A Scandalous Deception (5 page)

“I don’t think you’re a ninny.” Well, not all
the time, though only a fool would say such words aloud. Fin shook
his head, hoping to stress upon her the dangerous position she’d
put herself in. “Did you even notice the way Haversham looked at
you last night?”

Her brow furrowed. “Haversham again?
Fin—”

“He looked at you as though you were a
sweetmeat ready to be gobbled up.”

“Is that supposed to be some sort of
compliment? I hardly think I resemble a sweetmeat.”

“Lissy!” Dear God, she could exasperate a
saint. “While you’re in Town alone, I’ll be your escort. Period.
Wherever you want to go, I don’t care, and I won’t hear any
arguments to the contrary. Do you hear me?”

A mischievous smile settled on her lips.
“That is so kind of you, Lord Carraway…”

There was a ‘but’ coming, he could feel it.
She rarely called him Lord Carraway, and when she did there was
always an impish tone to her voice.

“…But your services aren’t needed.”

“Felicity—”

“However, if you’re so very anxious to play
Sir Galahad,” she continued without stopping to take a breath,
“Lady Arabella is in definite need of a chivalrous gentleman.”

“Lady Arabella?” He blinked at Lissy. The
brunette chit she’d just been sitting with? His gaze flicked toward
the lady in question. What the devil was Lissy up to now? They
hadn’t even been remotely discussing Lady Arabella.

“She’s a delightful girl. Truly. You wouldn’t
really have to marry her, but if you could just ask her father for
her hand, she’d greatly appreciate it.”

If he could just ask her father for her
hand
? Fin’s mouth fell open, and he redirected his attention
back to Lissy. There was no way he’d heard her correctly. Even for
her, that last statement was an outrageous thing to say. “I beg
your pardon?”

“She’ll cry off in the end,” Lissy hastened
to explain. “You’d only have to be betrothed until her Prussian
cousin returns to the Continent.”

Fin’s head started to spin. He wasn’t certain
how to even reply to such a ridiculous suggestion. On occasion,
Lissy made sense. This was not one of those occasions. “What in the
world are you talking about?”

She gulped. “Bella doesn’t want to marry her
Prussian cousin, some hellish count, but her grandfather will force
her to if she isn’t already betrothed.
You
could pose as her
fiancé. Not even the Duke of Chatham could find objection with
you.”

He wasn’t sure if he should be flattered by
that or outraged. His stomach, however, did plummet to his toes.
“Did you tell that girl I’d ask for her hand?”

Lissy shook her head. “I hadn’t thought of
you yet. I thought Edmund—”

“Edmund!” he couldn’t help but roar. “You
thought to mix up your little brother in this madness?”

Her lip thrust out in a little pout that
might have been endearing had he not been so thoroughly vexed.
“It’s not madness. It’s inspired genius. I’d think you would know
the difference.”

What he knew was that Felicity Pierce could
drive the sanest man mad. “You will not involve Edmund in any such
scheme. And I will certainly not participate myself.” Truly, Lady
Arabella’s plight was not Fin’s concern in the least. He had his
hands more than full trying to keep Lissy from ruining herself. He
most definitely didn’t need a fiancée, pretend or otherwise,
demanding his time.

“Very well.” Lissy tipped her nose in the air
as she took a step away from him. “Then I’ll just have to ask Lord
Haversham to help.”

Haversham! Fin reached for Lissy’s arm to
pull her back to him, but she backed away too quickly. He fell
forward, and before he could right himself, he dropped to his hands
and knees in front of half the park. A few gasps were heard, but
Lissy’s wasn’t among them. She turned on her heel and stomped back
towards her friend.

“Heavens, Lissy!” Bella touched a hand to her
heart, her grey eyes wide. “Did you see Lord Carraway?”

Nearly fall on his face? Yes, Lissy had seen
that spectacle out of the corner of her eye, but she wasn’t about
to give Fin the satisfaction of showing him any sort of a reaction.
“Come along, Bella,” she said reaching her hands out to her friend,
still on the bench. “I think I know someone who will help us.”

“You do?” Bella rose to her feet. “Who?”

“Cordie Clayworth,” Lissy returned, threading
her arm through Bella’s. “She and her husband are fairly close to
the Marquess of Haversham. And if there’s a fellow who has no need
for a wife, it’s Haversham.”

Bella looked aghast at the suggestion.
“Haversham?”

Lissy shrugged. “I’d wager he could be
convinced to help one way or another.”

Bella shook her head as they started back
towards their maids. “Even if he could be convinced, I doubt Papa
would accept an offer from him.”

Her friend probably had a point, but it was
no matter. “Cordie has a calm head. She’ll help us come up with
something.”

“I don’t know,” Bella hedged. “I don’t really
know Lady Clayworth very well.”

Lissy grinned from ear to ear. “Well,
luckily, I do. She’s one of my dearest friends and she possesses a
most devious mind.”

“And you think she’ll help me?”

Of that, Lissy was more than certain.

Fin heaved a sigh and dusted his hands on his
knees as he watched Felicity and her friend make a direct path for
the Park Lane entrance. How in the world was he supposed to make
her
see reason? He might as well have taken on the twelve
labors of Hercules. After all, facing down a hydra had to be an
easier task.

If she wasn’t Georgie’s sister, he’d wash his
hands of her. If she wasn’t Edmund’s sister, he’d never give her
another thought. If she… No, Fin shook his head. He couldn’t lie to
himself. Since the previous night, he’d been consumed by thoughts
of Lissy, not because she was Georgie’s sister, and not because she
was Edmund’s sister. Honestly, he wasn’t certain why he couldn’t
shake her from his mind. Perhaps it was the panicked expression
that had flashed across her face when he mentioned her late
husband, an expression that reminded him of the one Georgie wore
whenever her late husband was discussed. Perhaps it was because
he’d always felt comfortable in Lissy’s presence until now, which
was odd, as he’d known her nearly all of her life. Perhaps it was
just seeing her stare up at Haversham, depraved rake that he was.
The last thing Lissy needed was to get entangled with
Haversham.

“So nice to see you out of doors, my lord,”
came a melodic voice to his side. Fin pulled his attention from
Lissy’s departing form and smiled at Caroline, Viscountess
Staveley, standing just a few feet away, her two daughters at her
side. “I hope you had a delightful time at the Astwicks’ last
night.”

And it was a good thing Caroline had talked
Fin into attending that particular ball or he’d have never realized
the danger Lissy was in. “My lady, it’s always so nice to see you
anywhere. Out of doors or otherwise.”

Caroline nodded her head at the compliment.
“You don’t need to flatter me, Phineas. We might as well be
family.”

And they were family, in the most extended of
ways. Caroline’s brother, Lucas Beckford, was married to Edmund’s
sister, Juliet. But before that, before Luke’s eyes had ever even
fallen on Juliet, Caroline had been Georgie’s oldest and dearest
friend. “It’s family I’m concerned about.” He gestured toward the
path Lissy had taken. “I don’t know what to do with Felicity.”

Caroline graced him with an ever-knowing
grin. “You sound just like Georgie. If I had a farthing for every
time she’d uttered those same words to me.”

“She seems dead-set on landing herself in
trouble.”

Caroline agreed with a nod. “She was always
the most adventurous of her sisters.”

And she was. Georgie had been the steady,
calm one, the one anyone went to if they needed an ear and solid
advice. Juliet was the cynical one, the one who could size up a man
within seconds of meeting him and put him perfectly in his place.
And Felicity was the flighty one, the one who paid very little
attention to anything around her, always consumed with her own
ideas and very little else.

“But I’m sure she’ll be fine, Fin,” Caroline
said, touching a hand to his arm. “She always is.”

Fin snorted. “Because someone is usually
around to yank her out of danger, but she’s refusing to pay my
council any heed these days.”

“She’s getting older,” Caroline agreed. “It’s
natural she should come into her own, don’t you think?”

Hardly. Fin shook his head. “You tell me,
Caroline. Do you think she should involve the Marquess of Haversham
in some featherbrained scheme of hers?”

All the color in Caroline’s face faded away
and a hand fluttered to her heart. “Haversham?”

“Exactly.” Her reaction mirrored Fin’s own
thoughts on the matter.

“Mama?” Caroline’s youngest daughter asked,
tugging on the lady’s skirts. “Who is Haversham?”

“A not very honorable fellow, Emma,” Caroline
replied, though her eyes stayed level on Fin.

“Indeed.” Fin nodded. “I don’t think letting
Lissy come into her own is the best course at the moment.”

“If
he
is involved,” Caroline dropped
her voice so low no one else in the vicinity could overhear her,
“we can most certainly agree on that, Fin.” Concern etched across
her brow. “You should do whatever you can to direct her
otherwise.”

Which were Fin’s thoughts exactly, though he
had no idea how to accomplish such a feat. “Now if only divine
inspiration would strike me.”

Caroline heaved a sigh. “Let me think on it,
and perhaps I’ll come up with something.”

Something
was more than Fin had when
he’d started out the day. Whenever Caroline Staveley set her mind
on
something
, she always found a path that lead to success.
“I’m certain Georgie would appreciate any help you can offer.”

A sad smile lit Caroline’s lips. “And I’m
certain Georgie would be glad to know you’re still keeping an eye
on Lissy.”

Which hadn’t done him a bit of good. He might
be better off keeping an eye on Haversham.

Lissy beamed at the Clayworths’ stoic butler
as he opened the door. “Good afternoon, Higgins,” she said
brightly, pulling Bella along with her into the foyer. “Please
inform Lady Clayworth that I’d like an audience.”

“What if she’s not here?” Bella
whispered.

Lissy waited until Higgins shut the front
door and started down the corridor to do her bidding before she
turned her attention back to her friend. “She’s always in. Ever
since she became a mother, Cordie spends nearly every waking hour
doting on her son.” But mostly the countess had done so since her
recent miscarriage, not that Lissy wanted to voice that last bit
aloud.