Rapturous Rakes Bundle (27 page)

too self-contained a man to suffer the pangs of unre-

quited love. She felt a certain curiosity to meet the

woman who could have so profound an effect on such

a formidable man.

Kestrel Court came into view now at the end of the

lime avenue. It was a beautifully proportioned build-

ing, tall, classical and elegant.

‘It is one of Justin’s smaller properties,’ Lucas said,

and Rebecca laughed. If anything was going to remind

her of how far she had stepped out of her class in

undertaking this venture, it was this opulent world.

Once she had lived on the edges of it, but that had

been a very long time ago. She felt as though a whole

lifetime had passed between then and now.

The carriage stopped at the edge of a flight of shal-

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low steps and Lucas helped her down himself, escort-

ing her up to the door and into the entrance hall. A

glass cupola scattered light across the stone floor. A

wide iron staircase climbed to the first floor. It was

very beautiful and really rather frightening. Rebecca’s

hand tightened unconsciously on Lucas’s arm and he

gave her a reassuring smile.

‘You will find it easy to take your place in Mid-

winter society, Rebecca. You have already shown

great self-assurance.’

A maid showed her up the broad flight of stairs to

a well-appointed room on the second floor. Rebecca

stood by the window, one hand resting on the thick

pale-blue velvet curtains, and looked out across the

formal gardens, over the roof of the dower house of

Saltires, which looked positively diminutive beside its

grander neighbour, and out to the sweep of Kestrel

Bay. The sun was a great red orb sinking fast into the

ocean, and opposite it a tiny sliver of moon climbed

into the darkening sky. Rebecca stood still and

watched as a pale smudge on the horizon seemed to

draw closer and take shape before her eyes; a schoo-

ner, its tall masts dark against the inky horizon, its

white sails furled. It glided across Kestrel Bay, the sea

carved into ripples by its wake, and then it slipped

stealthily from her sight beyond the curve of the shore.

Rebecca sighed. Never had she felt closer to Daniel

and never had she felt more alone. A part of her cried

out to Lucas. She wanted the comfort and the protec-

tion of his arms. She wanted to tell him the whole

truth, but she could not.

She stepped back and drew the curtain against the

approaching night.

Chapter
Nine

‘Welcome to Midwinter, Miss Raleigh,’ Lady Sally

Saltire said, her green eyes sparkling as she shook Re-

becca warmly by the hand. ‘Curious, but I had thought

I knew every relative that Justin possessed!’ Her spec-

ulative gaze moved from Rebecca to the tall figure of

the Duke of Kestrel, who was chatting to Lady Ben-

edict across the other side of the ballroom.

‘Nevertheless, it is a pleasure to make your acquain-

tance,’ Lady Sally continued. ‘We are always de-

lighted to have new company in the Midwinter vil-

lages.’

‘Thank you, Lady Sally.’ Rebecca was quite daz-

zled by their hostess, who had drawn her away from

Lucas’s protective presence with a skill that argued

great social aplomb. Lucas was currently standing

some twenty feet away and looking as though he did

not quite dare step in to rescue her. Rebecca found it

rather amusing that Lady Sally Saltire appeared to

have all the Kestrel brothers neatly under control.

Lady Sally had followed the direction of her gaze

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205

and was now eyeing Lucas’s impatient figure with in-

terest.

‘It seems to me, Miss Raleigh, that Lord Lucas Kes-

trel is another who has been delighted to be reac-

quainted with his cousin,’ she observed. ‘He looks as

though he would much prefer a closer relationship

with you, however. He has scarce strayed from your

side since you all arrived. His interest is most con-

spicuous.’

Rebecca found herself blushing and was surprised

and vexed. She knew she would never be able to carry

off her role if she was so conscious of Lucas’s pres-

ence. Yet it was difficult not to be aware of him. Over

the last few days they had driven out together several

times, attended the assembly in Woodbridge, joined a

picnic of Lady Benedict’s devising and generally

drawn as much attention to themselves as possible. It

had been part of the plan to involve Rebecca in Mid-

winter society as quickly as possible, but it had also

thrown her into Lucas’s company almost all the time,

and he had been quick to take advantage of their prox-

imity.

Rebecca had found herself enjoying his company

far too much for her own comfort, taking pleasure

from his conversation and easy companionship. Yet

beneath Lucas’s measured courtship ran other feelings

that could not be ignored. Dangerously, she felt as

though she was starting to like as well as to love him.

Slowly but surely, she was being drawn into an inti-

macy she could not avoid, did not want to avoid. The

protectiveness that Lucas showed towards her was

both tender and terrifying. It made her want him all

206

The
Rake’s
Mistress

the more. Worse, he never touched her other than to

hand her into the carriage, or accompany her in the

dance, and conversely, Rebecca found herself desper-

ately wanting him to take her in his arms. She ached

with the memory of his lovemaking. It broke her sleep

and left her trembling to remember the feelings he had

evoked. And she knew that Lucas could sense how

she felt, for often she caught him watching her and

saw the flash of desire in his eyes, desire held under

supremely tight control, that left her shaken and long-

ing for his touch.

Lady Sally eyed her high colour shrewdly. ‘I beg

your pardon for mentioning it, but perhaps you are not

indifferent to his admiration, Miss Raleigh? One must

congratulate you, for I always thought Lord Lucas the

most dangerous of the Kestrel brothers because he ap-

peared never to have a heart to lose...’

‘Well, he need not lose his heart to me,’ Rebecca

said, giving herself a mental shake and assuming the

role of the indifferent object of Lucas’s affections. ‘I

have no desire to be the subject of Lord Lucas’s rakish

attentions.’

‘You disapprove of rakes, Miss Raleigh?’ Lady

Sally said, smiling. ‘Many ladies deplore them—

whilst secretly hoping, of course, to be seduced by

one!’

Rebecca stifled a laugh. ‘If Lord Lucas wishes to

behave like a rake then that is, of course, his own

concern,’ she said, ‘as long as he does not seek to

practise on me. I am not susceptible to his charm since

I was betrothed to another.’

‘I heard that you buried your heart along with your

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207

fiance´,’ Lady Sally said sympathetically. She touched

Rebecca’s hand. ‘I feel for you, my dear Miss Raleigh.

However, you may find that Lord Lucas’s regard is

the very balm that you need for your wounded feel-

ings.’

‘I suppose that he is considered quite a catch,’ Re-

becca said, watching as Miss Chloe Ducheyne from

Woodbridge artlessly drew Lucas’s attention and in-

veigled him into private conversation.

‘I assure you, Miss Raleigh, that ladies would wade

across the Winter Race for a chance to engage Lord

Lucas’s interest,’ Lady Sally said, and they laughed

together.

‘I hope that you will join my reading group whilst

you are staying with us?’ she added. ‘It is rather fun,

although you may find it another opportunity for the

Midwinter quizzes like myself to question you shame-

lessly about your cousin.’

Rachel Newlyn had already told Rebecca all about

Lady Sally’s reading circle and Lucas had encouraged

her to take part if invited, pointing out that it was the

ideal way to mingle with the ladies of Midwinter. Re-

becca was not averse, for she had taken a liking to

Lady Sally and thought that the chance to read and

discuss books would be rather a novel and exciting

luxury for her.

‘You are no quiz, Lady Sally,’ she said, laughing,

‘but, yes, I should be delighted to attend the meeting

of the reading group.’

‘Capital!’ Lady Sally said, smiling broadly. ‘We are

currently studying
The
History
of
Miss
Harriot
Montague.
Are you acquainted with it, Miss Raleigh?’

208

The
Rake’s
Mistress

‘I fear not,’ Rebecca said. ‘Is it a morality tale?’

‘Of a kind.’ Lady Sally flicked her fan. Her eyes

were amused. ‘Truth to tell, it is an improbable story

of a prosy girl who suffers endless hardships and con-

quers them all through her virtue. I find it dull, but the

more impressionable ladies in the group enjoy the

drama. I will lend you my spare copy and you may

tell us what you make of it, Miss Raleigh. A fresh

opinion is always welcome.’

The Duke of Kestrel was approaching and Lady

Sally turned to him with a swish of green silk. ‘Justin,

my dear! I was telling your charming cousin that we

will look forward to her attending the next meeting of

the reading group.’

‘Splendid,’ Justin Kestrel said. He smiled at Re-

becca, but she noticed that his gaze warmed still fur-

ther as it returned to Lady Sally’s piquant face.

‘May I claim your hand for the quadrille, Sally?’ he

asked smoothly.

‘Certainly you may,’ Lady Sally said, throwing him

a sparkling glance. ‘I think I half-promised it to Mr

Lang, but will gladly allow you to pull rank, Justin!’

‘I do believe that my brother is intending to ask you

for this dance, Rebecca,’ Justin Kestrel said, offering

Lady Sally his arm. ‘Do you think that you could try

to be kind to him just this once?’

‘I fear not, your Grace,’ Rebecca said sweetly. ‘I

should not like to give him false hope.’

‘So cruel,’ Justin said, shaking his head ruefully.

‘And so wonderful to see Lucas hoist by his own

petard,’ Lady Sally said cheerfully. ‘Bravo, Miss Ra-

leigh!’

Nicola
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209

Left on her own, Rebecca took the opportunity to

study the rest of Lady Sally’s guests and see if her

own impressions matched the descriptions that she had

been given by Lucas. Miss Lang and Miss Ducheyne

were both young, flighty and utterly over-excited by

the fashionable company in which they found them-

selves. Rebecca thought it likely that Miss Ducheyne

might spontaneously combust if she smouldered any

harder in Lucas’s direction. The sight of the girl hang-

ing on Lucas’s arm should have amused her but it did

not, so she turned away and studiously considered the

other guests. Miss Lang’s brother Caspar, whom Lady

Sally had just snubbed in order to stand up with the

Duke, was a young man with a very good opinion of

himself. Sir John Norton likewise, although he was not

such a young man and rather florid, running to fat. He

was paying a great deal of attention to Lily, Lady Ben-

edict, whom Lucas had said was an old school friend

of Lady Sally. Despite Sir John’s fulsome interest it

seemed that Lady Benedict would have preferred the

compliments of Cory Newlyn, who was so wrapped

up in his wife that he scarcely noticed her... Rebecca

sighed, wondering why it was that the unobtainable

was so attractive.

Lucas, meanwhile, seemed quite content to stay by

Miss Ducheyne’s side rather than claim his supposed

cousin for a dance. Rebecca found herself trying to

look at him objectively. By anyone’s standards he was

a good-looking man, and within Lady Sally’s glittering

and sophisticated social circle he appeared carelessly

confident and at ease. Rebecca had never been shy