The Danger in Tempting an Earl (4 page)

Katherine bit her lip while a slow dread slipped along her limbs. If there was one subject she did not need her friend to broach at the moment, it was the one they had recently been discussing. Thankfully, Lucien appeared to have taken no heed of Louise’s blatant remark and surprised Katherine instead by saying, “All talk of the lovely Lady Deerford aside, I was wondering if you would do me the honor of partnering with me for the next set.”

Tilting her head, Katherine studied him for a moment. Ordinarily, his question shouldn’t have given her pause, except that in all the years she’d known him, he’d never once asked her to dance. Louise must have registered the same thing, for she appeared to be holding her breath while her eyes seemed to say,
I told you so
.

Katherine expelled a shuddering breath. She’d last danced with Charles at the Oakley Ball two years earlier, twirling around beneath the shimmering glow of chandeliers while he’d held her uncomfortably close. She forced away the unpleasant memory and focused on Louise. Her friend was clearly looking for something intriguing to fill her mind and had decided to turn Katherine’s and Lucien’s longtime friendship into something more. She felt inclined to refuse Lucien’s offer to dance on that basis alone. “Thank you,” she told him, “but I—”

“Please,” he implored as he extended his hand toward her. His deep brown eyes bored into her with such intensity that she could have sworn his gaze touched her soul.

A shiver traced the length of Katherine’s spine. Swallowing, she pushed her reservations aside and placed her hand in his. “I’d be delighted to,” she said, offering Lucien her best smile.

“It appears we’ve quite the audience,” Huntley said as the four of them took their places for a country dance. He smiled warmly at Katherine.

“Do you suppose they think we might have forgotten how to proceed and that they’re expecting us to make a cake of ourselves?” Lucien asked as the music started.

He winked toward Katherine, who was equally aware of all eyes being trained upon them. This was not good. Not in the least. Her stomach roiled, and she feared she might be ill.

“No, my lord. I suspect they are far more interested in discovering why you would ask Lady Crossby to dance when you have never invited her to do so before,” Louise said, much to Katherine’s horror.

The smile that had appeared on Lucien’s face didn’t falter as he happily responded with, “How do you know that I have never invited her to dance with me before? Perhaps I did and she declined. After all, it’s not as if she just dropped from the sky.”

Louise chuckled, and Katherine felt her whole face grow warm. Was it really necessary for the two of them to jest like that at her expense? But before she could come up with a quick-witted remark, the music rose through the air and the first pair of dancers started along the colonnade.

Pushing all feelings of discomfort aside with the hope of enjoying the dance, Katherine looked across at her partner. He hadn’t changed overly much since she’d last seen him four years earlier. His hair was still the same dark color it had been then, his eyes almost black beneath two distinguished eyebrows.

Katherine’s gaze settled on his nose. It seemed a bit more crooked than she remembered, forcing her to wonder if he might have had an altercation with someone during which it had been broken.

Louise stirred at Katherine’s side as she stepped forward to meet her husband. They turned about, a vague flurry of movement in the corner of Katherine’s eye as her gaze wandered down to Lucien’s mouth. It was a nice mouth, she decided, and she was immediately struck by the realization that this was the first time in all the years she’d known him that she’d actually spared it any thought at all. In fact, if someone had asked her yesterday if she could describe his features, she’d probably have gotten it all wrong.

She frowned. Was it possible to know someone your whole life and only have a faint notion of what they actually looked like? She reprimanded herself for even considering such a possibility and more so for paying such close attention to what he looked like now. Once again, Louise’s words were having a most annoying effect. Yet in spite of her best efforts, Katherine found it impossible to ignore the observation that her mind had been struggling to resist since Lucien had arrived at Cresthaven earlier that evening—that he was far more handsome in reality than he’d been in her remembrance of him. In fact, there was something hard and masculine about him that she’d overlooked in the past, perhaps because of how well she’d known him. Or perhaps the war had taken its toll on him and he’d changed. It was difficult to tell.

An elbow nudged her waist, and she was shocked to discover that she’d missed her cue. With a muttered apology, she accepted the hand that Lucien offered and allowed him to turn her about. “You appeared to be deep in thought just now,” he said as they stepped closer to each other with both hands clasped together. “I hope nothing’s troubling you.”

“Oh, not at all,” she said, hoping to dismiss the notion and hating how strangled her voice was sounding. Surely he would know she was lying, because really, what could be more troubling than discovering that she’d seen the man she was presently dancing with thousands of times before without really seeing him at all? She eyed him discreetly as they passed along the colonnade of dancers, noting how broad his shoulders appeared beneath the snug fit of his jacket.

“Is something amiss with my attire?” he asked without so much as turning his head in her direction.

Her eyes immediately jerked away. She looked straight ahead. “No,” she said. “Of course not.”

“Then why do you continue to study me as if I’m some rare artifact that the Hunterian might consider putting on display?”

She swallowed and took a breath. “It’s an age since I’ve seen you last, and the carriage was too dark for me to notice if you’ve changed much during your absence.”

“And have I?” he asked as they turned about once more.

“Actually . . . no, I don’t believe you have. In fact, you’re exactly how I remember you, though I think perhaps your nose is a bit more . . . notable than before.”

They moved apart, taking up positions across from each other. Katherine looked toward the other dancers, determined not to meet Lucien’s gaze, which would allow him the chance to discover her lie. She still wasn’t sure of what her revelation meant or how to address it, but she suddenly knew one thing with startling clarity—Lucien was a fine-looking man indeed, and there would be a multitude of young ladies eager to make him theirs now that he was not only back but also unmarried and in possession of a desirable title. She snuck a glance at him again and berated herself for not noticing before how handsome he looked.

Good Lord, what was happening to her?

She’d known the man her entire life, and not once before had she considered his appearance. She wasn’t quite sure if she ought to chastise herself for her negligence or applaud herself for not being shallow. The issue was most confusing, more so with Louise insisting that the
ton
would assume there might be more between them than mere friendship.

It was her turn to dance with Huntley while Louise partnered with Lucien, crisscrossing between each other before being handed back to their rightful partners. “I broke it in a fight about a year ago,” Lucien said as they linked arms and spun about.

“I thought you might have,” Katherine said. They returned to their places in the colonnade and waited while other couples danced along it. And then it was their turn again. They stepped toward each other and she put her hand upon his arm so he could guide her along while the other dancers watched.

“By the way,” she said, ignoring the shyness that plagued her, “I have to compliment you on your dancing. You haven’t stepped on my toes once. What a pity it is that we haven’t partnered before—I quite enjoy it.” She looked up at him with a hesitant smile just as he turned his head to meet her gaze. The corner of his mouth tilted and a dimple formed. Katherine blinked. If this was how he looked at other women, it was a wonder he hadn’t yet married. Surely every unmarried lady must have had him on her mind at least once.

“As do I,” he told her smoothly.

There was a mischievous playfulness to the way he spoke that completely caught Katherine off guard, making it difficult for her to discern if he’d moved onto a different topic without her and had just referred to something else entirely. Not knowing how to respond, she kept quiet and focused on the dance, afraid that if she spoke, she’d sound like a girl straight out of the schoolroom. Her irritation grew. She didn’t like this effect he was having on her—how uncomfortable he was making her feel, when she’d always been accustomed to an easy camaraderie between them. Perhaps his lengthy absence was to blame and they required more time in which to become properly reacquainted.

Having completed their progress, they resumed their places in the colonnade while the music faded. He bowed and she curtsied. When he offered her his arm and asked if she would care for some refreshment, she accepted, then proceeded to ponder the awkwardness between them while she sipped her champagne.

There was no doubt that she was a very different woman than the one he’d left behind, and since that was the case, he might be a very different man than the one she’d last seen. Four years could have a dramatic effect on a person, depending on their experiences during that time, and he had not only been to war but had lost his brother as well. It would have been ridiculous for either one of them to expect the other to have remained unchanged.

Accepting a dance with a gentleman who’d just offered, Katherine excused herself to Lucien and returned to the dance floor with her new partner. She hoped that she and Lucien could find a means by which to rebuild the closeness they’d once shared, though she expected that doing so would take time and effort on both their parts. One thing was for certain—she could never allow him to know what she’d been through in his absence. Telling him would only give rise to unnecessary arguments filled with anger and pain—emotions she had no desire to stir up again.

Chapter 3

L
ucien watched from the sidelines while Katherine danced a quadrille. He was painfully aware of the age-old possessiveness that gripped him, especially when she was in the company of another man. He took a lengthy sip of his champagne. It had been both wonderful and torturous to dance with her, the mere touch of her hand heating him deep within, even though she wore gloves. Keeping his true feelings for her at bay had not been an easy task. Indeed, it had been not only frustrating but also harder than ever before—a true effort in discipline. Or perhaps he’d just forgotten with time how easily she affected him. Perhaps it had always been this difficult. He was damned if he knew.

Katherine laughed in response to something her partner said, and Lucien took another sip of his drink, fighting the urge to storm out onto the dance floor and claim her as his own. He had to be patient with her and progress slowly if he was to open her mind to the idea of sharing her future with him, for he knew all too well that she had never viewed him as anything more than a dear friend and brother-figure—the boy who’d taught her how to skip stones across the lake and whistle with a blade of grass. Lucien winced. He had fond memories of those days gone by, but he’d also never given Katherine a reason to consider him romantically, perhaps because he’d thought she deserved better. As a second son, he had not been able to offer her the title that she, as the daughter of a baronet, ought to have. This feeling had only been amplified when he’d overheard their mothers talking one day over tea. They’d been discussing the coming Season when Dame Bethany had distinctly said, “It would be such a feather in Katherine’s cap if she could land a peer.”

“I must confess that I’ve always liked the idea of her marrying one of my boys,” his own mother had said with careful deliberation.

“Oh! Do you really suppose Lord Leveen might consider making her his viscountess? After all, she’s quite a bit younger than him.”

“Actually, I was thinking of his brother, Lucien. He’s always seemed very fond of her, so I’m sure he’d treat her well.”

“Er . . . yes, of course. I suppose that might be an option as well.”
In the event that all else fails,
Lucien had imagined her thinking. “Didn’t he just buy a commission in the army, though? I have to tell you, Lady Roxberry, that as much as I like Lucien, he cannot offer her nearly as much security as a man of Lord Crossby’s stature, for instance, can.”

Lucien hadn’t stayed to hear the remainder of what had been said, but he recalled with sharp clarity how inadequate he’d felt. Even now, years later, he felt his heart squeeze in his chest. Things were different now, however. He’d witnessed the horrors of war and suffered the loss of his brother. Nothing could have opened his eyes more to the fleeting fragility of life. No, he would not waste another moment wondering about “what if’s.” Instead, he would do everything in his power to win Katherine, but in order for him to do so, she would have to develop an awareness of him . . . to realize that he was not some nonsexual being but a man capable of fulfilling her every desire.

Christ
. It would not be easy, and if he failed, he would in all likelihood lose the most important friendship he’d ever had. The risk was great, to be sure, and in the event that it all went pear-shaped, he would no longer be able to flee the country as he had before—not with the responsibility of earl resting upon his shoulders. But his brother’s dying words still echoed through his mind.
Make her yours
. Lucien tightened his hold on his glass. No matter the heartache he’d suffered, he’d been offered a second chance, and he was determined more than ever before to risk everything if there was but a speck of hope that Katherine might one day return his affections.

Gritting his teeth, he watched as Katherine’s dance partner leaned a bit closer to her—too close—and whispered something in her ear. She blushed and looked away.

Damnation!

“It’s good to see you again,” a deep voice spoke.

Lucien blinked. He’d been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed anyone coming up beside him. He turned his head to find Lord Winston, the Duke of Kingsborough’s brother, at his left shoulder. “You too,” he said as he shook Winston’s hand. He’d always liked both him and his brother, even though Winston was quite a bit younger than Lucien.

Winston plucked a champagne glass from the tray of a passing footman. He took a quick sip before saying, “I’d like to offer my condolences. Not only for your father but for your brother as well. They were good men, both of them, and they shall be dearly missed.”

Lucien nodded. He knew that Winston and his siblings had recently suffered a similar blow when their father had taken ill and died a little over a year earlier. Lucien’s mother had written to Lucien, informing him of the news in the same straightforward manner with which she addressed all the events that ought to be known by a future heir to an earldom. He returned the sentiment to Winston, and they stood for a moment in companionable silence until Winston broke it by saying, “You must have seen some marvelous places while you were away.”

Lucien nodded. “I can’t deny enjoying the opportunity to travel the Continent after the war. The countries differ dramatically from north to south and east to west in both culture and climate.”

“I’ve been thinking of taking Lady Winston and the twins to see Paris and Rome.”

“Ah, yes . . . I attended the premiere of Rossini’s opera,
The Barber of Seville,
in Rome back in February. It was indeed a spectacular affair.”

“I’ll have to invite you for dinner one day so you can tell us more about it—advise us on the best places to visit, where to stay and where to dine.”

Lucien chuckled. “I’d be happy to.” Looking toward Katherine, who was still twirling around on the dance floor, he wondered if he’d ever have the opportunity to share these places with her.

“It would be a lovely way for Lady Winston and me to celebrate our next anniversary.” Lord Winston paused for a moment before saying, “Speaking of which, I suppose you’re planning to get yourself settled soon. Will you be attending the marriage mart this coming Season?”

“I must confess that the notion nauseates me,” Lucien said.

Lord Winston nodded. “I daresay my brother shares your sentiment, though I suppose he will have to suffer it eventually if he is to do his duty—as will you.”

Lucien snorted. “Not if I can help it.”

His friend eyed him suspiciously for a moment. “Don’t tell me you already have someone in mind. Some foreign beauty hidden away at Roxberry Hall, perhaps?”

Lucien smiled. “Nothing quite that exotic, I fear.”

“Hmm . . . if you ask me, I always imagined you’d marry Lady Crossby—before she married the viscount, that is.”

Lucien raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And why is that? Don’t tell me you’re planning to expand your business by publishing a newspaper and that you’re secretly looking for a good story.”

Lord Winston laughed. “No. I’m quite content with what I already have—no thoughts of expansion—but I’ve always been of the opinion that you and Lady Crossby would make a very good match.”

Lucien snorted again. “We are merely friends.”

“And yet I couldn’t help but notice that you danced with her this evening . . . for the very first time.”

“Are you always this astute?”

“Actually, it was my wife who pointed it out to me,” Lord Winston confessed.

Lucien grinned. “Well, you may tell her ladyship that I thought it only proper to ask Lady Crossby to dance, since this is her first public appearance in so long. I merely meant to offer my support.”

“How very good of you.”

“And,” Lucien added, “you may remind your wife that I also danced with Lady Deerford this evening, and I can assure you that I have no designs on her.”

“I should hope not,” Winston choked out.

Lucien took another sip of his drink, adding, “And I have every intention of dancing with a few more ladies this evening. Perhaps I’ll even ask your wife, or do you suppose she’ll wonder if I’m trying to seduce her as well?”

“I daresay I—”

“Ah! There you are, my dear,” a warm voice crooned. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you since my arrival, but there are so many people and too many blasted feathers about, blocking my view.”

Turning to his right, Lucien bowed toward the lady who had just spoken. “Grandmamma,” he said. “It is absolutely delightful to see you again.”

“Oh tosh! You make it sound as if it’s been an age since we saw each other last, when it’s only been a few hours.” The old woman flicked her wrist and peered at Winston, who’d also greeted her with a bow. “My lord, I simply must compliment you on this evening’s celebration. The floral arrangements are absolutely breathtaking.”

“Thank you, Lady Roxberry, but this is entirely my mother’s doing.”

“Nevertheless, I am thoroughly impressed. This is not the first Kingsborough Ball I’ve attended, you know, but I daresay it promises to be the most memorable one.”

“If for no other reason than the pumpkin carriage Mama acquisitioned for the occasion,” Winston murmured, then quickly changed the subject by saying, “I see you have no refreshment, my lady. May I have the honor of fetching you a glass of champagne?”

Lady Roxberry’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Surely one of the footmen can save you the effort.”

Leaning toward Lucien’s grandmother, Winston lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I fear that whatever they bring will not be to your liking.”

This was met with a loud guffaw from her ladyship, and try as he might, Lucien found it impossible to stop himself from laughing as well, for what only few people knew was that Lady Roxberry favored brandy over anything else and that she oftentimes drank the stuff watered down and from a champagne flute so she might appear more sophisticated and ladylike to others.

“In that case, I give you my sincerest thanks, Lord Winston,” Lady Roxberry said. “I shall look forward to your speedy return.”

“I assume Mama is here somewhere as well,” Lucien said as soon as Winston left, “and that you did not leave her at home.”

“Unfortunately I had no choice, my dear—she claimed a megrim, and I could hardly accuse her of being dishonest. After all, it might very well be true . . . this time.”

“I doubt it,” Lucien muttered with mixed feelings of annoyance and concern. If only his mother could get herself out of the rut she was in. He was certain that socializing would help, but how could it when she was determined to barricade herself in her bedroom?

“Well, at least I managed to get here, though I did arrive a little later than I’d planned. I daresay you chose to take the best carriage when you set out.” Lucien’s grandmother heaved a great big sigh and looked around the room. “Now, where is Lady Crossby? I haven’t seen the dear girl since Crossby’s funeral. It would be nice to talk to her under more agreeable circumstances.”

“You’ll find her just over there,” Lucien said with a nod toward the dance floor.

“Have you danced with her yet?” Lady Roxberry asked.

“Yes,” he said.

Lady Roxberry nodded. “Good.” She didn’t elaborate, leaving Lucien with the uneasy feeling that he hadn’t quite understood her meaning. He hadn’t a chance to contemplate it much, since she spun toward him with startling speed, pinned him with an even stare and said, “You’re quite a handsome devil, you know, just like your father was and your grandpapa before him.”

Lucien blinked, taken aback by the force of her tone. “Thank you for that compliment, biased as it is,” he murmured. He leaned toward her and smiled. “You’re quite lovely as well.”

Her cheeks dimpled. “Oh tosh! You needn’t flatter an old bird like me, Roxberry. I’m well aware that I resemble a prune.” She looked toward the dance floor, and her lips immediately thinned. “I must say I don’t approve of the gentleman Lady Crossby is currently dancing with. You ought to step in and save her, Roxberry. Why, look at her, she’s positively scarlet! Whatever can that man have said to her?”

Lucien had no desire to contemplate it.

“Oh dear,” Lady Roxberry said, sounding perfectly distressed. “She looks so terribly unhappy, don’t you see?”

Lucien did, and it made him want to grab Katherine’s dance partner by the scruff of his neck and give him a good shake. No doubt the man had just propositioned her.

Thankfully, the dance soon drew to a close. An idea began to form inside Lucien’s head. He looked at Katherine as she curtsied to her partner. The man offered her his arm and began leading her away from the dance floor and toward the refreshment table. Lucien forced himself to remain where he was and quietly asked his grandmother, “Who do you suppose will be the most sought-after lady this coming Season?”

The old woman eyed him suspiciously. “I believe the Earl of Rockly’s youngest is showing great promise. She had her debut last year but declined the attention of all the gentlemen vying for her hand. She is not only considered an incredible beauty—a diamond of the first water, as they say—but she is also reported to be delightfully charming.”