One Rogue Too Many (12 page)

Gabby’s heart did a triple flip. “But how? No one has been allowed to view the Corby collection. The former viscount was very protective of his oils and marbles, and his heir isn’t rumored to be any different.”

“I have connections,” Anthony said with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

He knew just the thing to make her blood run hot.

“Good heavens, Lord Ellis. If we were not on display, I’d demand you take all kinds of liberties right now.”

He nearly choked on his ice cream, but once he’d recovered, a smile eased across his lips. His eyelids returned to half-mast, his wispy blond lashes giving his blue eyes a smoky appearance. “Let’s find a way to be out of the public eye.”

Oh, yes. Lord Thorne had been completely wrong. A man who knew her desires and wanted to please her was arousing beyond words.

Twelve

Despite Anthony’s best intentions, he hadn’t managed to steal anything more than a courteous kiss on Gabby’s hand when he’d returned her to Talliah House after their outing to Gunter’s. The duke and his duchess had come strolling through the gates the instant his carriage had rolled to a stop in front of the massive town house, thwarting his plans to whisk Gabby away to a secluded spot.

He had been paying call for the past three days, and he still hadn’t been spared a moment alone with her. It seemed her damned brothers would always be underfoot. At the moment, Richard and Drew were taking turns interrupting them in the drawing room. He and Gabby could barely speak a sentence without one of her brothers popping in to ask a question or retrieve an item.

Gabby didn’t seem to notice in her excitement. “Do you think the rumors are true? Could Lord Corby truly have a Rembrandt?”

Her eyes shone brightly, their color an iridescent shade similar to her lavender gown.

“We’ll soon find out.” He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her ivory cheek. She would rival any artist’s masterpiece, but to speak this sentiment aloud would make him feel awkward. He allowed his hand to communicate for him and brushed his thumb over her ample bottom lip. She pressed a featherlight kiss to the pad.

A groan sounded deep in his throat. “Gabby.”

Bang!

They jumped apart, their heads whipping toward the sound. Drew stood in the threshold with a book at his feet. “How clumsy of me.” He bent to retrieve the book, but his eyes didn’t stray from them. If Anthony didn’t know better, he would swear his friend was glaring at him.

Gabby huffed. “Why are you still here? Doesn’t Lana usually keep you on a leash?”

Drew strolled to the chair opposite the settee and plopped down. “What my wife does or doesn’t do is none of your concern, princess.”

Gabby lifted a haughty brow. “And what I do is none of yours, so stop spying on me. His wife should put him in a cage,” she said confidentially to Anthony.

Anthony chuckled, but Drew didn’t crack a smile. It wasn’t like Gabby’s brother to be so serious. When he continued to glower, Anthony sighed and scooted a little farther away from her on the settee. His best friend was becoming a blasted nuisance.

The dowager Duchess of Foxhaven swept into the drawing room like a petite tempest, smiling broadly. He and Drew stood. “Lord Ellis, I’ve come to understand you are responsible for this lovely outing today. Gabby has been beside herself with excitement.”

“Mama,” she demurred.

“And rightly so,” her mother said. “No one has ever been invited to view Lord Corby’s collection.”

“I’ve seen it,” Drew said with a chuckle, his good humor returning at last.

Gabby blinked. “You have? When?”

“Long time ago. You’ll enjoy it.”

The duchess gestured to her daughter. “We should go if we wish to arrive on time.”

As Gabby and her mother walked toward the doors ahead of him, Drew detained him. The ladies left them alone.

“If you hurt her, I’ll kill you,” Drew said through clenched teeth. “You know she was in love with you.”

Anthony hoped she
still
was in love with him. He calmly extracted his arm from his friend’s grip. “I am courting her, not trying to seduce her.”

“It appeared otherwise when I walked in.”

“I intend to marry her first, but I will bed her eventually. You should grow accustomed to the idea.”

“Egads!” Her brother drew back with a grimace and covered his ears. “Be quiet, man.”

Anthony laughed and slapped his friend on the back. “Might I suggest you mind your own concerns if you don’t wish to hear anything further about your sister’s love life?”

Dimples dented Drew’s cheeks. “Fair enough. But don’t forget your pledge. Marry her first, and never speak of this to me again.”

“You have my word.” Anthony straightened his waistcoat and followed the same path the ladies took.

“One more thing,” Drew said as Anthony reached the threshold. “Keep her away from the far end of the south gallery.”

Anthony raised his eyebrows.

“Let’s just say Corby has a secret collection that
should
be kept private.”

***

Goose bumps rose on Gabby’s arms as she stood in front of Lord Corby’s Botticelli. The artist’s subject boasted a face so soft, the woman seemed otherworldly, and yet the detailing was so expertly defined, it kept her from floating off the canvas. The painting appeared effortless, like anyone could do it, which was the hallmark of genius in Gabby’s opinion.

She hugged Anthony’s arm where they were linked. “If only I had half his talent…”

Anthony tipped his head to the side and studied the painting. “It’s nice, but I think your drawings are more lifelike.”

She slanted a smile up at him. “Do you remember when I sketched you at Twinspur Cottage that summer?”

“Do you refer to the drawing where you gave me the hind quarters of a mule?”

An unexpected laugh burst from her, earning a few amused stares from the small party perusing the expansive gallery. “I had forgotten about that drawing,” she said, lowering her voice to match the quiet murmurs around them.

Anthony sniffed. “Well, I obviously haven’t, but it’s hard to forget your brothers’ jibes.” He leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Does the name Anthony the Ass sound familiar?”

This time when she laughed, he joined her.

She glanced around the private home gallery and sighed. The space was spectacular with crimson walls and gilded pedestals for the sculptures. Perhaps someday she would have a similar gallery to display her work.

They wandered arm in arm to a tasteful nude painting, her heels a dull echo against the parquet flooring. Gabby found the painting rather tedious given every home she visited had the requisite piece—either in oils or marble—depicting a male or female in a state of undress. She gestured to the painting. “I declare, once you’ve seen one nude, you’ve seen them all.”

He grinned. “How worldly you are, my dear.”

“You know my meaning,” she said, wrinkling her nose. She wasn’t nearly as worldly as Anthony and her brother, although she was adept at eavesdropping. Drew’s warning to keep her from the south end of the gallery piqued her curiosity. What could Lord Corby possibly have secreted away? Something very scandalous, no doubt.

She held her tongue as Lady Corby meandered past with Lady Eldridge and Gabby’s mother. The three ladies were preoccupied with some incident from the last Mayfair Ladies Charitable Society gathering, but she didn’t want to chance them overhearing her.

Once they had moved far enough away, she whispered, “Do you think Lord Corby’s mother knows about his secret collection?”

Anthony smirked. “And you accused your brother of spying.”

“I wasn’t spying. I just have excellent hearing.” She tried to draw him toward the south end. “Let’s take a peek.”

He dug in his heels. “Absolutely not. Your brothers would have me drawn and quartered. Besides, I’m sure it is unfit for ladies’ eyes.”

The stubborn set to his jaw told her it was pointless to argue. Therefore she must be clever instead. “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. I assumed he had rare pieces he wanted to protect.”

His eyes narrowed as if he didn’t trust her. She smiled sweetly. “Thank you for arranging this today. I still cannot believe I’m here. Should we look for the Rembrandt?”

The stiffness in his shoulders melted and his easy smile made
her
melt, leaving her warm and tingly.

“I mean that sincerely, my lord.”

“Anything to please you, Lady Gabrielle.”

Anything except allow her to view their host’s private collection of scandalous art. Of course, she couldn’t hold it against him, since he meant well.

Gabby spotted the Rembrandt first and drew him toward it.

“What do you think?” Anthony asked after several moments of her staring at the painting.

She nodded, too overcome with emotion. The work was dark and weighed on her. How amazing that any form of art could alter the feelings of those who stood before it.

She blinked back tears. It was silly to cry over something like this, but the painting reminded her of her father. Anthony’s fingers gently curled around her arm where they were still linked. Somehow he understood.

He discreetly passed his handkerchief to her. “Would you like a glass of lemonade?”

She touched the pristine white square to the corners of her eyes. “That would be lovely.”

As Anthony walked away, she couldn’t help following his retreat with her eyes. He was more to her than a set of well-formed calves and strong back, but she wasn’t blind. The sight of his body clad in tight breeches created an odd sensation in her lower belly. It was both delicious and frightening.

Just as he passed the stairs on the way to the refreshments, Sebastian Thorne appeared at the landing.

Drat!
Anthony had been in a good mood all afternoon, and the baron was going to ruin everything if he started up with his flirting again. Perhaps if she could avoid Thorne for a bit, he would turn his attentions on one of the other young ladies Lady Corby had invited.

Gabby hurried away from the men, hoping she wouldn’t be spotted before she could find a hiding place. When she reached the south end of the gallery, it came to her. Lord Corby’s secret room would be the perfect location to dodge Lord Thorne. Now, she just had to find it.

She almost barreled past the massive tapestry claiming a prominent space on the wall, but it moved. Just a little. Like a breeze had disturbed it, and last time she’d checked, solid walls were not breezy.

She looked over her shoulder and with everyone at the far end paying her no attention, she lifted an edge of the tapestry and slipped inside the hidden room. A small window cast dim light over the space, and she stopped a few steps from the threshold to allow her eyes to adjust. There was a relief hanging on the wall in front of her, but she couldn’t make out the figures at once. She walked toward it. When the relief came into focus, she gasped.

Thirteen

Anthony sighed as Sebastian Thorne snagged a glass of champagne from a passing footman and approached. “What are you doing here?”

Thorne raised his glass in salute. “I was invited. Generally, this isn’t my idea of an entertaining way to spend an afternoon, but when I heard Lady Gabrielle was attending…” The baron flaunted a cocky grin. “Does she like this sort of thing?”

Anthony swallowed his sarcastic reply, which involved a word or two not appropriate for mixed company. If Thorne knew anything about Gabby, he would know of her likes and dislikes. “When are you going to abandon this quest?”

Thorne shrugged. “Not until she signs her name on the church registry, I suspect. The question is which of us will she marry?” He sipped his champagne and gazed around the room. “Where is Lady Gabrielle? I would like to offer my regards.”

Anthony looked over his shoulder where Gabby was supposed to be waiting for him, but she was gone. He slowly spun on his heel, searching the massive room, but there was no sign of lavender skirts among the groups of ladies chatting together.

Bollocks
. He had a good guess where she’d gone. “She’s visiting the retiring room,” he said with authority.

His sight landed on Lords Corby and Ledbery standing with their backs to a towering marble statue in the center of the room. They wore expectant grins, their eyes alight with a feverish quality.

Anthony nodded toward them. “They have taken bets on which of us will win Lady Gabrielle’s hand.”

“I’ve heard.” Thorne didn’t sound troubled in the least.

“It’s unseemly to drag a lady into their wagers.”

“It’s what they do. I have found it best to ignore the addlepates. I would wager they have a bet now on whether we will come to fisticuffs today.”

“I hate to disappoint them,” Anthony said dryly.

Thorne chuckled and sketched a bow to the men. “Perhaps another time, Ellis. I want to look nice for my lady, and your blood on my coat wouldn’t do.”

“She’s my lady, remember?” he said under his breath. “Do yourself a favor and find your own.”

He headed toward the south section of the gallery, not finding Gabby with any of the other ladies. He should have known not to leave her alone. When he caught Gabby in Corby’s secret room, she was in for a good scolding. The trouble was he didn’t know exactly where it was located.

As he passed a tapestry of a maid collecting water from a well, he heard a sound and skidded to a stop. He listened closely and after a while, thought he might have imagined the noise. He started to resume his search.

“Oh, my!” a soft voice squeaked.

With a shake of his head, he yanked the tapestry back and stormed into the hidden room.

Gabby cried out and wheeled around to face him, her hand clutched to her chest.

“Gabrielle Forest, your brothers would line up for a turn to tan your hide. What are you doing in here?”

Her face seemed paler in the dusky light, and she wagged a finger toward a sculpture of a man and woman copulating in a most unusual position. “Is—is that what men and women do?”

He bit back a laugh. “That is but one way.”