A Hint of Seduction (6 page)

Catherine wrinkled her brow, frustrated by the information she was getting on the men. “Ah, no, I don’t believe I do.”

“Some of them have nudes painted on them. Ladies and
gentlemen, and sometimes very close together on the same box.”

“You mean—” Catherine stopped. What was Lynette trying to say about a man who could possibly be her father? Whatever it was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

Catherine continued with “Well, that really doesn’t seem so strange. Most all of the famous painters like Michelangelo and Da Vinci painted nudes and sometime male and female very close together. Don’t you think?” Catherine asked, not sure she really knew what Lynette was implying.

Lady Lynette’s eyebrows raised a notch. She hesitated a moment before saying, “Yes, I believe they did.”

Victoria wasn’t off the mark when she said the duke’s daughter knew everyone. Catherine was almost fearful to ask about the third man, but since her newfound friend was so full of knowledge, she had to. She had no doubt one of the men was her father and wanted to find him no matter his circumstances.

“How about—”

“Lady Lynette, what a dear you’ve been to keep my sister entertained for so long,” Victoria said as she stopped beside Catherine.

What rotten luck!

Catherine knew there would be no more questions about the gentleman she sought. But with the stranger and the two eccentric men Lady Lynette told her about, she had enough to think about for now.

J
OHN AND
A
NDREW
took off their greatcoats, hats, and gloves and handed them to the servant at the entryway to
the Grand Ballroom. They had made an appearance at every party in London that John knew about, and this was the only one left.

If he didn’t find her here, he was calling it a night. He had been mocked and laughed at enough for one evening. He usually didn’t mind the tittle-tattle of the gossip sheets so much. He’d thrived on them for years—the more that was said about him the better—but it seemed that everyone this evening wanted to talk about the lady who was seen riding his horse.

If he knew who wrote those damned gabble grinders, he could find her. They seemed to know everything and within minutes of it happening. Someone had left the park and went immediately to Lord Truefitt, whoever the hell he was, and told the gossip about the incident in the park.

John doubted it was Wilkins, though Phillips might have told the story over and over again. He wouldn’t put it past Mallory and Westerland to spread the rumor to everyone they knew. No doubt they were all having a big laugh off the possibility of it. Several of his friends had questioned him about the writings that had appeared in the afternoon edition of “Society’s Daily Column.”

He had hoped to find the lovely horse thief before now, but so far the parties had yielded no more than the park had that morning. He and Andrew had ridden around the perimeter of the park, the paths, and around the Serpentine for most of the morning with no luck.

He was at a loss how to go about searching for her.

He’d told every man tonight the same thing: “You know I never listen to the gossip sheets, but The General is safe.”

He only wished he knew for sure that was true.

“What are you going to do if you can’t find her?” Andrew asked John.

“The hell if I know,” John muttered, but then immediately said, “I have a man checking all the liveries in Town, but how can I possibly check all the private stables? I’ll hire someone from Bow Street. It’s like she disappeared into thin air.”

“We both know that is impossible.”

He turned and looked at Andrew as they headed toward the ballroom. “Of course. She simply rode out of the park, but to where?”

“And why? Why did she want The General? That’s what we must find out. Surely she didn’t want to try to sell him. The horse is too well known.”

“No, I’m sure it’s nothing like that. She said something about being on a mission and needing to borrow him.”

Andrew gave him a wry look. “Are you sure you would recognize her? Maybe you’ve seen her tonight and you didn’t know it. I mean, it was still rather dark in the park.”

The lady’s face flashed into John’s mind. Blue eyes, full lips, saucy tongue, and more backbone than he’d ever seen.

“Oh, no, Andrew. I would know her anywhere. She’s not the kind of lady you would soon forget.”

“Hmm. That could be a problem, you know.”

“Why?”

“When a lady stops being just another pretty face and becomes something more, you’re in trouble.”

“You think that’s what I’m saying?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Hell, no,” John said with more irritation than he was feeling. “She stole my horse when I was trying to help her. I’ve been teased about it all night.”

“And that pricked your pride.”

“Andrew,” John said tightly, knowing that was all he needed to say when his friend went too far.

They stopped at the entrance to the ballroom and looked out over the crowd. There were at least a hundred people in attendance. The
ton
were inveterate party goers and would stay and dance as long as there was music and drink.

“Looks like there will be a crush until the host runs us off,” Andrew said. “There’s no other party that I know about. We’ve made the rounds. If she’s not here, we’re not going to find her tonight.”

“I am aware of that, Andrew.”

John heard his name called and looked up to see one of the young bachelors he barely knew walking by with two other men.

“Chatwin, where’s your horse?”

The young dandy waved to John, but thankfully he and his friends merely laughed and kept going.

“Don’t pay them any mind,” Andrew said.

“I’m not,” John replied, knowing it was a lie. He did mind. He was becoming the laughingstock, all because of some blue-eyed horse thief.

“I don’t believe she’s here. Though I can’t say I’d be hitting the parties if I had stolen an earl’s horse.”

“Why don’t we head over to White’s? No one will bother you there.”

John shook his head. “I’m not going to give up until I’ve thoroughly looked over everyone in this place.”

“After you have, why don’t you go see Anne? She’ll take your mind off the day.”

“I’m in no mood for a mistress tonight. Besides, I’ve already given her a parting gift.”

“Really? This is news. You didn’t tell me. When did you find someone else?”

“I haven’t. Not yet,” John said as they started walking into the ballroom.

“Are you sure you want to leave her before you find someone else?”

He was sure.

“Anne was happy with the diamond-and-emerald necklace I picked out for her, and she told me her door was always open. But I’ve been ready for a change for a long time.”

“You always give the same gift, diamonds and emeralds. Why?” Andrew asked.

“Ladies love them.”

“They also love pearls.”

John had always thought he’d give pearls to the lady he loved above all others. The problem was that he was certain he hadn’t ever come close to truly being in love, though he had great appreciation for all women.

All of a sudden John tensed. His body grew rigid as his stomach knotted with an unfamiliar feeling that reminded him of jealousy. Surprise hit him in the chest with the force of a meaty fist.

“What is it?” Andrew asked. “Do you see her?”

“Yes,” John said tightly, unused to the sudden angry feelings swirling around inside him. “She’s walking off the dance floor, and look who she is with.”

“Who? Damnation, John, everyone’s walking off the dance floor because the music has stopped. Which one?”

“The lady with the Marquis of Westerland.”

“No, no,” Andrew said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Not the young lady with Westerland? That dandy! Is she the one?”

“That’s her.”

John’s heart tripped.

“Damnation,” Andrew muttered as he looked at John in outrage. “You were set up.”

John jerked around to his friend. “What are you talking about?”

“That bastard Westerland. He knew the route you were taking in the race just as you knew his. I think he planned her to run out in front of you to keep you from winning the race.”

John gave Andrew a quizzical glance before zeroing his gaze back on the lady. “The race was close. Once she stopped me for any amount of time, he would have won. Why would she run off with my horse?”

“You said she had a mission. Look at the ridicule you’ve taken throughout the day and tonight about an unknown lady riding your horse. John, taking The General was her mission.”

Four

“W
ESTERLAND
’
S A
B
ASTARD
,
but I can’t believe he would stoop so low as to solicit a young lady’s help to make me lose. It would have been too dangerous. We almost collided. She could have been killed. I’m certain it wasn’t a setup.”

“John, it’s not like you to be gullible just because she’s a beauty.”

“I’m not being gullible or naïve about this,” he said, unable to take his eyes off her.

“You said yourself that she must be an excellent horsewoman to be able to handle The General. She probably knew exactly how close to come to your horse without running into you.”

“Trust me on this, Andrew. It doesn’t feel right that he was in on this with her. I don’t know how, but I know the two of them are not in this together.”

John couldn’t believe how beautiful she was in her
low-cut beige gown with the wide satin bands circling the high waist and flowing skirt. Strips of ribbons and tiny white and pink flowers adorned her blond hair.

Westerland said something to her and she smiled at him. John’s stomach twisted. She hadn’t smiled at him, not even when he’d tried to charm her.

“I’d wager a handsome sum I’m right about this,” Andrew insisted. “And I’d bet a few more pounds he’s the one who leaked her taking The General to the gossips.”

“That I agree with,” John conceded.

“He wasn’t satisfied with just winning the race; he wanted to make you look the fool, too.”

Sometimes Andrew went over the top, and he was just about at that point with John right now, even though his friend made a good point. He couldn’t put anything past the pompous Marquis.

“I’ll soon find out.”

John quickly sidestepped behind a column as the lady and Westerland left the dance floor. He didn’t want her to see him while she was with Westerland.

When he talked to her, he wanted her to be alone.

“I’m going to stay out of sight for now, Andrew. Go and see what you can find out for me. I need to at least know her name and who her sponsor is before I approach her.”

“Good idea. Leave it to me. I’ll find out who she is and exactly what she is up to.”

John reached out and grabbed Andrew’s arm before he could walk away. “I’ll find out what she’s up to. You just get me her name.”

His friend started to object but seemed to realize it wasn’t his place to question John on this. Andrew simply nodded and walked away without further comment.