Suzi Love (10 page)

“And Becca?”

Tony shrugged. “Says she’s too busy. With Jamison House, the Women’s Society, her mathematics. Would rather travel than marry.”

Cayle’s selfishness was going to cause Becca more pain. He’d wanted her to shield him. To save him from two more months of dodging toadying females, including Julia. Because Becca needed opportunities to sneak into his peer’s libraries, she’d have to be thick-skinned enough to survive dozens of jibes from Julia and her cronies.

“Michael’s biggest worry is how Bennett’s bizarre behaviour is affecting Becca,” Tony said. “Those hurly-burly servants at Jamison House would kill Bennett rather than let him hurt Becca again. But she still goes to extreme lengths to avoid him. Wears disguises. Sneaks out through the mews. And he visits brothels. Frequently.”

“You two are going to one tonight,” Cayle said. “Most men, unmarried or married, visit brothels.”

Brian handed Cayle a large brandy as they listened to Tony. “Gossip is that Arthur only wants one type of girl. Red hair. Smallish. Green eyes.”

“Becca fits that description.” Cayle banged his fist on the table. He frowned. “But so did his mother. And even when he was at Oxford, his attachment to his mother seemed almost — ”

“Perverted?”

“Hell! What have I done? He’ll no doubt be there tonight.”

“At least the girls will be under your protection. Use your ducal stare to scare everyone away. And their house is guarded by ex-criminals.”

“I promised Michael that I’d send more help. Our footmen will follow the girls, if they insist on leaving the house during the day.”

“Good. There’ve already been two house-breaking attempts. The staff have seen Bennett in the gardens in the middle of the Square.”

“How much does Becca know?”

“Not the redheaded prostitutes. Only about being followed. A few gents became concerned about those brothel preferences. Voiced their opinions around the clubs.”

Cayle paced around the dining table. “Becca cannot go near anyone she suspects of belonging to the syndicate consortium. Especially not the inner ring. I’ll insist she leaves for the country straight away.”

“Ha! You’re deluding yourself. She won’t let you take over. And she won’t leave her family.”

Cayle barked out a laugh. “I’ll tie her to her bedpost if she tries to go anywhere without me.”

He’d missed the thrill of facing, and defeating, an enemy. But the thought of roping that fiery woman to a bedpost, his bedpost, made his blood run hot. He pictured Becca spread across his bed, limbs spread. Imagined how quickly her objections would stop when he aroused her passionate nature. Could feel their bodies meeting, skin to skin.

• • •

“I’m deeply in your debt,” Cayle told his brothers. Instead of the yawning rift between them that he’d feared, their bond had strengthened, despite his absence. He explained what he wanted them to do while he caught up some old business friends.

“My friends are more than willing to help. I spoke to them last night and they’re finding London life as constricting as I am. They can befriend Bennett. Find out if he’s involved with the men threatening the Jamisons. Or if he’s obsessed with Becca because he’s abnormal, like his mother.”

“Take care,” Brian said. “At the very least, the man’s barmy.”

“And madmen are dangerous,” Tony added.

His brothers looked to be debating what else to reveal. Tony spoke first. “Your exploits reached our ears, even at school. So we contacted Winchester. Our cousin keeps abreast of things. The three of us exchange news. Shares bought and sold. Your business expansions.”

Cayle stared at them. “This conversation is the same as the one I had with Becca last night.”

“We’re not as directly involved in share trading as her family. Though our paths cross. We share snippets of gossip from our chums at Oxford. Winchester invests. Michael does the same.”

“Half the city seems to have taken up espionage.”

“Things changed after you left.” Brian looked at Tony, who gave a tiny nod of agreement. “Father cut our quarter allowances. In half. Julia convinced him it was for our own good. Our pockets were often to let.”

Cayle groaned. “I’m sorry. My actions caused you repercussions.”

Tony shrugged. “It ended well. Forced us to support ourselves.”

Cayle looked at them blankly.

“Winchester predicts which transport companies are ready to expand. We look at the competition. Check viability. If he buys well, he gives us a share of his profits.”

“Good Lord. First I learn that Becca’s family is now filthy rich. Spend their time researching railways and upcoming share markets. And my brothers, and cousin, are doing the same. Why didn’t I know?”

“We knew you’d return one day. As duke. Brian and I wanted you to have a better future. Father treated you badly. We didn’t know how well situated you’d be after your years in Europe.”

Cayle sank down onto a chair. “You did this for me?”

“For all of us. Julia, and her gambling, was bankrupting the family. We wanted to secure Martin House, at the very least.”

Tony grinned. “Plus, it’s been a lot of fun.”

“But how many of these fun times turned dangerous?”

Tony shrugged. “An occasional drama. But nothing as perilous as the Jamison’s present situation.”

“Tony and I have grown up,” Brian rushed to reassure him. He shot his brother a grim look. “Thanks to Julia.”

“We enjoy what we do. And it means we can help Michael. We understand the new railways. Know the track designers. Engineers.”

As the eldest, Cayle considered himself responsible for his brothers. When his father had demanded Cayle remove himself from his sight, decided Cayle’s punishment was to rebuild their flagging trading business on the continent, many lives had been changed. He’d done well in Europe, but he’d neglected his brothers and turned Becca’s life upside down.

Tony thumped Cayle on the back. “Don’t worry. We still need our big brother’s advice on how to deal with the fairer sex.”

“No point following my lead. I was accused of seducing Sybila on a desk at a ball. And instead of staying to prove my innocence, I left in a rage. Wanting to punish our father for not supporting me. I need to repair the damage my anger caused. Especially the pain I caused Becca.”

His brothers looked worried. “Ah, about Sybila. Unfortunately, you’re about to encounter the lady, or rather the widow, again. She returned from their country estate last week.”

“I’d hoped never to set eyes on that conniving bitch again. Surely she wouldn’t be stupid enough to approach me? Not after I refused to marry her last time.”

Brian shrugged. “You are a duke. Every husband-hunting chit is after you.” He looked at Tony and grinned. “Better him than us.”

“Don’t be so smug,” Cayle said. “These ladies, and their mothers, target every eligible man. They’ll do anything to snare husbands.”

• • •

His brothers left to start their allocated tasks. But Cayle was uneasy. His brain hadn’t been brandy-soaked during his carriage ride home with Julia the previous evening. He’d had no more than a glass or two of wine at the musical recital. Julia had excused her sudden tumble in his direction on the carriage’s sway, but had only moved back to her own seat when she recognised his utter revulsion.

She was young and beautiful. A widow many hot-blooded rakes would be happy to dance attendance upon her. But if she imagined he’d forgiven her for her previous behaviour, she was sadly mistaken. Long before she’d approached his father with those disgusting lies, she’d often attempted to corner him.

A man instinctively knew when a woman was hunting him, but Julia was his stepmother. He’d told himself that his instincts were faulty. But by avoiding her, and finally verbally rejecting her, she’d tried to destroy his life. He trusted his stepmother even less now than he’d done years ago.

And he wouldn’t put it past her to enlist help from empty-headed Sybila for a second time. He’d learned a lot from the sexually aggressive women who inhabited the Mediterranean countries. No woman would outfox him now.

He laughed out loud at his false modesty. There’d always been one woman he couldn’t outwit. One redheaded bundle of energy and passion that even now would be nigh on impossible to bend to his will. He laughed again.

Trying to stay one step ahead of Becca was going to be more challenging than anything he’d done in years.

Becca paced across her newly decorated bedroom. Laura was perched on her bed sipping a late afternoon cup of tea. Their recent changes in fortune had allowed them to redecorate several bedrooms. Becca, though not overly concerned with frills and fripperies, was secretly delighted with her feminine retreat.

There’d soon be enough money to complete the other rooms. The sooner the better. She was anxious for everything to be perfect when Laura and Lottie fully re-entered society and wanted the house to show at its best for the stream of gentlemen callers she expected.

“You should be dressing,” Becca advised her sister.

“So should you.” Laura made no move to stand, or leave.

“I’ve a headache coming. It will be better if I have a quiet night at home and leave you and Lottie in Cayle’s hands.”

“You, my dear sister, are afraid of being seen with the duke again.”

“Rubbish. I’m not afraid of anything.”

“You’re brave about some things. Not others. The streetwalkers you deal with at the society never faze you. Last month, you saved the widow Armstrong from marrying that disgusting Mr Blake. The cad was married. With children. Without your help, he’d have run through Mrs Armstrong’s fortune long before his bigamy was discovered.”

Becca smiled. She’d formed the society because she couldn’t bear to see other women lured by men with pretty faces and sweet talk. Too many were left destitute by callous men who stole their money and ran away. With the help of Laura, Lottie, and their many friends, these women were being shown how to protect themselves and their precious savings.

She nodded. “A most successful operation.”

“And Miss Carter the month before. She suspected Mr Mackenzie of lying about his income. But she hadn’t known that creditors were chasing him from Scotland to London.”

Becca smiled again. “Yes. Miss Carter would have had a lifetime of scrubbing floors to pay the man’s debts.”

Laura patted her sister’s hand. “But those bounders have taught you to mistrust men. All men. And you spend so much time worrying about others, you’ll become ill. In truth.” Laura gave her a sharp look.

“I’m not usually ill. But I’ve a headache at the moment.”

“From poring over account books. And you’ve lost weight.”

“I could do with shedding some pounds.”

“Nonsense. Your figure is nicely rounded. Men like a little meat on the women they cuddle. They loathe stick women in bed.”

“You’ve been eavesdropping on men’s conversations again.”

“How else can a woman learn about men?” Laura grinned. “Our married friends are told not to share their secrets. I’m not going to my marriage bed unprepared so I’m doing my research first.”

“Keep your voice down. Aunt Aggie will forbid you from being in the same room as a man. No more male chitchat to overhear.

“Need I remind you, you read those anatomy books first?”

“Fine. I’m as inquisitive as you are.”

“Women should understand what happens between men and women before their wedding night. We should know what to look forward to.”

“Or to dread,” Becca muttered.

“Those bitter old spinsters are jealous of women like Maggie. That’s why they only speak of the horrors of being bedded by a man.”

“Maggie is madly in love with her husband. She’s the exception.”

“Becca, I know how hurt you were when Lord Bennett became engaged to Margaret Johnston.”

“I don’t want to discuss him. Or his new fiancée.”

“Glare all you like, big sister. That withering look may make men scurry away from you at balls, but it’s wasted on me.”

“Aunt Aggie is wrong. I don’t try to wither men.”

“Of course you do. And it’s useful for discouraging rakes and rogues. But not for all men.”

“I refuse to waste my time dancing with men who have no interest in me as a person.”

Becca listened with half an ear as Laura charged off on her favourite hobbyhorse, the outrageous inequity between the lives of men and women.

“Men choose women for their adequate childbearing hips. They buy brides the way they purchase brood mares from Tattersalls. Women are unimportant apart from producing the requisite heir and a spare.”

Laura broke off her tirade and smirked. “Men only enjoy women for the ten minutes they need in their wives’ bedrooms.”

Becca was forced to laugh. “Ten minutes. Maggie says her husband spends hours making love to her.”

“Oooh! But, Lucius is an indisputable man. A bona fide lover. The way he looks at Maggie, I feel all shivery. Warm inside.” Laura pressed a hand to her abdomen. “Just here.”

“Be that as it may, men no longer look at me as a potential bride. Because one man rejected me,” her breath caught on a little hitch, “they believe I should be grateful for the slightest morsel of attention.”

“It’s disgraceful,” Laura agreed. “Those rogues think gratitude will force a lady to lower her standards. Beg the man to bed her.”

“If I’m ever desperate enough to exchange my freedom for marriage, I’ll choose my husband for his intelligence and stability.”

“You mean someone staid and malleable that you can control. You’re afraid of feeling passion again. Afraid a man will desert you.”

“Passion drives too many women into trouble. And despair. That’s not for me. Never again.”

“I want excitement. And love,” Laura exclaimed. “I long for the day a man makes my knees tremble and my heart pound.”

“Knees only tremble at soirees from the oppressive heat in rooms too small for the crush. And from the appalling lack of refreshments.”

“There you go again. Pretending cynicism. Deep down, you still hold the same romantic longing to discover the perfect man that I do.”

“I don’t believe any man is perfect.”