Dangerous (27 page)

“I’d think twice about accepting the invitation, if I were you,” Sebastian said. “I will certainly not be accepting any more invitations from Curling. His parties are not amusing.”

Trevor was startled. He looked momentarily confused and then he gave Sebastian a knowing glance. “Not amusing, eh?”

“A dead bore.”

“Say no more, sir. I understand,” Trevor said with a man-to-man air. “Appreciate the tip, Angelstone. Don’t think I’ll waste my time traipsing out to Curling Castle next weekend, after all.”

“A wise decision,” Sebastian said softly.

“Well, then, I’ll be off.” Trevor tipped his hat to his sister. “See you later this evening, Prue. I’ll look forward to your new gown. Good day, Angelstone.”

Sebastian nodded. “Good afternoon, Merryweather.”

Trevor swung his horse around in the other direction and cantered off down the path.

Prudence frowned at Sebastian. “What on earth was that all about? Since when is an invitation to Curling Castle considered a dead bore?”

“Since I declared that it was two minutes ago,” Sebastian said. He eased the horses into a stylish trot. “I don’t want your brother tied up in this investigation in any way. I doubt if you do, either.”

“No, of course not. But how could an invitation to one of Curling’s house parties present a problem?”

“I don’t know,” Sebastian said. “I’m following my instincts, I feel it would be best if Trevor did not get mixed up with Curling.”

“Very well. You are the expert at this sort of thing, Sebastian. I agree that we should be guided by your inclinations.”

“I am pleased to hear you say that, my dear. Because it is also my instincts that tell me it would be best if you did not accompany me tonight when I pay a visit to the premises of Milway and Gordon.”

“A clever wife knows when to listen to her lord’s advice,” Prudence said with charming grace.

Sebastian was so stunned by the easy victory that he almost dropped the reins.

“And she also knows when to ignore him,” Prudence added in a very dry tone. There was bright challenge in her eyes.

“Bloody hell,” Sebastian said.

rudence made another attempt
to reason with Sebastian later that night when he rendezvoused with her at the Hollington mansion. She got nowhere. In fact, she could have sworn that his stubborn, high-handed attitude actually worsened as soon as he caught sight of her in the crowd.

He had barely arrived before he took her arm and drew her forcefully toward the door.

She cast him a disgusted sidelong glance through her fashionable new glass as they stood on the steps waiting for the carriage to appear out of the fog.

“What on earth has gotten into you tonight, my lord?” she asked as she fumbled with the glass. Having to deal with a fan, a dangling glass, and a tiny reticule was really too much to ask of a woman, she thought irritably. Being fashionable was no easy task. “I vow, you are in a devilish mood.”

“Am I, indeed?” Sebastian’s jaw was rigid. He watched impatiently as his coachman maneuvered the Angelstone carriage out of the long line of gilded coaches that waited on the street in front of the mansion.

“Yes, you are. Sebastian, don’t you think you’re carrying this surly attitude a step too far? I know I nagged you for the
better part of the afternoon, but that is no reason to turn downright rude in front of my friends this evening.”

“Was I rude? You wound me, my dear. I had no notion that my behavior was in any way objectionable.”

“Rubbish. You know perfectly well it was most objectionable.” Prudence dropped the dangling glass and clutched at her feather-light embroidered cashmere shawl. The delicate wrap was in the first stare of fashion, but unfortunately it provided very little protection against the damp, foggy night. “You were most unpleasant to Lord Selenby and Mr. Reed.”

“You noticed, did you?” The carriage had arrived at the bottom of the steps. Sebastian took Prudence’s arm and half dragged her toward it. “I’m astounded and, I must say, deeply flattered that you even saw your poor husband standing in the crowd of gentlemen that was gathered around your bare bosom.”

Prudence squinted at him as one of the Hollington footmen hurried to open the carriage door. “My bare bosom?” she yelped. “My lord, are you implying that you do not care for my new gown?”

“What gown?” Sebastian tossed her into the darkened carriage and crowded in behind her. “I did not notice any gown on you tonight, madam. I thought perhaps you had forgotten to put it on before you left home.”

Prudence was outraged at the affront to her new lavender silk ball gown. “I will have you know that this gown is in the very forefront of fashion.”

“How can it be in the forefront when it has no front at all?”

Prudence gave a small, choked exclamation. She gave up trying to wield the eyeglass and fished her spectacles out of her little beaded reticule. “You are being unreasonable, my lord, as I am certain you are well aware.” She pushed her spectacles onto her nose and glowered at him. “I thought you would approve of this gown.”

“I prefer you in your usual style.”

“I have been assured by a great many people, including Hester and my own brother, that my usual style is no style at all.”

Sebastian lit the carriage lamp and lounged back against the cushions. He folded his arms and let his brooding eyes drift over her filmy, low-cut gown. “Why this sudden taste for fashion, madam?”

Prudence pulled the airy shawl more snugly across her chest. It was quite chilly in the carriage. She wished she had her cloak with her.

“You are the one who keeps reminding me that I have a duty to remember my new position.”

Sebastian’s expression turned stark. “Your new position gives you the privilege of wearing anything you like. As the Countess of Angelstone you may set the fashion, not be a slave to it.”

Prudence raised her chin. “What if I happen to like wearing gowns such as this?”

“Damnation, Prue, you’re about to fall out of that thing. Every man in the room was leering at you tonight. Is that the effect you wished to create? Were you deliberately attempting to make me jealous?”

Prudence was horrified. “Of course not, Sebastian. Why on earth would I wish to make you jealous?”

“A good question.” His gaze was bleak and dangerous. “But if that was your goal, I assure you it worked.”

She blinked at him in amazement. “You were jealous of me, my lord?”

His mouth twisted grimly. “How did you expect me to react when I walked into that room tonight and found half a dozen men hovering over you?”

“I was not trying to incite your jealousy, my lord.” Prudence was appalled that he had so completely misunderstood her intentions. “To be perfectly truthful, I would not have guessed that I could do so.”

“Is that so? You would not be the first to play such
games.” Sebastian leaned his head back against the seat and studied her through half-lowered lashes. “Other women more accomplished in such skills have tried those tactics.”

She smoothed her lavender skirts, remembering what Hester had once said about the notorious Lady Charlesworthy’s ill-fated attempt to make Sebastian jealous.

“I am certain they have,” Prudence said quietly. “I am also aware of my own limitations. It never occurred to me that I could make you jealous.” She searched his cold, unreadable expression. “I did not think I had that sort of power over you.”

“As my wife, you have a great deal of power, madam,” Sebastian said far too quietly. “We are bound together, you and I. In the past when other women have tried to inspire jealousy in me, I have been free to walk away. But I cannot walk away from a wife, can I?”

“No, I suppose not.” Prudence felt oddly deflated. She should have known that any jealousy Sebastian felt would be based on pride and possessiveness, not love.

“Jealousy does not amuse me, madam.”

“Sebastian, you have got it all wrong.”

“Have I?”

“Yes.” Prudence sighed. “I did not choose this gown in an attempt to attract the attention of other men.”

He slid her a suspiciously bland look of inquiry. “Why, then, did you select it?”

“So that I would no longer invite comment,” Prudence muttered, exasperated.

Sebastian did not move, but there was a sudden aura of alertness about him that made Prudence wary.

“Comment from whom?” Sebastian asked in a silky voice.

Prudence belatedly realized she was on treacherous ground. She wondered if she had been lured onto it with all that nonsense about jealousy. Sebastian was nothing if not clever. “Why, from the social world, my lord.”

“You mean from my dear aunt, don’t you?”

Prudence drummed her fingers on the carriage seat. There were distinct disadvantages to finding oneself married to a shrewd man. “Now, Sebastian, you must not leap to conclusions.”

“Bloody hell.” Sebastian uncoiled with the lethal grace of a predator pouncing on its prey. He reached out and closed the curtains on the windows over the doors in two swift movements.

“Why are you doing that?” Prudence asked sharply.

Instead of giving her an answer, he caught hold of her upper arms and hauled her up off the cushions. “I knew there was something behind this sudden interest in fashion.”

“Really, my lord.” Prudence’s diaphanous skirts billowed out as he sat her down across his legs. Her shawl fell off her shoulders, once more exposing the upper curves of her breasts. “Just because I have taken an interest in fashion, there is no need to react quite so energetically.”

“You’re trying to forestall insults from that old witch Drucilla, aren’t you?” Sebastian’s eyes gleamed gold in the lamplight. All traces of icy anger as well as any emotion that might have even remotely resembled jealousy had vanished.

“Sebastian, it really is not proper to go about calling your aunt an old witch.”

“Why not? That is exactly what she is. You’re hoping that if you turn yourself into a diamond of the first water, she won’t have cause to insult you.”

Prudence stifled an oath. The familiar unholy amusement was back in Sebastian’s eyes now. She was certain that he had tricked her into a confession. “I am merely trying to dress in the sort of style that the polite world considers appropriate for your wife, Angelstone.”

“I will decide what is appropriate for my wife.”

Prudence was very conscious of the muscled contours of his thighs beneath her soft derriere. The thin skirts of a
fashionable ball gown left very little to the imagination. “Your arrogance leaves one breathless, my lord.”

His long-fingered hand tightened around her waist. His gold signet ring gleamed dully in the lamplight. “You think that if you can keep my aunt from insulting you in public, you can prevent me from punishing the Fleetwoods, don’t you?”

“I am not going to dignify that silly conclusion with an answer.”

He smiled faintly. “It was a clever notion, but I’ve got news for you, my dear: It will never work. Drucilla is looking for excuses to find fault with you. It is useless to try to placate her, because she will never be placated. If your dress gives her no cause for comment, she will find something else to criticize. It is the nature of the beast.”

“Your aunt could hardly say anything more insulting about my gown than you have already said.” Prudence tried to straighten the lavender plume in her hair.

“My status as your husband does give me some privileges, my dear.”

“That is open to debate.” She glanced at him uncertainly. “Tell me the truth. Do you really think this gown is cut too low?”

“It is for too low to wear in public.” Sebastian studied the gentle curves of her breasts with grave consideration. “However, I can see that the cut of the bodice does have a practical use.”

“Practical?”

“It affords easy access to a charming view.” He slipped his finger just under the edge of the low neckline.

Prudence felt a tremor of wicked excitement go through her. “Sebastian, stop that. You mustn’t do that sort of thing here in the carriage.”

“Why not? It will take the coachman nearly half an hour to work his way home through the traffic. The fog is getting thicker. That may delay him even longer.” Sebastian gently
eased the edge of the gown downward, freeing one of Prudence’s breasts.

Heat rushed through her. She batted ineffectually at his hand. “Sebastian, this is too bad of you. I cannot allow you to make love to me in a carriage.”

“This is what comes of wearing the latest fashions, my sweet.” Sebastian started to lower his head to the rosy tip of her breast.

Prudence sank her fingers into his hair, closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate on her main objective. “Now that we have finished discussing my gown, I want to talk to you about your plans to return to that shop in Bond Street tonight.”

“I promise to give you a full report when I get home.” Sebastian’s breath was warm on her skin.

“It is most unfair of you to leave me behind. I’m your partner.” Prudence gasped as he grazed his thumb across the firm bud that crowned her breast. Her eyes opened and she saw a scrap of paper that was lying on the seat where she had been sitting. “What is that?”