Surrender (67 page)

want to think she was also right when

she claimed that Victoria had no doubt

accepted the marriage because it was the

reasonable thing to do. He did not want

to be merely a tolerable husband.

He could not bring himself to believe

that when Victoria shivered and cried out

in his arms, she was merely performing

her wifely duty. She cared for him, he told

himself. He was almost positive she could

learn to love him again if she would just

stop erecting defenses to protect her pride.

Her damned female pride was all that kept

her from the final surrender.

Lord Potbury smiled in genial welcome

when he saw Lucas coming toward him.

 
Good to see you again, stone vale. Must

say your bride is looking positively radiant

this evening. How are things in Yorkshire?"

 
Very well, thank you. But I miss our

weekly meetings of the society. Wanted to

ask how the electricity experiments were

proceeding. Heard of any more interesting

work in that area?"

Lord
  
Potbury
  
brightened.
   
Grimshaw

had a bit of an accident last week.

Gave himself a terrible jolt. Thought he

was done for at the time, but he is quite

recovered now.

 
I'm relieved to hear that. What was he

working on?"

 
Thinks he's got an idea for creating a

smaller, more compact system for storing

electrical energy. Have to hope he doesn't

kill himself with the stuff before he finishes

his work on the invention."

 
I read something recently about more

work on reanimation of the dead," Lucas

said casually.

 
Yes, yes, saw that bit myself. Quite

interesting, but so far no one's seen any

reanimated corpses walking about." Potbury

chuckled.

 
You don't believe that line of experi

mentation will prove fruitful?"

 
Who can say for certain? But personally

I'm highly doubtful."

 
Yes," said Lucas.
 
So am I. Which

means that we must look to the living

for answers."

 
Beg pardon?"

 
Never mind, sir. Just making an obser

vation to myself. If you will excuse me, I

think I shall try and forge a path over to

where my wife is standing."

 
Good luck. Quite a crush here tonight,

ain't there? And getting worse. More people

arriving by the minute. Probably going to

be the rout of the Season. There's Lady

Nettleship. Looks quite lovely tonight,

doesn't she? Believe I'll try to make my

way over to her."

Lucas nodded politely and started off

through the crowd. Progress was difficult

because nearly everyone he passed insisted

on stopping him long enough to congratulate him.

He was midway in his journey across the

ballroom when one of the liveried footmen

stepped into his path. He held out a small

silver tray on which lay a sealed note.

 
A man appeared at the door and asked

that this be given to you, my lord," the

footman said politely.
 
I am sorry for the

delay. It took me a while to find you in

the crowd."

Lucas frowned and picked up the note,

nodding abruptly in appreciation of the

service. He put a few coins on the tray

and the footman disappeared into the sea

of guests.

Have information that should interest

you concerning certain incidents. Very

urgent. Am waiting outside in black

carriage near corner.

Lucas crumpled the note and looked

across the room to where Victoria was

standing in a group of chattering, laughing

people. He started toward her again, this

time not pausing politely when he was

greeted by well-wishers.

 
I wonder if I might steal my wife for

a moment or two," he said as he moved

through the small crowd around Victoria.

It was a command, not a request, and

everyone stepped back immediately.

Victoria looked up in surprise and

then smiled knowingly at the women

in the group.
 
Men go through such

a change after marriage, do they not?"

she murmured by way of apology.
 
Why

is it they are always so accommodating

and gallant before the wedding and so

dreadfully dictatorial afterward?"

Lucas took her arm and led her a short

distance away, aware of the laughter and

giggles behind him.
 
I shall only keep you a

minute, madam, and then you may return

to your observations on husbands."

 
Lucas, I was only joking, for heaven's

sake. What is it? Is something wrong?"

 
I don't know. I just got this." He showed

her the note.

She read it with widening eyes.
 
Edge

worth?"

 
It must be him. He probably does not

have an invitation and could not get inside

to talk to me. I am going outside to see

what he wants. I came to warn you I would

be missing for a while. I did not want you

calling attention to the fact that I'm gone.

I don't know how long this will take."

Victoria glanced around assessingly.
 
I

think it will be perfectly possible for you

to slip away unnoticed. Do you know, I

believe we could both slip out. This crowd

has gotten so huge no one would guess we

had left. Anyone looking for us would just

assume we were at the other end of the

room or on the balcony or in the card

room or even outside in the gardens."

 
Victoria
 
."

Her expression brightened with anticipation.
 

Yes, I am certain we could both slip

out. You go first and I will just sort of

casually move out into the gardens, hop

over the wall, and pop around the corner.

You can meet me there."

 
Are you out of your mind?" He was

thunderstruck even though he supposed

he should have been expecting something

along this line.
 
You will do no such thing.

I absolutely forbid it. You are to stay right

here, Vicky. That is a direct order. Under

no circumstances are you to leave this

ballroom. Do not even go out into the

gardens for fresh air. Do you hear me?"

 
Very clearly, my lord. I assure you, you

have made your point. Honestly, Lucas,

sometimes you have the most annoying

tendency of putting a damper on something

that particularly interests me."

 
Forgive me, my dear, but sometimes

you have the most annoying tendency of

coming up with the most idiotic notions

I have ever heard. Now go back to your

friends. I shall return as soon as possible."

 
I will require a full report as soon as

you get back inside the ballroom."

 
Yes, madam."

She put her hand on his arm and her

eyes were suddenly very intent.
 
Lucas,

promise me you will be careful."

 
I am sure there is no danger in this,"

he said soothingly.
 
But I give you my

promise." Then he scowled briefly at the

decolletage of her gown.
 
The only real

danger around here tonight is that you

might catch a severe chest cold."

She grinned.
 
I shall try to keep warm by

dancing. On your way, Lucas. Hurry back."

He wanted to kiss her full on her lovely

mouth but knew that was impossible. Such

a public display of affection would be

quite scandalous. Absolutely unthinkable.

Except that he could not seem to stop

thinking about it.

 
Vicky?"

 
Yes, Lucas?"

 
Do you still find me merely a tolerable

husband?"

 
Quite tolerable, my lord," she said

cheerfully.

He turned and pushed through the

crowd toward the windows. He took his

time, not wanting to call attention to

himself now. When he was satisfied no

one would think it amiss if he stepped

outside for a breath of fresh air, he

did so.

And kept on going.

The Athertons" garden wall was no more

difficult to climb than Lady Nettleship's.

Lucas found a few chinks in the bricks,

a handful of ivy, and a moment later he

was over the top and safely down on the

other side.

He found himself in a narrow alley that

was nearly pitch dark. It stank, as all

London alleys seemed to do, but other

than that presented no great difficulty.

He walked around to the front of the

house and moved through a group of

lounging coachmen and grooms who were

throwing dice.

He paused in the shadow of a team of

horses and scanned the line of carriages.

Near the corner, a little removed from

the others, was a small, black vehicle of

undistinguished lines. The coachman was

on his box, apparently waiting.

Lucas circled around two other coaches

that stood between him and the small,

black one and came up on the far side

of the vehicle.

 
Were you by any chance expecting

someone?"

The coachman turned around with a

start and peered down at Lucas.
 
Yes, sir."

 
Perhaps I am he."

 
Never even saw you come out of the

house," the coachman said with a touch

of admiration.
 
Got a passenger inside who

wants to have a word wi" ye."

Lucas glanced speculatively into the dark

carriage and saw a man lounging in the

corner. He reflected that being obliged

to leave the party unobtrusively as he

had, he had not been able to collect

his greatcoat. There was, of course, no

way to secret a pistol in his close-fitting

evening clothes. Pity.

 
Good evening, Edgeworth. Waiting for

me, I presume?"