Sunrise with a Notorious Lord (21 page)

“You should.” Isabel angled her chin as her gaze hardened. “And I should as well. I do not want to be just another silly miss who allows you a little playful tickling behind a drawn curtain.”

It was difficult to tell for certain in the gloomy corridor, but Vane’s cheekbones darkened at the reminder of what he and his female companion had been doing behind the curtain at the dressmaker’s shop.

“What are you asking of me, Isabel?” Furious and defiant, Vane seized her by the shoulders and shook her. “Marriage?”

“If I said
yes,
it would undeniably solve your dilemma of finding a bride.” Isabel’s smile was insincere, but Vane was too panicked by the notion that she might have bedded him to gain an offer of marriage to notice. “However, you will understand if I ignore your insulting unspoken accusation. I have no desire to be forced into marriage any more than you, Lord Vanewright.”

Vane gave her an unfathomable look as Isabel braced for his angry retort. He surprised her by saying, “Perhaps it would be prudent to reserve this discussion for another time.”

“Shall we reserve it for before or after you find your bride?”

Any response Vane might have made was quelled when Lord Sainthill parted the curtain and stuck his head through the opening.

“Thought I might find you out in the corridor with Miss Thorne,” the marquess said, noting the placement of Vane’s hands. “Stealing a few kisses, eh? Well, now, there’s no time for that. Dare is threatening to toss Frost out of the box. Headfirst if he gets his way.”

Vane’s grip on her arms relaxed, and then his hands slid away. “No one will take your wager?” He stepped away and Isabel was grateful for the reprieve.

“Hunter isn’t here,” Lord Sainthill said simply, opening the curtain for them. “Regan is counting on Miss Thorne to add a little respectability to our box.”

He smiled at Isabel, and she shyly returned his friendly overture.

“Your charm is wasted on Miss Thorne,” Vane said, glaring at his friend. “The lady claims to be almost betrothed.”

Isabel glowered at Vane. “How convenient of you to recall that bit of information
now.
”

He tried to place her hand on his arm, but she resisted. “It seemed appropriate that one of us should, Miss Thorne.”

“Oh, really?” Lord Sainthill glanced curiously from Vane to Isabel. “Who is the lucky gent? Anyone I know?”

“Well, it certainly is not Lord Vanewright!” she snapped before she marched through the parted curtains.

Chapter Twenty-five

Although Isabel was being polite about it, Vane knew when a lady was vexed at him. She was now seated at the front of the private box with Regan to her left and Juliana and Sophia to her right; his friends’ wives had taken her under their collective wing and banished him to the back of the box with Reign, Sin, Dare, and Saint. Frost had been present when he and Isabel had entered the box. It wasn’t long before the earl pronounced the gathering too domesticated for his tastes, however, and wandered off in search of Hunter. Half an hour later, Saint also excused himself claiming that he was too restless to remain.

Last spring, Vane would have happily joined Saint and Frost as they prowled the theater looking for a willing lady or mischief. It surprised him how content he was now to merely observe Isabel as she watched the play and quietly shared her observations with her new friends. He had not really understood that bringing her had been an unspoken challenge, both for Isabel and for him.

He suspected she would be startled if she were aware of his thoughts.

“You could do worse for a bride,” Reign said, his gaze resting thoughtfully on Isabel.

Dare snorted in disbelief. “I cannot believe you would accept any lady handpicked by your mother.”

“Lady Netherley believes Miss Thorne’s sister would be a suitable bride for me.” Vane did not add that Isabel was his choice. Her presence this evening conveyed his unspoken feelings about the lady in question to his friends, even if he had no intention of keeping her. “Regardless, someone else has already claimed Miss Thorne’s hand and affection.”

But not all of her,
Vane thought with grim satisfaction.

Isabel had willingly shared a part of herself with him. Her innocence and first passion were his alone. Vane had given her something of himself, though it was not as simple to define as a lady’s virginity. He doubted Isabel had noticed, but when she took another lover, she would be able to compare …

Vane grimaced at the thought of another man bedding Isabel.

Perhaps they had more in common than the lady was willing to admit. She had claimed that she did not wish to be forced into a marriage, but she seemed resigned to marry her mysterious betrothed. Vane suspected the gent was the reason why Isabel had fled the country and brought her sister to London.

She was shirking her responsibilities, too.

Isabel leaned closer to Regan, and nodded as Dare’s wife whispered something in her ear. Sensing she was being watched, Isabel glanced back and their gazes collided. For a few precious seconds, the world fell away and all he saw was Isabel. Vane grinned at her, and Isabel returned one of her own before she realized that Sin, Dare, and Reign were also observing the exchange. Her entire face reddened before she turned away.

“Do you think it is wise to seduce another man’s bride?” Sin asked.

Vane detected concern more than disappointment in his friend’s question. He shrugged. “I have never been particularly wise when it comes to women. There seems little point to starting now.” He rose from his chair, unwilling to listen to his friends’ reasons why he should leave Isabel alone.

He had enough of his own, but it did not prevent him from approaching her chair. From leaning over and brushing his lips against her ear as he whispered, “I should return you to Lady Netherley’s box before she accuses me of kidnapping.”

Isabel said farewell to the ladies. Vane waited impatiently as Juliana invited Isabel to an afternoon gathering the women had planned next week. He would find out the details from Sin later. If gents were included, he would make certain that he received an invitation. Vane gritted his teeth while Isabel moved on to paying her respects to his friends. He had to remind himself that all three gentlemen were happily married. Their smiles and courtly manners were not meant to provoke him.

Vane realized that he was jealous.

It was an irrational emotion. All he wanted to do was plant his fist in Sin’s face and drag Isabel out of the box.

Vane managed to avoid committing violence, but his firm grip on Isabel’s elbow appeared possessive to any onlooker. When he held open the curtain for her, she used his divided attention to break free.

“What is wrong with you?” Isabel asked as she whirled around to confront him.

“This!”

Before she could protest his mouth slanted over hers as he pushed her back up against the closest wall.

“Mmph!”

She thumped her fist against his upper arm twice in a halfhearted protest before she sighed and allowed her body to melt against his. Kissing Isabel was more satisfying that taking his frustrations out on his friends’ faces. Vane used his hips to hold her in place while his fingers idly explored the contours of her jaw and neck. Their tongues tangled and teased in a silent, desperate dance that caused his cock to swell, reminding him that the open corridor was no place for a tryst.

With regret, he ended the kiss. Both of them were breathless.

“Isabel, I—”

A firm hand clapped his shoulder. Vane turned to snarl a reprimand at one of his friends, but the unknown gentleman had him swallowing the oath that bubbled to escape.

“You might want to remove that hand, gent,” he said crisply. “Otherwise, I will view your oversight as an invitation to see to the task myself.”

The man immediately released Vane, but he did not scurry away as most men would have. He took a nervous step forward, then belatedly comprehended that his actions could be misconstrued as another invitation so he hastily retreated. “Do what you will with me, but I must insist that you unhand Miss Thorne at once!”

“Mr. Ruddel?” Isabel squeaked, peeking around Vane in utter dismay. “What are you doing here?”

Suddenly recalling his manners, the gentleman bowed. “Forgive me for intruding on your evening. I—I saw Delia in one of the private boxes and came upstairs to pay my respects. I had expected to find you at your sister’s side, but the kind owner of the box directed me to your whereabouts.” From his expression, Vane could tell the man had not been pleased with the company Isabel had been keeping. “I offered my services and told your companions that I would escort you back to their private box. I was concerned for your well-being, so you can imagine my shock to discover that this brute had shoved you against the wall and was pawing you without regard to your reputation.”

Vane glanced down at Isabel. She was still clutching his arm as she gaped at the gentleman. “Isabel, who is this arse?”

The insult stiffened the man’s spine. “I will have you know that I am a very good friend of the family. Is that not correct, Isabel?”

Isabel sighed. She released Vane’s arm and stepped away from him. “Mr. Ruddel, may I present Lord Vanewright. My lord, may I present Mr. Ruddel.”

If Isabel thought he would be satisfied with a vague introduction, she was mistaken. “Is he … damn me, is Ruddel your betrothed?”

Isabel glanced helplessly from Vane to Ruddel. “I—I—”

“Yes,” Ruddel said, cutting off Isabel. “Yes, the lady is my betrothed … and—and I would appreciate it if you would not kiss my lady again!”

Chapter Twenty-six

“How could you?” Isabel railed at Mr. Ruddel the next afternoon when she was able to discuss the matter with him in private. “You had no right to tell Lord Vanewright that we are betrothed.”

Isabel had seen the frozen fury on Vane’s face. The unspoken denial as he glared at her, silently demanding that she disavow Mr. Ruddel’s arrogant claim. Oh, how she had wanted to do that very thing, but she was soundly caught in her own lies.

Mr. Ruddel seemed unmoved by her accusation. He stretched out his legs as if he were sitting in his own drawing room. “You should be grateful I was nearby to rescue you from the clutches of that blackguard. I have done some checking on this Lord Vanewright. Do you know he belongs to some notorious club? That he and his fellow band of miscreants have been dubbed by the
ton
as the Lords of Vice?”

Isabel crossed her arms over her chest, wondering what she ever saw in the arrogant prig. If Vane had not been so stunned by Mr. Ruddel’s claim, he would have broken the man in half on principle. Instead, to Isabel’s chagrin, Vane had apologized and abandoned her. Not that she could blame him. After all, she had warned him that she was almost betrothed.

Ugh, I was a fool to spin such a ridiculous lie!

Isabel gave her unwanted betrothed a measured look. “Lord Vanewright and the Lords of Vice are not to be trifled with, Mr. Ruddel. Notorious miscreants or not, they are part of the
ton,
whereas you and I are not. You insult them at your peril.”

He flicked his wrist in a dismissive gesture. “Bah, they do not frighten me.”

“Then you are the arse Lord Vanewright accused you of being,” she said, ignoring his dismay over her crude language. “You just do not understand what you have done.”

“Isabel.” He moved from the chair and knelt at her feet. “My sweet, do not cry.” He reached into his coat and produced a linen handkerchief.

Isabel accepted it and wiped her eyes.

“I think I know why you are upset,” he said, not unkindly. “You are humiliated that you have been caught in a lie.”

Isabel sniffed into the handkerchief. “That is part of it.” She hardly could admit her bargain with Lady Netherley. Mr. Ruddel was smitten with Delia. He might ruin everything by blurting out the entire sordid ordeal to her sister.

“You never expected me to discover your little ruse, did you?”

Isabel thought about the day she had caught him kissing Delia in a manner that she had never inspired in him.
“Never.”

He patted the top of her hand affectionately. “Well, you will discover that I can be quite reasonable when it comes to these delicate matters. Last evening, when I found you in the arms of Lord Vanewright, it was painfully apparent why you of all people had to resort to such desperate measures. The bounder was intent on ravishing you.”

Isabel brought the handkerchief to her face.

“There, there … my girl. Hold steady. We will muddle through this.”

Before she realized what he planned to do, he leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth.

“Mr. Ruddel!”

“Everyone believes I am your betrothed, Isabel,” he reminded her. “A stolen kiss or two would be expected.”

“No, it certainly will not be expected or required.” Isabel stumbled from the chair as she attempted to distance herself from her unwanted suitor. “We”—she pointed at him and then to herself—“are not getting married.”

Mr. Ruddel slowly climbed to his feet and followed her to the other side of the drawing room. “Everyone believes we are betrothed. Why not allow the lie to stand? I am willing if you are.”

The man was deliberately being obtuse. “No one was supposed to meet you. Ever. Once I had returned to Cotersage, no one in London would have given me another thought—or my imaginary betrothed. Now you have ruined
everything
!”

Mr. Ruddel’s expression hardened at her accusation. “Exactly what have I ruined, Isabel? My appearance should lend credence to your story.” He gently tugged on her fingers until Isabel lowered her hands from her face. “You know I have feelings for you.”

“Oh, Malcolm,” she said, feeling worse, because she did not want to hurt him even if he deserved it. “Do you think I have forgotten about you and Delia?”