Surrender (8 page)

 
So you limited yourself to a yellow

waistcoat. I congratulate you on your

sense of restraint. And, pray tell, who

tied your cravat? I warrant I haven't seen

such a clever design in ages."

 
Like it, do you?" Victoria fingered the

carefully arranged neckcloth." Invented this

particular fold myself. Call it the Victoire."

Annabella gave a peal of laughter." Vicky,

I swear you sound just like one of the

dandies on Bond Street. You've got the

whole tone exactly right. Just the proper

sense of affected boredom. I declare you

could trod the boards and make ydur living

as an actress."
                             
"

 
Why, thank you, Bella. That is high

praise indeed."

Lucas lounged back in the seat and

surveyed the striking figure beside him with

a critical eye. His initial shock was giving

way to annoyance and a certain uneasiness

that was new to him. It was clear Victoria

Huntington was fond of mischief, and this

brand of mischief could land her in serious

trouble.

 
Do you go about like this often, Miss

Huntington?" Lucas was aware he had

automatically used the tone of voice that

in the past he had reserved for young

officers under his command who had

landed themselves in trouble. He could

not help himself. He was irritated.

 
This is my first experiment with men's

clothes, sir. But to be truthful, I shall

probably be strongly tempted to try it again

in the future. I find that the masculine

attire affords me far more freedom than

I have when I wear women's clothes,"

Victoria admitted.

 
It certainly affords you a far greater

opportunity for bringing down a wave of

humiliation and social disaster on your

lovely head, Miss Huntington. If it got

out that you have a taste for running

around London at night dressed as a man,

your reputation would be in shreds within

twenty-four hours."

Victoria wrapped her fingers even more

firmly around the handle of her walking

stick." What an odd thing for you to say,

sir. Do you know, your attitude quite takes

me by surprise. I would have thought you

less of a prig. I suppose the card game at

the ball misled me. Don't you have any

taste for adventure? No, I suppose you

don't. You are, after all, a good friend

of Lady Atherton's are you not?"

The woman was deliberately baiting him.

Lucas wished very strongly that they were

alone in the carriage." I do not know what

you are implying, Miss Huntington, but

I assure you, Lady Atherton is above

reproach."

 
Well, yes, that is just the point. Everyone

knows Jessica Atherton would never in a

million years allow herself to be found in

this carriage on her way to the fair tonight,"

Victoria declared.

Annabella giggled again " That is cer

tainly the truth."

 
Are you implying Lady Atherton is a

prig?" Lucas demanded.

Victoria shrugged, the movement sur

prisingly sensual in the well-cut jacket.

 
I mean no offense, my lord. Just that

she isn't the sort of female who enjoys

adventure. One naturally has to assume

that her friends are equally limited in

their choice of entertainment and equally

disapproving of those who have broader

tastes."

 
And you are a woman who enjoys

adventure?" stone vale baited.

 
Oh, yes, my lord. I enjoy it very

much."

 
Even though it carries with it the risk

of ruining yourself in Society?"

 
There would be no real adventure if

there were no real risk, would there, my

lord? I would have thought a successful

game ster such as yourself would under

stand that."

Her words made him more uneasy than

ever." You may be right, Miss Huntington.

But I have always preferred risks in which

the odds were at least somewhat in my

favor."

 
How very dull your life must be, sir."

Lucas instinctively started to react to the

goading remark but caught himself in time.

His self-control reasserted itself, along with

his sense of reason. The last thing he could

afford now was to have his quarry declare

him a priggish bore. His instincts told him

Victoria would respond to a challenge or

even an all-out battle of wills, but she

would ignore him entirely if he managed

to bore her.

A priggish bore. Good God. The thought

of that label stuck on him was enough to

make him laugh. It was certainly not the

usual description applied to his character.

But around Miss Huntington, Lucas

discovered, he was rapidly developing

a most uncharacteristic regard for the

proprieties. He was still in shock from

the sight of her in men's clothes.

Victoria
  
was
  
no
  
longer
  
paying
  
any

attention to him, however. She was

smiling at Annabella." So you decided

to turn down Barton's offer, did you? I

am happy to hear it. The man would have

made you a perfectly horrid husband."

 
I am convinced you are right," Annabella

shuddered delicately." I might have been

able to overlook Barton's interest in hazard

but just imagine marrying a man who has

actually fathered two bastards on some

poor woman to whom he will not give

his name."

 
It certainly casts a nasty reflection on

his honor," Victoria agreed grimly.

Lucas studied her profile in the dim light.

 
Just how did you come to discover the

business of Barton's illegitimate offspring?

I cannot believe that gossip reached your

ears on the dance floor of a hostess such

as Lady Atherton."

 
No, it did not, as a matter of fact. I

hired a runner to discover what he could

about Barton and he was the one who

turned up the news of the two children

and the mistress."

Lucas felt a chill clutch his insides." You

hired a Bow Street runner?"

 
I thought it the most efficient approach

to the problem."

 
It was a brilliant approach," Annabella

declared.

Lyndwood
  
groaned.
 
" Good
  
Lord,
  
if

Mama only knew. Poor Barton. Do ya

know, I think he rather cared for you,

Bella."

 
I doubt that," Victoria said briskly." His

family has told him they expect him to

marry and he is simply in the process

of casting about for a wife who will suit

his father. He tried me last year until I

managed to make him see I would not do

at all and then he moved on to try his luck

with the Perfect Miss Pilkington. Evidently

she, too, had the good sense to see that he

was the lowest sort of fortune hunter. Then

he spotted Bella, here, and decided to have

a go at her. Nothing more to it than that."

 
The Perfect Miss Pilkington?" Lucas

glanced from one woman to the other.

 
Why do you call Miss Pilkington perfect?"

 
Because she is," Annabella explained

reasonably." Never puts a foot wrong. A

model of feminine perfection. A paragon,

in fact."

 
You will understand about Miss Pilkington,

my lord," Victoria said," when we

tell you that she is a protegee of Lady

Atherton's."

 
I see." No wonder Jessica had wanted

to introduce him to the other heiress. It

was a good bet that if he had decided to

pursue Miss Pilkington, he would not now

be sitting in a carriage with a young lady

dressed outrageously in masculine attire.

Lucas wondered for half a second if he

had made a serious mistake earlier in

the evening. And then he decided that

whatever the risks, the night was going

to be infinitely more interesting with Miss

Huntington.

 
I thought you would, my lord," Victoria

said.

 
Well, one thing is certain," Lucas

pointed out dryly," because of your

interference, Miss Lyndwood will never

have a chance to find out precisely how

Barton does feel about her, will she? And

Barton, himself, will never know he was

done in by a paid runner and a certain

Miss Huntington. The man will never even

have a chance to defend himself."

 
Could he defend himself?" Victoria

retorted, her eyes clashing with his in the

shadows. This time there was no mischief

or humor in her steady, challenging gaze.

 
Are you saying that what the runner

discovered was untrue?"

Lucas held his ground, speaking evenly.

 
I am saying that it was none of

your business to interfere in the matter.

There might very well be mitigating

circumstances."

 
Hah. I doubt that very much," Victoria

said.

 
So do I," chimed in Annabella." Just

imagine that poor woman tucked away

with Barton's children."

Lyndwood bestirred himself on the other

side of the coach." Neither of you two

ladies ought to know a deuced thing about

any of Barton's offspring who happen to

have been born on the wrong side of the

blanket. T'ain't right for you even to be

discussing such matters, is it, stone vale?"

 
Such conversation is certainly not the

mark of well-bred ladies of the ton," Lucas

muttered, grimly aware he sounded exactly

like the boring prig Victoria had insinuated

he was.

Victoria's smile was triumphant." Lord

stone vale, allow me to point out that if

you find my conversation too offensive for

your delicate sensibilities, there is an easy

remedy for you. Simply open the carriage

door and depart."