Splendid (12 page)

“Really, Belle,” Emma said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I think he was just poking fun at me. He seemed a little upset that he had been so surprised by my true identity. I imagine he likes to feel that he's in command of every situation.”

“That's for certain,” Sophie grumbled. “Imagine being related to him.”

Emma found
that
prospect rather unsettling. “Anyway, he really wasn't paying me that much attention. I didn't think he did anything untoward.”

Belle snorted in a most unladylike manner. “Really, Emma, your face was the same color as your hair when you were dancing with him. You were either extremely embarrassed or extremely angry.”

Emma shrugged her shoulders, preferring to let Sophie and Belle draw their own conclusions. “I'm sure that's all over and done with. Pardon me for saying so, Sophie, but if your brother is anything like his reputation—which was described to me in excruciating detail—I don't imagine I'll be running into him at many more events.”

“Pity,” Sophie said softly, the matchmaker's gleam sparkling in her eyes.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing at all. Would you like some tea?” Sophie said quickly, ringing for a maid. She'd been nagging Alex to settle down for years now, and in Emma Dunster she'd found her most promising possibility for success. Emma was strikingly attractive, obviously intelligent, and a genuinely nice person. And most importantly for anyone who was about to get paired up with Alexander Ridgely, Duke of Ashbourne, she was very, very brave. Sophie decided she couldn't have dreamed up a better sister-in-law. Emma's sharp tongue would serve her well, too. Alex needed a woman who wouldn't scurry to do his bidding every time he started acting in his domineering manner, which, Sophie had to admit, was most of the time.

“Please do tell me more about your ball,” Sophie continued, eager to prolong the visit now that she'd
decided she and Emma would soon be related. A servant brought in tea and biscuits, and Sophie quickly got to the job of serving.

“I did get cornered by Lady Summerton,” Emma laughed.

Belle joined in. “Lady Summerton is the only person I know who can corner five people at once.”

“What a silly woman,” Sophie commented. “I think she means well, but she does prattle on.”

Emma and Belle both shot Sophie looks of mock accusation. Sophie's eyes opened wide and then she laughed. “Oh, I know that I go on almost as much as she does, but at least I'm usually
interesting!
” With that all three women dissolved into spasms of laughter.

As their laughter began to die down, their cozy threesome was interrupted by a very loud and very angry male voice. “For Christ's sake, Graves, I swear to God I am going to hang you on that coat rack if you don't let me through.”

“Oh dear,” Sophie murmured. “I really must scold Graves, but I just haven't the heart. He so loves to interrogate.”

“No, I will not give my calling card to a butler who has received me at least five hundred times!” Emma didn't think it was possible, but Alex's voice had actually grown louder.

Sophie looked a little sheepish. “I suppose I ought to go out there, but I do so enjoy it when Alex gets annoyed.”

Emma was quick to agree.

“Graves, if you value your life, you will get out of my way immediately!” Alex's voice had suddenly taken on a dangerously low tone.

Emma, Belle, and Sophie winced as they saw Graves practically fly by the doorway of the yellow salon in his eagerness to escape Alex's wrath. When
Alex walked in, he was looking over his shoulder at the fast-disappearing butler and didn't even notice that Sophie had guests. “For God's sake, Soph, I'm your brother. Don't you think you can call off your attack dog?”

“He's a little overprotective now that Oliver is away, you know.”

“I'll say.” Alex finally turned around and noticed that there were three women in the room. He quickly swept his eyes over them, taking in their comfortable position. As his gaze settled on Emma, she lifted her teacup to her lips and took a sip. “My, my,” he drawled, “aren't we the best of friends?”

All three women shot him irritated glances. Alex looked a trifle disgruntled at their collective unfavorable response to his presence.

“Don't be tedious, Alex,” Sophie said flatly. “I'm entertaining guests. If you're going to be insulting, you can come back later.”

“What a welcome,” he grumbled as he flopped down inelegantly into a chair opposite Emma and Belle.

“I stopped by to return your sister's earrings, your grace,” Emma said.

“I thought I told you to stop ‘your grace-ing' me, Emma.” Both Belle and Sophie raised their eyebrows at his bold use of Emma's first name.

“Oh, very well,” Emma retorted. “I shan't call you anything, then.”

Sophie watched the telltale clench of her brother's jaw and somehow managed to stifle what would have been a rather boisterous laugh. “Tea, Alex?” she said sweetly.

“I don't drink tea,” he responded sharply.

“Right, of course. I forgot that men such as you don't drink such a silly beverage as tea.”

“I would love another cup,” Emma said with a smile.

“I wouldn't mind some more either,” Belle added.

Alex wondered when the women of the world had united against him.

“I suppose we'll have to ring for another pot,” Sophie decided. “Would you like some coffee, Alex?”

“I'd prefer whiskey.”

“Don't you think it's a little early for that?”

Alex looked from his sister to Emma to Belle. All three looked back at him with deceptively serene expressions. “Actually,” he commented, “I don't think there has ever been a better time for whiskey.”

“As you wish.”

Alex rose and walked across the room to the cabinet where his sister stored liquor. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a large glass. “Sophie, I had come to inform you of the true identity of our mysterious ‘Meg' but I see that she has already beaten me to the task.” He fixed his gaze on Emma. “What, I wonder, can your cousin think of your frolics?”

“Her cousin was a part of her frolics,” Belle piped up.

Alex turned to give Belle his fiercest scowl. Emma took advantage of his distraction to surreptitiously examine him. As he leaned lazily against the wall, swirling his whiskey, he seemed unusually large and unbearably masculine in Sophie's delicately decorated parlor. His superbly tailored clothes barely contained the raw power of the man. How, she wondered, could one man simultaneously provoke such desire and antagonism in her? At least she assumed it was desire. She'd certainly never
before felt anything like the strange fluttering in her abdomen and the wild beating of her heart. Yet even as his mere presence sent her traitorous body reeling into confused longing, his insolence and domineering attitude enraged her, and she ached to let him know just what she thought of him.

Unfortunately, right then what she thought of him was that he was terribly good-looking. Emma grimaced and decided she'd better keep her eyes on Sophie and Belle. Her cousin was doing her best to ignore Alex's scowl, turning to Sophie and asking, “Are you planning to hide yourself from the
ton
for the duration of your husband's trip to the West Indies or will we see you tonight at the Southburys' ball?”

“I had been contemplating retiring to the country, but I find that I've changed my mind. Town life suddenly promises to be terribly interesting this season. Although I don't imagine I'll be able to go out in another few months.” Sophie smiled shyly.

“Oh, Sophie! Are you—?” Belle seemed quite unable to utter the word “pregnant” in the company of a man. Sophie nodded vigorously, her face radiant with joy. “I am so happy for you!” Belle continued. “But how difficult for you with your husband gone.”

“Yes, Oliver doesn't even know he's about to become a father again. I wrote him a letter as soon as I knew for certain, but I doubt that he's received it yet.”

“If you get lonely here by yourself, you must promise me that you and Charlie will come stay with us. We have plenty of room, and it might be terrible to be all alone when you're expecting.”

“In case you had forgotten, Lady Arabella, Sophie does have relatives who care about her,” Alex said
imperiously. “If she moves in with anyone, she'll move in with me.”

Belle gulped. “Perhaps she will long for female companionship,” she said bravely.

“I'm sure his grace can provide plenty of female companionship,” Emma muttered. Then to her complete mortification, she realized that her unpleasant thought had been spoken aloud.

Alex was inordinately pleased at her obvious jealousy, but nonetheless asked sharply, “Would you care to elucidate that comment, Emma?”

“Um, actually, I think I'd rather not,” she said weakly.

Alex took pity on the shame and anguish he saw on Emma's face and decided to let the matter rest. “If Sophie desires female companionship,” he declared, “she will move in with my mother.”

Sophie was also delighted by Emma's jealous comment, wondering blissfully what color dress she'd get to wear as an attendant at the wedding. She did not, however, want to make Emma feel uncomfortable, so she said brightly, “A visit with Mama would probably be just the thing to lift my spirits during the next few months. I imagine we'll head out to the country. The clean air will do me a world of good, and Charlie loves it so. I swear, he turns into a positive heathen once we get him out of town. He's constantly climbing trees and I'm always fearful for him, but Alex does say I must be careful not to coddle him. However—”

“Sophie,” Alex said in an indulgent voice, “you're rambling.”

Sophie sighed. “So I am.”

“But,” Emma put in gamely, “you were exceedingly interesting. I do so like trees.”

The three women laughed at the reference to Sophie's earlier remark about Lady Summerton
while Alex grumbled about being left out of the joke.

“Oh, Emma,” Sophie sighed with a smile, slowly regaining her composure. “I wasn't the least bit interesting, but it was kind of you to lie for me.”

“It was no trouble at all, I assure you.”

“Perhaps it will also be no trouble for you to tell us all about yourself, Emma,” Alex cut in.

“Goodness, that would be tedious. I already know all about her,” Belle said archly.

Emma wondered when her cousin had grown so daring. “I wouldn't want to bore my cousin.”

“I'm sure she won't mind,” Alex ground out.

“By all means,” Belle said graciously. “I shall chat with Sophie. You wanted to show me your new harpsichord, didn't you, Sophie?”

“I did? Oh, yes, of course, I did! Here, come with me, it's in the blue salon upstairs.” Sophie quickly rose and headed for the door, Belle at her heels. “You two will entertain yourselves, won't you?”

Emma wasn't quite angry enough to wish that looks could kill, but she found herself hoping that they could elicit brief but startling pain.

“We'll be just fine.” Alex was positively beaming.

“Well done,” Sophie whispered to Belle.

“I thought so,” Belle returned.

“Come along,” Sophie said loudly. “I can't wait to show it to you.” With that, the pair slipped out of the room and headed upstairs.

“You must remind me to thank your cousin,” Alex drawled.

“You must remind me to throttle her.”

“Really, darling, is it so very difficult to be alone in the same room with me? You didn't mind last night.” Alex strode across the parlor and settled himself right next to Emma on the sofa. Emma
sighed in exasperation. Was there no situation in which he did not feel completely at ease? Here she was, her insides churning like an Atlantic crossing, and he was sitting next to her smiling as if he hadn't a care in the world. It was his nearness, she decided. Strange things happened to her when he was close. It was time to get him to move.

“Umm,” Emma began hesitatingly, all of her decisive thoughts flying out the window. “I don't mean to sound like a complete prig—”

“Then don't sound like one.”

“But I really don't think you should be sitting so close to me.”

“Oh, Emma,” Alex sighed. “Have they got your head full of rules and regulations already?” He pinched a lock of her hair between his fingers, unable to resist its fiery allure.

“Please stop, your grace. Belle and Sophie might return at any moment.”

“Those two conspirators obviously intended to leave us alone. And I'm sure they'll let us know when they're coming back. When they start descending the stairs, believe me, we'll hear coughing fits like we've never heard before. I wouldn't even put it past them to work in a scream or two.”

Emma bristled with anger. “I hate being manipulated.”

“Yes, well, so do I. But I will make an exception when the manipulation leaves me stranded alone with you.”

Emma shot him a sharp look. “You're always so self-contained. Doesn't anything frazzle you? Doesn't anything ever make you want to scream?”

Alex laughed loudly. “Love, if I told you what makes me scream, you'd go running right out of this room back to the Colonies.”

Emma blushed deeply. Even an innocent such as she understood what he meant. “Must you always twist my words? You're such a trial.” She crossed her arms against her chest and twisted her torso so that she was no longer facing him.

“Come now, love. Don't work yourself into a snit. Be honest with yourself. Do you so dislike talking to me?”

“Well, no, not really.”

“Do you dislike being with me?”

“Well…not exactly.”

“So what is our problem?”

“Well,” Emma began slowly, turning back to face him, “I'm not really sure.”