Tenacious Trents 03 - A Reluctant Rake (13 page)

“I suppose.” Audrey could only hope
whatever relationship he shared with the widow ended because as
long as he was visiting her at night, Audrey could not allow him to
court her during the day, if that is what he wished to
do.

Mr. Dalton stopped before them and
bowed deeply. “Lady Lydell, you are more beautiful and lovely than
Diana herself.”

“The huntress?” Audrey
asked.

The man blinked at her with a confused
frown on his face. If that man was going to compare her to the
goddess of beauty, shouldn’t he at least know who that was? “I
think you mean Aphrodite.”

“Yes that is the one.” He
smiled seductively and turned back to Millicent and clasped her
hands in his. “More beautiful than
any
of the goddesses.”

Audrey resisted the urge to roll her
eyes and looked away just in time to see Jordan Trent escort Lady
Rothsbury out into the moonlit garden. Her heart constricted but
she reminded herself that she had no claim on the gentleman and
until she was certain he wasn’t simply toying with her affections
with no intention of a serious courtship, she would not allow him
to kiss her again. He had made no declarations. He only kissed her
until her knees nearly buckled.

Just because she had believed an
untruth about him didn’t mean she could trust him. He was a rake
and rarely without female companionship. She could still simply be
another conquest to him and Audrey vowed to guard her heart until
she determined his intentions, if he had any beyond
supper.

Yet, he had continued to pursue her,
but was it only because he wanted to know why he had been rejected?
Jordan Trent probably had never been denied any lady of his
choosing before her. Was or had she been a challenge and now he
would move on?

“Do take me on a stroll in the garden.”
Millicent batted her eyelashes at Dalton as a suggestive smile came
to her lips. The woman had no more desire to be with Dalton than
Audrey, yet the man was too ignorant to realize he was being used
to be closer to Trent. They could all go and frolic in the garden
for all she cared. At least Lydell had disappeared into the card
room and wouldn’t know what his wife was up to.

Audrey watched as the couple
disappeared through the doors as Grace came to stand at her
side.

“We need to talk about
Millicent.”

Grace’s eyebrows rose in
interest.

“Not here. Can I call on you
tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Grace insisted.

Mr. Matthew Trent pressed a glass of
punch into his wife’s hand. “Good evening Miss
Montgomery.”

She smiled up at him. It was a shame he
was no longer the vicar at home. She had enjoyed his sermons, when
she bothered to attend services. In fact, she only heard two of the
handful he gave before resigning and marrying Grace.

“Oh dear.”

Audrey turned to look where Grace was
staring.

“Lord Creighton does not look happy,”
Mr. Trent observed. The man’s face was red and anger radiated from
his being. He stopped and spoke with a few people who pointed to
the doors leading to the garden. “I wonder why he is
upset.”

“Could he not like that Jordan is with
Lady Rothsbury?” Lord Bentley asked as he approached, his wife,
Lady Bentley on his arm.

“Why would he care?” Audrey found
herself asking.

“Creighton is her brother-in-law,”
Bentley began to explain. “Perhaps he doesn’t like that a rake is
close to the mother of the young lord and may fear his
influence.”

Audrey simply shrugged. She wasn’t
going to try and guess why the gentleman had his dander up but
watched as he stormed across the ballroom and outside.

“That rake is your brother,” Mr.
Matthew Trent reminded the earl.

Bentley laughed. “Does that make him
any less a rake?”

From what Audrey observed, Jordan Trent
was a rogue through and through. She needed to keep that in mind
next time he attempted to kiss her. One does not set her heart upon
such a gentleman unless she was willing to have it shattered and
Audrey had no intention of being hurt.

“How dare you interfere in my
affairs!”

Jordan stiffened at the sound of
Creighton’s voice. He was standing in a small gazebo with Lady
Rothsbury explaining what needed to be done with regard to changing
guardians and her brother’s response.

He turned and looked toward the man
stomping toward them. “I thought you were to be in the
country?”

“You, nor nobody else can tell me what
to do or where to go.”

Jordan stepped close to Lady Rothsbury.
He had never seen the gentleman so angry. Not that he thought
Creighton would do her any harm, but it did not hurt to be
precautious.

“You are correct. I cannot tell you
either of those things. I can merely suggest what is
best.”

“Nor will I give up guardianship of my
nephews.”

Jordan braced his feet apart and stared
down at the man. “That is out of your hands.”

“This is none of your affair,”
Creighton bellowed and then pointed at Lady Rothsbury. “I will
fight you with everything I have. They are my brother’s children. I
will say what is best for them and how they are taken care of.
Expect them to be removed from your home as soon as I have made the
arrangements.” He took a step closer to Jordan. “You will pay for
the humiliation you have caused.”

Lady Rothsbury grasped Jordan’s arm as
the man stormed back toward the house. “Can he take my
boys?”

Jordan had not anticipated Creighton
wanting to take such action. While he was still guardian he could
very well do so which meant Jordan needed to get this matter
resolved before it was too late. “I won’t let it happen.” Then he
turned towards her. “I suggest you take your sons to a place where
they can be protected and don’t tell anyone where you are
going.”

She bit her bottom lip and
nodded.

“Your brother will see to your safety
and I will relay all messages through him and you do the
same.”

“I will.” She moved toward the house.
“I am going home now. I don’t trust Creighton not to try and take
them tonight.”

“Send word if you need
anything.”

Lady Rothsbury turned back and placed a
kiss on Jordan’s cheek. “Thank you.”

“It is my pleasure.” Jordan offered his
arm and began to escort her back toward the house. There were two
paths through the foliage and he opted for the one opposite of what
Creighton took. They turned the corner, just shy of the lights
reflecting from the large windows to find Lady Lydell in the arms
of Mr. Dalton. At least she wasn’t pursuing him any longer, but
they were in the middle of the path and he and Lady Rothsbury
couldn’t get past. He tugged on Lady Rothsbury’s arm to escort her
back the way they had come and leave the two lovers alone. Dalton
was making short work of Lady Lydell’s bodice and soon Jordan would
see portions of her anatomy that he did not care to view. At least
he didn’t wish to view them on Lady Lydell.

“Jordan,” Lady Lydell
gasped.

He stilled. There was no escaping now
and turned back to the couple. Should he point out that he had not
given her leave to use his Christian name? “I apologize for the
intrusion.”

“As you should,” Dalton
insisted.

“If you wished to seduce Lady Lydell,
perhaps you should have chosen a more private area,” Jordan shot
back.

“As you always do,” Lady Lydell
purred.

How the hell did she know how he went
about seductions? What little knowledge she thought she had was
false. “I am sure you know nothing, Lady Lydell.”

“You are always such a gentleman,
wishing to protect a lady’s reputation.” Her glance flickered over
Lady Rothsbury with disgust. “At least when they deserve
protecting.”

Lady Rothsbury gasped at the
insult.

“Good evening, Dalton, Lady Lydell.”
Jordan turned on his heel and placed a hand at the small of Lady
Rothsbury’s back to escort her away from the couple.

“Jordan, wait,” Lady Lydell cried
out.

Jordan ignored her and continued away
from the couple.

“Forget him,” Dalton insisted. “Let me
love you.”

Those were the last words Jordan heard.
If he were Lydell he would take that woman to the country and keep
her under lock and key.

She was as bad as Millicent. Audrey
chastised herself as she glanced at the door once again. Creighton
had returned only a short time after leaving but neither Mr. Trent
nor Lady Rothsbury had entered the ballroom. Were they so deep into
the gardens he could not locate them? Was Mr. Trent devouring Lady
Rothsbury’s mouth as he had done to her? If so, how many more
ladies did Trent kiss on a daily basis? She needed to remind
herself once again he was debauched. It didn’t matter that he
kissed divinely or that he heated her from a simple gaze because
she wasn’t the only one to feel the effects. Half the women in the
room probably had had the pleasure of being in his arms at one time
or another and there was nothing special about her.

The two stepped through the door a
moment later. Lady Rothsbury appeared pale, her features drawn. Not
a hair was out of place nor did her dress suffer the slightest
wrinkle. Could she have been wrong about their reason for meeting
in the dark? Oh, Audrey dearly hoped so. Lady Rothsbury nodded to
Mr. Trent then made her way through the crowd to the doors leading
to the entry hall. Was she leaving already? Would Mr. Trent follow?
If so, then she would have just lost her supper partner.

Instead, Mr. Trent wandered over to
where his youngest brother and his wife stood and appeared in no
hurry to leave. Audrey hated that she was relieved that he remained
behind.

Lady Lydell entered only a moment
later, her eyes narrowed and mouth pinched in anger. Apparently her
assignation in the garden had not gone as hoped. Had she and Lady
Rothsbury fought over Mr. Trent? Mr. Dalton followed and didn’t
appear anymore pleased than those before them. Apparently tonight
was not a night for lovers.

Millicent stormed toward Audrey and
Grace.

“Why is she so upset?” Grace
whispered.

“I’ll explain everything
tomorrow.”

The former vicar turned toward his
wife. “The set is about to begin.” Grace nodded to Audrey and
allowed her husband to lead her to the floor. Lord and Lady Bentley
followed, leaving Audrey and Millicent alone.

“He acted as if he didn’t care,”
Millicent whined. “I made sure to be in a position where Jordan
would find me with Dalton, which he did, but he didn’t seem to
care.”

Nor would he, not that Millicent would
understand.

“It is her fault,” Millicent said a
moment later.

“Who?”

“Lady Rothsbury. I need to find a way
to keep Jordan away from her.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Audrey
shrugged. “She left a few moments ago.”

“Jordan remained behind?” Millicent
asked with all the excitement of a fourteen-year-old school
girl.