To Tame a Dragon (4 page)

He nodded. “I’m sure he will oblige. We are
meeting at the club this afternoon. He promised to keep watch
for sister-peddling brothers.”

Amelia clapped her hands. “You
are
going back into society! You have tired of roses, after all.”

“I would never tire of your roses, Amelia, if
you offered a drink as well.”

“Hmm. I wonder why I never thought to offer
one.”

He stood and bowed theatrically. “If I leave
now I believe I shall have just enough time to refresh myself
before Robin and I meet. My toilet has suffered these last weeks
and I’m afraid I would be barred entrance if I arrived looking
like
this
.” He waved a disgusted hand over his pristine
clothing and intricately-tied cravat.

Amelia looked to the heavens beseechingly
while he helped her up. “I don’t know how your valet has
survived. There’s been no one to see his work except for Robin
and me.”

“Every night I find he’s cried himself to
sleep over a large bottle of my finest brandy. This enforced
hiatus is costing me a fortune.”

“It would probably cost less if you did not
join him.”

He winked. “Indubitably. Until tonight, my
dear.”

Robin arrived at the club early and waited
for his friend outside. He knew Jameson had not been anywhere
public in weeks and was nervous about the reception. Robin was
nervous about it as well. It had been easy to keep the horrid
rumors about Jameson secret until now and Robin did not know how
his friend was going to react. Anger, depression, withdrawal?

Robin patted his forehead with his
handkerchief. He should have told Jameson long ago and in
private. Why had he listened to Amelia? She’d sounded so certain
when she said it would be best if Jameson was kept unawares
during his exile; she’d said that he wouldn’t be tempted to
correct any rumors if he didn’t know anything about them. And it
had worked. Miss Underwood was doing fabulously.

But now Jameson was going public again. Robin
knew he had to be told, and it would be best to tell him when he
was far, far away from Amelia. He loved his sister; he wouldn’t
want Jameson to try and throttle her.

Jameson jumped from a hackney and thumped him
on the back. “Thank you for meeting me here, old chap. If women
were allowed, I’d have brought Amelia and hidden behind her
skirt as well. Perhaps I have been away too long after all.”

“You lasted longer than we all thought
possible. Even Amelia agrees that you went above and beyond in
your seclusion.”

“Yes, she practically threw me out of her
garden today. I suppose I must emerge and find out what damage
has been done. You do think enough time has passed for Miss
Underwood to get the upper hand?”

“I’m surprised she hasn’t found herself
engaged already.”

They entered the club, nodding at the few men
sitting and reading. It was too early in the day for the younger
set, but Robin knew that Jameson’s emergence from his voluntary
exile would circulate quickly anyway.

They sat and ordered drinks, and Jameson
leaned back in his chair comfortably. “I know you have kept it
all from me these past weeks, but tell me now Robin, what is the
damage?”

Robin gratefully took his drink, not looking
at his friend. “Are you certain you wish to know?”

“Better to find out from a friend.”

Robin nodded, looking anywhere but at
Jameson. “I just want you to know that I don’t believe Amelia
intended it to go this direction.”

Jameson sipped.

Robin said, “Once a rumor starts, there’s no stopping
it.”

“Oh, I’m sure she could have steered it in a
different direction if it had suited her purpose.”

“She would never hurt you if she could avoid
it.”

Jameson grinned at his friend’s discomfort.
“Robin, I am well acquainted with your sister and have no
illusions about her character. I liken her to a surgeon. She
would chop off my right arm if it would save my life and expect
me to thank her for doing it. I don’t doubt that whatever vile
thing is floating out there about me she spread it with the sole
intent to save me from myself. And I have already thanked her.
Her quickness and boldness have saved Miss Underwood from my
cowardice. Now, tell me how much it has cost me; what is the
rumor?”

Robin sighed loudly and said, “Like father,
like son.”

“Pardon?”

“The rumor is that Miss Underwood found out
about your father and mother. When she confronted you about the
scandal, you told her of your mistress and hoped that she would
not overreact like your mother did.”

Robin stole a quick glance at Jameson. His
mouth hung open slightly and his eyes looked vacant. He snapped
his mouth shut, then took a drink. He took another drink. Then
he shook his head and said, “You’re telling me that after
jilting my bride so that I would not turn into my father,
everyone thinks that I was jilted because I am exactly like
him.”

Robin nodded sadly.

“And my bride-to-be is now the toast of the
town because she, what, escaped from a cruel, pity-filled
marriage before it happened?”

“Amelia says she has heard Miss Underwood
described as a paragon of womanhood and that she is considered a
heroine for good and decent women everywhere who get caught in
the lure of handsome, soulless men.”

Jameson snorted. He snorted so loudly that an
older gentleman sitting near the fire turned to glare at them.
Jameson’s face turned an unhealthy shade of red and his mouth
quivered. Robin politely looked away as Jameson took out his
handkerchief and covered his face. The poor chap; having the
past thrown into one’s face like that would undo anyone.
Especially when it was a past one worked so hard to forget.

A choked sound escaped Jameson’s handkerchief
and Robin leaned closer.

“Shall I hail a hackney, Jameson?” What
gossip would come from Jameson
crying
in public Robin
shuddered to imagine. Not even Amelia could control it.

A muffled “she is a beast” escaped the
handkerchief.

Robin grimaced and nodded. “Yes, but she
means well.”

Jameson patted his eyes and choked out, “My
God, she is diabolical.”

Robin stared back. “Are you... laughing?”

“Your sister has an evil ingenuity that I can
only envy. Where does she come up with these ideas?”

Robin slowly sipped his drink. “I’m glad you
are amused, Jameson. I was worried how I was going to get you
out of the club without anyone seeing you.”

Jameson knocked back his drink and grinned,
still chuckling a little. “I will admit that it was not what I
was expecting, but it does have a perfect sort of symmetry to
it. I should have expected no less. Did you have so little
confidence in my thick skin, Robin?”

He shook his head. “I knew in time you would
approve of any character slight if it helped Miss Underwood.
However, I was glad that when the time came to tell you, Amelia
was not present.”

Jameson laughed aloud. “Afraid I would be
tempted to murder her?” He shook his head. “I have heard far
worse from her very lips to take offense. I’m sure your sister
would have been here herself if she’d known you were finally
going to tell me. I’ve never known her to back down from any
threat.”

“That’s my sister for you. Backbone aplenty.”

Jameson grinned, then froze with his drink
half-way to his mouth.

He stared at his friend of so many years and
slowly said, “Backbone? Yes, she does have a rather lot of it,
doesn’t she?”

“Jameson?”

“Sorry old chap, I was just hit over the head
with a revelation. Dinner tonight?”

Robin finished his drink and shook his head.
“Sorry, I have business to attend to. Come if you like,
shouldn’t be too tedious. Better than staying at home, at
least.”

“Thank you, I’ll pass. Perhaps I will go and
bother Amelia about this rumor she has started.”

Robin eyed him. “You sure you’re not angry? I
can’t have you murdering my sister; she’s the only one I’ve
got.”

“I appreciate your faith in me but I doubt I
could take her.” He thought for a moment. “Perhaps if I snuck up
behind her.”

Robin smiled. “If you’re sure.”

“Have no fear, Robin. Murder is the furthest
thing from my mind.”

Jameson sent a note round to Amelia after
Robin departed.

Robin is
unavailable. Is your cook capable of charring pheasant? The
impropriety of entertaining you alone at my home, you see.

He was left blessedly alone while he awaited
her reply. Perhaps his re-entry into polite society would not be
as torturous as he feared. If
the fiasco
lessened the
number of boringly suitable young women thrown in his path, he
would consider himself a very lucky jackanapes indeed.

Amelia’s reply was quick in coming and he
read it with anticipation.

Impropriety, I see.
I’m sure it has more to do with you forgetting to give notice
to your cook. Have no fear, our cook keeps charred pheasant on
hand. We shall simply have to see if the butler grants you
admittance. There is so little time to alert him, you see.

A backbone and humor. He shook his head,
exiting the club. He waved off a hackney driver and strolled
down the street.

The idea that had tickled his brain earlier
tickled a little harder. Married to Amelia?

He thought of the fears he held of marriage,
of hurting a wife as his father had. With Miss Underwood he
could all too easily see how it would have happened. With
Amelia? He laughed aloud at the thought of Amelia letting any
situation get so out of control. At the first sign of
impropriety she would spring into action, ending it.

By what means exactly she would accomplish
it, he had no idea. But thinking of the diabolical rumors she
had spread to save poor Miss Underwood, he knew it would be
swift and fool-proof. Amelia did not lose; her history had
proved to her that society could be more forgiving than it
threatened. If one was willing to pay the price.

He had thought before that the man lucky
enough to tempt her into marriage would have a peace of mind
nearly unheard of. He would be assured of not only her loyalty,
but his own as well. She would simply not allow anything else.

He shook his head, imagining himself in the
role of her husband and she of his wife. The
rightness
of it filled him. The
peace
of it filled him.

And what an adventure it would be. The
fun
of it. Butting heads with Amelia was very nearly one of his
favorite forms of recreation; pitting his charm against her
unbending will left him energized and refreshed. He could only
assume she felt the same since they engaged in the activity so
often.

He could only too easily envision his life
filled with her, focused on her. Why had it taken him so long to
entertain the idea? Besides the fact that she was one of his
oldest friends, and he’d grown up with her, and he nearly
considered her his sister. Yes, those were all very good reasons
why he hadn’t thought of her as marriage material in the past.
But what about the future? Instead of his friend, could she be
his wife?

J
ameson arrived for dinner late as usual and
slightly unkempt.

Amelia tsked. “I see the butler let you in,
although I’m not sure why. Really, Jameson, you look like a
madman. You’ll scare the servants away.”

He bowed to Amelia and kissed Lady Beckham on
the cheek. “I’m sorry, my dears. I was lost in thought and
forgot the time. Shall I freshen up?”

Amelia shook her head. “Our dinner will be
charred in truth.”

Lady Beckham slipped her hand through his
elbow and allowed him to escort her into dinner. “Amelia
exaggerates. You look a little windblown, that’s all.”

Amelia said, “Perhaps you are more distressed about that
silly rumor than Robin believes. I did think it was the most
expedient way of fixing
the fiasco
; I did not bring it
up solely to hurt you.”