Annoying, aggravating, utterly unreasonable woman. Seething with a sense of wounded injustice, Giles threw himself into the waiting Tilbury, condemning women in general and Roma Allendyle in particular.
She was completely beyond the pale, he told himself fiercely. Did she actually expect him to aid and abet a scheme to sneak her from her aunt’s home and escort her to an isolated, perhaps even dangerous, location dressed as a groom? It was ludicrous.
Hadn’t he already risked his good name by sneaking into the house so he could explain in person the latest change in the search for her brother? And didn’t she appreciate the trouble and danger he was risking in an effort to discover the whereabouts of a young whelp he had never even met?
The answer to that was a resounding no, he thought with a burst of frustration, making his groom frown in alarm as he gave a crack of the whip and set the restless bays off at a brisk pace.
If he had the least amount of sense he would wash his hands of the entire situation. After all, he had dozens and dozens of invitations to occupy his time. But even as he visualized the pleasure he would receive by informing the ungrateful woman that he was finished attempting to please her and that she could find a less gullible fool to make a cod of himself, he was woefully aware that he would do no such thing.
He might not be able to explain his uncharacteristic behavior, but he was wise enough to realize there was no point in fighting the inevitable. His fate had been sealed on the never-to-be-forgotten evening when Roma had so bravely led him to the deserted barn. And while he had no clear notion of where the bizarre relationship might lead, he did know that for once in his life he was in control of emotions he had never even suspected he might possess.
Of course, his rational explanation of his highly irrational behavior did little to ease his dark mood. Despite all logic, Roma had managed to make him feel guilty for his refusal to allow her to attend the meeting that evening. It was an unfamiliar emotion for a man accustomed to having his decisions treated with respectful compliance and one he angrily attempted to thrust from his churning mind. He was doing what was best for her whether she was willing to admit it or not. It was ludicrous to allow a pair of wounded hazel eyes make him feel like an insensitive devil.
Dwelling on his confused thoughts, Giles was barely aware of his surroundings, and it was as much luck as skill that kept the Tilbury on the road and out of a nasty accident. Eventually, however, the thickening traffic forced him to slow his pace, much to the relief of Jameson, who was deeply disturbed by his employer’s uncharacteristic lack of concentration. The groom had been with Lord Carlton since he had left Oxford, and he had never known him to drive with anything less than perfect control. Of course, Jameson was forced to acknowledge, the usually levelheaded man had been behaving in a peculiar manner for the past several weeks.
Unaware that he had created such unease in his stony-faced groom, Giles reluctantly pulled in the bays, firmly ignoring the various waves and nods from the other carriages. He had enough on his mind without attempting to indulge in meaningless chitchat with distant acquaintances. But it was his sheer disinterest that made him vulnerable to danger. Not until too late did he notice the delicate phaeton in a royal blue with a cream interior. It was bearing down in a determined manner, and cursing beneath his breath at his witless lack of attention, Giles grudgingly pulled to a halt.
With the flamboyance that had made her one of the most celebrated beauties in all of England, Lady Lavania Hoyet had her phaeton pulled close beside the Tilbury, the near black eyes that perfectly matched her glossy curls glittering with a dangerous light.
“Ah … the elusive Lord Carlton. What a pleasant surprise!”
Giles swallowed a grimace at her overtly sweet tone. He had no doubt that she was utterly furious at his recent neglect. After all, she possessed enough beauty and fortune to chose her lovers with fastidious care. It wouldn’t have surprised him to discover that he was the first man to have ever cast her aside.
“Lady Hoyet.” He gave a perfunctory bow. “May I say you look as ravishing as ever?”
“How absolutely divine of you to say so,” she purred, her gaze as sharp as a cutthroat’s dagger. “Especially considering your taste seems to run toward buxom country girls lately.”
Giles stiffened, his blue eyes freezing at the deliberate thrust. Just for a moment he allowed his gaze to roam over the perfect oval face, the creamy skin and curvaceous form revealed rather than concealed by the flimsy gauze gown. At one time she had seemed to be an embodiment of his deepest fantasies. A woman with a heated passion that could rival his own. Now he could only see the insatiable greed that smoldered deep in the black eyes and the self-indulgent droop of her full mouth. A sudden shudder racked his body.
“You really shouldn’t refine too much on idle chatter, my lady. It is notoriously inaccurate.”
“Indeed?” Her smile held a hint of cruelty. “Then it isn’t true that Miss Allendyle has managed to tame you into a biddable slave, ready to dance attendance upon her every whim?”
The taunting words were designed to strike at his pride as well as arouse his temper, but Giles ignored the bitter thrust.
“I have no intention of accepting or denying any such claims.” He gave a negligent shrug. “People are free to think what they will.”
The black eyes abruptly narrowed, as if she were caught off guard by his nonchalance.
“Then it doesn’t matter that the entire ton is laughing at the manner in which you are mooning over that inconsequential chit?” she demanded, a shrill edge entering her voice. “I assure you there is a vast amount of amusement at the thought of you behaving like an infatuated schoolboy.”
“I am delighted that I can provide such entertainment for society.” The dark features gave nothing away. “After all, the Season can be so tedious without a few expected on-dits.”
The black eyes flashed with a wave of fury. “I do not believe you, Giles,” she hissed, her pricked vanity obviously making her forget they were in full view of the public. “What could you possibly see in a naive country miss? From all accounts she possesses no fortune and only passable looks. There must be some nefarious reason you have taken such an interest in her.”
If she had been genuinely hurt by the abrupt end to their relationship, then Giles might have felt a measure of remorse for her anger. But he was fully aware that her emotions stemmed solely from a need to revenge her damaged pride, and he felt no compassion as he met her venomous glare.
“My reasons, nefarious or not, have nothing to do with you, Lady Hoyet.”
She flinched at his icy tone. “How can you say that after all we have meant to one another?” she demanded, her voice throbbing with barely controlled passion. “Surely you can not have forgotten the times we have—”
“Lady Hoyet, this is hardly the time or the place for such a conversation,” he interrupted, his brows lowering in a warning motion. “In fact, as far as I am concerned we have said all that needs to be said between us.”
“No.” She shook her dark head, her usually seductive mouth thinning to an ugly line. “I refuse to believe you prefer that … that absurd child to me. There has to be some reason you are behaving in such a preposterous manner.”
“You are free to think what you like of course.”
“Trust me, Giles. I will never stop searching until I discover the reason. No one treats me in the manner you have and gets away without payment. Eventually I will make you regret what you have done.”
With a stern effort, Giles kept his expression bland. He had no doubt that Lavania would dearly love to wound Roma as well as himself if she could find some means to do so. It was vital that he warn her away before she could even attempt to bother Roma.
“I would be careful if I were you, my dear. There is nothing the ton finds more amusing than a scorned woman desperately seeking revenge.” His smile mocked the sudden uncertainty that rippled across her lovely face. “I have no doubt that several of your rivals would dearly love to hold you up to ridicule. Why would you wish to make it so simple for them?”
Her full bosom heaved as she reluctantly allowed his sardonic words to override her burning need to hurt him. It was clear that she did indeed fear being seen as a woman tossed aside for a mere debutante, and he could already see her mind turning with desperate thoughts of how to avert such a tragedy.
“I wish you in Hades, Giles Carlton,” she at last hissed, giving a toss of her dark head before abruptly motioning to her driver to be off.
Giles swallowed a self-derisive smile. He was quite certain that Lavania was busily constructing some means of ensuring that society believed she had ended her relationship with him long before his attention had wandered toward another woman.
It would be no easy task, especially since she possessed more than a few enemies who would be anxious to laugh at her unexpected position. Giles was indifferent to any excuse she might concoct, as long as it kept her far away from Roma Allendyle.
With his temper even more strained than before, he drove the last few streets to his house, barely giving Jameson time to grab the reins before he was leaping off the Tilbury and storming up the steps to his house. He was undecided as to whether to spend the rest of the day drinking himself into insensibility or packing for an extended rest at his country estate. Anything to take his mind off women and the trouble they always seemed to bring with them.
In the end he did neither. Instead he soothed his ruffled nerves with a very fine luncheon followed by a relaxing discussion of the benefits of crop rotation with several cronies at his club. He even managed a session with his tailor before carefully preparing for his arranged meeting.
Then, dressing in the tattered clothes and heavy overcoat that served as his usual disguise, he was careful to sneak out a side door and into the stable where Jameson had the carriage prepared for their departure. With a few brief words, they were headed toward the outskirts of London.
Slumped in the corner of the shadowed carriage, Giles reviewed the brief message he had received from Lord Halcott early yesterday morning. The older man had only stated that William was indeed missing and that he wanted Giles to meet with a Thomas Slater who presumably had information concerning the disappearance of Allendyle. He had also given directions to a deserted house set well outside of the city. Giles had experienced a completely unexpected flare of excitement at the note, almost as if he had a personal connection with the unknown man. And then, of course, he had been annoyed beyond reason when he had discovered that Roma had chosen to ride with Scowfield and had denied him the opportunity to reveal the information he had gained. That hadn’t however, prevented him from using the pitiful excuse to rush over to the Welford house that morning, going so far as to actually creep into the sitting room for a private word with the exasperating Roma.
He had told himself that the message would bolster her courage and assure her he was doing everything possible to locate her brother. Unfortunately, he now realized it was a crackbrained scheme from the start. He should have suspected that she would be ridiculous enough to suggest she come to the meeting.
With a shake of his head, Giles attempted to push his dark thoughts away. He needed his mind clear to concentrate on what might have happened to William Allendyle. He would have plenty of time later to dwell on Roma’s various character flaws.
The carriage rumbled over the uneven roads for nearly an hour before it mercifully pulled to a halt behind a tall, unmanicured hedge. Ensuring his small pistol was loaded and tucked into the hidden pocket sewn in the lining of his coat, Giles cautiously stepped into the overgrown grass. Nearly hidden from the road, he took a long moment to study the dilapidated cottage. It looked as if a strong breeze might send it tumbling to the ground, but Giles knew better than to let appearances fool him. He was quite certain he was at the right location, he just had to reassure his edgy nerves that he wasn’t about to walk into a trap.
With a small nod toward Jameson, Giles began to edge his way around the house, his narrowed gaze studying his surroundings with careful attention. Most importantly he ensured that there were no hidden assassins or thugs waiting to attack the moment he let down his guard. He had learned his lesson well.
The soft coo of a nearby dove was the only sound to break the silence as Giles slowly counted to one hundred, his gaze carefully scrutinizing every clump of brush and blade of grass. But when he was on the point of actually approaching the open door to the cottage, he was abruptly halted by the warning sound of his groom’s short whistle. With a concerned frown, Giles swiftly made his way back to the carriage, finding Jameson peering through the hedge.
“What is it?” he asked, his voice a low whisper.
Jameson turned, his voice as soft as his employer’s. “I seen something across the road. I think someone is watching the house.”
“You stay here. I’ll circle around.”
Ignoring the trickle of alarm that inched down his spine, Giles slowly made a wide detour around the hedge, darting across the road and diving into the heavy bushes on the opposite side. He lay there for a long moment, listening for any unusual sounds. Then, assuming his less than graceful approach had gone unnoticed, he raised himself to his feet and slowly began to make his way through the thick overgrowth.
At a painfully slow pace, he inched his way toward the spot Jameson had pointed out, his senses on full alert. Although he could see or hear nothing, he had enough confidence in his groom to know Jameson wasn’t the type to overreact or to jump at mere shadows. If he suspected someone was lurking in the bushes, then Giles had no doubt there was indeed an uninvited intruder. The trick was finding him without actually stumbling over him.
Hardly daring to breathe, he crept forward; then the faint sound of a snapping twig brought him to an abrupt halt. Crouching low to the ground he peered through a clump of tall grass, closely inspecting the shadowed figure that was poised only a few feet in front of him. Just for a moment he considered pulling the gun from his coat pocket; then he gave a decisive shake of his head. If the unknown man was not alone, he had no intention of warning the others that he was on to their scheme.
Instead, he determinedly tensed his muscles and drawing a deep breath, he suddenly leaped forward and tackled the stranger with enough force to send them both rolling across the ground.
Expecting a vicious fight, Giles clamped his arms tightly around the surprisingly tiny form, his blood freezing as a startled, wholly feminine scream pierced the heavy silence.
With a final twist he pushed himself on top of the oddly limp body, his heart coming to a painful halt as a horrible suspicion rushed over him.
Narrowing his gaze, he swiftly reached up a hand to pull off the heavy hat that effectively hid the small face. Somehow he wasn’t even surprised when a heavy mane of auburn curls spilled onto the crushed grass.
“Good Lord … ” He slowly shook his head, not sure whether to laugh or be furious at her unbelievable tenacity. “I should have known. Let me give you a bit of advice, Miss Allendyle: The next time you attempt to get yourself killed, I would appreciate it if you would chose to do so somewhere far away from me. I am frankly tired of saving you from your own stubborn stupidity.”