Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (234 page)

72

The Viscount Claims His Bride

However, until he could manage to tarnish St Just's sterling image a bit, he'd follow the old adage of keeping one's friends close and one's enemies closer. It was time to pay a visit to the garden.

Chapter

didn't see Lucien approach, but was instead alerted to his arrival by the sudden tenseness pose and the feral light that lit his green eyes. She tried to slide her gloved hand discreetly from Valerian's grasp, but the effort was nothing more than an afterthought. The stormy visage Lucien wore made it clear that he had already seen her hand in Valerian's.

She resented the intrusion. For a short while, she and St Just had been companionable, simply and Valerian again, like they had been on the dance floor. She'd liked the soft, intimate tones between them as they discussed her marriage to the duke. She'd liked the absence of witty repartee designed to spear the other, the social politics of claiming and possession. With

interrup-

tion, all that was back, and back in force. The moment Valerian had spied Lucien, he'd become all St Just again-the rakish diplomat who would not

74

The Viscount Claims His Bride

be cornered or made to feel guilty for his actions by any man.

'Philippa, it's freezing out here,' Lucien said, rubbing his hands together for good effect and trying to minimise Valerian's presence by ignoring him.

'What could possibly bring you outside?'

'We're reminiscing, catching up,'

offered

smoothly. It was true. They'd been talking of the past, nothing more.

'My dear, that is why we have a dozen sitting rooms, expressly for the purpose of talking.' Lucien forced a laugh.

'Is that true or is it merely an example of hyper-bole?' Valerian put in, shielding his eyes against the wind and making a great show of surveying the manor as if he could count all the sitting rooms and doubted the manor was large enough to uphold Lucien's boast.

couldn't decide what she wanted to do first: laugh at Lucien's bluff being called-the manor was large by Truro standards, but there weren't twelve sitting rooms unless one counted the small salons attached to a few of the larger bedchambers-or strangle Valerian for

at

Lucien's pride so deliberately and with no greater purpose than to antagonise the man.

'St Just has
an
interest in gardens. I thought he'd enjoy seeing yours,'

interjected quickly.

Valerian smiled beside her. 'Yes, the family seat has extensive gardens over on the

Penin-

sula. I am eager to get back to them.'

Lucien smiled back. 'I hope you aren't in such a

Scott

large hurry to get back that you won't stay on with us for a while? Perhaps I could entice you with a visit to some excellent gardens nearby?' Lucien offered magnanimously. 'I've heard

that the new

vicar in Veryan, just a few miles from here, has been rebuilding the vicarage and has plans to expand the gardens. I could arrange for you to ride over and talk about plants and whatever else you gardening types enjoy talking about.'

turned to Valerian. 'Please say you'll stay. I know the vicarage. It's lovely and you would enjoy meeting Samuel

the vicar. He's an avid

landscaper. The two of you would have much in common.' The thought of Valerian leaving, after having only discovered he'd returned was suddenly unpalatable. But he wouldn't stay if he thought he was beholden to Lucien in any way.

'Who knows what other pleasant surprises might crop up if you stay long enough?' Lucien put in, playing the expansive host to the hilt. 'With luck, you could be one of the first to congratulate me on my good fortune. I have proposed to our dear Duchess this very morning. I thought it was best to start the year off on the right footing, beginning as I mean to go on and all that.'

felt the colour go out of her cheeks. How dare Lucien call his angry, jealous retort a proposal.

She was keenly aware of Valerian's probing stare.

'Has our "dear Duchess" accepted?' Valerian asked of Lucien, although his eyes didn't leave her.

'She

Lucien began glibly.

'She has not accepted the proposal,'