Ruined by Moonlight (21 page)

The roundabout way of mentioning the impending disaster that lay ahead did not escape her. “My father seems much more haughty than he actually is,” she told her cousin’s husband with a glimmer of a smile, because, in truth, social ruin might be imminent but she was so relieved to be free that she refused to worry over it at the moment.

“So Alicia assures me,” he said drily, but he returned her smile, which was rather rare for him. “And since this has happened, I believe it to be true. When he first came to see me, he was quite emotional.”

Why her father had immediately turned to Lord Heathton she wasn’t sure, but as they drove along in the dark toward home, it had obviously turned out to be a fortuitous choice. “Did you tell him where you were going this evening?”

“No. I wasn’t at all sure that my deductions about your location were correct or, in fact, if the two of you would be together. What about Colbert?”

“What about him, in what way?”

“I think he’s asking if he could have anything to do with the abduction.” Ran didn’t look at her. “Since I am going to conjecture that everyone thinks we have been together for the past five days.”

It wasn’t like she didn’t know their mutual disappearances would be linked together. “With all due honesty,” she said quietly, “I don’t know him well enough to answer about any speculation in that quarter. I can’t see why he would have any motivation to have me compromised unless he wanted to cry off for some reason, but surely he could simply sever the marriage agreement.”

Ben’s gaze seemed to hold a measure of new respect. “I see you understand the gravity of your current position.”

“There has been little else to contemplate, my lord.” She demurely folded her hands, though a tiny shiver touched her. Her newfound freedom was hardly perfect. There was a scandal to deal with and she could sense that Ran was thinking along the same lines.

“Colbert could have a vindictive enemy.” Ran’s voice held an edge.

“It’s possible,” Ben said slowly, settling back in his seat.

There is nothing quite like alighting in a fashionable neighborhood clad in a dressing gown and nothing else,
Ran decided with a twinge of wry humor as the vehicle rocked to a halt. Hopefully most of the
ton
was out and about for the evening, but the servants would whisper and that was just inevitable.

At least Heathton had loaned Elena his evening jacket, not that it covered everything, but it did afford a semblance of propriety. Unfortunately, it emphasized her femininity, her fair hair spilling over the dark lapels, her slender form dwarfed by the size of the garment.

Ran hesitated for a moment as the door to the vehicle opened, the earl’s assistant in their strange rescue standing back after lowering the step. Elena gazed at him with shadowed eyes, her expression hard to decipher.

Very aware of Heathton sitting across from them, he said formally, “It has been quite an adventure, Lady Elena.”

“Indeed it has.” There was the slightest tremulous note to her voice.

Why the devil he hesitated to exit was a mystery even to him. “I feel confident we will see each other soon.”

With a hint of the humor he admired in her, she murmured,
“Perhaps we can even be properly introduced, Lord Andrews.”

To his surprise, what he wanted more than anything was a good-bye kiss. Maybe that was what kept him in his seat, unmoving, when escape was in his reach. His past love affairs had involved mutual pleasure but also mutual detachment, and this had been, needless to say, entirely different.

Or maybe
she
was different.

That possibility was what pulled him convulsively to his feet and toward the door.

T
he ballroom was something to see
en fête
.

This was one of the premier events of the season, which was why Alicia had insisted they both attend, but as she was announced she had a sinking feeling that the Countess of Heathton would be attending this particular event alone. Placing her gloved hand on the banister she descended the stairs and did her best to smile graciously. Luckily, since this was such a fashionable event her sister was in attendance, and at once she sought her out.

“Hattie.”

Harriet turned, her eyes a similar dark blue to Alicia’s own, questioning. “I heard you’d arrived. Where is Benjamin?”

That was certainly the question of the hour. Alicia answered, “Detained, it seems. He sent a note. Goodness, it appears all of London is here. I must say you look splendid this evening.”

Fingering the fabric of her deep rose taffeta gown, Harriet laughed lightly as she eyed Alicia’s daring neckline. “Thank you, but not half as stunning as you. I love the gold silk. So dramatic. And bold for you.”

And worn possibly for nothing, but she refused to dwell on it so Alicia said brightly, “I was assured it would set off my unusual coloring, though being referred to as unusual was actually not that flattering. I assume you were luckier than I and Oliver accompanied you?”

Her sister’s husband was a young baronet, his knighthood granted because of his service as a minister to the king in some vague capacity that Alicia had never questioned but suspected had something to do with his very influential grandfather.

“Yes, he is here somewhere.” Harriet companionably linked her arm through Alicia’s. “The card room, probably. Shall we get some champagne? I’m anticipating questions I can’t answer about Elena’s continued absence all evening and could use some fortitude.”

“That is an excellent idea.”

And it was, for the first glass. The second was a bit cloying, and when almost two hours later Alicia accepted a third from a passing footman with a tray, she was truly irritated. It wasn’t so much being left without an escort. That was common enough in English society as to be unremarked. It was Ben’s
promise
to join her and choice not to that rankled. He was infinitely more of a gentleman than that, not to mention his cryptic note had told her nothing about why he was so conspicuously absent. Yes, he’d had a tendency to not accompany her often in the past, but usually there was not a broken promise involved.

How ironic, since after that soul-satisfying kiss, she’d been so encouraged.

“Lady Heathton, how lovely to see you.”

Oh, Lord,
she thought crossly. Really, this was not the time to run into the very silly Tillitson woman, but what
choice was there than to offer as gracious a smile possible? “I feel quite the same. Are you enjoying yourself this evening?”

The older woman waved a hand in dismissal. “I am never sure why I attend these events other than it is such bad form to refuse all the invitations.”

Flighty as Mrs. Tillitson was, maybe that was a valid point. Alicia considered it and then nodded. “I suppose you are right. In our quest to stay admitted to the inner circles we all do things we perhaps would not do if given a choice.”

Over the rim of her glass the other woman gave her a knowing look. “Your husband does not suffer from that malady.” The tilt of her head was reminiscent of an inquisitive bird. “Well, that is not accurate. He goes his own way.”

“I didn’t realize you knew him so well.” It was unintentional, but Alicia’s voice was cool.

“I don’t. No one does. But wait. Here he is after all, I see.”

What might have been said next would forever be a mystery because suddenly a hand touched Alicia’s waist and she heard a familiar voice murmur, “I am unforgivably late.”

Benjamin.

How true
.

The warmth of her husband’s breath against her neck made her entire body go taut. Rarely did he touch her in public, which made the caress even more meaningful. It was almost mortifying how Mrs. Tillitson smiled knowingly and wandered away in her vague fashion, but it was outweighed by the shiver of anticipation that shot through
her. “Well, perhaps not unforgivably, though I was starting to feel somewhat neglected.”

“I had to run a small errand that took longer than anticipated.”

He had a certain way of smiling that did not involve his mouth. She wasn’t sure how it happened but she did recognize it. It was obvious he’d stopped to change, for he was in full evening kit, the stark formality of his tailored attire strikingly masculine.

“Did you, now?”

“Can I purchase some amnesty if I tell you that my absence involved recovering your lost cousin?”

“Elena?”

“Please tell me you don’t have another missing relative. I was hoping we would be able to waltz at least once this evening. Shall we?”

The orchestra
had
struck up a popular tune, she realized, and she was much too off guard to resist when he took her hand—not that she would have resisted anyway. He was actually a very competent dance partner. That was hardly a surprise. If he made an effort he was competent at just about anything.

Except the intimacy she craved, but it was apparently not a lost cause. He’d just kissed her neck in public, which had shocked her. That would not go unremarked. Not that she cared so much what everyone else thought, but as a gesture it was effective. A display of affection was hardly the normal course of the lives of most married couples of their class.

“Did you really find Elena?” she asked as she placed her hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes, the vivid hazel color mesmerizing.

“Indeed.” Ben swept her easily into the first turn. “It is an interesting story, but I will let her tell you if she wishes it. For now all I will say is that she is safe and she is home, and I made all due speed to get here so we could share a dance.”

“She’s well?”

“It certainly seemed so.”

That was reassuring and a relief but she desired to know more. Alicia’s skirts brushed his boots as they moved fluidly to the music. “How did you find her?”

“Whiskey.”

That made no sense whatsoever, but she was frequently in the dark due to his cryptic nature. She narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“Never mind.” His hand was strong at her waist, his mouth faintly smiling. “Shall we leave it that I did find her, as per your request?”

Did he actually think she’d just accept that? “I am grateful, my lord, but that is hardly an explanation. Where was she? Why did she leave no word? Were she and Lord Andrews together after all? How did—”

He interrupted her. “Why are women always so inquisitive?”

“Why are men always so vague?” she countered, but her heart really wasn’t in the argument. Elena was safe, even if he wasn’t willing to tell her just what had happened, and at the moment he was holding her—what might even be considered a fraction too close for propriety—and had just intimated that he’d hurried so he could waltz with her.

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “On the contrary, we can be quite direct if we wish to be. For instance,
may I say you are the most beautiful woman in attendance this evening?”

His wife stared up at him with those glorious dark blue eyes, her glossy dark hair done in a style he never recalled her wearing before, the décolletage of her gown showcasing her glorious breasts in a fashion he was sure—to his annoyance—every man in the ballroom had noticed. The topaz color of the material set off her porcelain skin and emphasized a beauty that he felt didn’t need embellishment, and a delicate fragrance of roses drifted from her hair as he tightened his arm around her waist and brought her just a shade closer.

“You are trying to distract me, but thank you.” Her voice was hushed. “I confess I hoped you’d admire this gown.”

“It isn’t the gown I admire.” It was a reckless statement but he was in that sort of mood. The mission to find Lady Elena was done—not as expediently as he wished, but satisfactorily. It was also already evident that Alicia had forgiven him for being late and he had high hopes that a successful seduction was in his immediate future.

It was remarkable to realize that he’d even lost his sense of affront over having to exert himself to gain an invitation to her bed. It was proving to be an enlightening challenge. When he’d courted her it had been a matter of both practicality and physical attraction, but he was beginning to admire her in other ways also, which was, at a guess, exactly what she wanted.

His beautiful wife was clever as well as beguilingly attractive.

Perhaps unknowingly he’d met his match.

The music came to a stop and he didn’t realize it right away, which was disconcerting in and of itself. Alicia demurely slid her hand from his shoulder and allowed him to escort her from the floor, and he was never so grateful as when he heard her say, “I know you have just arrived, my lord, but it is quite late.”

“Extremely so,” he agreed at once, though it actually was early by
ton
standards.

“Will you forgive me if I ask you to take me home?”

He’d kiss her feet for the privilege—
which might be an enjoyable undertaking,
he thought, picturing her dainty instep—but instead of pointing that out he merely said, “Whatever you wish from this evening, it is yours.”

“I am not sure yet what I wish.”

That is a disappointing response,
he decided, but it could be interpreted in several ways and he chose to remain optimistic. In his adult life he’d certainly been abstinent for longer stretches of time than this one, but, then Alicia had not been so tantalizingly close by yet off-limits.

He
could
point out his tardiness was due to his quest to retrieve her kidnapped cousin.

He could also mention that he’d been extraordinarily patient where other husbands might not be so tolerant.

But the truth was, he found he wanted her to
want
him, so he was willing to take responsibility for the inauspicious start to their marriage. He’d evidently wasted half a year.

“That is fine,” he said neutrally, rewarded when his wife sent him a sharp look.

“You aren’t upset over…waiting?”

Was she piqued or just asking? “I’m obviously not willing to ask you to do something that you don’t wish to do.”

A man could not be more fair or concise, in his opinion.