A Loving Scoundrel (15 page)

“Because when you’re silly, you’re
really
silly, mate. Kissing my feet, eh? Will I need to remove my boots first?”

He blinked, looked down at her feet. “Well, damn me, you
are
still wearing boots. Did Mrs. Robertson forget about that part of your new wardrobe? You should have some comfortable house shoes, m’dear. After all, your job requires you to be on your feet for most of the day. Although, come to think of it, I’d much prefer you be flat on your back all day. Care to switch jobs?”

“Not bleedin’ likely.” She was back to snorting.

He raised a brow. “You’re not even curious what the other job entails?”

“Being one o’ the ‘boys’ for fifteen years means I know how you gents think.” She stood up stiffly as she said it and added as she marched out of the room, “Keep that in mind, mate, ’fore you insult me again.”

“Now wait—I didn’t—”

Jeremy gave up. She was already gone. Blister it, how the devil had he erred so quickly? She’d been laughing only a moment before.

He sighed, then a grin came slowly to his lips. Their talk might have ended on a distinctly sour note, but he’d made great progress nonetheless. He’d gotten her to relax with him a little,
and
he’d made her laugh. The next step would be joking, teasing, more laughter. Then he could progress to some legitimate stolen kisses—well, perhaps he should wait until his bruises healed. After all, she was a woman who threw punches instead of slaps.

“L
UCY!”
Danny gasped when she got to the door after being told she had a visitor. She threw her arms around Lucy, gave her a big hug, but one look at her friend’s expression when she stepped back had her adding, “What’s wrong?”

“Let’s go for a walk, eh? I don’t feel right, being in a place like this.”

Danny understood. Lucy wasn’t just a whore, she dressed like one and was so out of place in this neighborhood. She was surprised Lucy had made it this far without someone trying to run her off.

“Let’s go over to the park,” Danny suggested, taking Lucy’s arm and leading her across the street. “How’d you manage to get here?”

Lucy grinned at that point. “Found a hack. The driver were so pleased to do me, ’e were more’n willing to bring me up ’ere. In fact”—she turned to blow a kiss to the hack driver, who was waiting just down the block— “’e’s going to wait and take me ’ome, too.”

“I didn’t expect a visit this soon. I haven’t even been gone a week yet.”

Danny had used some of the coins Mrs. Robertson had given her to hire a chimney sweep, to take Lucy her new address. Mrs. Appleton had written it out for her, and the lad had been more’n pleased to run the errand, since he didn’t get as much work in the summer as he did in the winter.

“It’s wonderful to see you though,” Danny said as they sat down on a bench, the street still in sight.

“I were worried that ye wouldn’t find a job soon, with all the trouble ye ’ad before when ye went looking. But it appears ye landed a right nice one. Look at ye. I barely recognized ye in yer fancy clothes. And it bowled me over it did when the driver pointed me to that ’ouse. Ye like it ’ere? Cor, ’ow could ye not!”

“It takes getting used to, but the people are very nice and helpful. They’re even teaching me to talk better.”

“I noticed, and not better. Ye used to talk so fine, it ’urt me ears.”

Danny chuckled. “No, it didn’t. You were forever pinching me when I’d slip up, when you were teaching me.”

“I never pinched ’ard, just didn’t want ye getting kicked out ’cause ye didn’t fit in. Though truth to tell, I always figured ye wouldn’t be with us long, that yer family would find ye and take ye away from us.”

“Did you really?”

Danny had hoped for the same thing. For many years, she had cried herself to sleep for parents she couldn’t even remember. But when she was old enough to think about it logically, she had to conclude she had no family left, other than the one Lucy had brought her to. If there had been anyone, even a distant relative, wouldn’t Miss Jane have mentioned it and tried to get to them?

Reminded that she’d gotten kicked out of the gang anyway,

just years later, had sobered them both. “It were time ye go on yer own, Danny, and look ’ow well it turned out.”

“I know, but I still miss all of you.”

“Ye can visit from time to time. Be good to rub it in Dagger’s nose, ’ow well ye’ve done on yer own. Speaking o’ ’is nose, ’e got it broke.”

Danny blinked. “Well, good for him. I’ve no sympathy a’tall for him at the moment. But you didn’t come all this way just to tell me that.”

“Actually, I did,” Lucy said, uneasy now. “I weren’t there when it ’appened, so didn’t get a look at the man who broke it, but ’e slapped Dagger around good, to get ’im to tell where ye went.”

“Me?”

“Aye, course Dagger couldn’t tell ’im wot ’e didn’t know. That boy who brung me yer address found me on the street, so Dagger didn’t know I ’ad it.”

“But the man was looking for
me?
”

Lucy nodded. “ ’E didn’t give a name, or why ’e was searching for ye. ’E scared Dagger, though, and ye know Dagger don’t get scared by much. And that scared me, ’cause if ’e could ’urt Dagger just to get to ye, then ’e likely means to ’arm ye, too. And Dagger knows now.”

“What?”

“That yer a woman. The man called ye ‘the white-’aired wench.’ ”

Danny flinched. “Was he very angry?”

“ ’E were too busy moving us to a new place, so that bloke don’t find us again, and nursing his nose and other bruises. Were ’ard to tell if ’e were angry over wot happened or over yer deception.”

“You think it’s someone I’ve robbed?”

“I can’t think o’ any other reason. But ye were always so careful not to be seen.”

“I know, but—” Danny broke off as it occurred to her who it might be.

“Wot?”

“That lord I robbed that night, his servant got a good look at me. And although I talked my way out of there, he would’ve known the next day that I was the thief, when the lord’s jewelry came up missing. Turns out he were a thief himself, that lord, so he’d probably know how to go about hiring some street thug to track me down.”

“That don’t sound good,” Lucy said nervously.

“No, it don’t.”

G
IVING IT MORE THOUGHT
after she left Lucy, Danny had to doubt the person looking for her had been hired by Lord Heddings. He’d asked for a female, but Heddings’s servant that night had given no indication at all that he’d seen through her male disguise. So they’d be looking for a white-haired man, not a woman.

And besides, she remembered having the feeling that someone was following her home that morning. They must have lost her, asked around, and finally found where she lived. She’d passed through some nice areas getting home that day. So it could have been no more than some nabob who’d recently been robbed. Seeing her passing through his neighborhood, he could have decided she was the culprit and followed her for some payback. She’d lost her hat by then, and it was much easier to tell she was a woman when she wasn’t wearing her hat. Or he could have followed her all the way home, but seeing where she lived, decided not to confront her himself but to hire some tough to teach her a lesson instead.

That made more sense and wasn’t really worth worrying over. The gent would never find her where she was living now. So she got back to cleaning the upstairs and didn’t give it another thought.

Lucy’s unexpected, though welcome, visit had thrown Danny off schedule a bit. It was late in the afternoon when she finally got around to cleaning the downstairs rooms. Thinking it was empty, she entered the parlor, but did an about-face upon seeing Jeremy and his cousin Regina Eden sitting on the sofa. She didn’t get back out quickly enough, though.

“Come in, Danny. You can clean around us,” Jeremy told her.

“It can wait,” Danny assured him.

“At this late hour? Don’t be silly. Go ahead and finish up, then you’ll be done for the day.”

She would be, too. The parlor was her last room to see to. And it didn’t need much cleaning today, hadn’t been used since she’d sat on that same sofa yesterday.

This was the first time she’d come across Jeremy since then. He’d gone out last night, went out again early this morning, and had only just returned. Oddly, the house didn’t seem the same when he wasn’t in it. She couldn’t exactly tell why, but it was definitely noticeable, by her anyway. Maybe because she couldn’t completely relax when she knew he was around. No, that
should
be why, but it was the opposite. She couldn’t seem to relax when he wasn’t there.

She was still slightly annoyed with herself for letting her guard down with him yesterday. The trick he’d pulled on her the other night was clue enough that she could never do that again. And yet yesterday all they’d done was talk. She’d learned a few interesting things about him.

He was a bastard. Imagine that. Who would have thought, with him living in a grand house like this, and in the nabob part of town—and with such a huge family, all of whom had obviously accepted him without question.

Born and raised in a tavern. It still boggled her mind. It brought him down to her level, it did. His mother had been no different from what her parents had probably been. And why had he told her that? You’d think it would be something he’d want kept secret.

“You still have her dusting?” Regina said to Jeremy as Danny crossed the room to clean the mantel above the cold fireplace. “Or does she just love to dust?”

“Don’t start—” Jeremy began, only to get cut off.

“I swear, Jeremy, I would have thought you of all people would know how to treat a mistress properly.”

Danny glanced over her shoulder in time to see Jeremy kick his cousin and glare at her. The lady merely tsked and changed the subject, which seemed to be back to what they’d been discussing before Danny’d arrived.

“You can’t avoid this ball, Jeremy, really you can’t. And it’s a perfect opportunity for you to set matters straight. Emily started a new rumor last night, that she actually had a lovers’ rendezvous with you. You
do
know what that means, don’t you?”

“Means she’s a bloody liar.”

“No,
we
know that, but no one else does. It means she’s already moving on to the last resort, and the season’s barely begun!”

“Hell’s bells, I’ve barely even looked at the chit!” Jeremy complained. “I don’t understand why she’s picked me, when I haven’t given her even two minutes of my time, let alone indicated I’d like to know her better.”

“What dealings
have
you had with her?”

“None worth mentioning. She had someone introduce us, as I recall, don’t even remember who, but I was already leaving that party, so I didn’t say more’n a few words to her. And she approached Drew and me the other night, but again, I barely even glanced at her. You’d bloody well think she’d want
some
clue that I was interested, before she started this campaign to get me leg-shackled.”

“Famous! Denial doesn’t help us here, Jeremy. You know very well that there isn’t a young unmarried female in this whole town who wouldn’t jump at the chance to catch you. Emily Bascomb is just
doing
something about it, whereas the others just wait around hoping to gain your notice.”

Danny glanced back again, in time to see Jeremy blushing. Fascinated by their conversation, she knew she should move on to a different piece of furniture, but she didn’t want to remind them that she was there.

“If you know so much, puss, tell me why the rush?” he complained. “I only clapped eyes on the lady for the first time last week. D’you think she has to get married? Already enceinte?”

Regina frowned, then shook her head. “No, highly doubtful. I think she just fell head over heels for you and has decided no one else will do for her now. And her impatience stems from being spoiled. I
have
learned that much about her. Found an old chap who’s known the Bascombs for many years. He mentioned that she’s an only child, so her father spoiled her beyond redemption.”

“But to blacken her own name in this campaign? That’s a bit much, ain’t it?”

“Well, that can only be for one reason,” Regina said. “She wants her father to hear about it and take matters into his own hands. Now do you see why you need to attend this ball tomorrow night?”

“No. My attending if she is there is just going to—”

“No, no, you won’t be going there alone. I ran into an old friend of our cousin’s last night.”

“Which cousin?”

Regina tsked impatiently, “Diana, not that it matters. The point is that her friend’s younger sister is also having her first season.”

“Do I know her?”

“No, don’t think so.”

“Then what are you getting at?”

“I’m sure she would agree to have you escort her to this ball if we present the plan to her. And if you devote the entire evening to her, it will prove without a doubt that your romantic inclinations are directed elsewhere. Particularly if you ignore Emily completely in the process.”

“Easy enough to do, but the chit isn’t going to get her own hopes up, is she?”

“No—well, probably. They all do, if you just happen to glance at them. But we
would
explain fully that she’d merely be helping you out of this horrid situation which is escalating far too quickly. And she would benefit from your attention. It will quite raise her on the ladder, as it were, since it will draw her to the attention of every other young buck. They’ll want to know what
you
find so fascinating about her.”

Jeremy chuckled. “You overstate the effect I have, puss.”

“Rubbish. We both know that your appearance at any social gathering quite stirs up the pot. Mostly everyone wonders if you’ve taken after your father and uncle. Those two rakes did leave their mark, notoriously, before they quit the social scene. You, however, have managed to avoid any scandals thus far, so no one knows what to make of you yet.”

“I do try.” Jeremy grinned.

“We know you do,” Regina said, patting his hand. “I suppose you learned from Derek’s example, to keep your affairs strictly private. Of course it helps that you choose your women from the ones who don’t feel a need to brag about it to anyone who will listen. And don’t you dare mention my Nick’s bad luck in that regard.”

Jeremy hooted with laughter. “Never entered my mind, old girl. Although, come to think of it, his bad luck with Lady Eddington turned out to be your good luck. Doubt you would have met him otherwise, or been forced to marry him, if Lady E. hadn’t crowed to her friends that he’d meant to abduct her, but abducted you instead.”

Regina scowled. “Thank you for
not
mentioning it. Now
as
I was saying, if you show up tomorrow night with this young debutante and spend the entire evening devoted to her, it will hit all the gossip mills that you’re courting her and should quite undo the gossip Emily is spreading. And Emily will be forced to back off—”

“That is if she believes it,” Jeremy cut in. “This sister of Diana’s friend, she’s prettier than Emily?”

Regina frowned. “Well, no, actually. Famous! All my brilliant thoughts on the matter wasted. You’re quite right, it won’t work. Emily will easily see it for the ploy it is. It won’t put her off a’tall, will more’n likely double her own efforts.”

“Well, it would work if you can find me a chit who is prettier than Emily. No easy task, I know. The lady is quite stunning.”

Regina sighed. “Devil take it, Jeremy, if you think so, then
why
aren’t you interested in her?
She’s
probably wondered the same thing,
and
thinks you’re just playing hard to get. She could think she’s merely doing you a favor, to hurry things along with these lies she’s spreading.”

“One simple answer, puss. Give it just the tiniest bit of thought and you’ll come up with it.”

Raising a black brow, Regina said in a droll tone, “Because you’ve decided to spend your life without a wife?”

“Exactly. So I keep my eyes and hands off debutantes, and any other young misses on the marriage mart. There are quite enough women to enjoy without risking my bachelorhood.”

“Spare me the details, please,” Regina said, rolling her eyes now. “And we can forget about my brilliant idea. There simply are no other young hopefuls this go-round who can even come close to Emily Bascomb in rank and looks. The lady is hands down the reigning belle of the season.”

Jeremy did some hand-patting now. “I’m sure you’ll think of something else, puss. You always do.”

Regina sighed. “But we’re running out of time. She’s already claimed you’ve had a lovers’ rendezvous, when you haven’t. But that little on-dit is going to reach her father eventually, then he’ll be calling on
your
father, and you know how that goes.”

Jeremy grinned at her. “My father will laugh in his face and tell him to go buy her a husband elsewhere, that I ain’t for sale.”

“Then he’ll just move on to Uncle Jason, and you know very well Jason won’t laugh over the matter.”

Jeremy cringed now. “Very well, we are down to desperate measures. Your plan was a good one. Just think of some other chit to play the part who is at least somewhat comparable to Emily.”

Regina shook her head again. “I hate to say it, but we just don’t have a sterling crop of young hopefuls this year. The only other girl who even comes close is already engaged. In fact, I can’t think of a single unmarried woman in all of London who—well, hmmm.”

“What?”

“I should rephrase that. There is one, and I’m looking at her.”

Danny swung around to see whom Regina was talking about and found the pair on the sofa staring at her now. She started blushing. She’d been following their conversation avidly. She didn’t need to ask what Regina Eden meant. She’d just been given an amazing compliment and was still absorbing how nice it felt.

Jeremy glanced back at his cousin and with a frown said flatly, “No.”

“But she’s perfect!” Regina exclaimed. “She quite outshines Emily Bascomb by far.”

“No.”

“And why not? Yes, yes, I know, she’d have to keep her mouth shut, of course.”

“It’s not that—”

“Course it is,” Regina interrupted. “For her to speak at all would quite give away the ruse. Can you keep your mouth shut, Danny?” Danny said nothing, prompting Regina to add triumphantly, “There, you see, she can.”

“Reggie, I love you, but you’ve gone half-baked on this idea now. She can talk well enough when she’s not nervous, b—”

“She can?” Regina interrupted again in surprise.

“Yes, though there’s no guarantee she wouldn’t slip up. But she doesn’t have attire for a ball, and there’s no way a gown of that sort could be done up between now and tomorrow night.”

“So I’ll lend her one of mine.”

He lifted a brow. “Did you grow an extra seven inches last night?”

“So we’ll add a hem. Stop being so negative, Jeremy, you know this will work, especially if she can mimic her betters.”

“It won’t. She can’t dance. She—”

“How d’you know I can’t dance, eh?” Danny cut in now.