The Wagered Heart: Signet Regency Romance (InterMix) (20 page)

“I do not believe I have made any effort to give you an impression of my character, distorted or otherwise.”

“Whether or not you have made an effort, in our short acquaintance, I have come to have a better understanding of your temperament.”

“Indeed?” Julia lifted her chin to a haughty tilt. “You must be finding Bath exceedingly dull to make a study of me, Your Grace.”

As hard as she tried to prevent it, his rich laughter caused an answering smile to come to her lips.

“Yes, Bath is rather dull, but that does not mean I have been bored.”

“I own you have not seemed bored, just rather amused by all of us mortals.”

“To find amusement in the folly of life is a trait, or maybe fault, that I readily admit. But well you know that last night I was not amused—and you should be aware of how very mortal I am.”

Swiftly, her gaze went to his. They were several yards behind the others, and Julia was glad of it. Heat flew to her cheeks, even though she thought that she was past blushing where the duke was concerned.

Once again, a mortifying loss of words gripped her as she met his intense, solemn gaze.

At this moment nothing about him seemed amused or glib, although she did sense a certain air of watchfulness beneath his calm, confident demeanor.

Pulling her troubled gaze from his, she trained her eyes on the grassy embankment of the River Avon. The fact that he was so straightforward about what happened last night did something strange to her heart.

They had caught up to the others, who had stopped to watch some swans feeding on the river.

“They are so lovely,” Julia said in an attempt to change the subject.

“Yes, they are. I have swans on my lake at Kelbourne Keep. They are interesting creatures in the fact that they mate for life.”

Her eyes swiftly went to his dark gaze. The breath caught in her throat at the unexpected expression she met. Forcing a sophisticated little laugh, she said, “You almost sound as if you find fidelity an admirable quality—in swans.”

“Your Grace, my husband and I are so pleased that you are to be joining us for our dinner party this Friday.”

Caro’s cheerful voice cut through before the duke could respond. The spell that seemed to hold Julia’s gaze to the duke’s broke. Releasing the breath she had not realized she was holding, Julia forced herself to look to her cousin.

“‘Pon my word, Lady Farren, I am pleased as well,” the duke pronounced.

Julia immediately noticed that the languid amusement had returned to his tone. It also occurred to her that he never used that particular tone when he was speaking only to her.

So much for her plan to avoid the duke so that she could think, Julia thought with dismay.

J
 ulia spent the day of Caro’s party writing a reply to the letter she had received that morning from her aunt Beryl. With quill hovering over the piece of foolscap, Julia felt torn between disappointment and relief that Uncle John and Aunt Beryl would not be coming to Bath as previously planned.

Part of her wanted to pour out her confusion and doubt onto her aunt’s loving shoulder—as she had always done.

The other part of her, the part that was full of lingering resentment and vengeful schemes, knew that her aunt and uncle would insist she return to Chippenham if they had a hint of her behavior with the duke. The knowledge that they would be terribly disappointed if they knew she had wandered off with the duke in Sydney Gardens caused a hot blush to rise to her cheeks.

With some difficulty, she put her attention back to the letter and wrote a few more lines.

The black clouds that had been rolling into Bath all day had not helped her mood. Normally, she enjoyed a ripping storm. However, today the booming waves of distant thunder set her nerves on edge. As
the thrumming sound grew heavier and nearer, the flashes of lightning made her tense and uneasy.

At the sound of the door opening, Julia turned curiously to see a harried-looking Caro rush into the room.

“I could scream. Do you know what my mama-in-law has done now?” Caro asked without preamble.

With a curious frown, Julia set aside her letter as Caro flopped dejectedly into the chair by the window.

“What has she done to put you in such a pet?”

“Tonight, Clive and I are giving our first large party. Not five minutes ago, Hill brought me a letter from her. It is a list of items she deems need my attention before our guests arrive.”

“Such as?” Julia asked a little doubtfully, for she did not think this seemed such a grievous insult.

“She suggests that I make sure the servants polish the silver! She suggests that new candles be placed in the sconces and chandeliers so they will not sputter! As if my own mother did not teach me the proper way to run a household! I have a good mind to send her a note telling her just what I think of her silly list.”

With a sympathetic smile, Julia said, “Pay her no mind, she is just trying to goad you. It has not escaped her notice that Clive is not as quick to jump when she calls. Actually, you should be pleased; this shows you are winning.”

The anxious expression on Caro’s brow lightened considerably. “Clive has certainly been more attentive lately. However, I am not going to relax too quickly, he could relapse. Still, my mother-in-law infuriates me with her insinuations that I am not a good housekeeper or hostess.”

“It could be that her servants are so ill-trained that she has to worry about such things,” Julia said with a mischievous smile. “But you are much too competent,
and your home is too well run to worry about such trifles.”

Caro clapped her hands. “I like that. I shall just ignore her. I can afford to be magnanimous this week. But now that I have calmed down, I can see that I have interrupted your letter writing.”

“It matters not,” Julia said. “I was just writing to Aunt Beryl. I am sure you have already received her regrets for your party. Uncle John is still recovering from his head cold. I am disappointed, I have never been so long without their company.”

“I am disappointed for another reason,” Caro replied. “I was hoping the presence of our aunt and uncle would dissuade you from continuing to make sheep’s eyes at the duke.”

Julia’s expression showed her complete shock at these words.

“Sheep’s eyes! I have never been so inelegant as to make sheep’s eyes at anyone.”

“I may have put it a bit too strongly. But you did give him all of your attention yesterday. I cannot say that I blame you. I was probably batting my lashes at him as well. The way he so courteously listened to me and looked into my eyes…” Her voice trailed off on a sigh. “‘Tis hard to dismiss so much amiability and ease of manner in one so grand.”

Julia said nothing. As much as she resisted the thought, a part of her acknowledged the truth of Caro’s words. The duke was startlingly charming.

“You must admit, Julia, the duke is not the boor you thought him to be.”

Julia fiddled with her quill. “He is not all bad—people rarely are. But his pleasing ways cannot change the fact that he is selfish and arrogant.”

Caro sighed. “Cannot you see that you are placing your reputation in further danger? If your good name was in question before, what do you think will be said
if you continue in this foolish manner? Not that there has been any gossip about you in Bath—but that can easily change if you are not a little more careful.”

Julia looked into her cousin’s concerned gaze for a moment before coming to a decision. “A-actually I am not at all sure how I shall proceed where the duke is concerned.”

Caro’s brows rose in surprise. “I will thank all the saints if you are finally seeing reason.”

Several hours later, as the rain pounded the hills of Bath, Julia was beginning to believe she would soon pace a hole in the rug on the floor of her pretty bedchamber. A clap of thunder caused her to give a nervous start as she walked past the fireplace for the twentieth time.

Earlier, she had sent a servant over to Mariah’s hotel, asking her to come to the townhouse a little before the party started.

After a few more minutes of impatient pacing, she heard a tap at the door. Practically running across the room, Julia pulled the door open and was enormously pleased to see Mariah, who was dressed in a sapphire blue evening gown.

“Thank you for coming early,” Julia said, pulling her into the room and shutting the door.

“Not at all, I was intending to arrive before Caro’s party started, anyway. Mama wanted to come early so that she can evaluate the unattached young men as they arrive. Besides, I wanted to speak to you as well—I have been concerned about you.”

Waving her hand, Julia directed her friend to be seated on the vanity chair, before sitting on the bed.

“In what way?”

“Seeing you and the duke together yesterday changed my whole opinion on this revenge business. I now believe that you should stop right now.”

The note of deep concern in Mariah’s voice could not be ignored.

“What about seeing me and the duke together has brought you to this opinion?”

“While watching him with you at the river, I had the feeling that he has been through these kinds of sophisticated flirtations a thousand times. He is a hundred steps ahead of you. He is so attractive and polished, he is dangerous. More dangerous now that you no longer hate him. Do not bother to deny it, I saw it on your face yesterday.”

“I won’t,” Julia said quietly, smoothing the front of her rose pink gown with nervous fingers. “Too much has happened too quickly. My mind is spinning with so many conflicting thoughts about the duke. Why couldn’t things have stayed simple? It was much easier to hate him when all I knew of him was that he kissed unsuspecting women on the street for a lark. I cannot forgive him, yet I no longer hate him. I certainly find myself at a pretty pass.”

An empty feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she continued, “You are right. I am finished with this nonsense. I shall return home in a few weeks, pick up the threads of my old life, and never think of him again. No need to worry that I shall make myself ridiculous where the duke is concerned.”

“I was never worried about that, m’dear. But I confess that I am relieved that you have given up this notion of revenge, even though I was dreadful in the way I encouraged you.”

“Never say so—you have been a wonderful friend! I am so glad you are here. For some reason, all day I have been as skittish as a cat near the kennels.” Rising from the bed, Julia forced a smile in an attempt to make light of her nervousness.

Smiling, Mariah stood up as well. “You cannot be worse than my mama has been this evening. Since
the gala night, she is convinced that because of this new connection with the duke and his family, a titled gentleman will suddenly fall in love at the sight of me. She is determined to see me in a coronet if she has to send Papa to debtors’ prison to do it. Shall we go down so that I may be put on display?”

“Yes, I think we may be late enough to make a grand entrance,” Julia said, picking up her shell pink shawl from the foot of the bed. A moment later they left the room, arm in arm.

An hour and a half later, Julia and Mariah were standing in the main salon, near the double doors that led to the dining room. Footmen moved discreetly among the guests, replacing empty wineglasses with full ones. There was a pleasant hum of conversation, occasionally interspersed with laughter.

Despite the convivial atmosphere, Julia felt as uneasy as she had earlier.

The duke’s arrival had only heightened her anxiety. Now she congratulated herself, for after their initial greeting she had hardly looked in his direction.

She had to confess that it was almost impossible to ignore him, such was his air of consequence and imposing physical presence. It was as if she were trying to pretend that a lion was not prowling the room.

“Despite the dowager Lady Farren’s unsubtle hints, I must say that Caro is on her mettle this evening. Everyone seems more than pleased,” Mariah stated, recalling Julia’s attention.

“I agree.” Julia had shared with her friend the contents of the dowager’s insulting note. In response, both young ladies had done their best to be as engaging and amiable as they could to help ensure the success of the evening.

Catching Caro’s eye, Julia sent an encouraging smile to her cousin. Gracefully breaking away from her conversation with the elderly Colonel Asher—a charmer Julia had met earlier—Caro crossed the room to join Julia and Mariah.

“Do you think it is going well—does everyone seem to be happy?” Caro’s tone revealed how concerned she was despite her façade of confidence.

“It has turned into a lovely evening, Caro. You are doing a beautiful job,” Julia said.

“I am just pleased that all this thunder and lightning has not prevented anyone on my guest list from coming this evening. As long as all is well in the kitchen, I shall breathe easy.”

“I would not worry about a thing, Caro. It is a wonderful party. The rain beating on the window-panes has only made us all feel cozy. On a night like this, everyone feels obliged to be pleasant,” Mariah offered in the tone of a sage.

“They do? Why?” Caro asked curiously.

“Well, ‘tis more desirable to be at a lovely gathering than to give into the bad weather and go to bed with a fit of the doldrums.”

Julia and Caro laughed at Mariah’s bit of whimsy.

“As I am feeling quite obliged to be pleasant, I shall be a good guest and go and converse with some of the others,” Julia told them.

She had espied Mr. Dillingham on the other side of the room with Lady Davinia and the dowager Lady Farren. Julia had not seen him since the evening of the latter lady’s ball.

A twinge of guilt tugged at her conscience, for she had not given Mr. Dillingham or their budding relationship a thought since the dowager Lady Farren’s ball.

As she moved across the room, she made sure to give the duke a wide berth. How effortlessly he commanded
attention, she noticed, her eyes on his strong profile. With the other guests standing around him, it was as if he stood in the eye of a colorful, chattering storm. It surprised her a little to see that he was not wearing his usual bored expression.