else but Freddie over the past few days. In bed at night, she had lain awake thinking of all the wicked things they could do to one another. Her imagination had run to the edge of her knowledge of sexual matters.

  What the man standing opposite her would say if he had any inkling of the effect he had had on her, she dared not think. Her nipples grew hard at the memory of how she had stroked herself when she had let her mind run wild with thoughts of Freddie’s naked body.

  “Yes,” she replied through a sensual haze.

  A strange look appeared on Freddie’s face. A worried look. “Are you alright? You appear a little faint.”

  Eve snapped immediately out of her erotic daydream, then died a little of embarrassment. “Oh. Ah. It must be the champagne. I sometimes drink it a little too fast and it goes to my head.”

  She looked around and, finding a nearby footman, offloaded her glass of champagne onto his tray. She returned to Freddie, desperate to salvage the encounter. “You were saying about the secret game. Do go on.”

  Relief flooded her mind when his countenance returned to its previous state. “Yes, well, as I was saying. The game I am playing has entered a new phase. One in which I am going to need a partner. I was wondering if perhaps you might be interested in helping …”

  “Yes!”

  They both chortled at her overly enthusiastic response.

  “I am so sorry. I don’t seem to be able to put two sensible words together tonight. You must think me a complete ninny,” she said.

  He reached out and placed a hand gently on her arm. “No. I find it rather charming. I am going to assume it’s because you find me devilishly attractive, and even now you are falling hopelessly in love with me.”

  Eve prayed her cheeks were not bright red. Her heart was racing as she felt herself slowly die inside. How could he possibly be able to read her mind? She could not think of a moment in her entire life when she had been more embarrassed and awkward.

  He released her arm. For a moment, she could have sworn he wore a worried look, then it all changed. A wicked grin appeared on his lips. “I’m only in jest, Eve. I was testing to see how good a player of the game you will make. I need someone who can keep a straight face while the farce is played out in front of them. You passed the test.”

  A player? He was asking her to join him in the game.

  “Really? You want me to help you in the secret game? I didn’t know if they would let girls play,” she replied.

  “Yes, of course you can play. The next phase of the game is called the Rude Rules. I have to act the fool in front of other people, preferably causing offence but not enough for them to be able to take public umbrage with me. You have to assist me as well as maintain the pretense there is absolutely nothing wrong with my behavior. At the end of each day you need to write a short note saying how I went. Points are awarded based on how well we managed to play the Rude Rules. We cannot lie, of course, otherwise I shall be disqualified.”

  Eve had never heard of anything so preposterous. The plan was mad. It was also brilliant in its simplicity and attraction.

  All her life, social behavior had been drummed into her. Public decorum ran in the blood of every young woman in London society. To use the wrong knife at a private dinner party was unthinkable.

  She needed no press gang to get her to jump onboard this particular ship before it sailed.

  “Tell me. Are there limits to this game? Anyone we should agree we cannot play the game with?” she asked.

  “The Prince Regent is absolutely out of bounds unless you wish to find yourself on the scaffold at Newgate. The only other people who I would consider too dangerous to cross would be my parents. My mother is in town in a week or so for a few days, during which we shall have to suspend the Rude Rules. In the meantime, we shall have to work hard to score as many points as we can before she arrives.”

  Freddie stopped speaking and took a step back. Eve frowned at his sudden change in behavior, only understanding the reason why when she heard Caroline’s voice.

  “Rosemount,” Caroline said.

  “Caro,” Freddie replied.

  An indignant hiss escaped Caroline’s lips. She and Freddie barely knew one another. It was inexcusable for a gentleman to call a young lady by anything but her formal name.

  Eve gritted her teeth. The game was on.

  Freddie turned to Eve and gave a snort. “Fancy a brandy, Evie? Champers is only for the weak and the French.”

  She kept her gaze firmly on him, not daring to look at her sister. Every muscle in her body was tensed in excitement. She knew full well that Caroline would be staring daggers at Freddie, while expecting Eve to rebuke him for his behavior. The French heritage of their family must be defended.

  When she didn’t support Caroline, her sister huffed angrily. Eve desperately wanted to clap her hands with delight, but she kept her poise.

  “Of course. I always find champagne to be sickly and sweet,” she replied.

  Champagne was actually her favorite tipple and she hated brandy with a passion, but the game now held her in its grip. She would poke sticks in her eyes before she backed down and gave in. Especially in front of Caroline.

  Arm in arm, Eve and Freddie walked away. She chanced a look back at her sister who was standing open-mouthed and visibly outraged behind them.

  “She is going to kill me when we get home,” muttered Eve.

  “I am sure we can do better than your sister in the Rude Rules, Eve. She is an easy target. We need to find some bigger prey with which to score those vital points.”

  They found a footman and were soon making their way around the party with brandy glasses in hand. As they passed by other guests, they began to accumulate odd looks and whispers. It was not proper for a young lady to drink brandy in mixed company, nor to wander around a party on the arm o
f a gentleman with whom she was barely acquainted. They were skirting dangerously close to the edge of acceptable behavior, but Eve didn’t care.

  “I must say, you are a natural at this rebellious behavior. Were you a naughty girl as a child?” asked Freddie.

  Eve took a sip of her brandy, trying her best not to screw up her face at the horrid taste. To say she had been naughty as a young girl would be a gross understatement. Her mother had been forever making Eve sit and mend clothes as punishment for her misdeeds.

  “I have been accused of being a little too willful,” she replied.

  He leant in close and whispered seductively. “And I expect you were spanked enough times that you developed a taste for being bent over someone’s knee.”

  Eve’s mouth opened in a shocked ‘o’. A young man had never said such an overtly sexually suggestive remark to her face before. Heat raced through her body and pooled in her loins. Freddie was a refreshing and mischievous delight.

  They stopped at the edge of the dance floor, where a small group of guests were enjoying a waltz. The sight of the dancers twirling around the floor gave Eve a wicked idea.

  “Do you dance, Freddie?”

  “A little. Why?”

  She pointed in the direction of the dancers, smiling when she saw Freddie’s eyes open a little wider at the sight before them. He reached out and took her brandy glass from her hand, downing its contents in quick time.

  Francis appeared at Freddie’s side and tapped him on the shoulder.

  “I say, Rosemount, my sister Caroline is most put out by your behavior. She claims you have been rude to her,” said Francis.

  Freddie nodded and thrust the brandy glasses into the hands of the bemused Francis. Freddie quickly took hold of Eve’s hand and led her away.

  “I think we are doing well in the point-scoring stakes tonight. Time to up the ante. If I am not mistaken, that is Lord Cullins dancing with his wife. He is a senior member of the prime minister’s cabinet,” said Freddie.

  Once on the dance floor, they began to track toward their prey. A member of the parliamentary cabinet would help garner a handsome tally of points in the game.