Sally MacKenzie Bundle (194 page)

Damn. They were watching him, ready to pounce the moment the set was over. Now he had to dodge the harpies as well as the aunts. Perhaps
he
would hide in the foliage.

Speaking of hiding and foliage…“Why were you in the greenery with the Mouse?”

Jane scowled at him. “I wasn’t in the greenery with the Mouse.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Miss Parker-Roth, you were speaking to the man when I arrived.”

“Well, yes, I was. But I wasn’t in the foliage
with
him.” Lord Motton looked extremely displeased. His eyebrows had shot up and his mouth was twisted as if he’d just bitten into a lemon—or had had a poker shoved up his…ahem. “I was there, and he just came along and started talking to me.”

“About Clarence’s drawings.”

“Y—yes.” She had been so focused on Lady Lenden and Lady Tarkington, she’d forgotten about the Mouse. Their conversation had been very odd. Well, the fact that they were having a conversation at all had been the oddest part; she could not remember a single time during her many Seasons that she’d exchanged more than a brief greeting with the man. And then there’d been the subject matter they’d been discussing…“I do think the Mouse knew about Clarence’s sketch. How do you suppose he found out about it?”

“That is the question, isn’t it?” Lord Motton was frowning now. “Or one of the questions.” He spun her through a turn. “But perhaps more importantly, why is he—and Lady Lenden and Lady Tarkington, I suspect—so interested in it?”

“Yes.” Jane considered those issues—or she tried to consider them. It was very difficult to concentrate on anything other than Lord Motton. He was so close. She could see the very faint shadow of his beard and the tiny laugh lines at the corners of his eyes and his mouth. And she was surrounded by his scent; she breathed in deeply and let it fill her lungs.

The music wrapped around her, weaving its magical spell. She and Lord Motton moved together so effortlessly, and his hand on the small of her back was both comforting and tantalizing. She never wanted the waltz to end, but it would end all too soon.

“What are you going to do next, my lord? We must do something. I have not forgotten Miss Barnett’s peril.”

He brought her a little closer. Lovely. “I am not so concerned about Miss Barnett’s peril as yours, Miss Parker-Roth. You must be very careful.”

“Oh?” A thread of alarm twisted through the warmth she felt at his obvious concern.

“Yes. I plan to speak to your brother about the situation.”

Her brother wasn’t going to be much help. “You know Stephen is leaving for Iceland, and he can’t change his plans at this late date. Too many arrangements have been made.”

“I realize that. I’m sure he’ll agree to entrust you—and your mother, of course—to my care.”

“Oh.” Excitement coiled in her gut. What exactly did that mean? At a minimum she would be seeing much more of Lord Motton.

She bit the inside of her cheeks to keep from grinning.

He swung her through one last turn. As the music ended, she glanced across the ballroom. Lady Lenden and Lady Tarkington were glaring at her. She tried not to smirk at them.

She would definitely like to know if they appeared in Clarence’s drawing. “Are you going to look for another piece of the sketch tonight, my lord?”

Lord Motton nodded. “Yes. As you heard Stephen say, Clarence drew a picture of some flower. As soon as I return you to your mother—”

Jane grabbed Lord Motton’s sleeve. “Oh, no. You are not dumping me with Mama. I’m coming with you.”

“But Miss Parker-Roth—”

“You need me, my lord. How else are you going to find the
Magnolia grandiflora
?” She grinned. She had him there. “I may not be a plant expert like John and Stephen, but I couldn’t live in the same house with them without picking up some basic facts.”

Lord Motton snorted. “I do not need you, Miss Parker-Roth. I can look for the flower myself. As your brother said, Clarence was extremely detailed in his drawing.”

She should let the arrogant man wander around the garden all night, but Lady Lenden and Lady Tarkington were coming their way. If he went out in the dark alone, he wouldn’t be alone for long.

“That would be an excellent plan, Lord Motton, except for the fact that
Magnolia grandiflora
doesn’t bloom for another month or two.”

“Oh.” Lord Motton’s expression of dismay was comical. “I see. Well then, I shall look for the leaves. Clarence drew those, too.”

“My lord, it is dark in the garden and to an untrained eye, many leaves look the same.”

“Well…”

“And furthermore, you cannot be so unchivalrous as to abandon me to those two harridans.”

“What?” He looked in the direction Jane indicated. Lady Lenden and Lady Tarkington were now only twenty yards away.

“Nor do you want to find yourself alone and unprotected in the garden should either of them try to compromise your virtue.”

He laughed. “Too true. You win your point, Miss Parker-Roth. Come on.”

He put her hand on his arm and they stepped out into the darkness.

Chapter 5

Motton glanced around the terrace. There were only a handful of couples in evidence, and all appeared much too engrossed in their own conversations to pay any attention to him and his companion. Good.

Especially good as Miss Parker-Roth apparently had no awareness of the need for artifice. She strode directly toward the stairs to the garden, tugging him along as a leashed hunting hound might pull his master to his quarry.

He pulled back, put his hand over hers, and murmured by her ear, “Slowly. We don’t wish to encourage an observer to wonder what we might be rushing into the foliage to see…or do, you know.”

“Oh.” She stopped and shot a slightly panicked look at everyone on the terrace.

She would make a terrible spy. He urged her toward the balustrade. They could pause a moment there and observe the garden from above before descending and following one of the paths. As far as he could tell, the other couples were still uninterested in their activities, but a few minutes spent chatting would cause most people to lose any trace of curiosity they might have.

Unfortunately, it would do nothing for the curiosity he was certain was raging in the ballroom. The aunties and the
ton
’s gabble-grinders were probably speculating wildly at this excursion with Miss Parker-Roth. Not that there was anything scandalous in escaping the heat and crowd of the ballroom for a few moments’ respite on the terrace, or even in strolling along the garden paths, enjoying the evening air. Many men engaged in such activities; he’d just never been one of them.

After tonight he would have to keep his distance from Miss Parker-Roth until the gossip dissipated.

His stomach—and another organ—sank at that thought.

He scowled at the stone railing. Damn it all, what was the matter with him? He had never reacted this way to a female, or at least never since his salad days. The only organ that should be stimulated at all was his brain—his poor, muddled brain. There was a puzzle that needed to be solved and, given the number of people expressing an interest in Clarence’s artwork, the solution must be important. He could not afford to waste any time lusting after the woman at his side.

“The
Magnolia grandiflora
is over there,” Jane said, gesturing to the left. “You can’t see it from here, but if you follow that path, you’ll come upon it.”

There was something about Miss Parker-Roth’s voice that went straight to his—damn. He rested his hands on the balustrade, a better location for them than the one he’d prefer—Miss Parker-Roth’s breasts. “I’m impressed with your detailed knowledge of Palmerson’s garden.”

She glanced up at him and shrugged. “This
is
my eighth Season. I’ve been dragged into Palmerson’s garden many times.” She snorted. “I know every society garden in excruciating detail.”

“Oh?” Her words stabbed at his gut. Good God, was he jealous? This situation just got worse and worse.

She scowled. “Yes, but not in the way your tone suggests. My older brothers are known to be very keen on plants.”

“Ah.” He bit back a grin. Calling John and Stephen “very keen on plants” was rather like saying the Archbishop of Canterbury was very keen on religion. “I take it you don’t share your brothers’ enthusiasm?”

Jane’s nose wrinkled. “No, though unfortunately everyone assumes I do. I’ve been dragged into more bushes by more mad botanists than I care to count.” Her delectable lips turned down. “I might as well have been in the foliage with my brother John. The men were certainly as staid and boring as he is.”

What did that odd note in her voice mean? Did she wish to do something…interesting in a garden’s greenery? A jolt of pure lust shot through his body to lodge in the obvious location.

Focus, Motton, focus.
Think about the puzzle. Clarence’s sketch.

“I’m quite sure Stephen doesn’t discuss botany when he takes a female into the foliage,” she said. “He’s the King of Hearts, after all.”

He was quite sure Jane was correct. He made the mistake of glancing down at her. She was looking somewhat wistful.

No, he must be mistaken. Miss Parker-Roth was a well-bred,
virginal
young woman. She could not wish to frolic in the foliage. He, however—

No, no frolicking. Just serious searching. All work; no play. Finding the next sketch piece—that was all he should be thinking about.

“Miss Parker-Roth, you shock me.”

She muttered something that sounded like “Too bad.”

Bloody hell. This trip to the terrace had been a major error in judgment. He should return to the ballroom immediately. He was far too aware of the woman at his side.

Aware? Ha! That was like saying a burning man was aware of the fire’s heat.

He
was
burning. All last night, he’d dreamt of her—her fearlessness when he’d first grabbed her, her yielding softness when he’d kissed her. The taste of her mouth, the feel of her body, the scent of her arousal. The bold way she’d stared at his arse when she’d thought he wasn’t looking. Her obvious intelligence and humor…

He wanted to take her into the bushes and do far more than discuss the plants or look for a statue. He wanted to kiss her and touch her and have her dress up around her waist, her back to a sturdy tree, and his—

No, no. Was he completely mad? As, er, stimulating as that thought was, the girl was a virgin. He’d never had relations with a virgin, and his married friends were far too discreet to discuss the subject, but other men were not discreet at all. If even half of what they said was true, he’d want a soft bed and a locked door for his first time with—

He
was
insane. The only way he’d get Miss Parker-Roth between his sheets would be to marry her.

He waited for panic to hit; the choking, suffocating feeling one must get when sinking in quicksand.

Nothing. He felt nothing…Well, not nothing. He still felt lust. Apparently at least one of his organs was willing to pay any price to bury itself deep in Miss Parker-Roth’s lovely body. It swelled even further at the thought.

What
was
the matter with him? Just the word “marriage” had always turned his entrails to ice, but tonight the notion made him feel anything but cold. Hell, if he’d had any ice inside him, it wouldn’t just melt, it would turn to steam.

He was over thirty. He needed to marry sometime. Why not now? Why not Miss Parker-Roth? His marriage would make the aunts happy…

He wasn’t seriously thinking of marriage, was he?

He gripped the balustrade. He should bang his head against the nice, hard stone to see if he could knock some sense into it. He should flee back to the ballroom—

He couldn’t go back to the ballroom. He needed to see if one of Clarence’s obscene statues was lurking in Palmerson’s garden and, if it was, get the pornographic piece of paper from its penis. Good God.

The situation was absurd—and getting more so. Unless he missed his guess, he heard Lady Lenden’s obnoxious voice behind him, which meant there was no time to waste. He grasped Jane’s arm and urged her toward the stairs.

“If everyone thinks you are plant mad,” he said, “no one will be the least bit surprised at you dragging me into Palmerson’s garden.” And if they detoured into the bushes…No. He would only be going into the bushes if they found Clarence’s statue. He did not have the luxury of dallying in the greenery with Miss Parker-Roth.

“I suppose you are correct,” Jane said. “I—”

“Have you seen Lord Motton, Miss Peddingly?”

Jane paused. That was definitely Lady Lenden’s voice.

“Will you hurry up?” Lord Motton took another step. He was almost bristling with impatience. “You don’t want those two harpies to trap us here, do you?”

She glanced over her shoulder. Lady Lenden and Lady Tarkington were indeed talking to Miss Peddingly and Mr. Bodrin, a pair of besotted bird-wits. The two had met at the first event of the Season and had spent every moment since their introduction gazing into each other’s eyes. Prinny could have pranced naked over the terrace and those two would not have noticed. She and Lord Motton were safe for the moment, but the man was correct. There was no time to lose.

“Right.” Jane picked up her skirts and hurried down the last few stairs, turning to almost run down the path. The
Magnolia grandiflora
wasn’t far.

“Oh, look.” Lady Tarkington’s voice carried in the night air. “I think I see Miss Parker-Roth.”

“Damn!” Lord Motton muttered the curse rather vehemently behind her. “Ah, your pardon, Miss Parker-Roth. I shouldn’t have—”

She waved her hand to cut him off. “I have three brothers, my lord. I have heard worse.” The tree should be just around this bend…ah, yes, there it was. It was a fine specimen, but it wouldn’t provide enough leafage to hide them from the pursuing ladies. However, there were some splendid bushes just beyond the tree.

“Come on.” She grabbed Lord Motton’s hand and darted off the path. “I think we can hide back here.”

Fortunately there was a narrow break in the line of shrubs so they could get through without tearing their clothes or collecting too many stray leaves and twigs. One branch did catch her bodice and scrape along her skin. It left a long scratch just above the neck of her dress. A thin line of blood welled up.