The Earl Claims a Bride (17 page)

He smiled and for a fleeting instant she saw traces of the gentleman she’d first seen from the stairway. Her stomach tumbled, and her heart fluttered.

“Perhaps we can have another tomorrow night?”

“Yes.” She smiled, suddenly hopeful that if she could free her father of his debts there might be a future for her and Captain Maxwell. “I’d like that.”

“Until then.”

She nodded and walked away feeling lighter of foot. She was eager to spend time with Captain Maxwell and get to know him. She wanted to renew those tender, wonderful feelings she had for him when she was sitting on the stairs in her home and he had looked up at her and smiled. She wanted to experience with him the exciting, breathless sensations that she’d felt when she was with Lord Thornwick.

They would come for her and the captain. She had to be patient. Tonight, seeing him for the first time had been awkward and unsettling for both of them. Too, there were so many people around. Including the earl with all his comments about the officer and how she should feel. Everything would be better once she and the captain were alone and not on display as they were tonight.

Yes, she would prove to Lord Thornwick that she didn’t pity Captain Maxwell. What she felt for him was love.

“Angelina.”

She stopped and turned at the sound of her father’s voice. “Yes, Papa.”

“I saw you dancing with Captain Maxwell just now.”

“Yes,” she said cautiously. “And did you also see me dancing with Lord Thornwick a few minutes earlier?”

“I did and I must say I was quite pleased.”

“Good.” Angelina started walking toward her grandmother again and her father fell in step beside her. “Have you had the opportunity to welcome Captain Maxwell home?”

“No, though I’ve heard what happened to him. It’s a shame. He was always on the handsome side.”

“He still is, Papa.”

He gave her a look of doubt, but said, “Well, it’s good to know his scarring isn’t as bad as I’ve been told.”

It wasn’t surprising that the captain had been at the ball hardly an hour before the ton was gossiping about his looks, but she didn’t have to like it. “I don’t know what you’ve heard but he’s coping well with the effects of his injury.”

“I’d say very well. I don’t know that I would have had the courage to be seen at public events so soon after such a devastating injury.”

Angelina stopped quickly and a lady who was following close behind bumped into her. After apologies were said, she turned back to her father and said, “Coming tonight was the best thing he could have done for himself. You know what they say about falling off a horse. You immediately get back on. He must get back in Society and the sooner the better. He lost an eye, not his brain nor his chivalry. He was a perfect gentleman tonight.”

Unlike Lord Thornwick who made up his own rules when he felt like it and chose to ignore any rule in Society he disagreed with. He had nerve kissing her so soon after their acquaintance and calling her Angelina.

“I hope you did nothing to encourage the captain, Angelina.”

Not exactly.

“I saw nothing wrong with agreeing he could call on me for a ride in the park.”

“Angelina.”

She met her father’s stern look of disapproval. “Because, Papa, I agreed that Lord Thornwick could call on me as well.”

“You always have to do things your way, don’t you?”

“Not always,” she answered, feeling a little contrite.

Her father’s light-blue eyes pierced hers. “Do I need to remind you what will happen if you don’t marry Lord Thornwick at the end of the Season?”

“No, Papa,” she conceded. “I know what I must do. But what is the harm in enjoying the Season and the attention of all the gentlemen who want to dance with me and call on me before I marry?”

“I suppose none, my dear, none,” he said and hooked his hand around her elbow. “Dance with all the gentlemen, smile at everyone, and drink all the champagne you want. Enjoy yourself fully. As long as you remember your duty.”

Angelina wasn’t likely to forget as long as she was spending her days painting.

Chapter 13

How bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes!

As You Like It,
Act V, sc. 2

Harrison left the ball. It didn’t bother him that Angelina was defending Captain Maxwell. He assumed she would, but he hadn’t expected he would do it, too. He couldn’t stay and watch her dance with the man, however. He had no desire to watch her looking at him with adoring, sympathetic blue eyes.

Harrison leaned against a back wall in the dimly lit game room at White’s waiting for a place to open up at one of the card tables. Heavy smells of liquor and burnt wood hung in the air. He heard the clamor of voices and raucous laughter from the taproom and billiard balls smacking together farther down the corridor. The aged brandy was taking the edge off his whirring thoughts, and he was getting ready for a serious game of cards—or for that matter anything that would help him forget about Angelina and the disfigured Captain Maxwell.

He supposed some would think he should be a gentleman and just back away and let the wounded soldier have Angelina. And a few days ago, maybe he would have done just that, but not now. Not since he had held her in his arms and kissed her. He didn’t need Hopscotch or the Prince telling him to pursue Angelina and make her his. He was telling himself that.

Harrison knew the moment he saw her that she was the lady for him, but he’d denied those feelings when she’d told him her heart belonged to another. At the time, what else could he have done? He’d thought he could walk away from her that night and never give her a thought again, but that hadn’t lasted twenty-four hours. He had to see her. And what had he done when he’d seen her? He had tasted Angelina’s sweet mouth, smelled her warm skin, and felt her soft body melt against his. And now he was aching to hold her and kiss her again.

He’d walked away from love once before and no matter how many times over the years he’d told himself it would be easier the second time, it wasn’t true. He didn’t want anyone else touching Angelina intimately or kissing her. And he damned sure wouldn’t listen if anyone had the nerve to ask him to back off and let the captain have her. No, Angelina was his to win, and win her he would. He just wasn’t sure how he would do that. Yet.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

Harrison turned and saw Bray leaning against the wall beside him. Damn, he must have been deep in thought not to have noticed him walk up.

Harrison sipped his drink and eyed his friend over his glass. “How long have you been here?”

“Long enough” came the answer. “I thought it might be a good idea to come find you.”

Harrison looked at him curiously. “You were looking for me?”

Bray nodded once.

“Want to tell me why?”

“I thought you might want some company.”

Harrison grunted. “And you thought I couldn’t find any at White’s.”

Bray smiled.

Harrison chuckled. “I have to admit you are the last person I’d expect to be looking for me at this time of night. I thought you’d still be dancing with your lovely wife.”

“I did, and afterward I scoured the ballroom for you.”

“I left early,” Harrison said and turned his attention back to the card games in progress.

“I’m not surprised. We heard the news about the wounded soldier that had come home as soon as we arrived. Is he the man?”

Harrison sipped his drink. “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already know the answer to that, my friend.”

“I suspected. I had three people tell me about him before I could get Louisa’s wrap off her shoulders. It didn’t take me long to figure out that Captain Maxwell was the gentleman we were talking about at the Heirs’ Club the other day when I saw Miss Rule dancing with him.”

“It didn’t take me long to figure that out, either,” Harrison said and took another drink. “Did you see him?”

“Only from a distance,” Bray answered. “The scuttlebutt is that the scarring is quite difficult to look at but will probably get better with time.”

“Those were my thoughts, too.”

“From where I stood the black patch would have made him look quite the dashing pirate if he hadn’t been in a military uniform. He must have stunned everyone and Miss Rule more than most when he entered the ballroom.”

Harrison looked down into his brandy and swirled it in his glass. “You could say that.”

“So you talked with her after she saw him?”

“I was with her when she saw him.”

“Whew.” Bray blew out a short breath. “That must have caused a few awkward glances among the three of you.”

“And more than a few heated words between me and Angelina later, too.”

“I don’t see that as a good thing.”

Harrison’s jaw hardened. “It wasn’t.”

“Did you hear what happened to him to cause the injury?” Bray asked calmly.

Harrison took his gaze off the crowded card room and looked at Bray again. “No, did you?”

Bray shook his head. “I was curious so I asked. No one seemed to know. I assume the scuttlebutt will get around soon enough.”

“Was she still there when you left?” Harrison questioned.

“Both of them.”

Harrison’s stomach clenched but he said nothing.

“Do you want to tell me about what was said between you and Miss Rule?”

Hell no.

Harrison didn’t want to go through all the emotions that conversation evoked again. He grinned and answered, “I want to know what the hell you are doing here. It’s not like you to leave your beautiful Louisa at the mercy of all the stuffy old gentlemen who will be asking her to dance in your absence. That’s cruel, Bray.”

“I’m glad you still have your good humor about you.”

It’s hard.

“Besides,” Bray continued, “I’m not foolish enough to do that to her. Nor would she let me. I took her home before coming here. She understood why I wanted to find you. We’d already made appearances at two other parties. Believe me, she was quite happy to get home early for a change and check on her younger sisters.”

“And you should do the same. Though I appreciate the offer, I am not in need of a nursemaid tonight, Bray.”

“So you just enjoy standing here holding up this wall because you’ve nothing better to do for the rest of the evening.”

Harrison blew out a laugh. “You blackguard. I’m waiting for an opening to come up at one of the tables so I can join a game, and you damned well know it.”

“And while we wait, tell me: What are you going to do?”

“While we wait?” Harrison asked and then shook his head. “No, my friend, there is no ‘we’ tonight. I told you, I do not need you here with me. You might have saved my life when I first returned to London and was accosted by the footpads, but right now I am in no need of assistance.”

“I did save you from those ruffians, didn’t I?”

“Don’t go patting yourself on the back. You didn’t arrive until after they’d cracked several ribs and cut the buttons off my coat.”

Bray chuckled again. “There is that old adage—something about ‘better late than never.’”

“And there is something about keeping the home fires burning as well, so go home. It feels like it’s going to be a cold night. Your lovely bride is waiting. I intend to enjoy my drink and a few games of cards before I have my driver take me home.”

“I have Louisa’s blessing to enjoy a night of cards and drinks, and you are not going to keep me from it.”

Harrison deliberately grinned and said, “So you have to get Louisa’s permission to play a game of cards now?”

“I said blessing and you damned well know it. Just accept that I’m here and leave it at that, my friend.”

Harrison clapped him on the back good-naturedly. “Why didn’t you say so when you first came in? In that case, welcome. We don’t have to wait for a table to come open. We’ll find our own.”

“Not so fast,” Bray said. “First, tell me if you intend to back away and let the captain have Miss Rule without a fight.”

Harrison’s eyes narrowed. “What do you think?”

“I’d guess no but you’ve fooled me once or twice before.”

Harrison drained his glass. “I’m going to make her forget there ever was a Captain Maxwell in her dreams.”

Chapter 14

If music be the food of love, play on.

Twelfth Night,
Act I, sc. 1

Ignoring the umbrella at his feet, Harrison left the comfort of his dry, warm landau and stepped down into a foggy mist. After several uninterrupted days of fairly nice weather, the usual spring gloom had moved in off the Thames to settle over London. He placed his hat on his head and then lifted the collar of his cloak against the chill of the midafternoon dampness and looked at the front of Angelina’s house.

He’d managed to stay away from Angelina for several days. He needed to give Angelina some time before he started his pursuit of her. For most of his life he’d lived with no borders and without rules, pleasing only himself. But now he wanted something more than just pleasing himself. He wanted Angelina. And he wanted to please her, which meant he had to adhere to some of the rules of Society.

Maybe he should have stayed away a little longer, given her more time, but he just couldn’t make himself do it. He had to make sure she was all right and still handling Captain Maxwell’s return with the same courage she’d showed the night he returned.

Harrison reached back into the carriage and grabbed the small pot of violets he’d bought for Angelina. He’d gone to the flower vendor to pick out a beautiful bouquet of spring’s first flowers for her but then his eye had caught the discarded pot of neglected violets sitting near the man’s trash heap. The shopkeeper said he was throwing it away because the flowers were too dead to sell to anyone.

That’s what the owner thought, but not Harrison. There were only two or three of the short stems blooming, and those were wilted. What few leaves there were had turned either yellow or brown. The plant was definitely dying but it could be saved if someone knew how. So Harrison made the owner happy by buying it from him.