Lord Carlton soon discovered that Claude Welford was not the only one who had noted his unusual interest in a young woman clearly in London for the Marriage Mart.
Only moments before he was preparing to leave for his appointment with Miss Allendyle, Jack Howe was shown into the long library, his face set into lines of open curiosity.
“Well, Giles, I hope you are aware you have the entire town chattering,” he said, his gaze swiftly running over his cousin’s elegant attire. As always Giles’s tall, muscular frame managed to fill his superfine coat to perfection, and the black Hessians gleamed with a superior gloss. Even at his most casual he managed to cast others in the shade. “There are some saying that Lady Welford has somehow conduced you into making her niece the Toast of the Season.”
With a lazy smile, Giles leaned against his massive walnut desk. “Considering that I have barely spoken a dozen words to Lady Welford, I would think that a remarkable task.”
“My thoughts precisely,” Jack retorted, moving to make himself comfortable in a wide leather chair. “So why don’t you tell me the real reason you secluded yourself with Miss Allendyle for nearly a quarter of an hour?”
At two and thirty, Giles was five years older than his cousin, but that hadn’t prevented them from forming a close friendship. Jack Howe was in fact one of the very few people who knew the man behind the elusive social charm, and the only one who was aware of Giles’s secret connection to the government. But, for once, Giles felt no urge to confide his inner thoughts. The surprised delight he had felt upon seeing Roma Allendyle was something he planned to keep well hidden.
“My dear Jack, if you recall I was firmly against attending the affair in the first place,” he drawled. “Who can blame me for attempting to relieve the boredom by chatting with a beautiful young lady?”
Jack frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the flippant response. “Certainly the Allendyle chit is attractive, but hardly your style, Giles.”
Giles arched his brows in a lofty motion. “And what would you know of my … style?”
“I know enough to realize you normally give ambitious young debutantes a cold shoulder indeed,” Jack retorted, his tone suspicious. “So why did you want me to drag poor Welford away so that you could be alone with the girl?”
“That is a question no gentleman should ask.”
Jack gave an inelegant snort at his cousin’s haughty tone. “Do not attempt to gammon me, Giles. You are up to something, and I think it is excessively unsporting of you not to include me.”
Giles couldn’t prevent a wry smile. It was obvious that Jack did not believe for a moment he could be interested in an innocent young woman, no matter how attractive she might be. And he couldn’t honestly blame him for his disbelief. He had long shown a preference for the more experienced courtesans. Their beauty and pleasure could be easily acquired and just as easily dismissed, leaving his life uncomplicated. Besides, the price of a few jewels or even of maintaining a separate establishment was much easier to bear than the price young debutantes demanded.
And yet, for all his worldly sophistication, Giles couldn’t dismiss the knowledge that he had spent an inordinate amount of time wondering about the red-haired, hazeleyed woman who had so annoyingly vanished into thin air. With great reluctance he had forced himself to concede he might never know her reasons for being at the cove, or why she had so rudely disappeared. That didn’t, however, keep him from recalling her slender frame and bewitching eyes.
With an inward grin he recalled his surprise at sighting her vivid hair across the crowded room last evening. There had been no doubt it was his mystery woman, despite her transformation from grubby schoolboy to elegant woman of fashion. A completely unexpected flare of excitement had burned away his normal sense of ennui, and perhaps even more surprising was the realization that the brief, highly entertaining encounter had only served to increase his interest in the spirited chit.
He had half-expected to be severely disappointed by the meeting. After all, she was a real woman, and it was hardly fair to expect her to compete with the fantasies he had woven is his mind. But far from being disappointed, he had been even more intrigued and, with uncharacteristic determination, had resorted to blatant blackmail to achieve his goal of having her alone is his company.
With a mystified shake of his head, Giles returned his scattered thoughts back to his irritated guest.
“I assure you, Jack, I have no nefarious schemes up my sleeve,” he replied, his tone deliberately bored. “I spent a few moments chatting with a charming young lady, nothing more.”
“I don’t believe you,” Jack retorted bluntly, obviously piqued by his cousin’s refusal to confess his thoughts.
With an amused laugh, Giles pushed himself away from the desk. “That is your option, of course, and to be honest I haven’t the time to argue with you further. I have an appointment for which I dare not be late.”
“An appointment?” Jack lifted his brows in surprise. “With whom?”
“Why, the charming Miss Allendyle. Who else?” He flashed his wicked smile, strolling toward the door. “You can see yourself out, Jack. Perhaps I will see you at the club later in the day.”
Without awaiting an answer he strode firmly into the hall, pausing only long enough for his valet to help him slip into a caped driving coat before stepping out the door and easily vaulting into his well-sprung chaise.
As always the London streets were crowded, but keeping his spirited chestnuts firmly in check, he made his way to the quiet but fashionable square where the Welfords owned a modest home. He had been rather surprised to learn, through careful probing, that Miss Allendyle had lost both of her parents and that she was being sponsored by her aunt for the season. He seemed to recall her mentioning a brother and had assumed that she would reside with him and his wife. But, oddly, he had heard nothing of this brother.
With a small shrug, he dismissed the surge of curiosity and waited for his groom to sprint toward the team’s head before climbing down. It was a perfect day for a ride, he noted with satisfaction, climbing up the steps and withdrawing a card as the butler opened the door.
“My lord.” With a crisp bow the butler stepped aside, allowing Giles to enter the small but refreshingly uncluttered foyer. “If you would like to step into the library, I will announce you.”
“That won’t be necessary, Forbes.” A light female voice floated through the air, and Giles glanced up to discover Roma Allendyle gracefully drifting down the wide staircase. “I believe Lord Carlton is here to see me.”
“Very well.”
The butler discreetly melted out of the foyer, leaving Giles alone to appreciate the sight of Roma dressed in a pale green muslin gown with a matching shawl.
A wood nymph, he thought inanely, his gaze lingering on her brilliant curls and gold-flecked eyes. An elusive creature that could never be trapped by a mere human. Then, with a silent chastisement at his ridiculous flight of fancy, he stepped forward to meet his companion at the bottom of the staircase.
“Miss Allendyle, what a charming picture you make,” he murmured. “The very embodiment of spring.”
“Thank you, Lord Carlton.”
Her tone was cool, but there was nothing cool about the resentment simmering in her clear eyes. Once again, Giles felt that unusual surge of excitement flickering through his veins. She was like an unbroken filly, wary of the slightest touch, and he knew that she represented a rare challenge.
“And most punctual. An unexpected quality in a woman.”
“I do not recall that I was given much option,” she returned sharply, her tiny chin tilted to an aggressive angle. “You made quite certain that I would accompany you today.”
Giles flashed her a chiding grin. “Perhaps if you would be more susceptible to my irresistible charm I wouldn’t need to rely on such unpleasant tactics.”
“And perhaps your charm is not as irresistible as you presume,” she replied with a toss of her head. “Shall we go?”
Momentarily startled by her swift thrust, he responded with a dazed blink before laughing softly in appreciation.
“By all means, Miss Allendyle. If my charm is not sufficient to impress you, maybe my skill with the ribbons will reach your distant heart.”
With a roll of her eyes at his outrageous flirtation, Roma marched past him, scenting the air with a faint trace of honeysuckle. Giles inhaled deeply, discovering a decided preference for the pleasing aroma, before hurrying to open the door and politely escort her down the short flight of stairs.
Smiling slightly at her rigidly held body, he paused beside the curb, waiting to help her into the chaise, but with a small exclamation she abruptly moved forward, her frosty expression melting with unconscious delight.
“Oh … What a beautiful pair.” She reached out to stroke the glossy coat of the nearest horse.
“Take care, Miss Allendyle,” he warned. “These brutes are high spirited.”
“Yes, I can see that,” she murmured, obviously forgetting to whom she was speaking. “Such perfect form. They must have cost you a fortune.”
“At least part of a fortune,” he admitted, closely watching her distracted expression. Without her wary distrust, her small features were surprisingly soft, an unexpected hint of vulnerability about her full lips. “But well worth the investment.”
“How lucky you are.” She gave a small sigh. “Aunt Clara refuses to keep a stable in London. It isn’t that she minds the expense, but she fears that Claude and I would spend more time with our horses than with the delights London supposedly has to offer.”
He smiled at her unconsciously wistful tone. “Do you not find London all you expected?”
“Yes.” She abruptly stepped away from the horses, turning to face him with a guarded expression. “It is precisely how I expected it. Shall we go?”
For a moment he silently gazed into her wide eyes, sensing that beneath her cool demeanor she was troubled. Quite unexpectedly he discovered an urge to ferret out her worry and help ease the strain darkening her beautiful eyes.
Not an easy task, he silently conceded. At the moment she considered him a most unwelcome intrusion into her life.
“Of course.”
Giles moved to politely assist her into the chaise, remaining strategically silent as he climbed in beside her and directed his impatient team toward the park. As he expected on such a fine day, the streets were filled with assorted carriages, their fashionable occupants staring quite openly as Giles drove determinedly past curious gazes, heading for a less congested area before slowing his brisk pace.
“Now, Miss Allendyle, perhaps we can discuss the little … adventure that you seem so determined to keep a secret.”
A covert glance revealed her staunch composure remained intact, although she couldn’t disguise the tension in her slight frame.
“I fail to comprehend why I should explain anything to you, Lord Carlton. You have neither the claim of family nor acquaintanceship to press upon me.”
“An unfortunate circumstance that I am attempting to rectify despite your obvious reluctance.”
He barely heard her snort of disgust. “If you have realized your attentions are unwanted, then why do you continue to thrust them upon me? A true gentleman would graciously accept my feelings and be on his way.”
“I assumed that we settled that argument last night,” he retorted without apology. “We agreed that I was no gentleman.”
“Well, you needn’t take such odious pride in the fact,” she snapped.
“And you needn’t think to divert my thoughts, my little vixen,” he drawled with evident amusement. “I am fully determined to discover your reasons for behaving in such a reckless fashion on the night in question.”
She abruptly turned to face him, her eyes flashing. “And what of you, Lord Carlton? Are you prepared to confess your own reasons for being at the cove?”
He gave a small shrug. “Perhaps. However, at the moment we are discussing you, Miss Allendyle.”
He heard her give a small hiss of frustration, but obviously believing that he intended to press the issue, she at last relented, sending him a furious scowl.
“Very well, Lord Carlton. I went to the cove in search of my brother.”
The restless chestnuts gave a sudden surge as Giles momentarily loosened his tight hold on the reins. Swiftly regaining control of the nervous pair, he shot her a puzzled frown.
“Your brother? Was he with you?”
“No, that was Claude,” she retorted shortly. “I haven’t seen or heard from my brother in almost a month.”
Belatedly realizing that he couldn’t possibly concentrate on her confusing tale and keep an adequate check on his team, Giles pulled to an abrupt halt beneath a secluded tree, motioning the groom to jump down and tend to the animals. Then, shifting, he regarded her stony expression with shrewd curiosity.
“I think, Miss Allendyle, you had best start at the beginning. And I warn you, we will sit here all afternoon if need be.”
The hazel eyes smoldered, but noting the stubborn set of his jaw, she reluctantly settled more comfortably on the cushioned seat.
“It’s not a very interesting story, Lord Carlton,” she said, the ice in her tone contrasting sharply with the hot flare of anger in her expressive eyes. “Perhaps you know my father, Colonel Allendyle, was killed while on duty almost five years ago. Since my mother died when I was just a child, my older brother, William, sold out his commission and returned to Greystead. Granted it was difficult for him to leave the military life and concentrate on the estate, as well as have the burdened of a young sister, but he never complained.” She paused, her features softening as she spoke of her brother. “Still, I wasn’t surprised when he occasionally disappeared from the estate and returned without a word of explanation. I knew that he must be working for the government in some secret capacity, although we never discussed the subject.”
Giles swallowed an instinctive smile of disbelief. He had yet to meet a woman who could avoid asking a thousand questions when she sensed a secret. Clearly Roma Allendyle was even more rare than he had first suspected.
“And yet you are worried something has happened to him?” he inquired.
“Of course.” She appeared startled by his question. “As a rule he is never gone more than a few hours, a day or two at the most. He would never be gone this length of time unless something terrible had occurred.” She gave an unconscious shiver. “I try not to think the worse, but it is difficult.”
Giles leaned back, slowly realizing that he might have bitten off more than he could comfortably chew. Sheer curiosity had led him to this confrontation, that and an unflattering sense of pique at her overt hostility, he admitted reluctantly. Only now did he acknowledge that by forcing her confession he was also embroiling himself in her troubles.
Still, he had gone too far to pull back now. And the faint edge of fear she tried so valiantly to hide all but sealed his doom.
“Why did you think he might be at the cove?” he questioned softly.
“Because of the letters,” she replied simply. “I found them left in the library, along with a note describing the place and time at which they were to be handed over. I had no way of knowing if someone had placed them there for William, unaware that he was missing, or if they were there for me. In either case they were the only clue I possessed, and I was determined to go to the rendezvous, if only to alert someone that William is gone.”
Giles frowned, carefully turning her words over in his mind. “There was no one in your family who could assist you?”
She grimaced. “Only Claude, and I regretted confiding in him when he insisted on accompanying me to the cove.”
He bit back his instant desire to chastise her for even contemplating such a dangerous mission. Clearly she was determined to locate her brother, no matter what the cost to herself. And rather than indulge in futile arguments, he instead turned his thoughts to the vague unease nagging at the edge of his mind.
“You said that you confided your brother’s disappearance to your cousin. Does anyone else know?”
She seemed puzzled by the question. “The servants, of course, although they have been with us too long to reveal such information to anyone.”
He leaned forward, his face somber. “But did you question anyone about your brother?”
A faint flush touched her cheeks. “I did go to the inn where William was well known and speak with a few of his friends, but I was very discreet. I never actually said that William was gone.”
“But if someone already knew that William was missing, then your questions might have been vexing, if not actually dangerous. It could be that this person hoped his disappearance would go unnoticed.”
She frowned, but with an inward courage he could only admire, she faced him squarely.
“What are you implying?”
He paused, carefully considering his position. As a rule he would do everything in his power to protect a young lady from anything that might distress or upset her sensitive nature. But instinctively he realized that Roma would not thank him for his chivalry. What little he did know about her warned him she was not the type to submissively allow others to do what they thought best for her.
Thrusting aside his natural aversion, he met her probing gaze. “I find it odd that your brother should disappear and then a packet of letters mysteriously arrives, directing you to a meeting that ultimately ends in an ambush.”
A small silence fell as she considered his words, but beyond a slight paling of her satin skin, she remained staunchly composed.
“You believe it was a trap for me?”
“I believe it is a possibility we should keep in mind,” he conceded, his voice unconsciously grim. “It could be that someone has no wish for William Allendyle’s disappearance to be investigated.”
“I am not giving up,” she instantly charged, a militant light of battle glowing in her eyes. “I don’t care what it takes. I am going to find him.”
Her brave words should have been ludicrous. Although his work with the government was on a casual basis, he had never underestimated the determination of the enemy. They would stop at nothing, including kidnapping a young man and ensuring this courageous but utterly innocent woman was kept from asking questions they did not want asked. And yet, there was something decidedly noble in her stark determination.
Besides, it would be futile to even hope he could somehow dissuade her from continuing her search. The most he could hope to do was keep her from plunging headlong into danger.
“And exactly what can you do?” he asked, not surprised at her instant anger.
“I came to London to discover who was William’s contact with the government. At least then I will know where William went and whom he was supposed to meet. It will give me a place to start my search.”
“You can not be serious?” he demanded, not bothering to hide his exasperation. “You may not gad throughout London asking questions about your brother.”
“I am not gadding throughout London, Lord Carlton, and even if I were it would be none of your concern. You may have forced me to confess why I went to that cove, but you have no right to tell me what I can or can not do.”
Unaccustomed to having his authority challenged in such a blatant manner, Giles discovered himself battling his own ready temper. Perverse minx. Could she not comprehend that he was simply attempting to protect her from her own foolish behavior? Then, with an effort, he reined in his flare of frustration. He wasn’t about to indulge in a shouting match with this woman in the middle of the park. Society would be curious enough about his interest in the unknown Roma Allendyle without adding an unpleasant scene to the inevitable gossip.
“Perhaps not.” He determinedly kept his voice calm. “But I can assure you that it will be nothing more than a waste of your time. The men who deal in espionage keep a very low profile, and discovering someone willing to admit he was in contact with William will be impossible. Especially considering you are a young woman with no political power.”
Her face flushed at his blunt words, and he knew that he had managed to strike at her inner fear. Clearly she had already considered her tenuous ability to force information from an unwilling source.
“And what would you have me do, Lord Carlton? Return home and forget that my brother is in terrible danger?”
Giles abruptly pulled away, forcing his narrowed gaze from her delicate features and the wide eyes clouded with the harsh anxiety she tried so hard to hide.
Now was the time to pull away and assure her that he hadn’t the least notion of what could be done for her brother. Certainly it was a heart-wrenching story, and she had his utmost sympathy, but as she kept insisting, her troubles were truly none of his concern.
The past few moments had satisfied his curiosity. He now understood why she had gone to such desperate measures and why a woman so obviously uninterested in Society would travel to London. The mystery cleared, it was time to turn his attention to a more stimulating form of entertainment.
But even as the thoughts passed through his mind, Giles had already dismissed them. He could not walk away from Roma Allendyle. He had no ready answer for his determination to involve himself in a complete stranger’s life. It was, in fact, thoroughly out of character to thrust himself in where he was clearly not wanted.
But ignoring the tiny voice at the back of his mind that warned him he was about to step into dangerous waters, he abruptly turned to capture her wary gaze.
“No, I want you to stay in London,” he suddenly commanded. “But for the moment I want you to halt any attempts to find your brother.”
“Why should I?” she demanded, her body tensing.
“Because you are doing nothing more than endangering your life, and perhaps the lives of your aunt and cousin,” he retorted bluntly. “From now on any questions will be asked by me. Is that understood?”