The Hellion and The Heartbreaker (5 page)

The one
she wore was a bit snug and both the sleeves and hem were half an inch too
short, but it was the best Tess could do under the circumstances.  She
hated it of course.  It was dreadfully uncomfortable, and made even worse
by the ridiculous shoes that had already begun to pinch her feet.  As if
that weren’t bad enough, the tortoise-shell combs Tess had insisted on using to
pin back her hair were digging unpleasantly into her scalp.  But, if this
is what she had to endure to convince Colin that she didn’t need to be sent
away to Briarwood, then she would endure it.  The plan she had come up
with had been set into motion, and now it was time to execute it. 
Squaring her shoulders, she stepped into the dining room just as the men were
getting ready to sit down. 

Gavin was
the first to see her.  His face clearly registered his shock as his eyes
swept her from head to toe.  Fearing that her brothers, Rory especially,
might give her some good-natured teasing over her sudden transformation, she
bit her lower lip nervously as she moved further into the room.  As if on
cue Rory noted her appearance, and as she’d suspected his jaw dropped. 
Fortunately, before he could speak, Gavin apparently recovered from his own initial
shock, cleared his throat and nudged Rory, sending him a pointed look that
clearly said;
don’t say anything stupid!
  She owed Gavin for that
one.

“Scarlett,
how pretty you look,” he said quickly as Rory turned from him and back to her,
staring once again in wide-eyed, slack-jawed surprise.

Suddenly
all eyes were upon her, including the Duke of Worthe’s.  He was standing
next to Colin drink in hand, his expression unreadable as he took in her
feminine garb.  Colin was much easier to read.  Though momentarily
startled, he was obviously pleased.  Setting his own drink down on the
sideboard, he immediately walked to her side.  When he stopped before her,
pride and admiration were evident in his gaze.  Bending down, he whispered
in her ear.  “Thank you, Scarlett.”

She smiled
with genuine pleasure, not only because her plan appeared to be working, but
because it felt rather nice to make her brother proud.

Offering
her his arm, Colin immediately led her over to where the duke stood.

“Scarlett,
I would like you to meet my good friend Lord Alec Weston, the Duke of Worthe.”

Of course,
they had already met years before, but Colin didn’t know that.  Would the
duke say anything now she wondered with sudden trepidation?

“Hello,
Your Grace,” she said, while executing a polite curtsey as Tess had instructed
her to do.  She offered him a timid smile and hoped for the best.

“Hello
Scarlett, it’s an honor to meet you,” he replied with a nod, and a polite smile
that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

The
tightness in her chest loosened.  She hadn’t realized she’d been holding
her breath.

As they
sat down to dinner Scarlett found herself sitting directly across from the
duke; who was seated to Colin’s right.  Conner sat next to him, while Rory
and Gavin were seated to her left.  Normally, when it was just the family,
dinner was casual and relaxed.  Tonight however, her brothers were all
freshly shaven and wearing finely pressed white shirts and formal black dinner
jackets and trousers, as was the duke.  The table was set with their
finest china, silverware and crystal, and the footmen stood regally at their
posts.  The setting was far more formal than she was accustomed to, and
she was surprised at how grown up she suddenly felt.  Despite the
continual urge she felt to tug at the constricting neckline of her gown and the
unending desire to kick her uncomfortable shoes off under the table, she knew
that she had made the right decision.

When the
first course was set before her, Scarlett’s eyes drifted to the opposite side
of the table, and for the first time she took a good hard look at Alec
Weston.  He was incredibly handsome; there was simply no denying it. 
There were several young men at Grey Oaks whom she considered handsome, but
Alec Weston was in a league of his own.  Even she, with her limited
experience, could tell that much.  She was certain her friend Bethany
would readily agree.  Almost as if he had read her thoughts, he turned
toward her, his green-eyed gaze locking with hers.  She noted the subtle
lift of his brow and quickly turned her attention to her plate.

“I heard
Foxhaven’s bay broke a long-standing record at Newmarket last week,” Alec said,
turning to Colin.

“Bested
the Earl of Ainsleigh’s grey by more than three lengths,” Colin replied, pride
evident in every word.

“Your
racers are becoming the talk of the season.

Colin
nodded in agreement, his expression pleased.  “The bay was the second
two-year old from our stables to break a record on the Rowley Mile this
season.”

“And the
thoroughbred we sold to Haverston last fall took several records at Nottingham
just two weeks past,” Conner added.

“Here’s to
the McPhearson stables,” Gavin said proudly, raising his wineglass, “the finest
in the land.”

“Here,
here,” Rory chimed in, grinning and nudging Scarlett as he raised his own
glass.

“Here,
here,” Conner, Colin and Alec, echoed, raising their glasses aloft.

Scarlett
eagerly joined her brothers in the toast, following their example and raising
her water glass to her lips, delighting in the cheerful mood.

Throughout
dinner, as the servers brought out course after course of the chef’s most
succulent dishes, the atmosphere remained jovial.  Her brothers made it a
point to include her in the conversation, and for perhaps the first time, Rory
and Gavin treated her like a young lady rather than as just another one of the
boys.  She felt special, and she had to admit that she liked it.  She
remained fairly quiet throughout the meal however, content for the most part to
simply watch and listen.  She could tell that her brothers, Colin and
Conner especially, were very pleased with her behavior.  Hopefully, if all
went well during the course of the duke’s visit she would prove to them that
she didn’t need Briarwood.  It seemed rather ironic that the man whom
she’d once considered an adversary, might now prove to be her ally, albeit an
unwitting ally.  Be that as it may, if her plan worked she would be
eternally grateful nonetheless.

As the
evening progressed, Scarlett found herself eyeing Alec Weston with increasing
frequency.  His rapport with her brothers was friendly and easygoing, not
at all pompous or reserved as she might have expected from someone with such a
lofty title, and when he and Colin began to reminisce about their days at
school it became clear that he had a spirited sense of humor as well.  He
laughed often, and she found the warm, pleasant sound almost as appealing as
his smile.

Alec
noticed Scarlett’s eyes upon him repeatedly throughout the meal, though he did
his best to ignore her lingering glances.  It was unnerving.  Though
he had long ago grown accustomed to admiring glances from members of the
opposite sex, Scarlett was scarcely more than a child.  It seemed much
more likely that she was sizing him up for another attack, as opposed to
finding him attractive.  Having witnessed her earlier display of temper,
he wasn’t deceived for an instant by the feminine attire she now wore, nor by
the polite manners she currently displayed, and he definitely planned to keep
his guard up.

“Poor
sod.  I hear they plan to announce the engagement next week.”

Colin’s
comment drew Alec’s attention back to the conversation at hand, their friend
Lucas Devereaux’s impending nuptials.  Poor sod was right.  Alicia
Barton, his intended, was about as attractive as a fence post and had a
personality to match.  Her father was enormously wealthy however, and
thanks to a series of bad investments by his father, Lucas’s family was in dire
need of Alicia’s substantial dowry.

“Leg-shackled
within the year, he has my sympathies.”

“You’d
best be careful, Alec, or before long it will be
me
offering my
sympathies to
you
,” Colin teased.

“Not
bloody likely,” Alec replied in exaggerated horror.

“With
every eligible young lady in London chasing after you, you’re bound to get
caught eventually.”

“Bite your
tongue,” he said, grimacing at the thought.  After witnessing firsthand
the debacle of his parent’s marriage, getting married himself wasn’t something
he was looking forward to.  In fact, he intended to put it off for as long
as possible.  But unfortunately, what Colin had said was true.  Much
to his friend’s continued amusement; he
was
a prime target for the
marriage-minded females of his class, but “getting caught” was something he
intended to avoid until well into the distant future.

Once the
final course had been cleared, Colin announced that the men would be heading
into the nearby village for some amusement.  What kind of amusement, he
didn’t say, but Alec was certain that it would involve liquor and women, and he
was more than willing to partake.

Moments
later, watching as Scarlett bid all of her brothers a good night, Alec merely
smiled politely when the little vixen turned and bid him the same, relieved to
have made it through the evening meal unscathed.

The next
morning, Scarlett once again donned a dress.  It was a tad small, similar
to the one she’d worn last night, and just as uncomfortable.  But for her
plan to succeed, comfort was a sacrifice she was willing to make, at least for
the time being.  Knowing that her brothers would still be abed as she went
downstairs, she was surprised to find Lord Weston already seated in the
breakfast room and dressed for riding.  As she had the night before, upon
entering the dining room she hesitated a moment at the threshold, feeling
suddenly unsure of herself.  She mentally debated whether or not she
should turn to leave, but just then the duke noticed her and looked up from the
paper he’d been reading.

Alec was
up early, despite the late night, for he intended to enjoy every moment of his
week in the country and lying abed until midday wasn’t on the agenda. 
Apparently young Scarlett was off to an early start as well.  She was
dressed like a girl again, Alec noted, although her hair wasn’t as neatly done
as it had been the night before.  He couldn’t help noticing the ill-fit of
her lavender-striped gown, similar to the green one she’d worn last night, and
wondered if the dresses were solely for his benefit.  Obviously she wasn’t
accustomed to wearing them or she would have one that fit.

“Good
morning, Scarlett,” he said politely, if not warmly, and remained seated.

Scarlett
dipped a polite curtsey and responded in kind.  “Good morning, Your
Grace.”  The room was devoid of servants at that particular moment, but
the sideboard was piled high with scones, muffins, fruits and warming plates
filled with eggs and sausages.  She glanced toward it uncertainly.

Alec
sensed her uneasiness and wondered what she was thinking.  He called to
mind the old saying
, keep your friends close and your enemies closer
. 
“Please, join me,” he said, motioning to the chair opposite him.

The fact
that he remained seated was not lost on Scarlett.  The subtle insult was a
clear indication that all had not been forgotten, nor forgiven between
them.  Ignoring the slight, she nodded and moved toward the table. 
She could sit and ring for one of the servants, the
proper
thing to do
she supposed, but she was accustomed to doing things for herself. 
Hesitating for only a brief moment, she grabbed an empty plate from the table
and then walked to the sideboard.

Alec
watched her in silence, somewhat surprised to see her serving herself.

Scarlett
chose a large sticky bun and some fresh strawberries, and then seated herself
at the table.  There was a pitcher of juice on the table and she poured
herself a glass.  The duke went back to reading his paper.

She
nibbled on the sticky bun for a few minutes, wondering if she should say
something or simply remain silent.  Not a quiet person by nature, she
quickly grew uneasy with the heavy silence.  The duke however, remained
fixated on his paper, seemingly oblivious to her presence.  Finally, she
couldn’t stand it any longer and broke the silence.

“Why
didn’t you tell my brothers what I did?”  There, she’d done it.  She
had asked the question that had been troubling her for two long years.

Alec
slowly put down his paper and looked at the young girl sitting across from
him.  He’d been waiting for her to say something and was surprised it had
taken so long.  He remembered that impertinent little mouth all too well,
not to mention the teeth.  He’d also seen the little spitfire in action
once again, just after his arrival the day before.  Dress or no dress, he
knew full well that she hadn’t donned a new personality along with her
clothing.  He’d been expecting the worst though and the soft-spoken
question took him by surprise.

Studying
her for a moment, he failed to detect any malice in her expression, just simple
curiosity.  Nevertheless, he knew better than to drop his guard.  He
decided to answer her honestly though, at least partially.  “I understood
why you wanted to keep him,” he said.  “I suppose I couldn’t really blame
you for being angry that you couldn’t.”  He failed to add the primary
reason, that telling Colin that he had been assaulted and made to look a fool
by his pint-sized sister, would have been completely and utterly degrading.