Slightly Tempted (6 page)

"Thank you," she said, favoring him with one of her haughtiest glances as she took his offered arm. "I should like that."

It was a hard, well-muscled arm. He was almost a full head taller than she, she noticed, though she was tall herself. He was taller than Lord Gordon. He was looking down at her with the now-familiar mocking smile-as if heknew that she recognized his game but believed he could win it anyway.

"It must have been quite a challenge," she said, "to plan a picnic by moonlight."

"I daresay it was," he agreed, "for Monsieur Pepin of the Pepin agency. But you would have to ask him if you wish to be sure. Hedid try to involve me with one or two of his more tricky decisions, but I reminded him that I was paying him a rather handsome fee to take all such tedious burdens upon his own shoulders. Did I do right?Was he reliable? One of his questions-momentous to his mind, I suppose-was whether to have tables brought out here or to have blankets spread on the ground."

His eyes now were positively laughing at her.

"Tables and chairs are more comfortable than blankets," she said. "And they looked very picturesque when we arrived, formally set as they were."

"I would have been crushed," he said, laying his free hand over his heart, "if you had spoken in favor of blankets."

Despite herself she smiled.

"And another question," he told her, "was whether to allow the moonlight and starlight to filter through the shades of the forest-assuming it would not be a cloudy night-while only the tables bore lamps, or whether there should be lanterns hung in the trees and so interfere with the beauties of nature. I am afraid I do not have the philosophical mind to deal with such thorny issues. I made it very clear at that point that I wasnot to be consulted again except with the direst emergency-like the moon moving to a different galaxy or an army of foresters moving into the forest to chop down the trees.Did Monsieur Pepin make the right choice, do you suppose?"

"Lanterns like these, strung just so, enhance the beauty of nature for such an occasion," she said. "They do not spoil it."

"I would have been devastated," he told her, "had you said otherwise."

She laughed outright.

How could one take such blatant, theatrical flirtation seriously? She was not meant to, she guessed. She also guessed that the Earl of Rosthorn was somewhat cleverer than she had expected. He had realized, of course, that she would know what he was up to and so was making no attempt to hide his motives. He was deliberately making her laugh and enjoy herself instead.

Well, shewas enjoying herself too-this was better than boredom. But he had better not believe that she would be softened into compliance with his plans for her-whatever they might be.

They had been strolling about the picnic area, well within sight of Lady Caddick and anyone else who cared to check up on her movements-Alleyne, for instance, who was there. By now most of the guests were on their feet and mingling with one another. Laughter and animated conversation proclaimed the fact that Lord Rosthorn's picnic was a resounding success.

Morgan expected that he would return her to Lady Caddick's table after a decent while-and bide his time until the dancing began. But the earl was in no hurry to relinquish her company. He kept her hand tucked into the crook of his arm while he began circulating among his guests, exchanging brief greetings with most, stopping for a lengthier exchange with a few.

Morgan was acquainted with almost everyone and so was quite at her ease. But she noticed that he had her arm rather firmly pressed to his side so that she could not slide it free even if she had wanted to without drawing attention to what she did. He had every intention of keeping her with him-almost as if she were the hostess of the evening, or the guest of honor. Almost as if they were an established couple. It really was not quite proper for him to single her out thus for such prolonged and marked attention. She wondered if they would be spoken of tomorrow as an item-Lady Morgan Bedwyn, who was almost betrothed to Captain Lord Gordon, and the mysterious, rakish Earl of Rosthorn. It took so little to become the object of speculation and unsavory gossip-as of course he must be well aware.

But it amused her to play his game for a while at least. Only Lady Caddick and Rosamond and the officers awaited her once she was returned to her table.

She had expected something a little more . . . dangerous, perhaps, but the evening was not yet over.

Even as she thought it, he bent his head closer to hers and spoke for her ears only.

"The noise of conversation and the press of the crowd are considerable, are they not?" he said, touching his fingers to the back of her hand on his arm. "Perhaps I ought to have exerted myself sufficiently to instruct the agency not to invite everyoneand his dog. It would be very pleasant, would it not, to find more space and more room in which to breathe and feel at least the illusion of greater solitude?"

"I believe, Lord Rosthorn," she said, slanting him a sidelong glance, "it is said quite correctly that there is safety in numbers."

He recoiled as if in deep shock. "You thought I was suggesting something improper?" he asked her. "You have wounded my gentlemanly sensibilities. I merely intended to show you what Monsieur Pepin showedme shortly before the arrival of my guests. It is a remarkably clever something. Do allow me to show you. You will not even for a single moment step beyond the eagle scrutiny of your chaperon."

Lady Caddick, Morgan saw at a glance, was in the midst of a crowd of officers, who were all apparently playing merry court to her daughter. It seemed altogether probable that the lady had forgotten Morgan's very existence.

"Very well," she said. "Show me."

It had appeared to her until then that the lanterns had been strung in a rough circle about the picnic area. But in a few places, she could see when Lord Rosthorn pointed them out, winding avenues tangent to the circle had been created with more lanterns-places to stroll among the trees without being plunged into total darkness and without risk of becoming lost. Each lighted avenue eventually wound its way back to the main picnic area.

"Is this not brilliant?" he asked, a mocking gleam in his eyes. "Ialmost wish that I had taken an active role in the planning of this party so that I could claim credit for it-semiprivate avenues for those who wish to be semiprivate together."

Morgan paused when he would have led her into one such avenue.

"Brilliant indeed," she agreed. "But I do not need to go any farther. I can see very well from here how cleverly it has all been designed."

He laughed softly.

"You fear I seek to abduct you,chérie ?" he asked her. "In full sight of a veritable horde of my own guests? At all points this central area is visible from the avenues, which are not, of course, real avenues but only winding paths through the trees. And you see? Already, even before the dancing begins, other couples have discovered these quieter walks for themselves. Allow me to show you."

His French accent had become more pronounced. And he had called herchérie again. He was, she realized, moving on to the next, more dangerous stage of his game. She wondered briefly why he had chosen her. Because she was very, very wealthy, perhaps? Rakes were not notorious for exerting their charms on the very young without some such motive, were they?

"But you already have," she assured him, gazing up at him with deliberately large, innocent eyes.

"Ah," he said, "you fear that I am a big, bad wolf. My apologies, Lady Morgan Bedwyn. I would not press my attentions upon a young lady who is afraid of me."

Well, that did it, of course. Even though she knew very well that she was being jerked like a puppet on a string, she reacted as he expected her to react. She bristled.

"Afraid?"Her fingers found the fan that was dangling from one wrist, grasped and opened it, and fanned her face vigorously with it. "Afraid ofyou, Lord Rosthorn? Perhaps you do not understand what it means to be a Bedwyn. We fear no one, I assure you. Lead the way."

He grinned at her and she read appreciation in his eyes as they stepped into one of the lantern-lined avenues and were immediately caught up in the illusion of privacy and seclusion.

"Finally," he said, "I begin to enjoy the evening in precisely the way I imagined doing from the start."

"With me?" She fanned her face again and looked up at him, her expression haughty, even scornful. "You imagined enjoying itwith me ?"

"With you,chérie, " he said, his voice low.

"Allthis was for me?" she asked him. "This whole evening?"

"I thought it might amuse you," he said.

She stopped walking and closed and dropped her fan to dangle from her wrist again.

"Why on earth?" she asked him.

"Why did I believe it would amuse you?" he asked. "Because you are young,chérie, and the very young enjoy picnics and moonlight and music. Is it not so?"

"I meant," she said coldly, "why me, Lord Rosthorn? Why do something as lavishly extravagant as this for me when I am a total stranger to you? It was grossly presumptuous of you!"

"Ah,mais non, " he said, "not quite a stranger. We have been properly presented. We have waltzed together."

"But something as elaborate as this on the strength of an introduction and one dance?" she said, waving one arm imperiously in the direction of the picnic area. "I believe, Lord Rosthorn, you have singled me out for dalliance. Ibelieve your intentions are not honorable."

"Honorable." He laughed softly. "I am not about to drop to one knee and beg you to become my countess, if that is what you mean,chérie ." The swaying light of a lantern caught the laughter in his eyes. "But it seemed to me at the Cameron ball that I recognized in you a kindred spirit, one that chafes against the stuffiness of society's confines and longs for freedom and adventure. Was I wrong?"

"And any longing for freedom and adventure that I feel must necessarily lead me into dalliance withyou, Lord Rosthorn?" she asked him scornfully. "You presume too much."

"Do I?" He tipped his head to one side and observed her closely.

"What did you plan?" she demanded. "You have gone to extraordinary lengths to get me here. Now what are you planning to do with me? Steal a kiss?Seduce me?" She raised her eyebrows. Perversely, she realized that she was enjoying herself enormously. Two could play this game.

"Seduce?"He slapped a hand to his heart and looked mortally shocked. "Would I bring these hordes of people out here,chérie, including a whole regiment of military gentlemen, I daresay, if my intention was to ravish you almost publicly? I might end my picnic in spectacular fashion by being hanged from one of these trees-or run through by a dozen swords."

"But you cannot deny that you planned to steal a kiss?" she asked.

He leaned a little closer to her.

"I would quarrel with your use of the past tense," he told her.

Being the youngest of the Bedwyns-by far the youngest and female to boot-had always set her at an enormous disadvantage during any family altercation. But if she had learned one tactic well it was that the best defense was frequently offense. And surprise.

"I suggest, then, Lord Rosthorn," she said crisply, "that we step out of this avenue, which according to your own admission is visible from every part of the picnic area, and into the forest itself. Or do you wish to be seen to kiss me-or to attempt to do so?"

He pursed his lips and his eyes danced with merriment. He made her a courtly bow and offered his arm.

"I wish to see the contrast between the night forest and the picnic area, of course," she told him as he turned them away from the avenue marked out by lanterns. "Between nature in its raw state and nature with man's interaction."

"Ah," he said, "so this is merely a nature walk, is it?"

"I may," she said with careful disdain, "allow you to kiss me before we return, Lord Rosthorn, or I may not. If I do, it will not be a stolen kiss but one that I grant-or withhold."

He threw back his head and laughed outright.

"You are not afraid that I will then steal a second and a third,chérie ?" he asked her.

"No." Already light and sound had receded sufficiently that she could focus upon the forest. She stopped walking and looked up. "I will not allow you to. I probably will not allow even one."

"Perhaps no one has mentioned my reputation to you," he said, stopping too and releasing her arm in order to lean back nonchalantly against a tree trunk. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Perhaps I am dangerous,chérie . Perhaps youshould be afraid of me."

"How foolishly you speak," she told him. "If you meant me any real harm, you would keep very quiet about your unsavory past and hope that I had not heard of it elsewhere." Though she had to admit to herself that standing as he was andwhere he was-in the dark forest with no one else close by except her-he really did look very dangerous indeed.

He chuckled.

"What is to be tonight's particular topic of nature study?" he asked her, his voice lazy and teasing.

Actually, it really was lovely to be away from the crowds and the worst of the noise. The night sky was still bright with starlight and scored with the high branches of the trees. She would punish him by pretending that there was no danger at all, that she had invited him out here simply for companionship.