Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (173 page)

Scott

Lily had expertly shepherded her through the day, introducing her to influential women, including a patroness of Almack's. Lily had not forgotten, as the cadre of

males had, that Julia was new come to town and there were protocols to follow. Julia had barely been presented at court and had her own come-out before the trouble with Oswalt began. Lily understood all that implied. She'd gone so far as to warn Paine that Julia could not yet dance the waltz since Almack's hadn't given her permission.

Paine had protested the notion, but had earned himself nothing but a sharp rap on the knuckles from his aunt's ivory fan.

Paine's own news for the day wasn't good. His venture to the Brook Street home had been dismaying.

The home had been burgled. The few pieces of furniture the house possessed had been broken, the elegant yin-and-yang cabinet vandalised, its contents shattered on the floor. Paine could not discern if anything was missing and he reported that he doubted anything was taken.

The

brothers concluded that the break-in

had been designed to scare or perhaps to catch.

Somehow, Oswalt had figured out where the discreet residence was and was sending the message that he meant to flush Paine out. There was nowhere to hide.

Fortunately, hiding wasn't part of the plan. They meant to go about in plain sight. Julia spread her own fan and waved it delicately to generate a little air. The evening was warm and standing in line was warmer still. She was glad Lily had suggested the light gown of

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Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

'changeable' pale pink

adorned with ribbon instead

of the one Julia had favoured with heavier beading.

'You look lovely,' Paine whispered in her ear. 'I don't know how you manage to look both sinful and innocent at the same time. I want to devour

'There'll be none of that, Paine, my boy,' Aunt Lily scolded, stepping in. 'It's our turn. Behave.'

Her tone was censorious and a sharp reminder that tonight wasn't only about Julia. It was about Paine returning to the fold with the

of his brother's good

graces. In order for them to put a stop to Oswalt's manoeuvring~,

Paine had to be accepted back into society.

They were announced to the hostess and Julia fought back the impression that the announcement had been louder than anyone else's and that everyone stopped their chatter to stare at them.

'Everyone is staring,' Julia whispered.

'Of course they are. They're wondering who the beautiful woman is on my arm,' Paine encouraged softly. 'We want it this way. We want to be noticed.'

Further conversation was impossible as they approached their hostess. Paine turned on his considerable charm, bowing gallantly over Lady Worthington's hand and they were through.

'See,' Paine said once they entered the ballroom,

'Ramsdens don't skulk. We don't have to slither in and be ashamed of anything.'

'Then we've succeeded,' Julia shot back. It was clear the clusters of people standing near the entrance to the ballroom were indeed staring at them. She kept her head

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enough to meet her eyes.

'Keep moving,' Paine counselled through a smile as he acknowledged an acquaintance here and there in the crowd. His hand never left the small of her back and Julia welcomed its light pressure, its warm reassurance while they navigated the crowd.

'Here. We'll stop here. This will be a good place to our own,' Peyton said at last when they gained a spot near a pillar along the side of the ballroom. Within moments, people seemed to sense that the Earl of Dursley was ready to 'receive'.

People who had watched his progress from the reception line through the ballroom began to their way

towards them. Julia's fear that they'd be shunned was quickly dispelled. Within minutes, they were surrounded by mothers wanting to introduce daughters to Peyton, men wanting to meet Paine and women hoping to do more than meet him, Julia thought uncharitably.

Everyone wanted to hear Paine's story.

The evening served as a pattern card for the evenings that followed. The

brothers were seen at every

affair of merit hosted in Mayfair's ballrooms over the next few weeks, squiring about the sparkling Julia Prentiss with the redoubtable Aunt Lily close by. The story of Julia and Paine's supposed country romance was on the lips of every worthy gossip. Aunt Lily's chaperonage lent the tale credibility. The twosome had met during Paine's reunion with his brothers recently