The Lady Plays Her Ace (The Langley Sisters) (2 page)

"Don’t be an idiot, Mr. Dillinger," she snapped, surprising him. "You know one of my brothers well enough to understand he would never allow me to attend such an event."

There was that forthright manner he’d always liked. Another woman may have attempted to lie her way out of this situation, but not Lady Althea Ryder.

"I don’t believe I have been called an idiot for quite some time, Lady Althea, and would vehemently refute that accusation were it leveled at me by anyone but you."

Her eyes narrowed as they studied his.

"Why won’t you refute it with me?"

"Because you are a duke’s daughter."

Her brows met in the middle. "And therefore I am free to insult you without recourse?"

"Precisely," Ace agreed.

"That makes absolutely no sense, Mr. Dillinger, and I believe makes you sound more of an idiot than I had originally believed."

He was a man who had worked hard to be where he was today. Learnt to read and write, and now spent hours poring over books to better educate himself. Idiot he was not. Nor was he used to people labeling him as one.

"Let me clarify my position for you, my lady. I once said something to an earl’s daughter, and it nearly landed me in prison. Therefore, I may be an idiot in your eyes, but I am someone who understands how the world and its inhabitants work, and I do not repeat my mistakes…ever."

Ace remembered the vile taste the entire incident had left in his mouth. He had been lucky that he had a few friends in high places that were willing to stand up for him. If they had not, he would have been locked away after Lady Thompson had accused him of fondling her breasts. Her father had come upon them, and she had screamed, acting as if Ace had instigated the entire incident and not the opposite, as was actually the case.

"And after this experience you have deduced that all noblemen’s daughters would act in the same manner?" She didn’t look happy now; in fact, she looked furious.

"In short, yes, as unlike you I do not have a long list of illustrious ancestors at my back to protect me should I need it."

"My lady, please—"

Ace turned to look at the servant again as he spoke, feeling that now was a good time to change the subject. "Have we met before?"

"We fought once, Mr. Dillinger, many years ago in London."

"I thought your face was familiar," Ace said, shaking the man’s hand. He didn’t ask the outcome of the fight, as he had rarely lost and he remembered the faces of the few men who had beaten him.

"It was an honor to do so, Mr. Dillinger, if I may say so."

"You never told me you fought him, Ted," Lady Althea said, entering the conversation although she was still scowling.

"I don’t believe the topic ever arose, my lady."

"I think we should make our way to the rear, as we are drawing attention." Ace intervened before she could question her footmen further.

"But I can see better here."

It wasn’t a demand, or spoken in shrill tones. It was just stated as a fact, and one she believed she had a right to voice. Foolish bloody woman. Will would have a seizure if he knew his little sister was in such a place, surrounded by these men, just as Ace would if one of his sisters were here.

"My lady, if you do not move I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of this barn." Ace spoke the words in a low voice while he held her eyes. She should have been afraid, as it was a tone he used to great effect when required; however, she was not. "Your brother is my friend, and as such I am acting as your protector, as it appears you obviously need one."

"There is no need to use that tone with me, Mr. Dillinger. I assure you I am quite capable of caring for myself with Ted at my side, and furthermore, had you not approached us then we would not now be drawing the attentions of others."

Ace muttered something beneath his breath before taking her arm and steering her towards the rear of the building. Nudging her in front of him with a little more force than was polite, he then placed a hand in her back and propelled her forward; her footman fell in behind him. Once they reached his original position, behind everyone else, he removed his hand from her now stiff spine.

"To address your last comment, Lady Althea," he said, once again lowering his head to look in her eyes. "You and I both know that if your brothers were to hear of you being here, in this barn, with this many men, only a few of which are gentlemen, then you would have a great deal of talking to do. Therefore, I decided to take action to ensure the possibility of that happening is drastically reduced."

"I am not your concern, Mr. Dillinger," she said again, although she was looking a little less sure of herself now. "So please move along."

"I am not one of those fools who fall adoringly at your feet every evening during the season, my lady; you cannot dismiss me as you can them. Will, your brother, is a colleague of mine, whom I respect a great deal. If he were to find out that I had found you here and not taken the appropriate steps to ensure your safety by removing you, then he would not be pleased. In fact, it would be fair to say he’d be justifiably furious," Ace added. "In fact, I would say that were either of your brothers to discover this little adventure of yours, then you would be bundled back to the country and there you would stay for quite some time."

Flicking a glance to the stage, he noticed the fight was about to begin. He should get her out of here now, before the men started shouting and gesturing. From experience, Ace knew these things could get out of hand easily, especially as most were drinking spirits of some kind.

"Firstly, they are not all fools, Mr. Dillinger. In fact, quite a few can even string together a rational sentence," she said. "But only a few."

Ace refused to be charmed by this woman.

"And you are, of course, accurate in your assumption that my brothers would be displeased were they to hear of this escapade." She placed a hand on his arm which made him look down at her again. She wore gloves and her hand had no contact with his skin, but Ace was sure he could feel her touch through his clothing. "But when I saw the advertisement for this event, I decided to attend because I am staying not far from here at the Bell and Crown, and thought that I could slip away for a while without anyone noticing. I coerced Ted into helping me with a great deal of pleading."

Looking at the servant, Ace watched the man sigh, which suggested this was not the first adventure she had gotten herself and him, into.

"Where is your brother?" Ace asked the first of many questions he wanted answered.

"Joseph has a business meeting with Lord Harrup, at his home a few miles from here," she said before turning towards the ring, where she climbed to her toes to see what was happening.

"And you were left alone?"

"No, of course not." She waved a hand about but kept her eyes on the stage.

Ace wasn’t a conceited man, but most women did not look away from him when he was close. Lady Althea Ryder had never given him a second look, and for some perverse reason that rankled. He wasn't ugly—no warts or moles and he had all his teeth. Perhaps it was that he was not born of rank like she? Ace had not believed her to be a woman that cared overly much about such things. After all, her brothers did not appear to, but maybe he was wrong.

"I had a maid and two footmen watching over me. It took Ted to distract them, whilst I climbed out the window."

"You did what!" Ace’s voice rose.

She looked back at him with an impish smile on her lips. It lit her eyes, and she was suddenly even more appealing, if that was possible.

"I was only joking, Mr. Dillinger. I walked out the door, I promise. And lower your voice, please, as I have no wish to draw further attention to us."

Ace snapped his teeth together and then ground them. Bloody woman. She should be scared witless being surrounded by so many men. Exposure would ruin her or at the very least make life very uncomfortable for a while. Surely she could see that.

Maneuvering himself to the other side of her, he gave Ted a look which had him moving to the space he had just left. Lady Althea was now flanked on both sides.

"You do understand what would happen to you if anyone here recognized you and word got out, don’t you, Lady Althea?"

"My reputation would be in ruins, lying tattered at my feet, and I would never marry the man of title and consequence that my brothers expect me to. Is that right, Mr. Dillinger?"

"Yes."

"Actually, I don't think the result would be that dire. Therefore, I shall take my chances," she added, turning from him to look at the ring.

"Spoken like a woman who has never had a bad day in her life," Ace muttered.

"I cannot help my birth, Mr. Dillinger. Furthermore, I have experienced many dark days, and I would thank you not to suggest otherwise."

"I bet mine are darker," he added, and wished he'd kept his mouth shut.

"I beg your pardon?"

Ace didn’t reply to that, instead saying, "Please do as I say from this moment on, my lady, or I shall be forced to pick you up and carry you from here. Do you understand?" he said, knowing that if he did as he'd just said, the scene they created would cause too much attention, yet she did not know he was bluffing.

She opened her mouth so he threw her a look that made her shut it again.

"Against my better judgment, I am going to let you stay here and watch some of the fight." She opened her mouth again but he kept talking. "You will stand between your footman and me, you will not speak or move, and you will do exactly as I say at all times. Is that understood, Lady Althea?"

"You have no control over me, Mr. Dillinger, nor am I a child who needs protection."

"I am ensuring your safety, my lady."

She looked forward, lips pursed.

"Say the words please, my lady." Ace wasn’t a fool; this was a very smart woman. They shared friends, he and Lady Althea Ryder, and he had heard stories about her from Bella, his friend’s wife, who had also grown up with Lady Althea, and often spoke of her intellect and spirit. Bella may not have mentioned this woman’s willful nature but Ace had determined that for himself.

"Are you suggesting that unless I say the words out loud, you will not believe me?" Lady Althea looked affronted as she glared at him.

"As I have already stated, my lady, I am not one of your noblemen who is easily distracted by a pretty face and an innocent demeanor. I have lived and seen the worst of people. Nor am I easily fooled. Besides, it is my belief that if you do not stay then you will just make your footman’s life hell by trying to attend another boxing match."

Her smile was small, but a smile nonetheless, and Ace shouldn’t feel its affect deep inside his chest. He didn’t react that way to women—never had and never wanted to.

"Very well, I promise." She did not flounce or look coy, nor did she make any attempt to flirt with him. "I will do as you say and make no noise or move."

"Excellent," Ace said.

"And I should also thank you, Mr. Dillinger, because although you probably think I am the spoilt daughter of a duke, I have, in fact, wished to attend a boxing match for some time and my appearance here is not based on a whim."

"You do surprise me," Ace drawled.

"I, however, must admit to feeling surprised at the amount of persons in attendance," she added, ignoring his sarcasm. "It was probably wrong of me to drag only Ted here. I should have bribed another footman to accompany us. It’s fair to say that I was perhaps a bit impetuous."

"Have you done that often?" Ace asked.

"Done what?" She was on her toes again, trying to see the ring. The problem was that she was tall for a woman, but still not the height of most of the men attending.

"Bribed footmen?"

"Yes, many and often," she added without a shred of shame.

"Your brothers have my sympathy."

"You think my brothers did not get up to their share of scrapes, Mr. Dillinger?" She shot him a look before returning her eyes to the ring.

"I'm sure they did. However, they are not standing here beside me in a room of ale-drinking men spouting course language," Ace added.

"But if they were then it would be acceptable, Mr. Dillinger, and that is grossly unfair."

Ace raised his eyes to the rafters briefly. "If by that inference you are debating the rights of women versus men, then allow me to point out that I did not make those rules. Your forefathers did, my lady."

"Surely not my forebears, Mr. Dillinger. They were a forward-thinking lot."

Ace found himself laughing as she gave him another impish smile.

"I reiterate," Ace said, looking around him. "Your brothers have my sympathies." He found what he sought a few feet to his right. Bending, he picked up the small box and placed it on the ground before Lady Althea. Lifting her off her feet, he then lowered her on to it.

"Oh, this is wonderful. Thank you so much, Mr. Dillinger. I can see quite well now."

"You really are a most unusual woman, Lady Althea," he said.

"Yes, well, not all of us enjoy embroidery and batting our lashes, Mr. Dillinger. Some of us were born with a yen for more."