A Scandalous Charade (12 page)

What the devil was he doing here? “Carraway.” Luke nodded curtly.

“Beckford,” the viscount returned in kind.

Luke racked his mind for something to say to the nobleman that he was certain he had absolutely nothing in common with—except, perhaps, the same taste in women. “Lovely day, isn’t it?” What an incredibly trite comment to make.

Carraway quirked one dark eyebrow mockingly. “I assume you’re here to see Juliet as well.”

Juliet? Not Lady Juliet? What made Carraway think he could speak so nonchalantly about her? Luke frowned and was just about to ask, when the parlor door opened and Edmund rushed inside. He was quickly followed by a slender woman with a tight bun of dark hair streaked with grey.

“Luke, I didn’t know you were here!” Edmund exclaimed, his blue-green eyes twinkling mischievously. Then the young duke started toward him, but he stopped short when his eyes fell on Carraway and he lost his boyish exuberance. “Oh, sorry, Uncle Fin.”

Uncle Fin? Luke watched the interaction closely.

Carraway stepped forward and ruffled Edmund’s hair. “How are you today, my boy?”

Edmund smiled widely. “It’s been a madhouse here, Uncle. Unsavory men, that’s what Georgie calls them, have been pouring in all day looking for Juliet.”

Carraway flicked a quick glance at Luke before responding to his nephew. “So I noticed.” Then he turned his attention to the older woman, still standing by the door. “Miss Mitford, please let Lady Teynham know I’ll have His Grace back before dinner.”

But he didn’t have to wait long for Juliet to appear. When she breezed into the room and shut the door firmly behind her, Luke was most relieved. His heart expanded in his chest just from seeing her. “Afternoon, princess.”

Juliet furrowed her brow as she leaned her back against the closed door. “It’s about time you got here.”

“Oh?” he stepped toward her, closing the gap between them. Then he took her hand and tugged her back toward the settee. “Did you miss me?”

She shot him an annoyed look. “I’ve been under siege all morning long. I thought you were supposed to be keeping my suitors away from me.”

Her eyes crinkled in the most delightful way, and Luke couldn’t help but smile at her. Then he dropped onto the settee and quickly pulled Juliet onto his lap. Her eyes grew round in surprise, but she didn’t attempt to remove herself, much to Luke’s delight. “I’ve been remiss, princess. Forgive me. I won’t let it happen again. But couldn’t you just have had Crawford tell them you were out?” He entwined his fingers with hers and nuzzled against her neck, inhaling her sweet, honeyed scent.

With a beleaguered sigh, Juliet leaned against him. “Poor Crawford couldn’t keep a strong wind out. And the fellow is so earnest and loyal, I can’t bring myself to replace him.”

“I’ll have a talk with him then. It would probably make Georgie rest easier.”

Juliet stared at their interlaced fingers and then tentatively caressed them with her free hand. “Georgie would rest easier if you stopped calling on me altogether.” Then she raised her gaze to his eyes. “Luke, I don’t know about all of this. I’ve been feeling incredibly guilty all day about Miss Clarke and the position that I put her in. I’m afraid that—”

“Which position is that?” he asked. Juliet’s pretty, brown eyes dropped again to their hands, and Luke couldn’t help but pull her more securely against him. He hated seeing her worried expression, and he brushed a gentle kiss against her temple. What had upset her? If he but knew, he would do whatever was in his power to fix it.

She didn’t even know Haywood was a fortune hunter. The poor girl was completely devastated last night when she found out.” Then Juliet sat up straight to meet Luke’s eyes. “But how did she not know? Why did her father not have Haywood investigated? It doesn’t make any sense at all…”

Juliet only responded with a raised brow, which made Luke laugh even harder. She was simply adorable, every cynical bone in her luscious body that was, at the moment, so wonderfully lounged across him. “That can’t be all. What else is bothering you, princess?”

“I suppose I’m worried about Edmund.”

“He just left with Carraway. I didn’t realize you were related.”

“We’re not. Just Edmund—his mother was Carraway’s sister, and he has always been fond of my brother. He usually dines with us most evenings. Fin even plans to take Edmund with him when he leaves for India in a little over a week.”

“India?” Luke echoed in surprise.

Juliet nodded. “Which is the cause of my worry. Edmund has never been on his own before, and he’s so young. Georgie says it will be good for him, but—”

“That’s better.” Juliet giggled, and she once again rested her head against his shoulder. “And did I mention my sister got married?”

Unconsciously, Luke began to trace the edge of her bodice with his forefinger, though he kept his attention on her.

“What are you doing?” she asked softly.

Luke stilled his hand and grinned at her. “Touching you. Do go on. You said something about Georgie getting married.” He must have misheard her though. That didn’t sound right at all, but at the moment he was too preoccupied to care.

“Not Georgie. Felicity. And I certainly can’t go on while you’re touching me like that. I—it’s quite distracting.”

“Indeed?” She had no idea how distracted he could make her then. Luke moved his hand from the edge of her bodice and cupped one breast, kneading it gently with his fingers. “Is this better?” he asked with feigned innocence.

She stared at him wide-eyed and he could feel all of her muscles tense. “I…um…Luke!”

“Georgie isn’t going to burst in here on us, is she? I don’t think I could explain our current positions.” He quirked one eyebrow upward with a rakish grin.

Her breathing quickened and Luke intensified his ministrations. “N—no. She’s gone to a Charity Tea with Lady Carteret. Besides, I asked Crawford not to tell her when you visit, and as I said, he’s loyal.”

The old butler had just moved up in Luke’s estimation. HIs face broke out into a wide smile. She was already going behind Georgie’s back. It was just a matter of time before he had her in his bed. “Relax, princess,” he cooed softly. “Let me take your worries away.”

She whimpered slightly when he found her nipple though the soft fabric and her chemise, and he rolled it between his thumb and forefinger.

“I think you cause more worries than you take away,” she whispered.

“Then I’ll have to work on that,” he whispered back. Luke dipped his head and claimed her mouth, while his hand continued to caress her breast that so perfectly filled his hand. How he wished it wasn’t hiding behind yellow muslin and he could taste it.

***

Still basking in the glow of a stolen afternoon spent with Luke, Juliet sat in the blue parlor grinning to herself. She was supposed to be reading a book while Georgie went through her correspondence, but focusing on anything other than Luke’s heavenly lips proved to be impossible.

The door flew open and Edmund burst inside with Lord Carraway quick on his tail. Her little brother was grinning from ear-to-ear and threw himself onto the settee next to her. His blue-green eyes were wide with excitement. “Jules! We had such a great day! Uncle Fin let me sit next to Prinny. And I got to have melted chocolate to drink. And—”

He was so adorable with his childish exuberance. Juliet ruffled his dark brown curls. “I’m so glad you had fun, Edmund.”

Lord Carraway cleared his throat, and Juliet turned her attention to the handsome viscount. She smiled at him gratefully. It was so nice that he took such an interest in Edmund.

“Lady Teynham.” Carraway nodded politely at Georgie. “May I have a word with you?”

“Of course,” Georgie replied as she dropped her letters to a nearby table.

Once in the hallway, Georgie smiled up at Fin. “Edmund didn’t create some sort of political scandal, did he?” But her smile faltered when she noticed that the viscount was frowning. “Good Heavens, Fin! What did he do?”

“Edmund was fine, Georgina.” Then he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm led her into a small salon. “But I’ve been worried about you all day, sweetheart.”

“Me?” Georgie asked in surprise. “Whatever for?”

His frown deepened and he sighed. “When I arrived earlier, this place was bursting at the seams with nearly every scoundrel in Town.”

Georgie thought her head might explode. No one had mentioned that the lout had made an appearance. Not even the staff. This whole situation was worse than she’d thought. But she knew better than to go into the details with Fin. He’d just try to control everything, like he always did. “Of course. Sorry. I’m just a bit distracted.”

Fin scoffed, disappointment etched across his aristocratic brow. “Bathurst couldn’t have picked a worse time to send me away. Listen, sweetheart, I still have that special license. We wouldn’t have to wait for the banns…”

Georgie shook her head. He had promised not to do this again.

“Marry me, Georgina. Come with me to India. We’ll bring Edmund and Juliet. You won’t have to worry about the scourge of London filling Prestwick House.” He then smiled charmingly. “Say ‘yes,’ Georgie. Let me give you the world.”

She was a fool. Of that there was no doubt. Any woman with more than a thimble’s full worth of sense would accept Fin on the spot. He was honorable. He was intelligent. He was kind. He made her heart race. But he was overbearing and, after Teynham, that was still a bit frightening. “Phineas Granard, you promised!”

He softly caressed her cheek with his hand. “I’m a politician, sweetheart. We break promises all the time in order to get what we want.”

She smiled despite herself. She really shouldn’t encourage him. “Fin, I still need more time. We’ve discussed this.”

“I’m not Teynham, Georgie.”

She knew that in heart, but still he had promised not to pressure her. “I’ll have an answer for you when you get back from your trip.”

When Fin lowered his head and gently kissed her, Georgie could swear the world was spinning. He was heavenly.

Fin ran his hand down her arm and grinned wolfishly. “Will you be furious with me, if I come to your room tonight and try to convince you otherwise?”

“Fin!”

He chuckled at her indignation. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’d visited her there, though no one else in the world knew that. “Have a heart, Georgie. I’ll be away for a year.”

“And you’re worried about Juliet’s suitors? What, my darling Phineas, would people say if they knew you made a habit of visiting my room?”

“Well…” he kissed her forehead… “they’d probably…” he kissed the tip of her nose… “think I was the luckiest…” he kissed the base of her neck… “fellow in all of…” he ran his tongue along the hollow of her neck… “England.”

Georgie tried to stifle a groan, but he heard it and pulled her against him as he plundered her mouth again. “Say ‘yes,’ Georgina. You know I love you.”

“And I love you, Fin. But I still need more time.”

~ 9 ~

In the days that followed, Luke made certain that Juliet was never far from his sight. Slowly, the number of unsavory men that visited Prestwick House had dwindled to only himself. Honestly, Georgie should have been grateful to Luke for his efforts in this regard, but she only intensified her ever watchful eye on him. She seemed to have developed some sort of sixth sense and always knew when he was around, determined not to allow him one un-chaperoned moment with Juliet.

Luke started to feel a bit like a schoolboy, a stolen kiss here or there, one or two lingering touches…but overall he’d been stopped in his tracks by the widowed marchioness on all fronts. He began to think of Georgie as his arch nemesis—which should have been humorous, as no one really had arch nemeses. Or did they?

He would just have to get more creative.

***

Juliet smiled to herself as the Prestwick coach rambled toward London’s west side docks. At her side, Edmund chatted excitedly about his upcoming journey with his uncle, and across the coach Georgie pursed her lips with a worried expression. Just like everything else that involved Luke over the last little while, Georgie had to be cajoled and badgered before she finally agreed to the excursion. But today’s adventure was to be on board Luke’s yacht, and Juliet could hardly wait.