The King's Falcon (Roundheads & Cavaliers Book 3) (48 page)

‘And she didn’t know about his play?’

‘I believe Francis thought to make it a delightful surprise.’

‘She didn’t
look
delighted,’ remarked Will dryly.
 
And then, ‘Francis? You know him?’

Ashley nodded.
 
‘Since Worcester.
 
And we now share lodgings.’

‘Ah.
 
Let me guess.
 
No love lost between him and his sister – or just a questionable sense of humour?’

‘Both.’

‘Intriguing.
 
I should like to meet him some time.
 
Just now, however, I am supposed to be fetching the fair Celia a glass of something to settle her nerves.’
 
He sighed.
 
‘As you may guess, events have transpired against me this evening.
 
Armand Colbert and his lady cried off at the last minute and, as is usual these days, Verney was nowhere to be found – or at least, nowhere one would feel inclined to go looking for him.’

Ashley raised enquiring brows.

‘He has another interest?’

‘That is certainly one way of putting it.
 
Angelique Latour is an exceedingly rich widow and by no means displeasing to the eye.
 
A cynic might suspect that Celia’s days may well be numbered.’

‘You think Verney might marry the widow?’

‘I think that, if she’ll have him, he would be stupid not to.
 
Aside from the obvious advantages, Celia can be extremely tedious.’ Sir William grinned invitingly. ‘I suppose you wouldn’t care to share our box?’
 

‘Not tonight, I’m afraid.
 
The Marquis d’Auxerre is occupying the one next to yours and there is … unfinished business … between us that I would prefer to complete at a time and place of my own choosing.’

Will’s eye narrowed.

‘Take care with that, then.
 
The fellow’s a complete arse.’

‘I know.’
 
Ashley turned to go and then, as if it was a sudden after-thought, said, ‘You may wish to take care yourself, by the way.
 
There’s a rumour linking your name with that of Lucy Walter.’

‘Is there?’
 
Sir William looked genuinely startled. ‘Good God!
 
Where on earth did
that
come from?’

‘I’ve no idea.
 
There’s no truth in it, then?’

‘Ashley, my dear fellow – what do you take me for?
 
His Majesty finally acquired sufficient resources to pay the lady some small part of her promised pension and I was tasked to deliver it.
 
I am not stupid enough to take advantage of an invitation – even if one had been offered.’

‘And it wasn’t?’ came the deceptively mild reply.
 
‘Poor Will.
 
You must be slipping.’

*
 
*
 
*

Ashley stayed to watch the Scarron comedy purely in order to gaze his fill at Athenais in her role of Leonore.
 
As ever, she looked breath-taking and he suspected that it was only her presence on the stage stopped the play from falling a little flat in the wake of
M
é
nage
.
 
When it ended, Ashley found his way back-stage to Francis’s side and murmured, ‘Your piece was outstanding – as was Pauline’s performance.
 
But we’ll talk later.
 
For now, keep an eye on the Green Room. D’Auxerre’s in the house tonight.’

Francis nodded and moved away.
 
Ashley lurked in the shadows until two of the younger walkers ran him to earth and tried to lure him into mild flirtation.
 
Then, when he was fairly sure of leaving the theatre unobserved, he slipped out through a side-door and limped home.

Archie greeted him with an odd sideways glance and handed him a sealed missive.

‘A lackey from the palace brought it.
 
Said it was from the King.’

Ashley glanced down at the seal and said, ‘It is.’

‘Didn’t know you was acquainted with the Lord’s Anointed,’ remarked Archie, striving not to appear impressed.
 
‘Know him well, do you?’

‘Moderately well.
 
But don’t run away with the idea I’m his bosom friend.
 
I’m not.’
 
Ashley strolled towards the parlour. ‘He just finds me … useful.’

His Majesty’s note was brief.
 
The King was sorry he’d missed Colonel Peverell earlier that day and would be obliged if the Colonel would wait on him the following morning.

Colonel Peverell took a moment to stare irritably at the ceiling.
 
Another walk to the bloody Louvre.
 
Just what he needed.

Knowing that this was no night to escape to the attic, he took a glass of wine with Nicholas in the parlour whilst providing a précis of his meeting with Hyde.
 
At the end of it, Nicholas said, ‘
Do
you have a plan?’

‘Yes.
 
And I’ll tell you about it in due course.
 
But not tonight.
 
Francis and Pauline will be back any minute and in a mood to --’ He stopped, hearing sounds betokening noisy arrival.
 
‘Celebrate.
 
And here they come.’

Francis, Pauline and Athenais surged in, all laughing and talking at once.

Pink and endearingly giddy with excitement, Athenais looked eagerly at Ashley and said, ‘Did you see it?
 
You did, didn’t you?’

‘Yes.
 
I --’

‘Wasn’t Pauline superb?
 
Of course, Francis’s play is marvellous – but Pauline stole every single scene.
 
It’s the best thing we’ve put on-stage for ages and I’m so jealous I could spit.’
 
Turning, she pushed her hands against Francis’s chest and said, ‘I quite hate you.
 
I
could have played the wife.
 
I’m every bit as good a bitch as Hortense.’

He grinned, caught her hands in his and kissed each in turn.

‘We know, darling.
 
And we love you anyway.’ Impudent blue eyes skimmed her figure.
 
‘But if you’ll forgive me for mentioning it, you lack Hortense’s … attributes.’

She dragged her hands away and tried to look offended.

‘That is just rude.
 
My attributes are perfectly adequate, thank you. And, as someone remarked this evening, quality ought to count for something.’
 
Pivoting on her heel and without stopping to consider, she said, ‘Don’t you think so, Ashley?’

Caught with a mouthful of wine, Ashley narrowly avoided choking.
 
Annoyed at being taken by surprise and even more annoyed by the expression on Francis’s face, he said coolly, ‘Most definitely.
 
But I imagine you’d agree that, in other contexts, quantity isn’t to be dismissed.
 
Or so the ladies of my acquaintance have always led me to believe.’

Athenais turned scarlet and Nicholas tried, unsuccessfully, to subdue a snort of laughter.

Pauline said, ‘I suspect this conversation ought to stop right there.’

‘That’s a shame,’ muttered Francis irrepressibly. ‘I hoped you might have an opinion.’

She looked at him. ‘Save that sort of wit for your next script.
 
And, in the meantime, I’m off to the kitchen for more wine.
 
If this is to continue, I shall need a drink.’

‘And I,’ announced Nicholas, heading for the door, ‘am off to relieve Jem for what’s left of the evening.’

‘Tell him he can stop tracking the eye-patch,’ said Ashley. ‘He’ll know what that means.’ And as Francis showed signs of joining the general exodus, ‘With regard to that other matter, Francis … I take it nothing transpired?’

‘Nothing.
 
He left after the second act.’

‘Good.
 
Thank you.’

Francis nodded and followed Pauline across the hall.
 
It was the first chance he’d had to be alone with her all day.
 
He said, ‘Wine?
 
Is that all you want?
 
I’m disappointed.’

 
‘Are you?’
 
She cast him an oblique glance over her shoulder.
 
‘Why?’

‘Because I want something quite different.’ And, grasping her wrist, he whirled her against him so that he could clamp his other arm about her waist. ‘Something I’ve been thinking about for days, to be precise.
 
This.’
 
And he brought his mouth down on hers.

Pauline’s immediate instinct was flow into his warmth and kiss him back but she fought it – and him.
 
When he released her wrist to trail his fingers up her nape, she shoved ineffectually at his shoulders but managed to drag her mouth away to say breathlessly, ‘Stop it, Francis.
 
I know you’re floating ten feet above the ground on a cloud of euphoria but --’

‘Not yet, I’m not … but soon, I hope. Kiss me.’

‘No.’

‘Then let me kiss you.’
 
He nuzzled her neck and nipped gently at her earlobe. ‘Please?’

That punched a fist-sized hole through her resolve but she still managed to say, ‘No.
 
Will you stop?
 
This is ridiculous and you’ll be thoroughly embarrassed in the morning.’

His hands rose to cup her face and tilt it up to his.

‘I won’t.
 
Look at me, Duchess.’
 
And when she still tried to turn away, ‘
Look at me
.’

So, reluctantly, she looked.
 
And then wished she hadn’t.

The sapphire eyes were full of an expression she’d never seen on his or, indeed, any man’s face before.
 
A sort of bemusement, mingled with amused tenderness and the tiniest flicker of anxiety.
 
He said, ‘If you really don’t want this … if you really want me to stop, then I will.
 
Only please don’t push me away for any of the reasons you’ve given so far.
 
It demeans us both.’

His gaze continued to hold hers and, for the first time in years, she realised that she had no idea what to do.
 
For weeks now, he had been sliding deeper and deeper into her affections and, knowing it, she had constantly told herself to be careful because nothing could ever come of it.
 
Good-looking titled gentlemen didn’t belong with scarred, one-time actresses past their first blush.
 
But right now at this moment, she sensed that if she employed her usual tone, she could hurt him.
 
So she said carefully, ‘I don’t mean it that way.’

His hands dropped to her waist, holding her loosely but with a suggestion that he wasn’t going to let her move away. ‘What way, then?’

‘It’s just the play and the success of tonight.
 
Do you think I don’t know how it feels – that I’m immune to it?
 
But it fades.
 
And, whatever you think right now, I’m not what you want.’

‘And why might that be?’
 

His eyes were lingering on her mouth and causing her pulse to accelerate.
 
She shook her head, refusing to say the words he knew were in her head.

‘Because of this?’
 
Without any warning, he trailed swift kisses down her scarred cheek.
 
Her breath caught and she shut her eyes, unable to look at him.
 
He said, ‘You know … this is so much more important to you than it is to anyone else.
 
I can understand that.
 
But
you
need to understand it doesn’t define you.
 
Your head, your heart and your spirit outweigh it a hundred times over.
 
Look at me.’

She opened her eyes but kept them fixed on his throat because if she met his eyes now she suspected her will-power would collapse completely.
 
Wishing the thing lodging in her chest would go away, she said, ‘I don’t know what to say to you, Francis.
 
Except that I think you should let me go.’

‘Yes.
 
I think so, too.’
 
And when her startled gaze flew to his, he grinned at her and said, ‘That’s better.
 
And now you’re going to make a bargain with me.’

‘I am?’

‘Yes.
 
I’ll let you go now … but next time you won’t ask me to.
 
Because next time, you’ll know that I mean it.’

*
 
*
 
*

Behind them in the parlour, Athenais looked from Francis’s retreating back to Ashley’s unreadable expression and said, ‘What was that about?’

‘As it turns out, nothing at all.’

‘Don’t fob me off.
 
Who
left after the second act?’