A Hint of Seduction (8 page)

Catherine took a deep breath and looked up and down the corridor to see if their tête-à-tête had caught anyone’s attention. For now it seemed no one was watching them, but she feared that at any moment Victoria would appear from around the corner and demand to know why she was talking with Lord Chatwin in the middle of a dimly lit hallway.

“Look, I know it must sound confusing. Vickie was not with me at the time I met you because our groom was injured and she had to stay with him. I was riding to get our carriage for them when you almost ran me over.”

His expression turned from doubt to concern. “If you needed help, why did you not tell me and allow me to assist you?”

She took a deep breath and glanced down the corridor again. At last he understood.

“Victoria insisted I not stop and talk to anyone. I didn’t want to cause any further distress by showing up with a stranger. Thankfully, we managed to get our groom into the carriage and home.”

“But I could have helped you.”

“I didn’t want you to help me.”

“But I did when your horse ran off; you stole mine.”

Catherine gasped. She was trying to remain unflustered but finding the task more and more difficult.

“I borrowed your horse. Victoria is a stickler for obeying the rules, and she insisted I not stop for any reason. Besides, not only was I capable of handling the situation, I didn’t want her to know that I’d talked to you.”

“Surely she would have understood under the circumstances?”

“You say you have met Victoria Goosetree, but you obviously don’t know her.”

“Is she your sponsor for the Season?”

“Yes.”

“Your parents are deceased?”

She nodded. “Even now, I know Vickie would be appalled if she knew I was speaking to you when I haven’t been properly presented to you. She’s extremely strict about Society’s rules.”

His gaze swept down her face and lingered on her lips before darting back up to her eyes again. His bold assessment caused a curl of anticipation low in her stomach and sent a shiver of awareness spiking from her breasts to her toes.

Good heavens. She’d never had such a wonderful feeling before. What was it about him that made her react so differently from all other men she had met?

“I believe we are past formal introductions by now, aren’t we, Miss Reynolds?”

Immensely so.

Her gaze held fast to his. “Yes, without a doubt we are,” she answered.

“So, does that mean you will meet me in the morning and return my horse?”

As Catherine looked into Lord Chatwin’s handsome face, she saw laughter, high spirits, and confidence. And she was drawn to all those things. She hadn’t been around a lot of men since she came of age because her father had been so ill, but surely of the gentlemen she had met, none of them had affected her like the entrancing, flirtatious man before her.

He was compelling, self-assured, and captivating. No wonder his attention was so sought after by all the young ladies.

She could admit to herself that she found the idea of meeting him in secret thrilling, tempting even. She would absolutely love to see him riding astride his magnificent horse with his hair blowing away from his face and the ends of his neckcloth flapping softly in the wind.

Most gentlemen looked uncomfortable and rigid sitting on a horse, not knowing how to move with the animal. Somehow Catherine knew that this man would sit tall but comfortable in the saddle, his body moving easily with each stride of his mount.

Yes, she had no doubt that he would look simply dashing sitting in the saddle atop the horse he called The General.

“Might I think your hesitancy means you are considering my request?” he asked.

She cleared her throat and her wayward thoughts and lifted her shoulders and her chin defiantly. “Absolutely not, sir. I will not meet you. If I were caught in the park alone with you, I’d be banned from every respectable household in Town.”

Catherine knew she couldn’t allow that to happen no matter how tempting his offer. She had every intention of gaining introductions to the three men she sought. Once she made contact with someone from each of the families,
she needed to be accepted into their homes. That was the only way she could start trying to discover her real father.

Lord Chatwin moved a step closer to her. “No one will see us. I promise.”

She felt his breath flutter past her ear and her chest tightened. For reasons she really didn’t understand, she hedged again.

“How can you promise such a thing? Someone saw me riding your horse just this morning and now everyone is talking about it.”

For the first time that evening she saw displeasure ease across his face.

“I know. I’ve heard about nothing else all evening. You certainly know how to start gossip.”

“I can assure you that was not my intention.”

“I’m beginning to believe you. No one knows you are that lady, do they?”

She considered what he said. “Not that I know about, and I desire that it stay that way.”

“I don’t intend to tell. Do you?”

“Certainly not.”

“Good. There’s no reason to think your luck won’t hold for tomorrow morning as well.”

“But, my lord, it would be folly to tempt fate twice.”

He smiled. “I think there is every reason to tempt fate more than once. I do it every day.”

“I am not that bold.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit. I think you are.”

A twinkle shone in his eyes and his gaze stayed steadily on hers. For a moment she could believe he spoke the truth. Was she truly the way he saw her?

“Catherine, there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You must not wander away from me again.”

Catherine turned at the sound of her sister’s voice. Victoria hurried toward her so swiftly that her light brown skirts billowed behind her long legs.

Lord Chatwin took a short step away from Catherine as Victoria almost hurled herself between the two of them. Catherine had to step back in order to make room for her.

“It’s so nice to see you, my lord. It looks as if you are doing well,” Victoria said to the earl.

“Quite fine, Mrs. Goosetree. And might I say you are looking lovely this evening.”

Victoria gave him a tight smile, but she couldn’t keep her brown eyes from sparkling at his flattery. “Thank you, my lord. How nice of you to notice me when there are so many beautiful ladies in attendance tonight.” She cleared her throat and lifted her chin slightly while letting her lips relax from the strained smile. “I see you have made the acquaintance of my half sister, Miss Catherine Reynolds.”

“We were just getting better acquainted,” he said as calmly as if they had been talking about the weather.

“Yes, I saw how
closely
you were getting acquainted,” she said rather stiffly and turned from Lord Chatwin and centered her pointed gaze on Catherine. “I wasn’t aware you two had met. Who presented you to the earl, Catherine?”

Merciful goodness.

“Oh, well it was…”

Her mind raced. What was she going to say? She didn’t want to lie to Victoria, but how could she tell her no one had introduced them? Should she own up to having met Lord Chatwin in the park earlier that morning when she was riding?

No.

She had to think of something. Fast.

“Why are you hesitating?” Victoria asked.

“Perhaps because she can’t immediately remember the name of the person who did the honors,” Lord Chatwin said.

Catherine almost gasped out loud. He dare speak for her? And to say something that was so out of character. She had a very good memory.

“Miss Reynolds was just telling me how this was her first party, and that she was having trouble remembering the names of all the people she’s met.”

Victoria turned back to the earl with a confused expression on her face. “It’s true I’ve kept her busy tonight meeting everyone in attendance. But what does surprise me is that Catherine is usually so very good with names and faces.” Vickie paused. “So tell me who presented her to you so that I might thank them.”

Lord Chatwin cleared his throat. “It was his grace the Duke of Beaumont. You do know him, don’t you, Mrs. Goosetree?”

Her lashes fluttered. She was clearly impressed.

“Oh, my, yes, yes, of course. We were first introduced years ago. I didn’t realize His Grace was here tonight, nor did I know Catherine had been presented to him either. I haven’t seen him this evening.” She looked around the room smiling as she touched her hand to her hair. “I don’t know how I could have missed, but how splendid of him to do the honors.”

“I believe he was on his way out when he left us,” Lord Chatwin said.

Victoria turned a slightly disapproving face to Catherine. “You must remember the names of all the dukes, my dear. Forgetting any name is unacceptable, but forgetting a duke is an outrage.”

Catherine bristled and forced herself not to look at Lord Chatwin. He hadn’t managed to help her at all. She knew
enough to know that forgetting the name of any titled gentleman was just as big a faux pas as conversing with a man to whom she hadn’t been properly introduced.

“I know it’s unforgivable, Vickie.” She threw Lord Chatwin a “thank you for nothing” look, but to her half sister she smiled and said, “It won’t happen again. I promise.”

“Good.” Victoria returned her focus to Lord Chatwin. “Now, my lord, was there a particular reason the duke made introductions to my sister tonight?”

Catherine was surprised at Victoria’s impudence.

Lord Chatwin cleared his throat again and said, “Yes. Absolutely. With your permission, of course, I’d like to call on Miss Reynolds tomorrow afternoon and take her for a ride in Hyde Park.”

Victoria shook open her fan as she smiled sweetly at him. She pretended to ponder a moment or two before she said, “How lovely that would be, but alas, Catherine isn’t available. Unfortunately I’ve already agreed to other plans for her for tomorrow afternoon. You understand that we couldn’t possibly change them at this late hour, don’t you?”

“Of course, Mrs. Goosetree.”

“And you will ask her for another time, won’t you, my lord?”

“I’ll consider it an honor.”

“Splendid.”

Catherine wondered if the earl had changed his mind and decided he wanted her to go for a proper ride in the park with him or if he was just using that as a cover for Victoria’s benefit. She didn’t know what plans Victoria had for her tomorrow, but she knew they wouldn’t be as interesting as riding in the park with the handsome and intriguing earl, and not nearly so stirring as meeting him in secret at dawn.

“Thank you, Lord Chatwin. We shall look forward to another time. Now, come along, Catherine. I can see that you are dead on your feet. I will take you home. Good night, my lord.”

“Mrs. Goosetree. Miss Reynolds.”

Victoria turned away and Lord Chatwin quickly stepped up to Catherine and softly whispered where only she could hear, “Before dawn in the park. I’ll be waiting.”

His voice so close to her ear sent shivers up her arms and down the back of her neck. She couldn’t believe Lord Chatwin still wanted her to meet him.

Alone.

And she couldn’t believe how much she wanted to deny her common sense and do just that, but of course, she couldn’t.

Could she?

Catherine and Victoria immediately collected their wraps and called for their coach. As soon as they were comfortably seated inside the warm compartment and headed toward home, Victoria clasped her hands under her chin and started laughing.

Hazy yellow light filtered inside the cabin of the landau from lanterns that were positioned outside the coach. Catherine saw self-satisfaction in Victoria’s face. That seemed strange to her. She thought she’d get a stern rebuke from Victoria as soon as they made it to the carriage for failing to remember a duke’s name.

Catherine found the rocking motion of the carriage and the clipping of the horses’ hooves on the hard-packed road soothing. Her heart rate slowed, her breathing calmed.

After a few moments she turned to Victoria and asked, “What has you feeling so jovial?”

Victoria looked at Catherine. “The Marquis of
Westerland and Lord Chatwin, of course. I can’t believe you have caught the eye of the Marquis and one of the Terrible Twosome Earls.”

Catherine was puzzled. “It pleases you that I’ve caught Lord Chatwin’s attention?”

“Did I not say as much?”

“Yes, but why?”

“Because it’s wonderful to be sought after by an earl!” Victoria sighed contentedly as she relaxed against the seat cushion.

“But he’s considered a rogue.”

“Oh, yes, he’s a rogue of the highest order,” Victoria agreed gleefully.

“An unredeemable one I might add, if all I’ve heard about him is true,” Catherine said, still wondering why Victoria would want her to be pursued by a gentleman with a blemished reputation.

“I’m sure every morsel you have heard is true, but he’s also an earl! And everything worked out perfectly tonight.”