Seducing the Spy (18 page)

There were quite a number of guests lingering in the hall already, mostly ladies and, well, women who weren't ladies. Stanton felt like a crow among the flowers in his classic black, while the women swirled about him in their brightly colored morning gowns.

It was a superior place to hear the latest gossip, however. Stanton listened carefully even as he tried to portray an air of indolent boredom. He must not have been terribly successful, for the ladies nearest him gazed at him warily and spoke in low tones.

Still, they found him less interesting than the new arrivals. It looked as though this were by far the most popular party of the early winter Season.

Lords, gamblers, and a few men of the church came through with their companions, each arrival renewing a storm of gossip. Stanton learned more than he'd ever wanted to know about the various gentlemen's sexual practices, but not much more.

Then the front door opened to reveal a large, vaguely barbaric silhouette, one that was entirely familiar to Stanton.

Bloody hell, what was Greenleigh doing here? Dane was followed by the buxom Valkyrie form of his lady, Olivia. Stanton was stunned that Dane would bring his lady wife to such a gathering, but Olivia seemed anything but offended. She gazed about with eager curiosity, then spotted him and smiled very briefly before continuing her examination of the grand entrance hall.

Stanton decided that nothing forbade him from casually greeting another man of nearly equal social status and strode forward to castigate Greenleigh.

Dane saw him coming and grinned. "Don't charge at me like that, Wyndham. People will think we have a history."

Stanton forced his demeanor to one more relaxed. "Why are you here?" Well,
almost
relaxed.

Dane folded massive arms. "The same reason you are."

"But you brought your lady!" If Stanton could have, he would have swept the intrepid Olivia right back out the door and into her carriage.

"Olivia adores fireworks." Dane lifted a corner of his lips. "To be truthful, she brought me. I wasn't convinced that you needed help." He rubbed the back of his neck ruefully. "Unfortunately, Lady Dryden has a most unique method of gaining the cooperation of Reardon and myself."

"She set your wives upon you, didn't she?" Damn. It was a very good thing he was immune to such influence. Someone had to rein Lady Dryden in before she disturbed the careful balance of the Four. "Well, at least Reardon had the sense to—"

Dane was looking over Stanton's shoulder. "Ah, yes… about that—"

Stanton turned to see Lord and Lady Reardon entering the house. Nathaniel was immediately deserted with no more than a fond kiss on the cheek as his lady, Willa, spotted Lady Greenleigh in the hall.

Lady Reardon was small, dark, and curvaceous next to the statuesque Lady Greenleigh, but the two were obviously thick as thieves.

Stanton turned back to Dane with a frown. "I had—have—a plan," he said grimly. "My plan is simple, unproblematic, and requires no assistance from the other Three. Is that clear?"

Dane shrugged. "Wyndham, I'm here for the food. If Lady Dryden has any purpose other than to keep a few extra pairs of eyes on the Prince Regent, I know nothing about it."

"Hmm." Stanton gazed at him sourly, then across the grand hall to where Reardon stood with the two ladies. "I suppose we should expect Lord and Lady Dryden as well?"

Dane grinned. "I'm surprised they are not here already."

Stanton fought the urge to sigh in resignation. "This certainly explains the last-minute additions to the guest list." He refrained from complaining about being forced to share a chamber with Lady Alicia—what the Three didn't know wouldn't do Stanton any harm.

"So, where is the infamous Lady Alicia?" Dane asked genially. "Olivia is positively panting to have a look at her."

Sleeping in our bed. Of course, Stanton couldn't say that out loud, no matter that it gave him a tiny, unwanted sense of satisfaction to think it.

Then again, it was getting rather late. Surely she had risen by now?

"I'll have a go at finding her, shall I?" Stanton smiled casually.

He must not have been very good at it, for Dane looked askance at him. "You do that," he said. "I'll try to keep the ladies at bay for the moment."

Unfortunately, Lady Alicia was nowhere to be found. Where could she have gotten herself to this time?

Stanton cursed wearily. This was beginning to cost him his habitual composure.

At last he thought to check the stables. The weather wasn't encouraging for a ride, but one never knew with Alicia.

When Cross's groom told Stanton that he'd seen Lady Alicia walking into the east wood, Stanton's first thought was that she was disobeying him again.

His second thought was that she was meeting a new lover.

His third, much worse, thought turned out to be the right one. She was headed home.

Damn. When he'd made this devil's bargain with Alicia, he'd sworn to himself not to inflict her upon any sort of decent society. Now here she was, flinging herself into the very den of the upright.

To be truthful, he didn't know who he was more worried about—Sutherland or Alicia herself.

It wasn't difficult to track someone who wasn't particularly inclined to hide their passage, so he was able to follow her meandering path easily. He ought to be able to catch up to her before she—

Cresting the last hill and looking down on what must be Sutherland, Stanton cursed. He'd never been much of a curser before, but he was becoming rather proficient, if he did say so himself. And who wouldn't curse if they were saddled with the willful and outrageous Lady Alicia? Stanton permitted himself a moment of sympathy for the parents of what must have been a truly trying child.

There was no sign of her, but there was no sign of a ruckus either. Her trail led into the rear gardens. Perhaps no one had yet detected her presence.

Following her on foot now, Stanton led his horse through the neglected gardens until he approached the rear of a battered garden structure. There was a heated argument coming from within.

Stanton blinked. It sounded very much as if Alicia were holding a fierce, mad three-way argument with herself!

Turning the corner, Stanton spied a trio of Titian beauties with tempers at least as bright as their hair. Two stood toe to toe, their voices growing more shrill by the moment. Alicia—Good God, could it be true?—appeared to be the voice of reason, her tone more one of mediation. Stanton felt an insane chuckle rising in his chest at the very thought of a world where Alicia was the rational one.

Alicia's sisters, for who else could they be, were very nearly as pretty as Alicia herself. There was a plump, buxom sister and a slim, elegant sister. Three passionate, tempestuous flame-haired young women in one place? The mind boggled.

"Alicia was only doing what she had to do to get out of this awful valley!" The bosomy one said. "You hate it here as much as she ever did, Antonia, don't deny it! At least she lives in London now, and chooses her own lovers, and goes to the opera in beautiful gowns—"

He saw Alicia put a hand on her sister's arm. "Alberta, you mustn't think it. My life is nothing to envy!"

The slender one, who was Antonia—he was going to figure this out if it killed him—shook Alicia off like an insect and turned on her. "You come here, after all these years, and put such thoughts into her head! If she follows your path, I am doomed!" Antonia threw out her hands. "Do you realize that even by talking to you today we are putting our fragile reputations in danger? What if someone has seen us? What if—" Antonia froze as she saw Stanton standing at the corner of the temple. "Oh, no."

Alicia turned and saw him there. Several expressions flashed across her lively features, but the one that caught his attention was pride. Possessive satisfaction, the sort of thing one might feel about having a fine family home or a beautiful horse.

The fact that she felt that way about him was a bit disturbing, but he would have to address that later. At the moment, it seemed as though Antonia were planning to faint.

Alicia caught her sister. "Antonia, do not distress yourself," she urged. "This is Lord Wyndham, my—" Her gaze flickered up at him again with that odd tinge of pride. "My very good friend. He will not tell anyone you were speaking to me."

Alberta was gazing at him in fascinated awe, Antonia's fainting fit bedamned, apparently. "This is your lover? But he's so handsome and fine! Why must he pay for—" Alberta halted, hearing her own tasteless words. She looked at him with horror. "Oh! I'm
s-sorry, my lord! I—"

Alicia pressed her twitching lips together as she looked at him. "Oh, he looks well enough on the outside, Alberta, but he has dastardly proclivities aplenty."

Alberta only seemed further fascinated. "Really? Like what?"

"I eat tabby kittens for breakfast," Stanton said dryly. "Fortunately, I'm not hungry at the moment."

Antonia sprang upright like a jack-in-the-box to glare at him. Stanton stepped back. Really, they were the most alarming trio.

Her eyes still fixed on Stanton, Antonia grabbed Alberta by the arm. "I cannot believe you would stand here talking to a rake and his leman!"

Leman
? Stanton slid a glance toward Alicia. "Did she actually say 'leman'?"

"I fear so." Alicia came to stand at his side, her arms folded. "And she wasn't even embarrassed."

Antonia reddened and yanked furiously on Alberta's arm. "Papa!" she shouted back over her shoulder. "Papa, there's an intruder on the grounds!"

Alicia sighed. "Oh, Antonia." Then she took Stanton's hand. "We'd better run for it. Papa is likely to lead with his flintlock and ask for names after."

Stanton stood fast. "I don't run for it. Ever." His tone was grim. "Lady Antonia! Stop this ridiculous behavior at once!"

Antonia stumbled to a halt, a lifetime of obedience betraying her, as he'd known it would. He approached her slowly, Alicia's hand still wrapped in his.

He bowed. "Lady Antonia, my deepest apologies for mocking you. It is true, I was not invited here today. It is also true that as the Marquis of Wyndham, I have been welcomed into your home before, so it is arguable that I am not quite the 'intruder' you claim."

Antonia visibly deflated at that. Now her worried gaze was fixed on his, for offending a powerful acquaintance of her father's might very well surpass the crime of speaking to her wayward sister in the garden.

Alicia squeezed his fingers. "Don't frighten her, Stanton. She's only doing the best she can. It isn't easy being a daughter of Sutherland."

Antonia's gaze flickered to Alicia for a moment, and Stanton saw fury and envy and, beneath it all, longing. For the first time it occurred to him that Alicia, even in her disgrace, seemed more contented and more self-assured than either of her more well-behaved sisters.

Voices neared. Alicia tugged at him.

"We ought to go. It will not be good for Alberta and Antonia if we are found here."

Stanton allowed himself to be pulled into the concealment of the wood like a common thief for the sake of Alicia's sisters, but he found the entire encounter disturbing.

What sort of house was this, where ruin was preferable to respectability?

«
^
»

Wyndham said little to her as they walked back through the wood to the Cross estate. Alicia tolerated it for a while, for her thoughts were filled with her sisters' situation.

She'd been so wrong not to realize what they were going through as a result of her ruin. Oh, she'd known they would be embarrassed, and that the entire family might lie low for a Season—which indeed they had. Five Seasons, to be precise.

But her father was an earl! Surely such connections outweighed one blot on the ledger of such an old and respectable title.

She said as much to Wyndham, who stopped to turn and stare at her in disbelief.

"Do you not realize that your father is the last of his line?" He sent a sympathetic gaze back toward the house. "Had he a direct heir," he explained, "or if there was a young and viable Earl of Sutherland on the horizon, then of course Society would turn a much blinder eye to one young lady's indiscretions. But why should anyone try to stay in the good graces of a family who is already on their way out?"

"Out?" Alicia stumbled. Wyndham's hand came out to support her, then was immediately withdrawn.

She stayed where she was, stricken. "Out?

Wyndham frowned at her. "Of course. Do you not see what is right before your eyes? This estate is nearly abandoned, the house a ruin. Sutherland is many thousands of pounds past destitute. I would be surprised if the Crown didn't seize it eventually."

"I—I never realized." Alicia sat abruptly on a fallen log. "I knew we had less than others… and I knew my father wanted us to wed wealthy…"

"Hell, yes." Wyndham shook his head. "I feel for your father. A hundred years of debt and the burden of three daughters to boot. Poor bloke."

Alicia jerked her head up at that. "Our sex is not our offense to apologize for."

Wyndham gazed back at her. "I mean no disrespect to your sisters. I'm sure they are doing their best to be good daughters."

The shot went deep, whether he meant it to or not. "Unlike me, you mean."

He did not drop his gaze. "You made your choices. Everyone in this world must bear the consequences of their actions."

Alicia felt her fingers dig into the punky wood of the log. "Not everyone, Wyndham. Not by far."

He folded his arms. "You still make no apology for the position in which you have placed your family? You must realize what you did to them."

His eyes were dark and unreadable, his face stern. He disapproved of her still, last night notwithstanding.

And what about last night would have convinced him that you are anything but precisely what he thinks you?

Alicia wanted to shout at him, wanted to fling sticks and stones and dead leaves at him, wanted to scream at the top of her lungs that
it wasn't her fault
!

Then again, she'd tried that before, many times, minus the dead leaves of course, and it had never made the slightest difference. Nothing would erase that stain, nothing but her death, and even then it was likely that her family would bear the tinge of it for generations.