Andrea Pickens - [Lessons in Love 02] (25 page)

"Nonsense!" scoffed Lady Alston. "Put that absurd notion right out of your head. It is important that you appear as fashionable as all the other ladies." She turned back to her brother and fixed him with a glare. "And Leo, do stop being such a stick in the mud. Can't you see Allegra is nervous enough without you carrying on like some old curmudgeon."

The earl began to make some sort of retort, but the look on his sister's face caused the sound to die in his throat.

Another attempt at protest by Allegra was just as ruthlessly squelched with a quelling glance. "The matter is settled," she announced as she continued to give Allegra's coiffure and dress one last appraisal. "Now, I shall fetch the figured India silk shawl from your room. It will bring out that unusual deep green of your eyes." As she made to leave the room, she took up a slim leather case from her dressing table and thrust it into the earl's hands. "And of course we must begin to bait the trap for Lord Sandhill. Leo, kindly help Allegra with this."

A scowl darkened Wrexham's features at his sister's blunt choice of words, but he took the box without argument. He opened it to reveal a finely worked necklace of matched emeralds, all nearly the size of a robin's egg.

Allegra gave a low gasp. "My lord, I cannot possibly wear that! Why, it must be worth a king's ransom."

The earl had already moved to stand behind her. "I'm afraid you have no choice," he murmured as his fingers lifted the heavy creation from the padded satin. "There is precious little anyone can do once Olivia has taken the bit between her teeth."

Their eyes met for an instant in the mirror as he brought it around her neck. The simultaneous sensation of the smooth coolness from the jewels and vibrant heat from his touch sent a slight frisson down her spine.

His eyes fell away as he fumbled with the thick gold clasp. "I did not mean to imply that you... do not look well," he said haltingly. "I—I am simply unused to seeing you thus."

She essayed a game smile. "I assure you, sir, so am I. Indeed, I would not be at all surprised if everyone tonight sees me for what I am—a complete charlatan."

Wrexham didn't miss the note of self-doubt in her tone. His hand lingered to brush away a wisp of a curl at the nape of her neck. "You are less of a charlatan than most of the
ton
," he replied in a near whisper, with a vehemence that took her by surprise. He took a step back from her stool, then spoke again. "Now let's have no more talk like that. Where is the spirit I have come to expect from the female who thinks nothing of scaling manor walls? Surely you are not going to allow yourself to be intimidated by an assortment of nodcocks and widgeons?"

Allegra gave a little laugh. "Well, if you put it that way—"

Further answer was forestalled by the arrival of Olivia with the silk shawl. She draped it over Allegra's shoulders, giving a nod of satisfaction at the fortune in jewels around her neck. "That should do nicely," she remarked. "Come along now, both of you. We are in danger of being more than fashionably late."

* * *

Allegra took a deep breath, both to steady her nerves and because the large crowd of guests and masses of cut flowers had already made the air feel warm and cloying. She had never seen such a crush. The ballroom was already packed, elegant ladies swathed in silk swirling by with gentlemen dressed in equal splendor. From the perimeter, groups of turbaned matrons sat gossiping, all the while keeping a basilisk eye on their various charges, while a number of gentlemen not given to dancing were sidling towards the card room. Her step faltered as she realized that somehow she had become separated from Lady Alston in the crowd. An elbow jostled her side as she searched in vain for a familiar face, knocking home the enormity of the task she had set herself. It was absurd, she thought grimly, to imagine she could bring this off.

A hand took her firmly by the elbow. "Try not to look as though you are about to mount the gibbet," counseled Wrexham in a low voice as he smiled and nodded an occasional greeting while guiding Allegra towards the far end of the room. "And try not to wander off by yourself. Olivia has a number of important people she must acquaint you with in order to smooth your entry into Society."

"Wander off!" she retorted in an equally low voice. "Why, one can hardly draw a breath, much less move of one's own accord."

His lips twitched. "A hostess considers her evening a sad disappointment if two or three ladies do not faint from lack of air."

He had her smiling as well. "Are they really so silly?"

"You must judge for yourself—Ah, there is Olivia. I shall leave you in her capable hands until she has finished her introductions." He reached down for her dance card and scribbled something on it. "Then I am commanded by my sister to lead you out for your first dance."

She couldn't disguise the surprise in her voice. "I am to dance with you?"

"I am afraid you must. Olivia assures me that for some reason or another, my presence as a partner will confer some sort of consequence to your debut."

She found it nice to be bantering with him again. "Ah, so you are rather like the dragons of Almack's—I need the stamp of your approval before any gentleman would dare approach."

He grinned, the first time he had done so in a long time. "Quite—though I hope my face is not quite so intimidating as that of Mrs. Drummond-Burrell."

Allegra laughed lightly, though she had not as yet met that august personage. "I will let you know, sir. Tell me, do you have the same power to ruin a female—" She stopped short, a tinge of color spreading over her cheeks.

The smile disappeared from Wrexham's face. In stony silence he guided her through a group of young bucks who were eyeing several of the young misses on the dance floor to where Lady Alston was anxiously scanning the crowded room.

"Oh, there you are," she cried in relief. She took Allegra's arm from her brother. "My dear cousin, I must introduce you to Lord and Lady Westerville."

The earl bowed stiffly. "Until later... cousin."

Allegra bit her lip but there was precious little she could do except paste on a smile and remember why she was here.

Somehow she got through what seemed to be an interminable series of introductions without disgracing herself. And though dreading her required set with the earl, that, too, passed tolerably well. On leading her out, he had confided that he was not a good dancer and would try not to trod on her feet. Concern for his bad leg led her to forget all thoughts of her own nervousness and by the time the set was finished, she realized that she was indeed feeling more at ease. She flashed him a grateful smile, but had little chance to speak before she was claimed for the next dance by a portly gentlemen that Lady Alston had warned, in a whispered aside, might try to pinch her bottom.

The earl's words proved all too true. One gentleman after another sought an introduction and a spot on her card. Her head was whirling even faster than her feet, trying to keep all the names and faces straight. It was with great relief, therefore, when she found her next partner was Lord Bingham and he suggested that perhaps she would prefer to sit out a set and enjoy a glass of ratafia punch instead.

His eyes swept over her with frank admiration after he had fetched her a glass and led her over near an arrangement of potted palms where they had a bit of space to themselves. "You are looking very lovely, Mrs... Ransley," he said, remembering to use her mother's maiden name, as had been agreed upon. "And I see you have already made quite an impression on the gentlemen present."

Allegra dropped her eyes. "You are most kind, sir, but I cannot help feeling that everyone must know I'm not really one of them."

"Oh, you may feel akin to us sooner than you think," he murmured enigmatically, then quickly went on before she had a chance to wonder what he meant. "You are doing splendidly." His eyes strayed across the dancing couples. "Have you seen Leo?"

She shook her head. "Not since... our dance together."

"Hmmm." He kept searching the crowd, then suddenly his shoulders stiffened slightly as his gaze came to rest on a figure not far away. "Tell me," he said softly. "Do you feel ready to bell the cat, as it were, or would you rather wait?"

Allegra forced her voice to sound more confident than she felt. "Not at all. There is no reason to put it off."

Bingham gave her arm a squeeze then guided their steps back towards the refreshment table. Along the way, he feigned a stumble and brushed into the back of a thickset figure dressed in a foppish coat of loud puce.

"Your pardon—oh, is that you, Sandhill? Forgive my clumsiness. I must have been pushed by some young jackanape." He made a slight bow, then, as good manners dictated, he brought Allegra forward. "By the by, have you made the acquaintance of your neighbor's cousin, who has only just arrived in Town?"

Sandhill looked her over with interest, his eyes lingering on the glittering emeralds at her neck. "I have not had the pleasure," he replied with a smile. After the formal introductions had been made, he reached to down to bring her hand to his lips.

It was all Allegra could to repress a shudder at the man's touch. She forced an answering smile as the three of them began exchanging pleasantries.

Sandhill turned to regard her once more. "I don't recall meeting you in Town before." He phrased it as a question.

Her reply was well rehearsed. "My husband did not care for social whirl of London. He much preferred to stay at home and run his shipping interests—" She gave a little sigh as one hand came up to play at her necklace "—though I have little cause for complaint. I'm afraid he rather spoiled me. Alas, now that he has left me bereaved of his presence I can at least take solace in the little trinkets he has left me."

A predatory gleam came into Sandhill's eye. "My condolences, Mrs. Ransley. Let us hope that your stay in Town will help lighten your spirits."

Allegra brushed at an imaginary tear, hoping she wasn't doing it too brown. "Everyone has been so kind, especially my dear cousin Olivia, who has offered me the comforts of Wrexham House until I have engaged a suitable residence of my own, even though our mothers are only distant connections. I don't know what I would have done without her, seeing as I know hardly a soul in Town."

"You may certainly count me as a new friend, Mrs. Ransley. I would be happy to be of any assistance."

Allegra dropped a graceful curtsy.

"And now perhaps you will allow me the next set?"

Gritting her teeth, she placed her hand on his elbow and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

It seemed like an age before the last notes faded into the trill of conversation and the clinking of crystal. Allegra gave thanks that the steps of the dance had made all but the most cursory conversation impossible. Still, every time his gloved hand touched hers, she had to fight off the urge to be violently sick. It took all of her considerable self control to keep a smile pasted on her face and her eyes from betraying her disgust as he offered his arm to return her to where Lady Alston stood chatting with several other ladies of her acquaintance.

"I shall save you the trouble, Sandhill—I believe my cousin is engaged with me for the next dance."

Allegra felt a surge of relief as Wrexham appeared from among the milling couples.

Sandhill relinquished his place at her side. "Wrexham," he nodded. "Didn't know you were here as well. Thought you never came to Town."

"I have a pressing matter to attend to," replied the earl.

"Oh?" Sandhill flicked at a speck of dust on his cuff. "Nothing too serious, I hope."

"On the contrary, it is of the utmost seriousness, but I have no doubt that I shall resolve it to my satisfaction."

The other man shrugged his shoulders, making it clear he had little interest in the earl's affairs. He bowed politely to Allegra. "A pleasure making your acquaintance, Mrs. Ransley. I trust we will see more of each other in the days to come."

She nodded, not trusting her voice. Only when he had disappeared into the crowd did she whisper, "You may be sure of it."

Wrexham's hand came around her elbow as he took note of her pale features. "Are you all right?" he inquired in a low voice. "I have a mind to box Edmund's ears for rushing you into Sandhill's acquaintance on your first evening out."

Allegra was surprised at the look of concern on the earl's face. "Please don't ring a peal over his head—I demanded that he do so." She couldn't help but give a shudder. "I... I just hadn't imagined it would be so repulsive." Her voice caught in her throat. "It was worse than touching a reptile."

It was funny, she thought, as she spoke the words—the earl's touch didn't make her shudder in the least.

His grip tightened. "The damned bastard," he swore under his breath. "I am sorry you had to endure that. I would have liked to shove his teeth down his throat just for the way he was staring at your... bodice."

"My bodice?" she repeated in some confusion. "Oh—the emeralds. Yes, he did seem to take note of them. But that is what we wished for."

"I was not speaking of the emeralds," growled Wrexham as the music struck up and his arm came around her waist.

It was a waltz. Before Allegra had a chance to feel nervous, he guided her into the first steps and the hours of recent instruction with the dancing master Lady Alston had engaged took over. She followed his lead effortlessly.