Simply Voracious (19 page)

“I’m glad to hear it. I would hate to have ruined your evening.”

“Hardly, sir. I’m not that much of a fashion plate.”

He chuckled and placed her hand on his sleeve. “Thank goodness for that. Shall we go and find your parents?”

“I recently married, sir, so I came with my husband.” She glanced at his uniform. “He has just sold out from the army. I wonder if you have met him?”

They avoided the receiving line and walked down into the ballroom. Con was conscious of a sense of disappointment. How was it that everyone he was attracted to was already taken? Did he have an uncanny ability to choose the wrong people, or was he avoiding the possibility of actually having a real relationship? The thought didn’t sit well with him, and he forced it away.

“Do you see your husband, my lady?”

She scanned the crowd and then pointed toward the row of windows. “I see him talking to Emily Ross.”

She moved purposefully through the crowds, bringing Con with her. It wasn’t until the last second, when he took his gaze off Miss Ross, that he realized exactly whom she was talking about.

“Paul?” his companion said. “Do you know Lieutenant Colonel Delinsky? He helped me avoid a catastrophe on the stairs when I ripped the lace on my train. Lieutenant Colonel, this is my husband, Lieutenant St. Clare.”

Paul turned slowly and stared at Con.

Con held out his hand. “Good evening, Lieutenant.”

“Sir . . . I thought you were out of town, or else I would’ve called on you. . . .”

Con forced a smile. “I only came back yesterday.” He turned to include the others in the conversation. “I understand that I should wish you both happy.”

Paul swallowed hard and claimed his bride’s hand. “Indeed, I am the luckiest of men. Lady Lucinda is a goddess among women.”

“Oh, do you know each other?” Lady Lucinda smiled brightly. “Your uniforms are not similar at all.”

Con wondered whether she was worried about what he’d tell Paul about their first meeting. As Paul seemed unable to speak, Con took on the burden of conversation when all he wanted to do was fall to his knees and kiss the other man’s feet.

“Indeed we are acquainted. I was St. Clare’s commanding officer during the peninsular campaigns. I joined your husband’s regiment as an aide after my own regiment was destroyed by Napoléon.” He glanced down at his dark blue dress uniform, which had gold facings and a white sash. “As you can see, I retained my original uniform.”

“Oh, that’s why I didn’t recognize you.” Lady Lucinda glanced at Paul. “You must ask the lieutenant colonel over for dinner. I’m sure my father would like to meet him as well.”

The orchestra played a loud chord that drowned out Paul’s reply. Lady Lucinda took Paul’s hand.

“I am engaged to dance with my husband for this set, but I hope we will see you afterward?”

Con bowed. “Indeed. May I request the pleasure of a dance with you later, my lady? I will endeavor not to tread on your feet or your train again.”

She smiled. “I’d love to dance with you, sir. Perhaps the supper dance?”

“That would be delightful.”

Con stepped back and allowed Paul to escort his wife to the dance floor. He resisted the impulse to watch them too closely and instead found himself staring straight at Miss Ross, who was regarding him quizzically.

“Did you not know Paul was getting married?”

“Indeed I did.” He manufactured another smile. “He informed me of the happy event some weeks ago.”

“Yet you appear quite shocked.”

“Perhaps because I was unaware of his choice of bride.”

“You find Lady Lucinda in some way objectionable?”

He took Miss Ross’s elbow and walked her away to a quieter spot. “Are you certain you wish to have this conversation at a public ball? You might not care about gossip, but I suspect Lady Lucinda and Paul will.”

Miss Ross raised her chin. “I’m well aware of that. What
you
might not be aware of is that I am privy to the secrets of the pleasure house.”

“I know you are connected to the Delornay family, but I doubt they let you run loose in the pleasure house.”

“They don’t, more’s the pity, but I am allowed in the kitchens, and there is plenty of gossip to be had there.” She drew in a breath. “I don’t want you to hurt Lucky. Lady Lucinda, I mean.”

“I have no intention of hurting either of them.”

Miss Ross brought her hand to her mouth. “You were the person who fetched me to Lucky in the garden at the ball.”

“I was, but I have never spoken of it to anyone, and I never will.”

“Despite your relationship with Paul?”

Constantine held her gaze. “I no longer have a ‘relationship’ with Lieutenant St. Clare. I swear it.”

Miss Ross sighed. “It’s all so unfair, isn’t it?”

Braced for more outrage, Con could only blink at her. “I beg your pardon?”

“Why can’t people just love each other regardless of who or what they are?”

Con relaxed. “I don’t know, Miss Ross, but I can only echo your sentiment. Would you care to dance with me?”

Lucky muddled her way through her dance with Paul, glad that for once he seemed as distracted as she was. The shock of finding out that her knight in shining armor was already well acquainted with her new husband was disconcerting to say the least. Would the lieutenant colonel feel obliged to share the circumstances of their first meeting with Paul, or worse, would he feel obligated to warn his comrade-in-arms that her reputation wasn’t as pristine as it should be?

She wasn’t sure what was for the best. If she didn’t tell Paul how his commanding officer had helped her on that fateful night, Paul might feel he had to react unfavorably to any suggestion that his wife’s reputation was at fault. She didn’t want them facing each other in a duel.

She was still in a quandary when Lieutenant Colonel Delinsky came to claim her for the supper dance. She hadn’t realized it was a waltz, and that they would be holding each other closely for the entire dance. It gave him far too many opportunities for intimate conversation.

After the first few minutes, she had relaxed enough to stop minding her steps and managed to look up at him. His smile was quite breathtaking.

“You have nothing to worry about, my lady.”

“In what way?”

“I will let you be my guide as to what you want me to reveal about our acquaintance to your husband. I do not want to embarrass you.”

“That is very kind of you, sir.” She didn’t feel at liberty to disclose Paul’s knowledge of her ruin to him yet, but she appreciated his quiet offer. “If my husband asks you directly about our relationship, you should tell him the truth.”

His grip tightened. “Are you sure about that, my lady?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Paul and I are old friends. We try and be truthful with each other.”

Something flickered in her partner’s fine gray eyes. “That is admirable, my lady. So few marriages are based on trust.”

“I understand you are not married, sir?”

“I’m a widower. My wife died many years ago in Russia.”

“You must have loved her very much if you have never thought to replace her.”

She heard the wistful note in her own voice as he expertly twirled her around the corner of the dance floor. It seemed Lieutenant Colonel Delinsky was loyal in love too. As she’d mentioned to Paul, her dancing partner was the only man she’d ever met who seemed as honorable as Paul and her father. She doubted he would ever expose her secrets to the world.

The music ended, and she curtsied low and then placed her hand on his sleeve. “We should find Paul and go into supper before it gets too crowded.”

Paul watched as Constantine and Lucky approached him, his heart beating fast, his nerves surprisingly on edge. They looked remarkably handsome together, Lucky’s darker coloring a lovely foil for Con’s silver. How in God’s name had they come to know each other, and why hadn’t one of them mentioned it to him? It would surely have lessened his shock.

Con’s unexpected appearance had taken his breath away and shaken his resolve far more than he’d anticipated. The trouble was, he could claim anything he wanted, but he was still attracted to Delinsky. It didn’t mean he had to act on it though. Both of them were honorable men, and he was convinced Con wouldn’t beg to be taken back.

“Ah, there you are, Paul,” Lucky said. “Are you ready to go in to supper?”

Since being half starved in captivity in a French prison, he rarely passed up an opportunity to eat. He followed them through to the supper room and found a space at a vacant table. Despite his shock, he still managed to eat everything he’d blindly put on his plate.

After a while, Lucky excused herself, leaving him alone with Con for the first time. Paul kept his gaze on his plate and continued stolidly chewing.

“Are you well, Paul?” Con asked quietly.

Paul considered not answering, but found the need to look up into Con’s face too hard to resist.

“I’m very well, thank you. And you?”

“I am much refreshed. I spent a very agreeable few weeks with Thomas Wesley at his country house.”

“I’m surprised Lord Minshom allowed that,” Paul found himself saying. “Thomas is his pet.”

Con’s smile was sweet. “So I heard.”

Paul stabbed at a piece of ham on his plate. “I’m glad you enjoyed your visit. Did you hunt?”

“We indulged in several gentlemanly pursuits. It was quite refreshing to be out of town.”

“I’m sure it was.”

Con sighed. “You didn’t expect me to stay and watch you get married, did you?”

“Obviously not, especially when you’d already found consolation in Thomas Wesley’s bed.”

“With all due respect, you are the one who dissolved our relationship.”

“Which was obviously of no real meaning to you, seeing as you recovered from it so damned quickly.”

Con put down his fork and started to rise. “If you will excuse me, I’ll . . .”

Paul put out his hand. “Please, forgive me, I have no right to question you about anything. Your private life is nothing to do with me. I just wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight, and now I’m acting like a complete fool.”

“You’re not the only one.”

“What do you mean?”

Con’s smile was sad. “I miss you.”

“And I miss you.” Paul slowly exhaled. “Being honorable is much harder than I thought.”

“But you’ll continue to do it, won’t you? Your wife is a remarkable woman.”

“Indeed I will.” Paul managed a shaky smile. “I’m sure this will become easier as time goes on.”

“I damn well hope so.” Con rose to his feet and bowed. “I must go and pay my respects to Miss Ross, and then I’ll be leaving.” He leaned in closer. “And I didn’t fuck Wesley, even though he offered.”

Paul had nothing to say to that, and Con turned and walked away.

Moments later, Lucky returned and took her seat, glancing over at Paul, who had focused his attention on his empty glass.

“Are you not hungry?”

He looked down at his plate. “Not particularly.”

“That is not like you.”

“I know.” Paul signaled to one of the footman and asked for more wine. “Do you want anything to drink, my lady?”

“No, thank you.” She took an audible breath. “Did Lieutenant Colonel Delinsky say something to upset you?”

Her cautious inquiry made him look at her. “Not at all.”

“You seem a little . . . put out.”

He forced a smile. “I’m fine. It was just a surprise to see him again. I thought he’d gone abroad.” He grimaced. That at least was the truth. “You know how well I deal with my superiors.”

“He didn’t say anything about me, did he?”

“No, why should he?” Something was definitely wrong and he didn’t know quite what to say. Had she heard rumors about him and Delinsky, and if so, from whom? “Did you think he might speak ill of you?”

“No, of course not. He seemed very pleasant.” She blushed, and Paul studied her intently.

“What’s wrong, Lucky?”

“Nothing at all.” She glanced around the room and fanned herself. “Do you think we might leave soon? I’m quite fatigued.”

He instantly rose to his feet. “Of course, my dear. We can leave right now. Let me go and fetch your cloak and order the carriage.”

Paul waited until Lucky had said her good-byes and then escorted her down to the entrance hall. He made sure she had somewhere to sit while he called for their coach and retrieved her belongings. Even though they were leaving, guests still poured into the house and moved up the stairs, which made maneuvering through the crowds rather difficult.

It was while he waited for the footman to reappear with Lucky’s cloak that he saw a man approach her and start up a conversation. Paul frowned as he tried and failed to place the man within their social circle. A second later, he found himself moving purposefully toward the man. The closer he got, the more aware he became of Lucky’s horrified expression. Whoever it was, his wife had no wish to talk to the blaggard.

He waited until the man walked away from Lucky and then followed him.

“Excuse me, sir?”

When Paul tapped him peremptorily on the shoulder, the man finally swung around. Something in Paul’s expression must have frightened him, because he started to back away. Paul managed to grab his arm and maneuver him toward the rear of the hallway and through the door to the servants’ quarters.

“Unhand me, sir!”

Paul shoved him up against the wall and stood over him. When he continued to struggle, Paul brought out the knife he always carried and held it to his opponent’s throat. Despite his slight frame, he’d survived almost two years in a French prison and knew some very ungentlemanly fighting skills that he was quite happy to employ.

“You were upsetting my wife. What business did you have with her?”

“I don’t know what you mean, sir. I was just giving the lady a message!”

“From whom?”

“A gentleman that told me to give it to her, sir.”

“Your employer?”

“No, sir. I work at the bank where this gentleman has his account, sir, and he asked me to deliver this message on my way home.”

“And what is your name?”

“Jack Taylor, sir.”

Paul studied his captive. Although the man was relatively well dressed, it was obvious from his flat accent that he was a cit rather than a member of the aristocracy.