The Wedding Runaway (9 page)

But as much as Leonard didn
'
t want to be around him
,
there was an odd compatibility too. There was a sense of familiarity and comfort that occurred when two individuals were destined to be great friends.

Whether this was his test of sanity or Leonard
'
s
,
Victor knew he would not be able to let the boy out of his sight. His heart pounded and his blood heated and he desperately wanted to pull Lenny against him....

Chapter Four

Lydia trailed after Victor. A footman opened the drawing room door
,
and she waited until Victor entered. Their bumping into each other while exiting the dining room had made her freeze. Had he felt the bolster that hid her waist? Or sensed the strange charge of energy that sprang from the contact?

The moment stretched out until a footman with a tea tray rattled past.

Lord
,
she thought she
'
d been found out
,
that her infatuation showed and he
'
d...they
'
d...well
,
a spark or connection or desire had flowed through the air. She
'
d feared he
'
d realize she was a woman.

In any case
,
he had scowled at her. What a time to finally feel the buds of attraction
,
now that she was trapped into a disguise of being a man. She had definitely bloomed too late.

"
Come and have a spot of tea
,
Mr. Hall
,"
said Sophie as she poured him a cup and held it out.
"
We do not stand on formalities much among us. Do you mind if I call you Leonard?
"

Amelia looked oddly at Sophie but quickly dropped her gaze to her lap and seconded the invitation.
"
Yes
,
do come tell us about your home
,
Leonard. I have heard that you could fit all the states of Europe into the land held by your country.
"

"
Yes
,
but most of it is wilderness. I suppose we shall spread across it all one day.
"

For a few minutes, the two women gently quizzed Lydia about her home and upbringing. She could feel Victor scrutinizing her as she answered their questions. She started to cross her ankles and remembered men didn
'
t sit like that
,
so she pointed her knees out
,
rather than locking them together.

Victor asked Amelia to play for them
,
and walked her over to a spinet in the corner of the room. With his arm around her waist
,
he helped her choose sheet music.

The sight of Victor
'
s head so close to the other woman
'
s made Lydia swallow hard against a lump in her throat. They looked as if they belonged together
,
with their matching dark hair
,
his with rich waves
,
and hers in loose swirls. Amelia
'
s head only came up to his shoulder
,
so he leaned down toward her. She tilted her head back
,
emphasizing the graceful length of her swanlike neck.

She even walked with a floating grace as if her feet never touched the floor. Lydia with her unnatural height could never have managed either the feminine head tilt or the gliding walk. Her strides had always been too long
,
kicking her skirts out in front of her. To take shorter steps made her look like a mincing fool. Although she didn
'
t stand quite eye-to-eye with Victor
,
there would never be any need for him to bend over her.

"
Would you like a biscuit?
"
asked Sophie, startling Lydia away from her observation of the low conversation between Victor and his other guest.
"
You didn
'
t eat much for a growing lad.
"

She
'
d eaten a lot
,
but she never could have matched the amount her older brothers could consume at a single sitting. Was there an insinuation in Sophie
'
s words? Her blue eyes were inquiring and sincere
,
guileless.
"
Thank you
,
no. I
'
m not as young as I look
,"
said Lydia.

Sophie smiled and then said playfully
,
"
I
'
m not as young as I act. So how do you find London? Have you been to a balloon ascension?
"

Her husband
,
who had remained silent up until this point
,
snorted.

Lydia shook her head. She preferred to limit her exposure during the daytime hours. She wasn
'
t that confident in her masquerade. Candle and lamplight could mask a multitude of deficiencies.

"
I admit I have a fascination with balloon ascensions. I am quite determined to ride in one.
"

"
No
,
you will not
,"
said Keene.

His wife ignored him and went on.
"
I understand one might purchase a ticket. Keene thinks they are too dangerous. I quite have a fascination with heights. I should imagine one might be able to have the experience of a bird.
"

"
Only a featherhead should wish to be a bird.
"
Keene stood and crossed over to his wife. In spite of his words
,
or perhaps because of them
,
he leaned over and pressed a kiss on his wife
'
s cheek.

"
A balloon ascension sounds like a great adventure
,"
Lydia said, because she was sure that was what a young man would think. But why couldn
'
t a woman enjoy it too?

"
Pray
,
don
'
t encourage her
,"
said Keene.
"
She is far too careless with her health as it is.
"

"
You know
,
you have never lost anyone dear to you to an accident
,"
said Victor.

"
I should like to keep it that way
,"
answered Keene.
"
I have come near enough to it by my own hand that I should not like it.
"

Lydia looked between the two men. They looked very similar in height and build
,
even their features were alike
,
although Victor looked a shade leaner
,
with more of an edge. But Victor had said his family name was Bartlett. Perhaps they were cousins. That would no doubt explain it.

Yet as she looked between them
,
she realized an uncomfortable undercurrent hung in the air. Sophie
'
s animation had drained out of her
,
and Keene squeezed his wife
'
s shoulder as if offering comfort.

Victor rubbed the red discoloration on his forehead. Lydia wondered at it. Was it a scar? It didn
'
t detract from his looks
,
but made him appear human
,
vulnerable
,
when she thought him arrogant and controlling. She wanted to touch it
,
to press her lips there
,
because it seemed to bother him.

She jumped to her feet and paced. A fluttering in her stomach, not entirely fear, made her restless. The very slight pressure of her fake male member in her drawers all of the sudden disturbed her.
"
Are we to play whist then?
"

The question was unforgivably rude. Oh
,
good
,
now she managed rudeness
,
when everyone was around. However
,
insulting Victor
,
when he supplied cruder terms than she ever would have thought of, wasn
'
t working well
,
and Sophie reacted with an indulgent smile. Could these people not be insulted?

"
Ah
,
Lenny is no doubt anxious to show his prowess at cards.
"
Victor tossed her an amused glance.
"
Be warned
,
cub
,
you shall not find any easy marks here.
"

Sophie sprang to her feet and moved over to a round table and picked up a chair to pull it to the table.
"
Are we to play here?
"

"
Darling
,
let us arrange the furniture
,"
said her husband
,
but he crossed to the far side of the room to grab a chair, as if the only way to stop his wife from pulling all the chairs to the table was to beat her to them.

Lydia belatedly picked up another chair.
"
I
'
ll get them.
"

As she neared the table
,
Sophie leaned into Victor
'
s arm.
"
Do not forget I have a favor to ask of you
,"
she whispered. Then she said louder
,
"
Are the cards in the dining room sideboard? Shall I go for them?
"

"
I
'
ll get them.
"
Keene cast a stern glance in his wife
'
s direction.

"
I
'
ll send a servant.
"
Victor stepped toward the bell pull.

"
Oh, Ludcakes
,
it shall be faster if Keene fetches them. He knows how very eager I am to practice before the season is in full swing. I may be sick of the card table before it is over
,
but I want to be sharp for when it is no longer seemly for me to dance. Oh
,
Leonard
,
you must promise to ask me to dance often. I quite exhaust Victor and Keene.
"

Lydia ducked and mumbled something. Good gracious
,
she didn
'
t intend to dance with other women. She went to the far side of the room and grabbed the final chair needed. She lifted the sturdy piece of furniture and held her breath straining to carry the chair. Her brothers would have made the task look effortless.

Lydia glanced at Amelia as she played the spinet
,
gracefully
,
with more feeling than Lydia would have expected from her reserve. Did her womanly charms never end?

As Lydia neared Victor and Sophie
,
she could not help but overhear their low conversation. If the chair were not so heavy, she could move faster.

"
If the favor you intend to ask for is for me to help you ride in a balloon basket
,
I must decline.
"

"
Oh
,
pish
,
that is just diversion. I mean, I should like to ride in a balloon
,
but what I really wanted to ask you is...
"
she hesitated, looking at Lydia.

Lydia tried to look as if she couldn
'
t hear and the chair weighed no more than a feather. Victor looked nervous
,
as if he didn
'
t really want to handle Sophie
'
s request. Lydia wished she could intercede for him
,
but she was at a loss.

Sophie continued.
"
You see, Keene is excessively concerned about my safety and it is rather wearing. I thought my father was horrid.
"
She leaned close and batted her blue eyes at Victor with a mixture of charm and innocence.
"
Now that I am in a delicate condition
,
he is too worried that harm might come to me
,
if I...exert myself and he won
'
t...
"

Victor really looked uncomfortable.

"
I thought that you might be willing. It is my greatest desire to...
"
She bit her lip with the most effective of pauses.

Lydia was fascinated by their byplay
,
although she tried not to watch directly. Was Sophie a natural flirt or were her pauses and hesitations rehearsed?

"
For God
'
s sake
,
just say it
,
so I might say no
,"
blurted Victor.

Sophie blinked.
"
It
'
s just a hunter.
"

Lydia tripped, the heavy chair crashing to the floor and her about to join it. Victor caught her across the chest and a thousand rocket bursts could not have startled her more. Her breath caught and her bound breasts tingled and ached. Her momentum brought them close
,
his long lean body rubbed against hers. Time hung suspended
,
and he stared at her an expression close to horror on his face.

He did not know she was a woman. Could he sense her excitement? Oh, fiddlesticks! She pushed away.
"
I told you I was clumsy.
"

Victor shook his head and raked his hand through his hair. With one hand, he righted the dumped chair.

"
Victor?
"
said Sophie as if she was concerned by the dazed look that had crossed his face.
"
You did not hurt yourself
,
did you? Are you all right
,
Leonard?
"

Victor looked at Sophie
,
"
I thought you meant to offer me comfort as Ame—
"