The Scoundrel's Secret Siren (6 page)

He was often surrounded by a band of
fellow Corinthians and ardent admirers: young gentlemen barely out of university, hanging eagerly onto his every word and doing their best to copy his elegant dress. In Lorelei’s opinion, none had quite succeeded.

It was not her fault in the least that she spent so much time watching him – one could hardly help it if he was always near-by.
Or so she told herself every time she caught her eyes lingering on his strong jawline or alluring mouth.

Lorelei had learned to reco
gnise his mood by the smile with which he chose to grace his current companions. Most often, there was the unmoved, indolent expression with which he gave his harshest set-downs. The sardonic little twist of the lips was always complemented by the unmistakable mockery in the eyes, and it was very rarely that a genuine smile of enjoyment could be glimpsed.

His cultured voice was usually full of
a world-weariness which Lorelei thought she would find extremely infuriating were he to direct it at her. She half-wished that he would, simply so that she might have the pleasure of giving him a set-down, but he never did.

His constant presence was thoroughly irritating. Lorelei saw the Earl of Winbourne frequently about town, at the
orangerie
, the park and at what had to be a thousand dinner parties and musicales. He rarely spoke to her, but when he did, there was always something she could not name in the nuances of his voice. The knowing sparkle in his usually cool green eyes was enough to make her itch to be uncivil even as it sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.

Lorelei had been successfully ignoring him for some twenty minutes when he
unceremoniously joined a conversation about the emerald necklace worn by Princess Charlotte at a concert the previous afternoon, and stood for an entire two minutes with barely a glance at Lorelei before interjecting his opinion.

“For my part, I thought it much t
oo heavy and not at all the thing,” he said, in that drawling tone, calculated to perfection. “Such things are not well suited to the daytime, even if one should occasion to be going to a concert. Miss Lindon, I see you show a marked favour for very subtle jewellery. I believe I once glimpsed you wearing a very charming moonstone pendant. Surely you would agree?”

Her eyes flew to his and she knew he was baiting her.
She wondered if he still had her pendant hidden somewhere about his person. Winbourne thoroughly enjoyed the way her large expressive eyes flashed at him.

S
he replied in a carefully remote tone, assuring the earl that her taste in fashion could not compare to his, and so she was obliged to defer to his opinion of such things. As soon as she was able, Lorelei took leave of the group, only to feel his eyes raking her form as she made her way over to where Lady Hurst sat with the matrons.

Winbourne
continued in this insufferable manner – with little hints and taunts. Soon, Lorelei began to feel an inkling of suspicion that, whatever game he was playing, it had to do with much more than just the pendant. However, she could not for the life of her begin to guess what that game might be.

She suspected that he found her amusing, perhaps because she was a novelty in his world of weary repartee, cravats and toad-eaters.
This, however, only served to anger her further, as she was quite sure that the man was toying with her.

*

On Wednesday afternoon, during the Promenade hour, when the
crème de la crème
of Society could be seen strolling and driving about Hyde Park, Lorelei carefully straightened the pleats on her powder-blue walking gown. The colour suited her complexion remarkably well, and the bright green feather that curled daringly over the poke of her little bonnet brought out the emerald in her eyes.

She
was expecting Lady Gilmont and Julia to call so that they might set out for the park. When the Gilmont carriage drew up at Russell Square, Lorelei could not help but be impressed. It was a new and well-made vehicle of lacquered cherry wood, with the Gilmont crest emblazoned proudly on the doors. The two ladies seated within were prettily dressed and Lady Gilmont waved to her with her usual vigour.

“
Good morning, Lady Gilmont, Julia,” greeted Lorelei as a footman handed her into the carriage. She was careful not to rumple her skirts as she sat. “Thank you for inviting me to join you – it was most kind.”

Eloise was touched by the girl’s
friendly earnestness and bestowed a warm smile upon her. “Nonsense! It is nothing out of the common way to invite a friend to take a turn about the park, and I feel that we have certainly become good friends, don’t you? I do believe that you had better call me Eloise, my dear.”

Lorelei returned the smile.
“Then I beg that you call me Lorelei.”

“Will you be attending the
bal masque
, Lorelei?” Julia asked.

“Yes,
certainly. Will you?”

“
Oh yes.” Julia did not seem very pleased on that head.

Lady Gilmont laughed.
“And now that we have resolved the grave matter of Almack’s, perhaps you will tell us more about yourself, Lorelei? If you can bear to forgive such a direct enquiry, of course.”

Lorelei blushed. “There really isn’t at all much to tell. I have a father
, a younger sister named Constance, and a lot of cousins lately in Ireland. I read far too many books of adventure for the liking of my former governess and I deplore country life.”

Eloise laughed. “Do you, inde
ed? Well, if that isn’t just what Winbourne was saying of himself the last time I tried to cajole him to go down and see Honoria in the country.”

Lorelei felt her shoulders stiffen sligh
tly and forced herself to relax as she asked in a carefully unruffled voice. “Lord Winbourne doesn’t enjoy the country? I was under the impression that he was a keen sportsman.”

“
Carts and horses, you mean? Yes, I suppose that he is. He has an excellent seat on a horse and he is a very skilled hunter. He enjoys parties when they are to be held in the country. It is when the hunt is over and one is left to one’s self that he claims the dreary quiet becomes too much to tolerate.”

Lorelei smiled despite herself. “Yes, I find that also.
My sister enjoys her stay wherever she may be. She is never without some entertainment. She is clever at the pianoforte and the pencil and paints. I, however, cannot be happy in the country for many days together. One misses the liveliness of London, especially in the winter, when one is often obliged to withdraw.”

Eloise was watching Lorelei
with an expression she found very hard to read, and for some reason this made her slightly uneasy.

“Do you ride at all, Lorelei?” asked Julia in her quiet, reserved voice.

“Why, yes, as often as I can. Papa was very determined that we learn to sit a horse. I’ve even brought my horse, Tulip, out of the country. I did not wish to burden Lady Hurst but she would not hear of my leaving her. My sister, however, is a deplorably cautious rider, and will not go above a canter if she can possibly help it.”

“Then you will think very poorly of my riding!” Julia said, “I am rather frightened of horses and mother’s riding tutors could never convince me tha
t I wouldn’t topple right off if I should ever risk a faster pace.”

Eloise
straightened a sleeve. “As I recall, it was always tears with you, my dear. Whenever your mama instructed you to dress for another lesson.”

“You are a very
fine
rider, and cannot understand,” Julia defended almost spiritedly, drawn out of herself by the easy conversation.

Lorelei was very sorry that Julia shou
ld feel that way about horses. She wondered if it would be proper to speak up, not wishing to accidentally offend her new friends. But it had never been in her nature to be meek and so she gave Julia one of her direct looks.

“If you wish, a
nd this may not be quite the thing, in which case I do beg your pardon, but I could attempt to teach you. I am no teacher, of course, but I used to help Constance, and though she will never be what you call a
fine
rider, she is no longer afraid of horses either. She used to be once – as girl she had tried to give Papa’s stallion a sugar cube, and she swears to this day that the poor beast almost bit her.”

Julia looked uncertain, evidently having no wish to have any more to do with
horses than was absolutely necessary.

Eloise looked
intrigued by Lorelei’s offer. “What an interesting thought! It would have to be somewhere private, of course. Hyde Park or some such public place would never do. But learning with a friend would not be at all like your previous lessons, my love,” she said to Julia, an encouraging smile lighting her face. “How kind it is of Lorelei to make such an offer.”

Julia did not look quite convinced, but
she found herself swept up in Eloise’s compelling smile and agreed softly to the proposition, thanking Lorelei. Lorelei guiltily felt a secret thrill at the thought that seeing more of Julia would likely mean seeing more of Lord Winbourne also.

“You will soon be quite out of patience with me, you know,”
Julia warned, with a soft smile.

“I promise you I won’t! I never was with Constance and
she
is my sister, which means she gave a lot more reason to be out of patience with her.”

“Oh, h
ow wonderful!” exclaimed Eloise. “And I know just what we shall do. We will all go down to Gilmont for a week or two. It is just outside of London. Provided, of course, your Lady Hurst does not object, Lorelei, which she may do, because no doubt she wishes you to attend properly to the Season. But perhaps she will agree that two weeks will do no harm, and I will even promise to invite other suitable company. We can go down the week after the
bal masque
.”

Lorelei was filled with excitement at these
marvellous plans.

Once
arrangements had been sorted out, they returned to topics of much more immediate interest.

“Now
, my dears, you must tell me what you thought of that fiery gown on the first page of
Ladies’ Emporium
. Was it not a shocking sight? I can’t imagine whose complexion it is meant to suit. And to have it trimmed with pearls…”

It was a lovely afternoon and
Lorelei could not help but grow even more enthusiastic about the prospect of a whole week away with her new friends – and maybe even the earl of Winbourne himself!

The next time Lorelei returned to Hyde Park
, it was to walk Sirius, who did not appreciate being on a lead and always made this clear by dragging her after him.

It was early yet, for Lady Hurst
had insisted that it would not do to walk Sirius during the fashionable Promenade hour. They could, she said, return to ride or walk after five in the evening, but it was not
de rigeur
for ladies to walk such large dogs in front of the finest members of the
ton
. The objective, after all, was to be seen at one’s best.

Lorelei had to admit that she did not look very graceful, dragged around by Sirius, but tha
t it was well worth it because he was such fun.  Constance was amused at her sister’s plight. Nell, who had come along though the girls had tried to convince her it was quite unnecessary, was disapproving.

“Really, Miss Lorelei, I beg you to consider the picture you are presenting to all these people of quality!” exclaimed the maid. “It is most unbecoming for a young lady to be dragged all around the park by such a monstrous hound!”

“Oh, don’t fuss so, Nell,” Lorelei said comfortingly. “I am sure no one cares a whit that I am walking my dog. I know
you’d
much rather I get a lapdog, but I am not any sort of ninnyhammer, nor yet so far in my dotage that I cannot handle Sirius.”

“It seems to me that it is Sirius who is handling
you
, Lorelei,” laughed Constance, while attempting to maintain a hold on her parasol and keep up with her sister. Constance always enjoyed the park.

“Yes, well
, do remember that he will expect you to walk him while I’m away at Gilmont,” Lorelei pointed out with a twinkling smile.

Lady Hurst had not needed much persuasion to permit Lorelei to go to Gilmont for an entire week
, given the quality of the guests she expected would be present at the gathering.

Constance sighed. “Oh, I do wish I could go also! I am sure I shall miss you terribly while you are gone.”

“As do I! It will not be half as enjoyable without you, sister. I am so eager to introduce you to Lady Gilmont and Lady Julia – you are certain to like them very much,” Lorelei said earnestly. She was convinced that Julia and Constance, with their quiet manners and numerous achievements, would be fast friends.

“You ought to let Sirius off that lead,” Constance said
in exasperation, as the dog picked up pace again, earning them disapproving glances from a pair of matrons going past in a stately landau.

“Oh, no
, Miss Constance! He is sure to bolt!” their chaperone exclaimed.

“Nell is right. This way
, at least, I have a hold on him.” No sooner had Lorelei said this, than a loud squawking was head from the pond ahead.

Sirius froze in a moment of deceptive stillness
, before bolting so suddenly that Lorelei was sure her arm had been wrenched out of its socket. Helpless, she was dragged along after the dog, darting part trees and doing her best not to trip over her gown or lose her slippers.

Desperate and breathless, s
he called for Sirius to halt while struggling to free her wrist. She was certain that her bonnet would fly off at any moment. In her desperate situation, she could not help thinking what a spectacle she was bound to be making of herself and what Lady Hurst would say when she heard about it. Lady Hurst had been so very good to them; Lorelei was certain she couldn’t bear to bring such embarrassment to the kind woman.

Clear of the t
rees, they flew towards the lake. People turned to stare in surprise, and a few ladies gasped at the sight. Just as she came within a few feet of the lake, Lorelei managed to disentangle her hand, crumpling her glove in the process. She exhaled in relief and realised that she was very badly out of breath. She could hear her heart pounding furiously, as she watched Sirius plunge into the water, splashing furiously and making for the ducks.

S
quawking in outrage, the ducks took off in a panic from the surface of the lake, and for a moment all that could be heard was their furious cries and the swift beating of wings. She could just hear Constance and Nell coming nearer, still calling her name, and the scandalised murmurs of the other people around the lake.

A pounding of hoof beats
registered suddenly over the other noise. She felt herself flush with burning embarrassment.

“If a
young lady cannot control her dog, she ought not to be walking it,” said a wry voice from the saddle of a fine grey stallion.

Lorel
ei looked up with every intention of defending the faithful family pet, and froze. The speaker was none other than Lord Winbourne himself and she was torn between astonishment and mortification. Oh, that he should see her like this! Though she could not explain to herself why his opinion, in particular, was of any importance at all. Steeling herself, she looked up into his amused dark eyes, and raised her chin proudly.

Th
e earl wore a beautifully-cut coat of dark green, with matching buttons, which accentuated his aristocratic pallor and the gold of his hair. His tan buckskin breeches showed off his powerful thighs and, at this thought, she forced herself to look away, back at her insubordinate dog, who was happily swimming circles now that his prey had taken off.

“Well, Miss Lindon?” Winbourne
slid off the horse in one easy movement and was beside her.

“Well what, my lord
Winbourne?” she replied, forced to look at him again.

But he did not answer. Lorelei saw a frown appear on his arresting face and followed his gaze down to the
crumpled glove which had been caught in the lead. She realised with a start that her wrist was an angry purple-red and that it was throbbing with dull pain. She marvelled that she had not noticed sooner.

“Dammit, girl, what have you done to yourself?” he hissed, taking her hand in his large one with gentleness that belied the harshness of his wor
ds. Her breath caught at the intimate gesture.

A part of her wondered where her sister and
chaperone were and she looked up vaguely to see them engaged in conversation with a friend of Lady Hurst’s, no doubt trying to explain away the embarrassing situation. The rest of her attention was caught in the spell of which Winbourne was probably completely unaware.

She remembered his heady kiss and for a brief moment her eyes flashed up to his
thin sensual lips. She caught herself and averted her eyes.

“
It is nothing! It does not even pain me,” she lied, her voice strangely breathy.

He held her hand as if it were a fragile butterfly, and she watched
as he gently examined her wrist, frowning. Then, just as quickly, he let go and she could breathe again.

“You had better have your abigail bandage it. It is
a happy accident that it is not a sprain, Miss Lindon.” His voice was cool and remote again, as if he were discussing the weather with a stranger.

Lorelei was confused and a little hurt at his distant manner.
She tried to reconcile this strange coldness with the way he had examined her hand, and the way he had flirted with her at his sister’s party.
And
the way his arm had rested around her waist when she had given him a lift to the village, a wicked voice in her head reminded.

“It’s nothing,” she repeated.
“Sirius just got over-excited. It is very crowded here today and there are many dogs – the ducks were a test of his control that he could not possibly have passed. He has always had a fondness for chasing them and it is my own fault if I did not remember that. He is usually a very good dog.”

Winbourne gave her a surprised look, taken aback at her passionate defence of
the animal. Most women of his acquaintance would have been uneasy around such a large creature.

“
A Newfoundland, is he? An unusual choice of pet for a young lady, Miss Lindon – I commend your courage. And what a curious name. The Dog Star?” Winbourne said with a chuckle.

Lorelei was surprised. “Why, yes,” she said, “I did not know you knew astronomy.”

“It will no doubt surprise you to know that before I embarked on the life of a
roué
, I somehow managed to receive an education. It will surprise you even more, I am sure, that even now I find time to read.” His voice dropped lower and she had the uneasy feeling that he was privately laughing at her expense.

Lorelei could not understand why this man did not bother to stand on any ceremony with her – always speaking of things that were most inappropriate. She was sure that he did not go around speaking to other ladies that way, else he was sure to have
many more appointments at dawn than he could ever accommodate. Lorelei wondered if there was something wrong with her own moral fibre that she did not find him as scandalous as she ought.

She shot him an indignant look at being mocked, but his expression was impassi
vely polite.

“I
am certain you have had time to develop quite a skill at delegating,” Lorelei replied coolly. “No doubt you have a secretary to handle matters you consider too mundane. And as to courage – it is no such thing. He is a marvellous creature: why ever should I be afraid of him? He is good even to Lady Hurst’s lapdogs. My father brought Sirius from Bath for me – he had gone there to visit an old friend and had just been about to set out for home when a pauper woman had come past trying to sell him the little creature. He was such a tiny lonely thing then that Papa took pity and bought him.”

Winbourne noticed the great affection with which she spoke of her father – his own had spent much of his time at his club and had rarely put in an appearance at home.
Such was the case with many fathers, he knew.

“Ledley sounds like a man of c
ommendable charity, Miss Lindon.”

She smiled at him then, a rare and soft smile of such guileless innocence that he felt as if he could not have looked away even if he had wanted to.

“Oh, yes. Papa is very kind, and you mustn’t think that I speak with an affectionate daughter’s prejudice.”

“No doubt the general possesses a very sound character
. But it seems your hound is coming back to heel.”

“Oh!
” said Lorelei, turning to look. There was obvious sarcasm in his voice. Sirius was indeed out of the water, and dripping wet. Having spotted his mistress, the large black dog gave a resounding, happy bark and launched himself straight at her.

She was sure that in all his excitement he meant to
leap on her, as he had been wont to do as a puppy. She knew that if he did, not only would her cambric walking gown be soaked and decorated with muddy footprints, but she would be quite unable to keep her feet.

There was no sense trying to issue a command to stop – Sirius was unlikely to heed her in his excitement over the water and the ducks.

Winbourne regarded the bounding dog with a raised eyebrow, and just as he neared Lorelei he said, in a calm voice of complete and utter authority, “Sirius, sit.”

Lorelei waited for the impact
, but it never came. She glanced at the dog with a great deal of astonishment. Sirius was sitting obediently on the springy grass just in front of them, his tongue lolling as he regarded them happily through his fringe of dark fur.

Lor
elei reached out a hand to pat the dog’s head, praising him, before looking up at the tall gentleman next to her with a smile of disbelief. Winbourne looked unruffled.

“
My lord, I am all astonishment. Thank you! However did you manage it? He never listens to me like that. Only Papa!”

The corners of Winbourne’s lips turned upwards in a way that suggested amusement. “He is a fine beast and only wants a little discipline, Miss Lindon. It seems that I am obliged to come to your rescue
once again, am I not?”

Lorelei’s eyebrows shot up and she felt herself flush in indignation. She was about to protest that it was
she
who had rescued
him
on the road outside Ledley court, before she remembered herself.

“I can’t imagine what you mean, Lord Winbourne. This is the first time you have had occasion to come to any sort of rescue,” she told him with great dig
nity, bravely daring to meet his baiting gaze. He had riled her on purpose again, she realised with great irritation. She really ought to keep a better look-out for it in the future.

“Is that so?” The earl looked unmoved.

Lorelei might have surrendered to temptation and given her rescuer a piece of her mind, had her sister and chaperone not come to join them. Shortly after introductions had been made, the earl said his farewells to the ladies, leapt back on his horse and was gone.

“What a handsome gentleman,” Nell permitted herself to observe. “Very well turned-out. Though, of course, every inch a rake
hell, if you’ll permit me to say so, Miss Lorelei.”

Lorelei privately agreed with the maid, but she dismissed the warning in a light tone, picked up the wet lead from where it lay on the grass next to the dog, and told her companions that she thought it high time they went home, before Sirius took another swim.