A Little Deception (5 page)

Certainly, the gown she wore today was a great deal more
respectable and modest than most of her clothes. Nevertheless her exotic looks
did mark her out, Rose noticed, though Arabella certainly received her fair
share of attention as she gazed about her, bright-eyed, fresh-complexioned,
dimpling frequently in response to a doffed hat. What Rose did not notice were
the admiring glances cast in her own direction.

She was so busy marvelling at the interest her companions
were receiving that she failed to heed the gentlemen heading towards them, one
of whom was directing a particularly wolfish smile in her direction. Instead,
Rose was watching with growing concern the particularly seductive pout that
Helena was concentrating upon some approaching stranger who was obviously not
Charles. As Helena’s pout became even more seductive Rose raised her head,
prepared to warn off the interloper with a frown.

‘What an unexpected pleasure, Lady Chesterfield.’

Helena opened her mouth to speak, but her words were cut
short as Rose blurted, much too hastily and with much too much enthusiasm in
her attempt to blocking her, ‘Why, Lord Rampton, what a pleasure, indeed! Lord
Rampton, may I introduce to you my sister-inlaw Miss Chesterfield and her
sister, Miss Arabella. Rose and Arabella, pray meet Viscount Rampton, with whom
we had the pleasure of dining several nights ago.’

Rose was aware that her furious blushes and rapid breathing
might be misconstrued. What was vital at this point, however, was that Helena
should play the role assigned to her.

‘A pleasure, Lord Rampton.’ Helena inclined her head, her
voice a modest murmur, and Rose watched, amazed, as her sister-in-law adopted
the unlikely persona of a blushing innocent, her manner mimicking exactly that
of Arabella who had not yet been to her first ball and who was often
tongue-tied in the company of gentlemen.

‘The pleasure is all mine,’ murmured the handsome viscount,
his amusement evident as his gaze rested on the transparently discomfited Rose
before suggesting that fate obviously intended them to enjoy an afternoon’s
stroll together.

Whether by accident or design, Rose found herself in
alarmingly close proximity to their recent host, while Felix brought up the rear,
flanked by Arabella and Helena.

‘A happy coincidence to meet like this, Lady Chesterfield,’
remarked Lord Rampton, lowering his voice which lent an unsettling degree of
intimacy to their conversation. As an unmarried young woman, Rose was unused to
such dealings with gentlemen, just as she was unused to the quickening of her
pulse and unexpected self-consciousness. She felt heat burn her cheeks and a
curious churning in the base of her stomach as she forced a half smile to her
lips and stared straight ahead, trying to appear cool and nonchalant as she
took the arm he offered.

Good Heavens! She almost leapt at the contact, immediately
berating herself for her lack of composure. She was being worse than a
schoolroom miss.

‘Yet I couldn’t help but notice that our sudden and
unexpected appearance seemed to throw you into some confusion. Would it be rude
to ask whether that was because you did not wish to see me again after the
other night?’

‘Of course not, sir!’ Rose tried to channel her discomfiture
into irritation. Naturally Lord Rampton surmised that it was for exactly the
opposite reason. What a vain and arrogant gentleman. If he knew the real reason
for her agitation he’d not be so smugly conceited. A glance at the
self-confidence radiating from his beautiful blue gaze made her realize that a
man of such consequence must be used to every other unmarried young lady
setting her cap at him. Ha! Well, she was not one of them!

Managing an air of far greater confidence than she felt, she
said, ‘Since you were so kind in allowing more time to repay your debt, how
could that be?’ She cocked her head, proud of the way she managed to smile
almost lazily up at him, just as she had seen Helena do a thousand times.

While she didn’t like to admit how relieved she was to be wearing
her Aunt Alice’s fashionable white pelisse, teamed with a pair of pearl
earrings that her aunt had insisted had once belonged to her mother, she was
amazed at the confidence her new fine clothes gave her.

‘I feel mortified that your obligations towards me have
placed you in such a difficult situation,’ murmured Rampton, whose smile did
nothing to bear out such a sentiment. ‘Perhaps a hand or two at the card table
could reverse matters?’

Rose cast him a narrow-eyed glance, tinged with doubt. It
was difficult to know whether his tone of enquiry suggested that his offer
might be one of gallantry, whereby he’d allow her to win thus settling the
debt, or whether he was playing with her, enticing her to be as reckless and as
daring as the Lady Chesterfield described by his friend, Babbage. She suspected
it was the latter.

‘I may be a gambler, Lord Rampton, but I am a principled
one,’ she declared, virtuously. ‘I will not be returning to the gaming table
until my debt is cleared.’

‘I am sure your husband would be very relieved to hear
that.’

‘It was he who stipulated it.’

‘Indeed? Then I am sure you would not dream of disobeying
him and suffering the consequences of his displeasure.’

Rose bridled at his mocking tone. How dared he speak in such
slighting, sarcastic tones about Charles? ‘No, Lord Rampton, I would not dream
of it!’

‘Said like the most loyal and obedient of wives.’ His tone
was gently mocking.

‘Besides,’ muttered Rose, ‘there will be little time for
such an opportunity since I understand you are leaving within the week.’

‘I’ve changed my plans, Lady Chesterfield.’

Rose nearly gasped aloud at his sardonic smile while his
words struck terror into her heart.

His smile broadened as he placed his large hand over her
fingertips which she’d been obliged by good manners to tuck into his arm. Was
his amusement due to the fact he’d heard her small intake of breath. She
certainly hoped he had not. Rose was a consummate actress and her role was to
play the careless, self contained Helena. She could do it. She had to do it.

Lord Rampton lowered his head so that his striking eyes were
on a level with hers, and said in conspiratorial tones, ‘I’m a jaded bachelor,
Lady Chesterfield, who has already sampled the wares across the waters.’ He
squeezed her fingers. ‘The evening I spent with you and your husband made me
realize that London offers greater diversions than I had thought.’

Oh, Dear Lord, what had she got herself into? Rose had no
response though she understood his subtext perfectly. What she didn’t
understand—and certainly didn’t like—was the tumultuous churning in
her breast. Was it gratification, excitement or horror? Lord Rampton was making
clear his interest in her.

But she was a married woman. Unobtainable. She didn’t
understand.

They walked on in silence, listening to the other three
chattering and laughing behind them. Rose was struck by the unaccustomed
girlish ring to Helena’s laugh. She tried to force her mind from the
implications of Lord Rampton’s declaration. Of course, she must tell Charles
immediately they returned, she decided. And with the next breath immediately
decided that she certainly must
not
.

They had nearly completed their circuit. Rose indicated that
the waiting carriage ahead of them was theirs and would transport them home
directly.

‘Sadly, if we are not to meet at the gaming table, we may
see little of each other this Season,’ said Lord Rampton.‘In which case, we
shall have to arrange some other venue to discuss our business dealings.’

Withdrawing her hand from the crook of his arm, Rose
managed, ‘I’m sure that won’t be necessary.’ No, it would be far too dangerous
and besides, she was to all intents and purposes, a married woman. He couldn’t
possibly expect to further his acquaintance with her when Charles was in the
shadows.

The pressure of Lord Rampton’s fingers upon her own hand
which she’d been in the process of clasping around her reticule made her breath
catch while the unexpected steel in his voice made her realize she had spoken
rashly.

‘Indeed, Lady Chesterfield, I think it will. You do not deny
that I have been unusually lenient in this matter.’ The lively conversation
behind them as they waited by the carriage reassured Rose that they could not
be overheard. Or observed for she feared she was trembling like some pitiful
debutante caught in the glare of a powerful man’s interest, and certainly not
immune to his magnetism. ‘I am not usually so with my debtors. It is one of the
reasons I am successful in my business dealings. However, most of my debtors
are not as beautiful, nor so …’ he brought Rose’s hand to his lips,
‘desirable.’

Rose opened her mouth to speak but no words came. She was
glad at the chance to step back as the jarvey jumped down to open the door and
let down the steps.

Undeterred, Lord Rampton stepped closer. ‘Call it my
interest on the debt, Lady Chesterfield,’ he murmured, his voice warning before
becoming the consistency of rich treacle. ‘I think my leniency entitles me to a
little indulgence from you, do you not?’

Rose managed an uncertain smile. Was such blatant
familiarity accepted with equanimity by married women? She felt as if she were
on another planet where all the social rules had changed. And yet,
disconcerting though that was, she had never felt so … alive.

As he swung round to greet the others Lord Rampton’s smile
transformed into one of expansive good humour. ‘Ladies …’ He bowed before
handing first a blushing Arabella, followed by Helena, into the carriage. ‘And
Lady Chesterfield …’ his smile was half-conspiratorial, half-mocking as he
assisted Rose, ‘I await our next meeting with the most agreeable anticipation.’

Once settled in the carriage, Helena sent Rose a narrow-eyed
look. ‘So that was Lord Rampton.’

Rose realized that she had made a serious mistake in playing
down the man’s obvious attractiveness to Helena. Not even a blind woman would
have been impervious to his charm.

‘Now I understand why you’ve told me so little about him.’ Helena’s
voice was cold.

Her unawareness of the tension between the two women made
Arabella’s admiring declaration: ‘He’s so handsome!’ sound a false note in the
stony silence.

Rose was relieved that her sister had failed to register
Helena’s suspicion of Rose’s motives. It gave her a moment in which to formulate
a defence, while Arabella added, with a thoughtful frown, ‘His brother was very
charming, too – don’t you think?’

Helena dismissed this with a toss of her head. ‘Young master
Felix? Why, he’s just a greenhorn. But, my dear Rose,’ her smile was curious,
‘what I should like to know is why you would wish to hide from us the fact that
Lord Rampton is such an attractive man? Generous, apparently; accommodating,
certainly … but not, we would be forgiven for thinking, in view of your
description of him the other night, attractive. Surely that is a telling
omission?’ She paused, and Rose, already feeling the heat, knew she was
fuelling Helena’s enjoyment with her fiery blushes. ‘I understood,’ Helena went
on, ‘only that he had agreed to give you more time in which to honour your
debt.’

‘Your debt, since you seem to have forgotten, Helena.’ Rose
managed a scornful look before transferring her gaze to the passing street
traffic.

‘I beg your pardon. My debt,’ Helena amended, unrepentantly.
She paused, and a sly look crossed her lovely face before she added, disingenuously,
‘Thank you so much for reminding me. I think it’s time for me to pay Lord
Rampton a call and make clear I am the one guilty of misdemeanour.’

‘You mustn’t!’ Instantly Rose knew she’d made another grave
miscalculation.

‘Rose, darling.’ The honeyed tone was at odds with the
expression in Helena’s almond-shaped, green eyes, narrow with speculation as
she added, ‘I believe you are quite taken with the generous Lord Rampton.’ She
leaned across to pat Rose’s knee and her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Just a
word of caution: be careful. Without wishing to interfere, I don’t think you
realize what dangerous ground you’re treading. Lord Rampton,’ she uttered his
name with relish, removing her hand from Rose’s knee as she drew herself
upright, ‘is not the kind who likes to be deceived.’

‘I thought he looked very nice.’ Arabella looked in
puzzlement at the two women.

Rose hesitated. She did not want Arabella to be privy to the
reasons for the undercurrents between her and Helena. Forging on, she responded
with steely determination, ‘Do not underrate me, Helena. I am not the young
innocent you imagine.’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’ Helena feigned relief as she leaned
back into the squabs. ‘In which case, since dear, clever Rose is on a mission
to undo the harm wicked Helena has wrought, I’m compelled to play the part
you’ve assigned to me.’ She gave a husky laugh, cleared her throat, then
uttered a girlish trill. ‘It’ll be quite a novelty playing the unworldly
schoolroom miss again.’

‘If you ever knew how.’ Stung into such an
uncharacteristically barbed response Rose was determined not to back down. ‘You
were not even out of the schoolroom before you were calculating how to make the
most advantageous marriage possible.’