‘Yes, thank you, Sir Barrington.’ Her expression was tranquil, but Barrington thought he detected a quiver in her voice. Surely she wasn’t nervous about seeing him again?
‘And Mr Rand?’ he asked.
‘He is doing as well as can be expected, under the circumstances,’ she said quietly. Her hair was drawn softly off her face and caught up with a cluster of deep pink roses. Barrington thought she had never looked lovelier. ‘Are you acquainted with Baroness von Brohm?’ she asked, adroitly changing the subject.
‘I am not,’ Barrington said, turning towards the third lady, who was watching him with undisguised interest. ‘I was hoping I might prevail upon one of you to make the introduction?’
‘With pleasure. Baroness, may I present Sir Barrington Parker,’ Anna said smoothly. ‘Sir Barrington—Baroness Julia von Brohm.’
The lady regally inclined her head. ‘Sir Barrington.’
‘Baroness.’ Barrington bowed over her hand. ‘I’m surprised it has taken this long for us to meet, given that word of your arrival has been swirling for weeks.’
‘There has been a great deal to do and I have kept much to myself,’ the baroness admitted. ‘But Lady Annabelle felt it was time to make my appearance in society and I am grateful to her and Lady Bessmel for their kindness in making it happen.’
‘We decided to take Julia under our wing,’ Anna explained. ‘I’m sure you won’t find that surprising, given what you know of me.’
Barrington wasn’t sure if she was taking him to task, but when he saw the twinkle in her eye, he allowed himself to hope that the remark intended nothing of the sort. ‘Yet another convoluted life exercise?’ he ventured.
He was relieved to see her smile, and for the first time since the arrival of her note, he felt himself breathe properly again.
‘Ah, Parker, good evening,’ Lord Cambermere said, joining them. ‘Might have known I’d find you hoarding the three most beautiful women in the room.’
‘On the contrary, having only just made the baroness’s acquaintance, I cannot be accused of hoarding. Especially since the other two ladies are as well known to you as they are to me.’
‘Julia, allow me to introduce my father, Lord Cambermere,’ Anna said with a smile. ‘Papa, Baroness von Brohm.’
The earl’s gaze sharpened, a man appreciating the beauty of a woman. ‘I had heard of your arrival, Baroness, and am compelled to say that Vienna’s loss is our gain. I trust you are enjoying life in London?’
‘To be honest, I have experienced very little of it, Lord Cambermere,’ the baroness replied. ‘As I told your daughter, I have been busy setting up my household. There has not been much time for sightseeing or socialising.’
‘But now that Julia is finished with all that, I have assured her that we shall be seeing a great deal more of her in society,’ Anna said. ‘Tonight is her début, if you will.’
‘And a splendid début it is,’ the earl said quietly. ‘Would you allow me to introduce you to a few of my friends, Baroness? Having seen me in conversation with you, they will not forgive me if I neglect to do so.’
Barrington saw the look of pleasure that warmed the baroness’s face, but also noticed the look of startled surprise on Anna’s. Obviously she wasn’t used to her widowed father paying court to a beautiful woman, especially one who was also so recently widowed. But, true to form, she recovered with swiftness and grace. ‘Yes, do go, Julia. Papa knows everyone and he is perfectly respectable. Just don’t start him talking about horses.’
‘Oh, but I love horses!’ the Baroness was quick to say. ‘My late husband’s stable was one of the finest in Vienna.’
‘Good Lord,’ the earl said, leaning forwards. ‘Never tell me that your late husband was Captain Baron Ulrich von Brohm?’
A soft gasp escaped the baroness. ‘Yes. Did you know him?’
‘I most certainly knew of him. I read several of his papers on early equine development and thought his ideas were nothing short of brilliant.’ The earl offered the lady his arm. ‘I would be honoured to have a chance to speak to you about him.’
As an opening gambit, it couldn’t have been better. Barrington watched the baroness place her gloved hand on Cambermere’s sleeve, aware that her eyes were bright with interest as they rested on his face. They were already talking about horses as he led her away, prompting Barrington to wonder how many of the earl’s friends were likely to be introduced to the beautiful baroness that evening.
‘I think you have a success on your hands, Anna,’ Lady Lydia whispered. ‘If everyone else is as taken with the baroness as your father, we will surely see her married before the end of the Season!’
Barrington tended to echo Lady Lydia’s assessment, though he wondered how Anna felt at having her father’s affection for the woman so bluntly stated. It wasn’t always easy for daughters to accept a new woman into their father’s life, especially daughters who still lived at home. The arrival of a stepmother could make their lives hellish. Still, given the friendship that seemed to exist between Anna and the baroness, Barrington doubted that would be the case here.
‘Sir Barrington,’ she said suddenly, breaking into his thoughts, ‘I wonder if I might have a word with you? In private.’
He turned to find her sapphire gaze fixed on him. ‘By all means.’
‘Then I shall go and speak to Lady Bessmel,’ Lady Lydia said promptly. ‘She mentioned having received news of her son in Scotland and I have been longing to hear how Thomas goes on. I shall catch up with you later, Anna. Good evening, Sir Barrington.’
Barrington inclined his head, but he noticed that Anna waited until her friend was far enough away so as not to hear their conversation before turning to him and saying, ‘I hoped I would have a chance to speak to you this evening, Sir Barrington. I’m sure we both recognise that I owe you an apology with regard to Peregrine.’
Barrington studied the face upturned to his, aware that it exposed far more than she realised. ‘You owe me nothing, Lady Annabelle. I took no pleasure in being the bearer of bad news.’
‘Nevertheless, I accused you of dealing in false information and that was a criticism of your professional conduct. For that, an apology must be offered.’
‘Must be?’ he repeated. ‘Am I to conclude that you do not wish to apologise?’
Her gaze clouded over, a tiny frown appearing between her brows. ‘Please don’t misunderstand. If I appear reluctant to admit my error, it is only because it has caused me to question things about myself that I’ve not had reason to question before. I thought I knew Peregrine better than anyone. Certainly better than you. And I believed I was right in defending him when you first charged him with the affair. But, as it turns out, I really didn’t know him at all. I was convinced he would never do something so foolish as to engage in an affair, yet that’s exactly what he did.’
‘But you and I both know that Mr Rand is not the first man to catch Lady Yew’s eye, nor will he be the last,’ Barrington said. ‘She is the type of a woman who needs constant attention. Sadly, he is just the latest on a very long list of conquests.’
‘I know, but that doesn’t make it any better,’ Anna said ruefully. ‘And it certainly doesn’t excuse what he did.’
‘Love makes its own excuses. It has ever been thus.’
‘Perhaps, but what disturbs me the most is that he truly believed she loved him.’
‘He will get over it,’ Barrington said with a smile. ‘He is a young man and all young men must fall in love with at least one unsuitable woman in their life. It is a rite of passage. Useful in teaching us what to watch out for when we do finally go looking for a wife.’
Her smile was a reluctant twisting of her lips. ‘I wish I could be as convinced of that as you, but when I see him suffering…’
‘Women pine for love not found while men suffer from love already lost. It is our Achilles’ heel, if you will. And for what it’s worth, I suspect Rand was more in love with the idea of being in love than he
was with the actual act of loving,’ Barrington said, hoping to ease her guilt. ‘By all accounts, he liked to read to her and she enjoyed listening to him.’
He saw a tiny smile lift the corners of her mouth. ‘Peregrine has a lovely speaking voice. Not as mellifluous as yours, of course, but I expect he would have done well on the stage.’
She liked his voice. There was really no reason the compliment should have meant anything to him, but it did. Strange the things a man clung to. ‘Regardless, I think it little more than a case of boyish infatuation. Lady Yew is a beautiful woman. She was probably flattered that a good-looking man so much younger than she would find her attractive and offered more encouragement than she should.’
‘For all the good it did either of them,’ Anna said with an edge to her voice. ‘But I am sorry, Sir Barrington. You told me that collecting information was what you did and you obviously do it very well. I will not be so foolish as to doubt you again.’
Barrington inclined his head, wondering why he felt as though she was saying goodbye. ‘With luck, there will be no occasion for us to find ourselves in a situation like this again.’
Then she smiled and, with her very next words, confirmed his suspicions. ‘I suppose not. In fact, given what we know of each other, I doubt our paths will have any reason to cross again.’
* * *
As expected, the baroness’s introduction to London society was a complete success and doors that had been closed to her in the past were suddenly thrown open with abandon. Society embraced her with the fervour of a shepherd welcoming home a long-lost lamb and gentlemen flocked to her side, eager to secure favour.
Because she was seen to be such good friends with Lady Bessmel and the daughters of the Earl of Cambermere and the Marquess of Bailley, her name constantly appeared high on the list of society events, both intimate and grand. Not surprisingly, Anna’s brother and father were frequent visitors to Julia’s afternoon salons, though the earl was very careful not to do anything that might result in scandal being attached to her name. He never stayed longer than was appropriate, or tried to take up too much of her time. But it was noted and remarked upon, after several society gatherings where both were in attendance, that the widowed Earl of Cambermere was evidencing a marked partiality for the company of the beautiful Baroness von Brohm.
Naturally, Julia was delighted with all the attention, but Anna noticed that she, too, was careful not to indicate a preference for any one gentleman over another, perhaps because she was still clinging to the memory of her late husband. But she was a gracious and entertaining guest, and though her list of contacts grew by the day, she never forgot that it was Anna’s kindness that had originally launched her into society.
As such, she decided to hold a dinner party in Anna’s honour, inviting, along with the rest of her family, twenty other guests including Lord and Lady Bessmel and Lady Lydia Winston. Knowing the company would be very smart, Anna decided to wear one of her newest gowns, an elegant creation in pale gold silk, a colour that was exceedingly flattering to her fair complexion. Her hair was arranged in a loose cluster of curls with a few wisps hanging free to frame her face. Elbow-length gloves, her mother’s pearls and a light sweep of colour across her cheeks were all that were required to complete the ensemble.
Half an hour later, she stepped out of the carriage in front of Julia’s house, with her father and Edward close behind. Both looked very elegant in their black-and-white evening attire, her father especially so. Peregrine, who was still reluctant to show his face in society, had decided to remain at home.
‘Good thing, too,’ Edward said in the disparaging tone he always used when Peregrine’s name came up. ‘No point the boy thinking he’s entitled to move in good society when it’s obvious he belongs in the country.’ He plucked a strand of hair from the sleeve of his jacket. ‘Besides, he’d likely just embarrass us in front of the baroness. He does, after all, have an eye for older women.’
‘That was unkind,’ Anna said flatly. ‘You are as much to blame for Peregrine’s fall from grace as he is.’
‘I don’t see how. I wasn’t the one who jumped into bed with Lady Yew.’
‘Don’t be coarse, Edward, and please keep your voice down,’ Anna said in a fierce whisper. ‘You shouldn’t have told him about the state of their marriage.’
‘My dear Anna, there isn’t a soul in London who doesn’t know the state of the Yews’ marriage,’ Edward said blandly. ‘Why should I have left Rand in ignorance? He would have found out sooner or later. And just because I told him Lady Yew was open to lovers didn’t mean he had to go sniffing after her as though she were a bitch in season. And you needn’t look at me like that,’ he said when she turned a chilling glance on him. ‘You’re too old to pretend an ignorance of what goes on between a man and a woman. I know how besotted you were over Anthony Colder.’
Anna winced, the mere sound of the man’s name causing her pain. ‘I would thank you not to mention him in my presence again.’
‘Why not? Surely you’re not still pining over the fellow. He wasn’t worth it, you know. The stories I could tell—’
‘This conversation is over,’ Anna said coldly. ‘Please keep your opinions to yourself and refrain from making damaging comments about Peregrine in public, lest you find yourself defending rumours about your own less than sterling behaviour.’
‘My behaviour?’ Her brother’s eyes widened in a credible imitation of innocence. ‘What possible concern could you have about that?’
‘I see no need to explain myself. We are both aware of your reputation with women.’
He slowly began to smile, clearly enjoying himself. ‘And what have you heard about my reputation, pray tell?’
‘Amongst other things, that you are fickle and heartless,’ Anna said, boldly meeting his gaze. ‘We’ve gone through three maids in the last year and I suspect your unwelcome attentions towards them had much to do with the reasons they all left. If you must indulge yourself, kindly do so in a manner that does not disrupt the household or result in frightened young girls being sent back to the country in tears.’
His eyes narrowed and for a long moment he stared at her in silence. ‘Well, well, so the pretty bird has sharp talons,’ he murmured finally. ‘Who would have guessed?’
‘Guessed what?’ their father asked, joining them.
‘Nothing.’ Anna turned her back on Edward, shutting out his obnoxious comments and his condescending gaze. She knew he enjoyed goading her and most of the time she was able to rise above his petty teasing, to treat his remarks with the chilly disdain they deserved. But tonight he’d touched a nerve and, despite her best intentions, she had lashed out at him, a reaction she would no doubt come to regret. ‘We should go in. I have no desire to keep the Baroness waiting.’
* * *
They were escorted by the butler into an elegant drawing room where most of the guests had already assembled. Anna saw Lydia talking to Lord and Lady Bessmel and smiled in acknowledgement of her friend’s wave. She left her father and brother and went to join them.
‘Good evening, Lord Bessmel, Lady Bessmel,’ she greeted the older couple. ‘And, Lydia, I’m so pleased to see you. How is your mother this evening?’
‘Much better, thank heavens,’ the girl said, clearly relieved. ‘This last megrim has been very difficult for her, but the doctor gave her something that seems to be helping. But what an exquisite gown, Anna. Surely one of Madame Delors’s?’
‘I thought the occasion demanded something suitably festive.’ Anna took a deep breath and glanced around the room. She had no idea if Sir Barrington had been invited, but she found herself looking for him regardless. ‘Have you seen our hostess yet?’
‘No, but I expect she will be down shortly.’
‘Not the thing for a lady to be late for her own dinner party,’ Lord Bessmel remarked.
‘Patience, Harry,’ Lady Bessmel said, patting her husband’s arm. ‘I’m sure the baroness is simply waiting for th
e right moment to make her appearance. Most Europeans have a flair for the dramatic. But what lovely pearls, Annabelle. Your mother’s, if I’m not mistaken.’
‘Yes,’ Anna said, surprised that the countess would recognise them. ‘How did you know?’
‘I remember her wearing them. White or pink pearls are relatively common, but that shade of gold is quite rare.’
‘They were a gift to her from Papa,’ Anna said fondly. ‘He always said Mama had the perfect complexion for them.’
‘She did. Fortunately, so do you and they go perfectly with your gown, which I must tell you is absolutely exquisite. But look, I do believe the baroness comes.’
As expected, all eyes turned towards the door where the baroness, resplendent in sapphire satin, stood for a moment framed in the doorway. Her lovely face was wreathed in smiles, but Anna was quite sure it wasn’t her smile or her gown that caused the collective gasp of astonishment that echoed around the room, but the magnificent diamond-and-sapphire necklace that was draped around her throat.
‘Forgive me, dear friends, but a minor crisis upstairs delayed my arrival,’ she announced to her assembled guests. ‘I trust you have been attended to in my absence.’
‘We have been very well treated,’ Lord Bessmel said as the baroness joined them. ‘The important thing is that you are here now and looking quite spectacular, if you don’t mind my saying so.’
‘I don’t mind you saying so at all, Lord Bessmel,’ Julia said with a soft gurgle of laughter. ‘In fact, I am convinced it is the one thing a lady never tires of hearing. Anna, my dear,’ she said, pressing her cheek to Anna’s. ‘How beautiful you look tonight. You will most certainly rob the gentlemen of their senses. And, Lady Lydia, how delightful to see you again. I trust your mother is feeling better?’
‘She is, Julia, thank you; she is so sorry she couldn’t be here this evening. Unfortunately, noise tends to aggravate her condition.’
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