Surrender (27 page)

thought ruefully. The fact that he had made

no accusation against Edgeworth the night

of their infamous card game had obviously

emboldened the man.

Meditatively Lucas sipped the claret,

aware of his audience. Merivale and his

companion were frowning now, waiting

to see how Lucas would handle what

bordered on a thinly veiled insult to

Victoria's virtue.

 
One would be wise to resist the

temptation to speculate too much on

Miss Huntington's social activities," Lucas

said.
 
Unless, of course, one is prepared

to present oneself at dawn in Clery Field

accompanied by a pair of seconds."

The small tableau of Edgeworth, Meri

vale, and Merivale's friend went abruptly

still.

Edgeworth eyed Lucas through narrowed

lids.
 
Just what is that supposed to mean,

stone vale?"

Lucas smiled his thinnest, coldest smile.

 
Precisely what it sounds like. I am, as you

well know, prepared to let a little matter

such as cheating at cards go unremarked. I

am not, however, quite so sanguine when a

slur is cast on an innocent young woman's

name. I leave the decision up to you,

Edgeworth."

Edgeworth straightened away from the

mantel, his face turning an angry shade

of red.
 
Damn you, stone vale. God damn

you to hell, you bastard. Do you think your

luck will hold out forever?" He turned on

his heel and walked swiftly out of the

room.

Merivale and his companion watched

with open mouths as Edgeworth departed.

Lucas swallowed a far larger amount

of claret than he'd had all evening.

He considered himself fortunate that

Edgeworth did not care to play any

game in which the deck was not marked.

 
Good God," Ferdie Merivale said,

mopping his brow with a linen hand

kerchief.
 
Thought for a moment there I

was going to get my first invitation to act

as a second. I must say, you handled him

very well, sir. Certainly cannot have Miss

Huntington's name bandied about in such

a manner."

 
I should say not," Merivale's companion

put in.
 
Miss Huntington is a very decent

sort of female. Danced with me at my first

ball when I was damn sure I would make a

complete ass of myself on the floor. After

a couple of dances with her, I felt much

more confident, and after being seen with

her, I had no trouble getting other dances,

I can tell you."

 
She was extremely good to my sister,"

Merivale added.
 
Poor Lucinda was stricken

with the most awful case of shyness when

she made her debut a year ago. Frozen with

fear, you might say. But Miss Huntington

took her under her wing and showed her

how to go on in Society. Mama was

excessively grateful, I can tell you. As

a friend of Miss Huntington's, Lucinda

soon got some excellent invitations."

 
Edgeworth backed right down, didn't

he?" the other young man observed eagerly.

 
But, then, lately I have heard rumors the

man don't much care for a fair game of

any kind."

 
I believe, sir," Merivale said slowly,

 
that Edgeworth is a bit annoyed with

you because of that little scene at the card

table a while back. Everyone knows you're

much too good a player to drop an entire

deck on the floor by accident. After you

called for a new deck and began to win,

people started wondering at Edgeworth's

incredible luck in the past. He's finding

it harder and harder to get into a game

these days. Wouldn't be surprised if there's

some talk of kicking him out of his clubs

soon."

Interesting." Lucas nodded briefly at the

two young men.
 
If you will excuse me, I

must be going."

A moment later Lucas walked down

the front steps of the club and hailed

the nearest carriage. Inside, he sprawled

back against the seat and exhaled deeply.

He needed to think.

Idly he rubbed his jaw and stared out

into the night. This game he was playing

with Victoria was getting increasingly risky.

Aside from the very real physical dangers

of their midnight adventures, there was

now a genuine risk to her reputation.

Killing Edgeworth in a duel would not

be enough to silence the gossip, once it

had started.

He could not allow Victoria to get hurt,

Lucas told himself grimly. The thing had

reached a very serious stage. They were

courting an increasing risk of discovery

with every midnight outing, and every

time they were seen together at parties

or in the park, tongues wagged.

Lucas knew Victoria well enough now

to realize that even if he refused to escort

her on any more midnight adventures,

she would probably find some way of

going about on her own. She had grown

extremely confident in her flimsy masculine

disguise.

There was another possibility, too, Lucas

reflected. If he stopped providing escort,

she might very well find another man who

would. And that was the most intolerable

thought.

Lucas absently massaged his leg while

he examined his own logic. It was clear

that the dangerous courtship had to end

and soon. The only solution was to marry

Victoria as quickly as possible.

His nerves would not tolerate too much

more of this wild, reckless, midnight

wooing.

Two days later Lucas folded his arms

across his chest and sent an amused scowl

at Victoria, who was shifting restlessly again

in the neighboring seat. She pretended not

to notice his admonishing look as she

readjusted her skirts.

Next to Victoria sat Cleo Nettleship,

paying rapt attention to the speaker, a

 
certain Sir Elihu Winthrop, who was

delivering a stimulating lecture entitled

 
An Enumeration of the Principles of the

Cultivation of Buckwheat."

Lucas, at least, was finding the subject

stimulating. He was already making plans

to put some of stone vale's fields into

buckwheat. The stuff made excellent

fodder for cattle and sheep and, according

to Winthrop, was frequently consumed

by humans over on the continent. Of

course, everyone knew that people on

the continent would eat virtually anything.

Still, there were periodic shortages of wheat

throughout England and buckwheat might

provide a good emergency grain for his

people.

Victoria began to tap her foot im

patiently. Lucas knew he should probably

not be too hard on her. She obviously had

other things on her mind this afternoon

and he was quite certain he knew what

was making her so fidgety.

Lucas hid a quick smile of satisfaction.

He had absolutely no intention of making

it easy on the lady. Now that he had her

hooked, she was going to have to work a

little more at getting herself landed.

For a moment he allowed himself a few

glittering memories of her sweet passion

and then, when he realized what it was

doing to the region of his groin, he gave his

full attention back to the speaker. Winthrop

was now deep into a discussion of various

methods of manuring buckwheat.

 
Most educational," Lady Nettleship

declared at the end of the lecture.

 
Although I confess I have a much

stronger interest in lectures on exotic

plants. Still, one should certainly be

aware of the newest techniques employed

in domestic agriculture. Did you enjoy it,

Lucas?"

Very much. Thank you again for letting

me know the lecture was going to be held

today."

 
Anytime, anytime. Are you ready to

leave, Victoria?"

 
Yes, Aunt Cleo. Quite ready." Victoria

was on her feet, collecting her bonnet and

reticule.

 
Well, we mustn't rush out of here. I

see one or two people I should speak to

first." Cleo glanced around the room with

enthusiasm.
 
I will be right back."

Victoria shot Lucas a meaningful look

from beneath her lashes as they started

toward the doors of the lecture hall.

He looked down at her, enjoying the

sight of her in a charming little yellow

spencer jacket worn over a white muslin

walking dress. She looked very lovely, he

thought with a sense of possessive pride.

He ushered her politely toward the exit,

nodding at several of the society's members

with whom he was becoming friends.

The departure from the hall took some

time as several people stopped to talk.

Lucas could feel Victoria simmering with

impatience beside him.

 
Is something wrong?" he finally inquired

quite casually as they stood in the entryway

waiting for Lady Nettleship.

 
No, but Lucas, I must talk to you."

 
Then something is wrong?"

 
Nothing is wrong. I simply wish to

speak to you in private and I have not

had an opportunity to do so since the

night we
  
She broke off, turning pink.

Then she gamely cleared her throat and

finished the sentence,
 
Since the night we

went to the Green Pig."

 
Speaking of which, I ran into Ferdie

Merivale the other evening at my club.

You will be happy to know he was not

nearly as annoyed with me as I had

expected. Even thanked me for rescuing

him. It seems he's come to his senses and

feels he had a rather close call."

Victoria's eyes brightened for a moment.

I'm so glad. I have always liked Ferdie and

his sister."

 
Too bad I cannot tell him he owes the

lesson to you, not me. I'd have left him

to his fate, I'm afraid."

 
Only because you were so concerned