Dancing With A Devil (32 page)

London, England

By God, it was wonderful to be back on English soil. Trent whistled as he strolled into White’s. According to the invitation from the Duke and Duchess of Primwitty, he had a good half hour before he needed to worry about making his way to their home for their annual ball of the Season. He was in a fine mood, but one’s mood could always be made a little finer with a glass of whiskey. The liquor would also serve to settle the tension coiling through him. Leave it to an impending encounter with Audrey to make him feel like a schoolboy about to embark on his first attempt at courting.

He grinned in anticipation. He didn’t expect Audrey to welcome him with open arms, but nevertheless he was looking forward to the challenge of softening her. He was also anticipating seeing her in the silver silk gown he’d written to his cousin to have Madam Marmont make. In his dreams, she’d looked stunning in an almost sheer gown of silver. Of course, this gown would not be sheer, but he had no doubt she’d be breathtaking.

He would place his entire fortune on the gamble that the reality of her in the gown was better. The silver should perfectly match the flecks in her eyes and contrast nicely with her rich black hair. He warmed just imagining her in the creation. Better yet, he wanted to imagine taking her out of it. Not tonight, of course, but soon, once she realized they were a perfect match even without declarations of the heart.

Trent scanned the few men standing in the doorway of White’s but didn’t see Dinnisfree. His friend’s note had said to meet him here. When Trent had returned from France yesterday, he had sent word to his family and Dinnisfree, though Dinnisfree had already known when to expect him. Trent had written him after he found out Gwyneth was truly gone, and told Dinnisfree he was coming home. And knowing Dinnisfree, he’d likely been keeping a watchful eye on Trent’s house in his absence. He’d have to thank his friend for his concern.

Trent moved past the crowd in the doorway and swept the room for the duke. His friend was nowhere in sight, but there was an interesting crowd gathered around White’s infamous betting book. It had been ages since he’d done something as carefree as place a bet. He strolled leisurely toward the book, nodding to various acquaintances as he went. The strange looks he received in return struck him as odd.

Even stranger was the way the crowd of men gathered around the betting book parted for him. More awkward greetings, a scattering of mumblings and a few jovial, forced-sounding hellos came to him as he walked up to the book.

Dinnisfree stood right by the book with wads of blunt clutched in his fists. “Ah, Davenport,” Dinnisfree boomed. “Gentlemen, see how finely Davenport is dressed? How he fills out his coat. How his gaze pierces. Mark my words, gentlemen, the lady in question will not be able to resist him. I don’t care if she has been laughing and dancing on the arm of the Marquess of Thortonberry for two weeks. I tell you, no man is a match for my friend.”

The men erupted into noise as more bills waved in the air before being shoved at Dinnisfree. Calls of
double me down
and
increase my bet
sounded around Trent. Anger started to simmer deep within. Anything having to do with Thortonberry was bound to be nefarious, and deadly for the man if the woman in question was Audrey. Trent cleared his throat, hoping Dinnisfree would take a hint and excuse himself. His friend grinned in return.

Dinnisfree bandied a hand in Trent’s direction. “Gentlemen, if you haven’t bet, feast your eyes on the only man who could possibly win. His hair may be a bit too long, but his tongue is silver. Speak, Davenport, and let these men hear how you will woo Lady Audrey and therefore win her heart and money for them.”

Damn Dinnisfree. What the devil was he up to? Trent snatched up the book and searched the bets for anything that might catch his eye. He moved his finger over a sentence and stopped, his anger going from a simmer to a boil.

Lord Justin Holleman, the Duke of Dinnisfree, wagers twenty pounds against Mr. Drake Sutherland that Lord Rutherford, the Marquess of Davenport, will win the heart and therefore the hand of Lady Audrey Cringlewood away from the current forerunning suitor, Lord Clayworth, the Marquess of Thortonberry.

Black fury swept through him. Thortonberry would never be Audrey’s husband. Trent may not be able to give her the love she desired, but Thortonberry would not even give her fidelity. He’d come back just in time. Trent threw the book on the table and swept his gaze over the silent group of men. “I’ll stake my entire fortune on me,” he snarled before turning on his heel and storming out the front door.

The stifling air that enveloped him as he pounded down the steps and onto the street did nothing to cool his temper. He headed for his carriage that still stood at the curb. His coachman blinked at him in surprise. “My lord, are you already leaving?”

Trent nodded. “Take me to Lady Whitney’s house.” The little fiend had some explaining to do. He didn’t doubt for a minute she was somehow behind some part or possibly all of this. The coachman started to nod, but Trent held up a hand, rethinking his command. “Never mind that. Take me to the Duke and Duchess of Primwitty’s home.”

He slammed the carriage door shut only to have it yanked open as Dinnisfree scrambled in. “Smart move going to the Primwitty home first. You don’t want to give Thortonberry one more minute to gain ground on you. I’ve lots of coin riding on you.”

Trent glared at his friend. “Didn’t I tell you to keep Thortonberry away from her?”

“
You did.” Dinnisfree tugged his coattails out from under him before settling himself.

“
Then why the hell didn’t you?”

Dinnisfree withdrew a flask from his coat. Slowly, and Trent suspected to get on his last nerve, Dinnisfree unscrewed the top and tipped the container up. After he took a sip, he swiped a hand across his lips and settled the cap before speaking. “I trailed the man the entire first week they were here. He never once visited a hellfire club.”

“
You’re sure?” Trent’s brow furrowed.

Dinnisfree leaned forward in his seat. “As sure as I possibly can be. I could not watch him every waking moment, so technically, he could have gone when I slept, but you know how little I sleep.”

“
Yet you do,” Trent said flatly. “So the possibility exists that the man did indeed go to the hellfire clubs while you were sleeping.”

“
I suppose,” Dinnisfree grumbled. But Lady Whitney assured me when Lady Audrey came out of mourning two weeks ago and traveled to London that she and Sutherland were personally watching over her, and when your cousin seemed pleased that Lord Thortonberry was courting Lady Audrey and I had not seen him at the hellfire clubs, I decided not to interfere. I assumed your cousin new best. There are rumors swirling around the
ton
about Lady Audrey’s family.”

Trent nodded, having suspected that would happen.

Dinnisfree continued. “In light of the rumors, I thought your cousin best situated to help Lady Audrey. Of course, then I got your letter telling me you were a widower and would be back in a week, but I felt I should leave the matter of Lady Audrey to you.”

Trent grunted. He’d been right. His cousin had a hand in this, but why the devil was she pushing Lady Audrey into Thortonberry’s arms when Trent had very plainly stated in the missive he had sent that he had every intention of coming back to London posthaste and marrying Audrey? He tried to think back to his exact wording, but he couldn’t recall it, but damn it, he was sure he’d made his intent clear that he still believed he and Lady Audrey could have a very mutually beneficial marriage. Of course, he could not know for certain what his cousin had thought since she had no way of getting a letter to him.

Trent sat back in his seat as his frustration mounted. He did not believe Thortonberry was a changed man, but not only that, Trent wanted Audrey for himself. “When Lady Audrey arrives at the ball will you keep Thortonberry busy if he’s with her?”

“
I take it you’ll be trying to win my money I put on the bet?”

“
I will.”

“
Please tell me you’ve a better strategy than offering the lady a loveless marriage of convenience.”

“
I will offer her the moon and the stars,” Trent said half-jokingly.

Dinnisfree chuckled. “I fear, my friend, the lady will demand more than that to even spare you the time of day again.”

“
I prefer you better when you’re quiet and drinking,” Trent growled, not liking the fact that Dinnisfree had touched on the one fear Trent possessed when it came to winning Audrey.

Audrey stood beside Whitney and her husband at the edge of the dance floor while waiting for Lord Thortonberry to return with her punch. There was something very odd going on, but she wasn’t sure what it was. Whitney was acting unusually edgy, fidgeting with her dress and moving from foot to foot, while her husband, a normally affable gentleman had barely said a word and kept glancing up toward the top of the staircase where the guests were being announced as they entered the Duke and Duchess of Primwitty’s ballroom.

“
Are you expecting someone?” Audrey finally asked, tired of standing here watching her friend and her husband act like trapped mice. Both Whitney and her husband whipped their gazes to Audrey.

“
No,” Mr. Sutherland answered with one last look at the stairs before he focused on her.

Audrey snorted. She’d bet all her pin money he was lying,
if
she had any pin money.

Whitney linked arms with her husband and smiled, though the wobbly effort appeared forced to Audrey. “Actually,” Whitney said, “I”―she flicked her gaze to her husband―“that is, we, had one more suitor we were hoping would appear tonight that we wanted you to have a chance to speak with.”

“
Oh, goodness,” Audrey murmured, grateful yet a little concerned who else they’d throw in her path. In the two weeks since she’d arrived in London for the Season, she’d had no less than six gentlemen callers show up at her home, courtesy of Whitney, Sally, Gillian and their husbands. It seemed the wives had gently recruited their spouses to persuade their eligible bachelor friends to come and meet her. Not that any of the conspirators had let on to their secret plan. One very nervous yet sweet scientist, who was a childhood friend of the Duke of Primwitty’s, had clumsily confessed, after trying to kiss her, how glad he was he had overlooked the fact she had no money to her name and come to call on her.

It was all so embarrassing and gauche, yet well-intended, so she’d kept her mouth shut and dutifully spent the past two weeks going on various outings with her different suitors and her aunt as her chaperone. Enough was enough. She’d made up her mind last night, after another dreadfully boring theater outing with one of Mr. Sutherland’s friends, that the only man courting her so far that didn’t make her want to run in the other direction was Lord Thortonberry.

She cleared her throat. “You’ve all been incredibly kind, but I’ve made a decision that from here on out, I’m going to concentrate on seeing whether Lord Thortonberry and I would make a good match.”

“
Oh.” Whitney frowned. “Have you decided you have a true tender for him, after all?”

Audrey’s cheeks heated with embarrassment at having this conversation in front of Whitney’s husband. She eyed Whitney and Whitney in turn gave a quick nod of understanding before facing her husband. “Darling, will you please fetch me some punch?”