Wildfire Kiss (18 page)

Seventeen

“IF YOU WON’T tell your father—tell Aunt Jane. She
will know how to deal with the scoundrel!” Corry wagged a finger at
Babs, who had confessed her situation to her.

“I cannot …” Babs felt the tears start up and
turned away from her cousin.

Corry stood over her, and Babs was surprised at the
level of anger her cousin was exhibiting. Corry never stamped her
feet, but she presently stamped her foot very hard and made a very
strange noise. “Ughggg …”

Babs adored her cousin, but she could not take her
well-meant advice.

“Babs,” Corry said, sitting beside her on the bed
and touching her hand, “listen to me in this … for once, don’t
rush head-on into matters. Aunt Jane, for all her fussing and
stuffiness, is a knowing one. She is vastly experienced and will
know what to do with this problem. We may not see an easy
solution … but don’t discount Aunt Jane’s ability to handle
Sir Edward in fine style. She wouldn’t want you to marry a man to
stave off a scandal. She will know what to do.”

“
No!
How can I do that to her … put such
a burden on her?” wailed Babs, distraught. “And besides, she would
feel it her duty to tell Papa, who would forbid the marriage and
take on society full score. He, Aunt Jane … even perhaps
you … all ruined because of me.”

“Babs, the beau monde will chew one scandal today,
another tomorrow, and besides, do you think any of us gives a
monkey for this silly London society? The leaders of the
ton
are fools!” snapped Corry.

“I … I cannot …” Babs wrung her hands.

“
Love
is hanging in the balance. You …
you cannot love Sir Edward, and therefore, you must
not
marry him. Babs, you cannot allow yourself to be defeated in this
way.
You
have been the one always going on about love and
love and love … and here you are throwing it all away for
what? He is blackmailing you into marriage!” Corry shook her fist
with the agitation she felt and got to her feet again. “You are far
too strong-willed to be beaten in this fashion!”

“I am not beaten—I may yet find a way out of this
muddle. ’Tis why I insisted on time before making an announcement,
but faith
, Corry … I cannot allow my family to be
ruined. Papa enjoys his cronies, his club … his
silly
London society
.”

“And what of your Lord Wildfire? Do you throw what
you feel for him away? How can you?”

“Love is a fleeting emotion …” Babs looked
away. Her heart always felt a wrenching discomfort when she thought
of the duke who didn’t even want her. She hadn’t told Corry how far
she had gone with her beloved Wildfire.

“What fustian are you spouting now? We both know how
you feel about the duke. So tell me, Babs, can you allow Sir Edward
to hold you, kiss you, touch you—make love to you—”

“Stop, stop, or I will be sick!” Babs cried as she
stood up and began pacing the room and wringing her hands.

“I will not stop. It is the very thing you must
consider … your love for your Wildfire. You have kissed your
Wildfire … how can you go to Sir Edward’s marriage bed?”

“Mercy,” Babs said with a sob. “You do have a way of
bringing it home, don’t you? So passionate, Corry … I had not
thought my quiet, lovely cousin could show so much fire.” She tried
turning it into a tease.

Corry was having none of that. “You need to be saved
from your impulsive neck-or-nothing self. You need to tell Aunt
Jane—”

A knock sounded at their door, and Corry eyed her
cousin. “Are you all right?” Lady Jane said, her voice filled with
doubt on the other side of the door.

Babs nodded and called out, “Y-es?”

The door opened, and Lady Jane put in her head.

“Your father asked me to advise you that we all
leave for Brighton in the morning. He will brook no argument in
this. He was with Sir Frederick earlier, and both of them feel the
short trip will do him no harm. His carriage of course is still
being repaired, but he will travel with me and your father in the
coach.” She sent a look from one girl to the other and asked, “Is
there something wrong, my darlings?”

Babs had a sudden urge to run into her aunt’s arms
and say yes, yes, her world was broken. She managed a brave smile
and said, “Naught … all is well.”

Aunt Jane looked at Corry, who lowered her gaze, and
said, “I see …” Then she smiled and added, “Corrine, it would
appear you and I have something to discuss, and though I don’t mean
to bother you about it just yet, when we are comfortable in
Brighton, we shall get to it.”

“Yes, Aunt Jane,” Miss Bretton said carefully.

Babs looked from her aunt to her cousin but
refrained from inquiring about this. She could see her aunt looking
at them speculatively. Corry was of course quite correct—her aunt
was a knowing woman.

They waited for the door to close and looked at one
another before Corry began nagging her cousin once more. “Babs,
dearest … tell her …”

Babs closed her eyes and saw her Wildfire, his blue
eyes bright … gone from her forever, and she burst into
tears.

***

The drive to Brighton was a pleasant one and served
to banish some of Babs’ worry for a time. She exerted herself to
entertain the crowded little group in the coach while her father
played at outrider at the back of their carriage.

Sir Frederick had hired the inn’s wagon and driver
to deliver his baggage, and this lumbered along behind Lord
Waverly.

Lady Babs had convinced herself that she would not
break down. She meant first to try and talk some sense into Sir
Edward. Failing that, she had to find a way out of this mess. She
just had to.

She put on a very good smile with only her cousin
the wiser, although Babs caught her aunt studying her from time to
time.

They stopped first at Sir Frederick’s lodgings. Lord
Waverly walked him to his door, where his man opened the door wide
with a genuine greeting of pleasure.

Their own lodgings were within walking distance, and
both Corry and Babs got out and took the walk to stretch. They told
their aunt, who indulgently allowed it to be a very good thing.

They reached the front door and found Maudly
flinging it wide. “Oh, pleased I am you be here …” She looked
past them for the coach, saw Lord Waverly helping his sister
alight, and sighed. “Come in … come in … there has been a
gentleman caller who was very insistent. Sir Edward—and he said he
would return later in the day …”

Corry and Babs exchanged looks, and Maudly eyed them
knowingly. “Ah, as I thought. Shall I tell him you are abovestairs
sleeping when he calls?”

“No, Maudly, I had better receive him,” said Babs
grimly.

Thus, it was that they had only been installed in
the lodgings for an hour when Sir Edward did indeed call and
request to be taken to Lady Babs.

Maudly pulled a face but led him to the sitting
room, where Corry and Babs were poring over some fashion
magazine.

Sir Edward entered the room in his usual style. His
curls were all in place, and his cutaway of blue superfine fit his
trim figure, as did his embroidered blue on white waistcoat.

Corry appeared to be on high alert and determined to
snub Sir Edward. “Ah … Sir Edward,” she said in a tone that
discouraged any welcome. Babs turned an anxious look to her, for it
wouldn’t do to goad him just then.

He seemed, however, unaware or unwilling to note the
coldness in the air from both her cousin and herself. He bent over
Corry’s hand, which she reluctantly allowed.

“Miss Bretton, what a delight you are to the sight.
Blue becomes you,” he said, referring to her pretty muslin day
gown.

She inclined her head and said quietly, “Thank you,
Sir Edward. Would you join us for tea? I can have Maudly bring in
another cup.” The words were polite, but they held no warmth.

His eyes seemed basilisk to Babs as he turned to
her. She could see Corry watching him and bolstered herself to be
brave.

His voice was hard when he answered Corry, and he
was already moving closer to Babs. “No, thank you. As a matter of
fact … I was hoping to convince your cousin to come for a ride
with me in my phaeton.” He bent over Babs’ hand, and his lips
lingered on her wrist, which she pulled sharply away. He eyed her,
and she felt the warning in those eyes. “I know how much you enjoy
the sea …” He turned to Corry. “And of course … you are
welcome to join us.”

“No,” Corry shot back a bit more stiffly than was
polite, and Babs watched the two stare at each other. Corry had
made no secret of the fact that she thought Sir Edward the greatest
villain on earth, and Babs half expected something awful to come
out of her cousin’s mouth.

Hurriedly she interjected, “I fear my cousin is
tired from the journey today … as I am.”

“The salt air will do you good, and I shan’t keep
you above an hour …” Sir Edward coaxed.

Perhaps she should go with him? It would afford her
an opportunity to show him what he was doing was ill fated.

“Yes … perhaps the salt air will clear the
mind,” she said as she made up hers. She got to her feet. “I’ll
just be a moment—must fetch my spencer and bonnet.”

“I’ll wait for you in the hall,” said Sir Edward,
bending stiffly to Corry, who was giving him an awful stare and one
that Babs could see made him uncomfortable. She almost giggled as
she went off.

A few moments later, Babs sat quietly in the open
phaeton while Sir Edward chatted about the scenery and recent
literary works in his droll and unalarming manner. She was thankful
that he seemed determined to be pleasant. Perhaps … perhaps he
could be dissuaded from the course he had set for her?

However, when he quoted something she found absurd,
she looked at him sideways and remarked, if only to bring up the
subject uppermost on her mind, “Well, if you are going to quote the
Quarterly
’s review on poor Rodgers, then you must remember
what they wrote about
my work
.” There—it was out, and she
meant to tease him with it. She wanted a reaction.

He looked at her as he wielded his high-stepping
team through the light traffic along the coast road and said, “By
God, woman! You have a knack of catching a man unawares.” With that
he burst into laughter.

She hadn’t wanted to entertain him. She had wanted
to show him that scandal could follow him if he aligned himself
with her and she was ever found out. She rather thought it would
matter to him.

He sobered as she glanced at him and tried to think
what next she could use. Then he said gravely, so much at variance
with the laughter she had just heard, “The
Quarterly
did not
realize they were reviewing a female’s work when they looked kindly
on
Passion’s Seed
.”

Ah, she thought
, here we go
. “No, they did
not know, but the words are out—they have been read. They wrote
that it was an elegant piece—a wonderful love story that depicted
our Prince Regent’s set in all its glory.” She eyed him
thoughtfully. “As I recall, Papa told me that the Regent was very
flattered.”

“And I repeat, they did not know that a woman had
penned it. The Regent did not know it was written by one of his
own. One does not spy on their friends and then put it to
paper.”

“Unless it flatters the Prince Regent,” she said.
“Which I was very careful to do … I wonder if he would mind,
that it was penned by a woman …?” she mused out loud. “I have
a mind to apply to him and confide my secret …”

He pulled the horses to the side of the road and
turned on her. “You will do no such thing!”

“And why not? Would that make things awkward for
you, Sir Edward? You wouldn’t want a wife who is whispered
about … would you?”

He eyed her. “You are bluffing.”

“I am not. I have on many occasions had very
enjoyable conversations with the Prince, and while my father is not
in his first circle, we always find our names on his invitation
list. I think that he would be most amused.”

“You take a great risk. You wrote this book for the
masses to read our secrets and laugh at our peccadilloes. A woman
will not easily be forgiven what a man of rank and wealth would be
allowed,” he said on a triumphant note.

“And still … I might be willing to risk it.
Does that not tell you how desperate I am not to be your wife!” she
snapped at him.

“You are being emotional. It is all well and good
for you to risk your own comfort in society … must you also
risk your family’s?”

“I am not the one doing this to them! You are. In
fact, you went out of your way to discover my secret and lay it
bare. Do you think I will ever forgive you?”

“Your eyes … so dark and full with light …
Do you not understand how I love you?”

“’Tis not love, Edward … love is sacrifice,
love is caring more about the object of your affections than
yourself. You want … you lust … you
do not
love.”

“You are wrong and too naïve to understand. We are
meant to be together, and I will bring this about.”

Her gloved hand fluttered as it went to her heart.
He caught it and held it to his own heart. “Do you feel that? It
beats for you, my darling … it wants only you … would
risk all to have you.”

“You
are
risking all. You are throwing your
soul to the wind … What you are doing is wrong …”

***

The Duke of Barrington sat astride his fidgeting
gelding and watched from a row of trees that lined the road. The
breakers beating against the sand were at his back, and if blood
ever raced and bubbled, it did so in his veins at that precise
moment. He was riveted by the picture of what appeared to be two
lovers in the throes of a quarrel.

His heart ached with doubts. His mind reeled against
the vision. He could almost see Babs’ dark eyes flash, but then he
did see something
…