Dancing With A Devil (11 page)

Unfortunately, fear of the unknown future beat a fast path behind resolve and left her feeling as if she wanted to slump in the chair. She gripped the cushion of her seat and sat straighter. Unless a miracle happened or she left, misery would be a permanent part of her life.

Tilting her head back, she studied her father’s face. Lines of anger carved mercilessly into his forehead, around his eyes and at his mouth. There would be no changing his mind. Stubborn determination settled in her shoulders, leaving them tense as if she held a heavy weapon. “Can I go now? I am late for the picnic.”

“
Go.” He looked down at his papers and waved a hand at her. “But resign yourself to the fact that you are to be married to Mr. Shelton.”

She marched out of her father’s door without a word. She would resign herself to no such thing, except the very real fact that she had little time left to make Trent realize he loved her or she would have to flee the only life she had ever known.

Under the bright sun and cloudless sky, Trent leaned against an enormous oak tree at Richmond Park and stared in Audrey and Thortonberry’s general direction. Something was amiss with her. She had arrived late and her eyes had appeared red and swollen, as if she had been crying. Then, before he could even approach her, Whitney had paired Audrey with Thortonberry for the ridiculous games. And now they were sharing a blanket for lunch.

Damnation. His plan to keep her away from Thortonberry was unraveling before his eyes. That was unacceptable. He would put himself between them. He pushed off the rough tree trunk and as he did, Whitney rounded a hedge of high bushes, her green skirts swishing with her rapid pace and a few tendrils of her blond hair coming loose as she strode toward him. She motioned for him to stay. “I want to talk to you,” she called.

A few of her picnic guests swiveled around from their blankets to look at them, but they all turned away just as quickly, too busy enjoying their scones. Or maybe it was the scowl he could feel tightening his forehead that made them look away. He struggled to smooth his face and even smile at Lady Caroline and Sally, who had once again glanced his way. Lady Caroline smiled back, but Sally arched her eyebrows at him.

Whitney strolled up to him and gave him a sidelong glance before a smug smile fleetingly touched her lips. “You were staring at Audrey again.”

Some former spy he had become. He was making all kinds of mistakes and Audrey was the reason. “I wish you would not have invited Thortonberry,” he said, maneuvering the conversation away from what he had been doing.

“
Then you should not have declined my original invitation to come to the picnic today,” she replied tartly. “As it is, you deciding to come caused me a great deal of trouble.” She averted her face, and Trent knew why. She did not want him to see her amused smile, but even with her head turned toward the pink, purple and yellow azaleas in bloom, the upturned corner of her mouth was impossible to miss.

“
I had to scramble around early this morning to find another guest to invite, so that everyone could pair off for the scavenger hunt I have planned,” Whitney said, once again facing him.

Her face may not have shown a hint of the lies she was trying to feed him, but her fingers busily twirled a thin white ribbon hanging from her sleeve. Round and round she twined the ribbon until the tip of her index finger turned pink. He barely contained his laughter. Unbeknownst to her, she told him her story was false without ever uttering a confession. The busier a person’s hands became, the more they were attempting to hide. He had once watched a French spy who lost a message he was supposed to deliver to Trent from a guard at Saint Helena unravel the end of his overcoat while he attempted to offer false excuses for what had happened.

Trent kept his gaze on Whitney’s hands. “I’m terribly sorry if I inconvenienced you.”

She stilled immediately. “Apologies are not like you at all.” She had the funniest lopsided frown on her face. “What are you trying to get me to admit?”

Trent struggled not to smile. “Nothing really. Though it did occur to me, you might be trying to manipulate me into courting Audrey. I specifically told you I did not think Thortonberry was good company for her and yet you invited them both to the theater last night and today to this picnic. You knew if you did that, I would come to both, though I had declined your invitation to get me in close proximity to her.”

Whitney tugged on her dress, then pressed a hand over her hair. “Good gracious, the grand scenarios you conjure with you mind! As if I could predict you would come scrambling to be by Audrey’s side when you realized Lord Thortonberry was with her.”

Trent grunted. “You lie so prettily, cousin dear. If I did not adore you I might be irritated that you seem to be disregarding my expresses wishes for you to understand I never want to marry, therefore Audrey is better off without me, and certainly without Thortonberry.”

Whitney bit her lower lip and then huffed out a long breath. “Fine. Fine.” She stood before shrugging. “I ignored you. I admit it. I cannot say I’m sorry for it either.” She set her hands to her hips. You are my favorite cousin and Audrey is one of my dearest friends. Things seemed so promising when the two of you first met. All sparks and smoldering looks, and despite your explanation that it was only because you thought her a woman of loose morals, I refuse to believe that.”

Trent snorted. “That is not the first time you have chosen not to accept reality.”

She pressed her lips together. “No need to dredge up the past. It may have taken me almost a year to realize I needed to tell Drake the truth about why I had fled him and our betrothal, but at least I realized I had to do it, so I would not lose him. I was not blind to what was before me. You need spectacles.”

“
My sight is splendid,” Trent said. “Perfect, in fact.”

She frowned. “Then you should see you are about to lose Audrey to another man, unless you act to court her and get over whatever ridiculous fear is holding you back.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the tree. He refused to be forced into anything by anyone. “I fear nothing.” The lie rang hollow in his ears.

Whitney arched her eyebrows. “Nothing?
That is probably for the best, if it’s true, because it seems my plan has backfired. Look at Audrey.” She waved a hand in Audrey’s direction. “I believe she likes Lord Thortonberry, and to think all this time I thought she truly cared for you.”

Jealousy pricked him, which exploded when Thortonberry reached over to the dense azalea bush beside his blanket, plucked a bright pink flower and tucked it in Audrey’s hair. Trent stood, his head spinning with his thoughts. He could not stand by and let Thortonberry swoop her into his web of deception. Simply trying to watch over her was not working. He had to act. But what to do? The first thing was to make sure Thortonberry had no other opportunity to be alone with her today. Once that goal was accomplished, Trent would contrive another plan.

“
I’d like you to partner me with Audrey in the scavenger hunt.”

Beside him, Whitney chuckled low. “I think I can manage that since I am the one pairing everyone off. Luckily, I invited Lady Caroline, and I know she will be thrilled to be paired with Lord Thortonberry.”

He winked at Whitney. “You are a minx through and through. I hope Sutherland knows what he is getting into by marrying you.”

She winked back. “It’s because I am a minx through and through
that
he wants to marry me. Watch me work and save your compliments for later.”

In a swirl of green skirts, Whitney rushed to the center of the picnickers who sat in a semicircle on the grassy knoll. As his cousin clapped her hands and called out eagerly for everyone’s attention, the conversation slowly died and left a shocking quiet in its place, punctuated by the whistle of a low breeze and the chirping parakeets that lived in the trees of the park.

Within moments, Whitney had explained the rules for the scavenger hunt and called, “Get with your partners, everyone.”

Trent closed the distance between himself and Audrey and, leaning close to her, said, “Hello, partner.”

The happy smiled that stretched her lips and lit her eyes turning them from a deep lush green that matched the leaves on the azalea bushes to a color more reminiscent of the crisp grass caused a tightening in Trent’s chest.

“
I want to win,” she exclaimed with a twinkle in her eyes, “so be prepared to keep up with me.”

“
You shall have to endeavor to match my pace,” he teased, enjoying the moment of levity. He could not remember the last time he had relished simple bantering so much. When Thortonberry cleared his throat, Trent flicked the man an annoyed look. Why was the marquess still standing here? “You should make your way to Lady Caroline, Thortonberry. The hunt is about to begin.”

With a pinched face, Thortonberry turned on his heel and strode over to the rocks where Lady Caroline stood.

Audrey shook her head. “He is acting so odd. I do not understand it. He told me he has a tender for Lady Caroline, but he has ignored her so far and he did not seem very eager to pair with her, did he?”

Trent shook his head. “He did not. I’d say―”

The chiming of the bell to start the scavenger hunt cut off his intended warning about Thortonberry to Audrey. Laughing, she grasped his hand and tugged. “Come on,” she called over the laughter from the participants taking off. “I know just where we should look for our item.”

His warning died away, replaced by a surge of warmth and desire for the innocent beauty so eagerly tugging on his hand. He allowed her to pull him in the direction of a hill covered with purple wildflowers and away from the scattering pairs. The flowers brushed against his breeches as they trudged up the slope.

Audrey moved slightly ahead of him, but he did not hurry to rush to her side. Instead, he enjoyed the gentle swaying of her hips as she walked. Once at the top, he followed her lead to the far side of the hill and glanced down at the city displayed below.

“
Breathtaking,” she murmured.

“
Yes,” he agreed, not sparing another look at the city when such a beautiful woman stood by his side with her hand still firmly curled around his. He drank in every detail about her. The long slender slope of her neck. Her silky tresses cascading around her shoulders. Her high cheekbones and those generous lips. He curled his fingers tighter around hers. Desire pounded through him. He wanted to feel her lips once again. A sudden errant thought assailed him. If she were his, he could kiss her quite often. Yet she was not his, and never would be, but it did not matter. He wanted to kiss her one more time. Just once. Never again.

“
Where is your chaperone?” He winced at the hoarseness of his voice.

She swiveled away from him, crossed back to where they had ascended the hill and peered over. “She’s coming. Rather slowly but surely.” Turning back, she tilted her head to the side. “Whatever is the matter, Trent? Are you afraid to be alone with me?”

A bark of laughter escaped him. She was teasing him. Tempting him. And he would crumble. He was only human, after all. “Come here,” he commanded, curling his index finger at her.

She moved toward him without hesitation. He gently grasped her shoulders and drew her near. “I want to kiss you.”

“
Then why do you not?” Her cheeks colored to a bright pink.

“
Because I can promise you nothing. I am taking without giving.”
What the hell am I doing?
He was not sure what he might be considering, but he was certain there was no time to think on it now, not with her chaperone pressing down on them.

Unblinking, she gazed at him. “Take. Later you can give. I believe in you.”

Good God, he didn’t even believe in himself anymore, but her words battered his control to nothing. He cupped her delicate face in his hands, and as his lips descended on hers she exhaled with a sigh and her sweet breath filled his mouth. Knowing it was dangerous to let go completely, he started the kiss slow, but when Audrey delved her hands into his hair and tugged him closer, he could not hold back. The tether that held him snapped.

He ravaged her mouth, wanting to consume and possess her. Questions ceased, replaced by wonder. Her soft lips molded to his and she met each stroke of his tongue with a velvet one of her own. Behind him, the snap of a twig and the huff of an exhausted breath alerted him to the approach of her chaperone. With a growl, he ended the kiss.