Dangerous (2 page)

The only jewelry Sebastian wore was a gold ring on one of his long-fingered hands. It gleamed with a dull sheen as he slowly stroked the cat. Prudence stared at the ring. Earlier, when she had danced with him, she had noted that there was an elaborate letter
F
engraved on it. She had assumed it stood for
Fleetwood
, the earl’s family name.

For a moment she could not seem to tear her gaze away from Sebastian’s hand as he petted the cat. When she finally
managed to meet his eyes again, she saw that he was smiling slightly.

She was startled at the frisson of sensual awareness that rushed through her. She told herself she was simply not accustomed to seeing a man in dishabille. Unfortunately, she’d had the same reaction earlier this evening when Sebastian had been properly attired for the ball.

The man had an enthralling effect on her, Prudence acknowledged. She wondered fleetingly if he was real. Even as she stood there staring at him, Sebastian began to dissolve like a specter into a gray fog.

For a few seconds she was so startled to see him turn into an apparition before her very eyes that she could not think clearly. Then she realized what the problem was.

“I beg your pardon, my lord.” Prudence hastily removed her spectacles and wiped off the cloudy mist that had begun to obscure her vision. “It is so very cold outside, you know. When I stepped into this warm room it caused a vapor to form on the lenses. It is one of the annoying problems one faces when one wears spectacles.”

Sebastian elevated a black brow. “My sympathies, Miss Merryweather.”

“Yes, well, thank you. Not much that can be done about it. One gets used to it.” Prudence replaced her spectacles on her nose. She frowned at Sebastian. “I expect you’re wondering why I’m here at this rather late hour.”

“The question did cross my mind.” His gaze skimmed over her old cloak, which had parted slightly to reveal the prim, unfashionable fawn-colored ball gown underneath. Amusement danced briefly in his eyes before it was replaced by a speculative look. “You came alone?”

“Yes, of course.” She looked at him in surprise.

“Some people would say that was rather unwise.”

“I had to see you alone. I am here on a very private matter.”

“I see. Pray be seated.”

“Thank you.” Prudence smiled a little uncertainly as she perched on the other large chair that faced the fire. She reminded herself that she had liked Angelstone on sight earlier this evening, even though her friend Hester, Lady Pembroke, had been horrified when he’d forced the introduction.

Surely he was not as bad as everyone insisted he was, Prudence told herself as she watched Sebastian settle back into his chair. Her instincts about people were generally very reliable. There had only been that one unfortunate occasion three years ago when she had found herself sadly mistaken about a man.

“This is a trifle awkward, my lord.”

“Yes” Sebastian stretched his booted feet out toward the fire and went back to slowly stroking the cat. “It is also a trifle dangerous.”

“Nonsense. I have a pistol in my reticule and the coachman who brought me here has agreed to wait for me. I assure you, I shall be quite safe.”

“A pistol?” He eyed her with some amusement. “You are a most unusual woman, Miss Merryweather. Did you think you would need the pistol to protect yourself from me?”

“Good heavens, no, my lord.” Prudence was genuinely shocked. “You’re a gentleman, sir.”

“Am I?”

“Of course you are. Pray do not tease me, my lord. I brought the pistol along as protection against footpads. I understand they are very prevalent here in Town.”

“Yes. They are.”

The cat crouched on Sebastian’s lap and gazed at Prudence with an unwinking gaze. It struck her that the beast’s eyes were almost the exact same shade of gold as those of its master. She was momentarily distracted by that observation.

“Does your cat have a name, sir?” she asked suddenly.

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

The faint smile briefly edged Sebastian’s mouth again. “Lucifer.”

“Oh.” Prudence cleared her throat discreetly. “Yes, well, as I was saying, I am not at all unusual, merely a very ordinary woman who is, unfortunately, new to the ways of Town life.”

“I disagree, Miss Merryweather. You are the most unusual woman I have ever met.”

“I find that extremely difficult to believe,” she said tartly. “Now, then, I seem to have been the cause of some trouble between you and my brother this evening and I wish to put a stop to it at once.”

“Trouble?” Sebastian’s amber gaze narrowed in speculation. “I am not aware of any trouble between myself and Trevor Merryweather.”

“Do not try to fob me off by pretending ignorance of the situation, my lord.” Prudence clasped her gloved hands tightly in her lap. “Word has reached me that you and Trevor are to engage in a duel at dawn. I will not have it.”

“How do you intend to stop it?” Sebastian watched her with lazy interest.

“As to that, I have researched the subject of duels during the past few hours and have come up with a solution.”

“Have you, indeed?”

“Yes. An apology will end this piece of idiocy. As soon as I realized what had to be done, I immediately tracked down Trevor at the Atkinses’ soiree and spoke to him first. Unfortunately, he proved to be ridiculously stubborn about the whole thing, even though I could tell he was terrified of what is going to happen at dawn. He is very young, you know.”

“Not too young to offer a challenge, apparently.”

Prudence shook her head. “He kept saying he had to go through with it because my honor as well as his own is at stake.
My honor
. Can you imagine?”

“That is generally the case in such affairs. Duels would be
unbearably dull for all concerned if there wasn’t the issue of a woman’s honor involved.”

“What rubbish. Allow me to tell you, my lord, that if you actually believe that, you have no more common sense than my brother.”

“An unnerving thought.”

Prudence ignored the sarcasm. “It’s utter nonsense to think that I have been insulted simply because you spoke to me and asked me to dance with you. I was not insulted in the least. I told Trevor as much.”

“Thank you.”

“The thing is,” Prudence said earnestly, “Trevor has felt very protective of me since the death of our parents. He feels that as the man in the family he has certain obligations. He means well, but sometimes he gets carried away with the notion of looking after me. It is ridiculous for him to call you out over such an inconsequential event.”

“I’m not entirely certain it was an inconsequential event.” Sebastian’s elegant fingers moved thoughtfully on the cat. “You and I did have a rather extended conversation at the ball.”

“About matters of mutual intellectual interest, nothing more,” Prudence said quickly.

“And we did dance the waltz.”

“So did a great many other people. Lady Pembroke tells me it is all the rage. Everyone is dancing the waltz these days. Really, Trevor’s challenge is beyond belief.”

“Not in the eyes of some people.”

Prudence bit her lip. “Well, since he has issued the challenge and since I cannot talk him into apologizing to you so that the duel may be properly called off, there is only one solution.”

Sebastian’s golden eyes met hers. “I am extremely curious to hear your solution, Miss Merryweather.”

“It is really quite simple.” Prudence gave him a hopeful smile. “You must apologize to him.”

Sebastian’s hand went very still on the cat. His ebony lashes veiled his gaze. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me. You must apologize to him.” Prudence leaned forward. “It is the only way, my lord. Trevor is barely twenty, you know. He is nervous and I believe he knows he is in over his head, but he is much too young and too hotheaded to admit that this situation has gotten out of hand.”

“Your brother may not feel that it has gotten out of hand. He may be entirely convinced that challenging me was the only proper response under the circumstances.”

“Ridiculous. You must try to understand, my lord. Ever since Mama and Papa were killed in a carriage accident two years ago my brother has been attempting to shoulder his responsibilities as the head of the family.”

I see.

“He is at that dreadful age when young men feel things so very intensely. I expect you were young once yourself.”

Sebastian gazed at her, clearly fascinated. “Now that you mention it, I believe I was. It was a very long time ago, of course.”

Prudence flushed. “I did not mean to imply that you are old now, my lord.”

“Thank you.”

Prudence gave him an encouraging smile. “Heavens, you are probably not much above forty.”

“Thirty-five.”

Prudence blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“I am thirty-five, Miss Merryweather. Not forty.”

“Oh. I see.” Prudence wondered if she had offended him. She sought to recover whatever ground she had lost “Well, you certainly have the aspect of the sort of sound maturity one would expect in a much older man, sir.”

“Kind of you to say so. Others have said that my face bears the marks of a blighted soul and too much hard living.”

Prudence swallowed. “The thing is, my lord, I fear we
must rely on the wisdom and common sense that you have no doubt acquired during the past thirty-five years
if
we are to put an end to the foolishness of a twenty-year-old boy.”

Sebastian studied her for a long moment. “You’re serious, aren’t you, Miss Merryweather? You actually expect me to apologize to your brother.”

“I am quite serious. This is a matter of life and death, my lord. According to my sources, you are an extremely excellent shot.” Prudence tightened her clasped hands. “I understand you practice regularly at Manton’s and that this will not be your first duel.”

“You appear to be remarkably well informed.”

“I am very good at investigating things, my lord,” Prudence said stiffly. “It is a hobby of mine, as I explained to you earlier this evening.”

“So you did. But I was under the impression that your primary interest was the investigation of spectral phenomena.”

Prudence glanced at the cat. “It is true that I have specialized in such matters, but I assure you my interests are actually quite wide-ranging. I enjoy finding answers to puzzling questions.”

“Do you believe in ghosts, Miss Merryweather?”

“I myself am extremely skeptical on the subject,” Prudence admitted. “But many people do believe in ghosts. They often think they have evidence of spectral phenomena. My hobby involves examining that evidence and attempting to find a logical explanation for it.”

“I see.” Sebastian gazed into the flames on the hearth. “It was because I had heard of your rather unusual hobby that I asked to be introduced to you.”

Prudence smiled ruefully. “I am well aware of that, my lord. I realize I am accounted an Original here in Town. You are not the first gentleman who has sought an introduction simply because he was curious about my hobby. Do you have
any notion of how irritating it is to be asked to dance merely because one is considered odd?”

“I believe I have some idea,” Sebastian said, his tone curiously dry. “The
ton
is always intrigued by the unusual. It reacts like a small child with a new toy. And if it happens to break that toy, it will toss it aside and go on to another bright, glittering object.”

“I understand.” Prudence’s heart sank. Had she actually hoped that he had found her a bit more interesting than a new toy? This was the Fallen Angel, after all. “You are telling me that you asked me to dance because I am the newest of the
ton’s
entertainments. You were merely amusing yourself.”

“No.” Sebastian watched her with hooded eyes. “I asked you to dance because you intrigued me, Miss Merryweather. It occurred to me that you and I might have some interests in common.”

She stared at him in astonishment. “Really, my lord? Are you involved in investigations of spectral phenomena?”

“Not exactly.”

“What, then?”

“I don’t think it’s important at the moment. There are more pressing matters concerning us, are there not?”

“Yes, of course. Your duel with my brother.” Prudence pulled herself back to the business at hand. “Then you will apologize to Trevor? I know it will be dreadfully irritating to do so when he is the one in the wrong, but surely you can see that this duel must be stopped.”

“It is not my habit to apologize, Miss Merryweather.”

She moistened her dry lips. “The thing is, I cannot convince Trevor to do so.”

“Then I fear your brother must face the consequences.”

Prudence felt her hands go cold. “Sir, I must insist you act the part of a mature, responsible man. Trevor is as new to the ways of Town as I am. He did not know what he was doing when he challenged you.”

“You’re wrong, Miss Merryweather. Your brother knew precisely what he was doing. He knew who I was and he knew my reputation.” Sebastian smiled faintly. “Why do you think he was so outraged over the fact that I asked you to dance?”

Prudence frowned. “I have learned a great deal about your reputation during the past three or four hours, my lord. It seems to me it has been blown out of all proportion to the facts.”

Sebastian looked briefly startled. “Do you know the facts, Miss Merryweather?”

“Most of them,” She ticked them off rapidly on one gloved hand. “Years ago your father defied his family to run off with an actress. The Fleetwoods were furious. Your parents were forced to leave the country because of the scandal. There were never any announcements of a wedding made, so everyone, including your relatives, assumed your father never actually married your mother.”

“That sums up most of my relevant history.”

“Not quite. When you returned to England two years ago, the
ton
took great delight in labeling you a bastard.”

“So it did.” Sebastian looked amused.

“It was very cruel of people to say such things. You were certainly not responsible for the circumstances of your birth.”

“You are very understanding, Miss Merryweather.”