Deception (17 page)

“That is very true.”

“It certainly is. And if there is one thing I know for certain about you, it is that you are not a man who is guided by passions of any sort. You are a paragon of self-control, sir.”

“Not anymore.” Jared thought of the kiss he had given Olympia that morning in the hall outside his bedchamber. A hot rush of pleasure went through him. Residing under the same roof as the object of his desire was proving to be the sweet torture he had envisioned. His only consolation was knowing that Olympia was suffering, too. “I have heard the siren’s call and I am lost.”

“Siren?”

“Otherwise known as Miss Olympia Wingfield.”

“Sir, are you amusing yourself at my expense?” Felix asked bluntly. “Because if so, I wish you would have done with the jest.”

“Alas, I do not jest.” Jared had given Felix a brief summary of events but he had not bothered to explain the matter of the Lightbourne diary and how it had led him to Olympia. The diary, after all, had ceased to matter. “Do you know something, Felix? For the first time in my life, I begin to comprehend the antics of the members of my own family.”

“Allow me to tell you, Chillhurst, that no one could comprehend the bizarre fits and starts of your family. No offense, but you are the only rational member of the clan and well you know it. You have told me so, often enough.”

“Blood will tell, apparently.” Jared smiled again. “Who could be rational and deliberate when one is swept by the flames of immoderate passions?”

Felix stiffened and inclined his head in a brusque, offended fashion. “My lord, I do not comprehend any of this. The thought of you masquerading as a tutor in order to pursue this odd Miss Wingfield is beyond belief. You are not the sort to develop immoderate passions.”

Jared’s humor faded. “I should make something clear, Felix. I do not want any of this to go any further. Miss Wingfield’s reputation is at stake.”

Felix shot Jared a quick, searching glance and then looked away. “After all these years, sir,” he said very quietly, “I would hope that you could trust me not to reveal a confidence.”

“Of course, I trust you,” Jared said. “If I did not, we would not be having this conversation. Now, then, in addition to not revealing the fact that I am employed
as a tutor to Miss Wingfield’s nephews, I must ask you not to tell anyone that I am even in London.”

Felix’s expression sharpened with sudden comprehension. His eyes reflected a measure of what might have been acute relief. “Ah, then you are indeed involved in one of your infamously clever schemes. I knew it.”

Jared saw no reason to explain himself further. Romantic passion was, after all, a private affair. “You will oblige me by keeping secret my presence here in town?”

“Of course.” Felix’s gaze narrowed thoughtfully. “As you almost never come to London and do not go about in Society when you do, no one is likely to ask after you.”

“I assumed as much. I am also counting on the fact that very few people recognize me on sight.”

“There is little risk of your being recognized by even the handful of people who do know you, sir.” Felix’s expression was wry. “You are obviously not planning to move in polite circles and no one would think to look for you in that small house in Ibberton Street.”

“That little house is just what I wanted, Felix. It is a residence perfectly suited to the requirements of a family of modest means from the country. As long as I avoid the clubs and fashionable haunts, I should be able to move about London with complete anonymity.”

Felix chuckled. “You could probably ride unnoticed in Hyde Park so long as you took your three young charges with you. People see only what they expect to see. I assure you no one will expect to see the Viscount Chillhurst acting as a tutor.”

“Precisely.” Jared was relieved that the intelligent, pragmatic Felix actually saw some logic to the crazed scheme. His own judgment, Jared knew, was no longer to be trusted. “We should all be quite safe.”

Felix slanted him a questioning glance. “Safe from what, sir?”

“Disaster,” Jared said.

“What sort of disaster?”

“Why, discovery, of course,” Jared said. “There is always the threat of being found out in a situation such as this and I fear the consequences. It is much too soon.”

Felix began to look concerned again. “Too soon, my lord?”

“Yes. Wooing a siren is a tricky business, Felix, and one in which I have had no experience whatsoever. I would not want the entire project to come crashing down around my ears before the proper groundwork has been laid.”

Felix heaved a sigh. “If I did not know you better, sir, I would say that you have become as odd as the rest of your family.”

Jared laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “A chilling thought.”

“Indeed. No offense, my lord.”

“Do not concern yourself, Felix. I am hardly likely to take offense at the truth. No one can deny that my family does have a certain reputation for producing Originals.”

“Yes, sir.” Felix hesitated. “Perhaps I should just mention one thing that you may wish to bear in mind.”

“What is that?”

“Demetria Seaton is in town. She is Lady Beaumont now, you know.”

“Yes, I know.” Jared kept his voice even.

“I have heard that Lord Beaumont is in London seeking yet another cure for his small, but apparently rather persistent problem.”

“Still cannot beget himself an heir, I take it?”

“It never ceases to amaze me how well informed you
are, Chillhurst, considering the fact that you almost never come to town. You are quite right. The
on dit
is that Beaumont cannot even consummate his recent marriage.”

“Indeed?” That fact was hardly likely to bother Demetria, Jared thought.

“Apparently even the presence of the lovely Lady Beaumont in his bed is not sufficient to help him overcome his impotence,” Felix murmured.

“A pity. But I suspect that Lady Beaumont is not entirely unhappy with the situation,” Jared said.

“Again, you have the right of it, according to rumor.” Felix watched the kite dart about in the air overhead. “If Beaumont fails to do his duty by his title, Lady Beaumont will inherit his entire fortune.”

“Yes.” She would no doubt shower a good portion of the funds on her damnable brother, Gifford, Jared thought. Unlimited access to money would make him even more obnoxious.

Gifford was Demetria’s only blood relative and she doted on him. As far as Jared was concerned, her over-protective attitude toward her younger brother had had the effect of turning him into a spoiled, willful, hotheaded rakehell who would likely one day get himself killed.

Jared grimaced as he recalled the evening three years ago that Gifford had issued a challenge. The demand to meet for pistols at dawn had come less than an hour after Jared had ended his engagement to Demetria.

Gifford had been beside himself with fury. He had claimed that Jared had humiliated his sister and he had demanded satisfaction.

Jared had refused, of course. After all, he had still been a logical, reasonable man in those days and he had reacted accordingly. He had seen little point in risking
his neck or young Gifford’s in a duel that would resolve nothing.

His refusal to meet Gifford on the field of honor had only served to further enrage the younger man. Gifford had labeled him a coward.

“As Beaumont is nearly seventy and in poor health,” Felix said, “there is every likelihood that his lady will find herself a very wealthy widow at any moment.”

“Especially if Beaumont hastens his own demise by too much vigorous activity spent pursuing a course of treatment for impotence.”

Felix smiled coolly. “It will be interesting to see if Beaumont finds a cure for what ails him.”

“I wish him the best of luck,” Jared said.

“You do?” Felix glanced at him with ill-concealed surprise. “I would have thought that you might be interested to hear that Lady Beaumont may soon be a free woman.”

Jared shrugged. “Her freedom, or lack of it, is no longer a matter of concern to me.”

“No? She is more beautiful than ever, I am told. And the rumors of a lover died down long before Beaumont married her.”

“Did they?” Jared asked without much interest. The subject of Demetria’s lover was one of the few topics he had never discussed with Felix. Jared had, in fact, not discussed it with anyone at all.

He knew there had been speculation after he had abruptly ended the engagement, but he had refused to acknowledge the gossip.

“If Lady Beaumont has a paramour these days,” Felix continued, “she does an excellent job of keeping him out of sight.”

“She would need to do so,” Jared said coolly. “Beaumont would hardly countenance his wife having
a lover when he, himself, has not yet managed to procure an heir.”

“True enough.” Felix paused. “Regarding the other matter.”

“Nothing new has turned up, I presume?”

Felix shook his head. “I fear I have not uncovered any more information. It must have been the vessel’s captain who arranged the fraud. He was the only one who could have done it.”

“I would prefer to have proof before I dismiss him.”

Felix shrugged. “I understand, sir, but in cases of this sort, it is almost impossible to discover proof. That is the difficult thing about matters of embezzlement. Very hard to follow the trail.”

“So it would seem.” Jared watched the kite soar and listened to Ethan’s and Hugh’s cheerful shouts of encouragement. “Let us wait a while longer, Felix. I am not prepared to take action against the captain just yet.”

“As you wish, sir.”

“Bloody hell,” Jared said softly. “I do not like this business of being deceived. I do not care to play the fool.”

“I am well aware of that, sir.”

There was a moment of silence while both men watched the boys and their kite.

Jared slipped his watch out of his pocket and noted the hour. “You must excuse me, Felix. I have an appointment soon and I fear it will take some time to persuade my charges to bring their kite back to earth. I must be off.”

“As you wish, Chillhurst. I am available, as always, in the event that I am needed.”

“I do not know what I would do without you, Felix.” Jared inclined his head in farewell and set off across the park to collect Ethan, Hugh, Robert, and the
kite. It was almost four o’clock, time to fetch Olympia from the Musgrave Institution.

It took Jared nearly twenty minutes to collect the boys, the kite, and a hackney. He glanced at his watch twice as the hired carriage clattered through the crowded streets.

Robert tore his glance away from the fascinating sights outside the hackney’s window. He saw Jared slip his watch back into his pocket for the second time. “Are we going to be late, sir?”

“I trust not. With any luck the lecture will carry on longer than anticipated.”

Ethan kicked his heels against the bottom of the seat. “May we have another ice after we fetch Aunt Olympia?”

“You’ve already had one ice this afternoon,” Jared said.

“Yes, I know, but that was hours ago and I am quite warm again.”

“I’ll wager Aunt Olympia would fancy an ice, sir,” Hugh said with an altruistic expression that did not fool Jared for a moment.

“Do you think so?” Jared pretended to ponder the issue.

“Oh, yes, sir.” Keen anticipation filled Hugh’s innocent gaze. “I am certain of it.”

“We shall see what she has to say about it.” Jared glanced out the window. “We have arrived. Do you see your aunt?”

Ethan leaned out the window. “There she is over there. She is surrounded by several people. I’ll wave to her.”

“No, you will not,” Jared said. “One does not hail a lady in that fashion. Robert will find her and escort her back to the carriage.”

“Right you are, sir.” Robert opened the cab door
and jumped down onto the pavement. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Do not forget to take her arm,” Jared said.

“Yes, sir.” Robert hurried across the street.

Jared closed the door and sat back against the cushions. He watched Robert’s progress through the small crowd in front of the Musgrave Institution’s lecture rooms.

Felix was right, Jared thought. People saw what they expected to see and no one in the Society for Travel and Exploration was likely to recognize the Viscount Chillhurst. As far as Jared knew, he was not personally acquainted with any members of the society. Nevertheless, it never hurt to be cautious.

“I did not know that Aunt Olympia had so many friends in London,” Ethan said.

“Neither did I,” Jared muttered. He studied the two men standing closest to Olympia. One was so heavy that he was nearly bursting his stays. The other was just the opposite; so thin that he appeared to have been fasting for the past several months.

Both were hanging on to Olympia’s every word, Jared noticed.

“Is something wrong, sir?” Hugh asked anxiously.

“No, Hugh, nothing is wrong.” Jared kept his voice calm and reassuring. He was aware, as always, that Hugh was easily overset by the possibility that his fragile new life with Olympia might be shattered again.

But there was no getting around the fact that Olympia was thoroughly enjoying her conversation with her new cronies.

Jared watched as Olympia spotted Robert and turned toward the carriage. He saw the glowing enthusiasm on her expressive face and felt a stab of annoyance. That look had been inspired by the conversation with the two men at her side.

So this was jealousy
, he thought with a jolt of surprise.

It was a most unpleasant sensation.

Jared tried to be philosophical about the matter. After all, a man who sailed the senses on the vapors of passion was no doubt doomed to learn the dark side of such a reckless voyage.

“Here she comes.” Ethan bounced up and down on the seat. “Do you think she will want an ice?”

“I have no notion. Ask her and see.” Jared leaned forward and pushed open the cab door. He watched approvingly as Robert practiced his manners by handing Olympia gallantly up into the carriage.

“Thank you, Robert.” Olympia sat down next to Jared. Beneath the brim of her chip straw bonnet her eyes were sparkling with excitement. “I hope you have all had a lovely afternoon.”