The Mischievous Bride (12 page)

“She forgot her gloves,” Milli blurted out, seeing Gabby’s small gloves resting on the hall table.

Marcus lifted his gaze once again. Silver gray eyes glittered in the daylight, making him look more handsome than any man should be, especially the man who had kissed her senseless and said it was a lesson! Not only that, the man had the gall to lecture her as if she were some evil child!

“Would you like to go with us?” he asked gently, acting as if nothing had happened between them.

Milli flushed at his offer. She thought about his scolding last night, then Stephen’s lecture this morning.

“Go with you?” she remarked curtly. “So, while Gabby is trying on her hats, you can take me aside and lecture me again? No thank you.”

He put a hand on the banister and looked up, smiling. “Ah, I see. Would you like another lesson instead?”

She turned even redder. He was laughing at her. “I didn’t ask you to kiss me,” she hissed. “Besides, your kiss was not much different than Knightengale’s. As I said before, a woman needs to kiss a few frogs before she finds her prince.”

His gaze flicked over her while a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I vow, you need someone to take you to task, young lady. Do not mistake Knightengale for a boy. You are playing with fire. The gentleman is a good friend, and because of your curiosity, you may have severed that relationship.”

“Ha,” she lifted her head proudly. “You blame that on me? I cannot choose your friends.”

“I am Stephen’s brother,” he snapped back, as if that was all he needed to say.

What did that have to do with Knightengale or the kiss? He was starting to sound like Gabby with his running thoughts.

“Anything else?” she asked through stiff lips.

He put his hands on his hips, looking more commanding than the duke.

She gulped. At the moment, she was glad she was standing on the stairs.

“If you decide to take it into your head to kiss any more gentlemen in the garden or otherwise, I will—“

“You will do nothing!” Fury flooded her. Who did he think she was? “You are not my father or my husband!”

Cool silvery eyes impaled hers. “I vow, one more word in that direction and you will be sent to Bath to stay with an old friend of my mother’s for the next few months, serving as the lady’s companion. The older lady rarely ventures outside her home. Think about that. No more balls. No more soirees. No more shopping. Just sitting and reading to an old lady all day long. Not only that, I will see to it that someone will be watching your every move while you are there.”

“That’s positively archaic,” she snapped, infuriated he was still treating her as if she had done something dreadful.

“Archaic, it may be. But it will work.”

“It’s despicable. A blow to all of womanhood. A blow to the very soul of all that is decent. A blow to all that I stand for. I daresay—”

“It is what it is, little girl.”

She stomped her foot. Cleo mewed in her arms. “Oooooh, I am not a little girl, and if you say that one more time—”

“Uncle Marcus! We are waiting!”

Gabby’s shout made Marcus turn toward the door.

“Stephen may put up with your theatrics,” he said, looking back at her. “But I mean what I say. One move in the direction you took last evening, and I will have you in Bath or perhaps that castle Clayton inherited up north. But you will go somewhere. And if you think Hughmont is someone you can lead around on a leash, you had better think again. The man isn’t in the theater group to practice plays, my dear. He’s there to be with the ladies.”

“That is not true,” she stammered. “Lord Hughmont adores Shakespeare.”

“Ha, that may be true, but he adores Lady Georgina, Lady Helen, and oh, Lady Eugenia too.”

Milli’s gaze sharpened. “How do you know the young ladies in my group?”

There were older women too, but Marcus had just recited the list of all the pretty females. He had never been to one meeting. The notion that he knew the young women gouged a piece of her heart.

“White’s Club does have a certain gossip line. Betting books too. Why do you think you have a throng of gentlemen showing up at every meeting? I can tell you it is not for the lemonade or stale cakes!”

“Are you telling me, they are only there for entertainment?” She lowered Cleo to the floor, disappointment in her voice.

Marcus turned toward the door and glanced over his shoulder. He didn’t answer her question, instead, he warned her again.

“Keep in mind what I said about your suitors, Millicent. No more journeying into those gardens or any gardens alone. Do I make myself perfectly clear? Don’t make Knightengale your little experiment, or I vow, you will regret it.”

Regret it? How dare he try to run her life!

She batted her eyes and leaned over the banister. “What about Lord Hughmont? He kisses very well. May I take him into the gardens?” She threw a hand to her forehead and sighed. “Love is but the blossom of two souls under a new moon, blending, fusing as one.”

She watched in satisfaction as his face clouded with anger. “You kissed Hughmont too? And what the blue blazes do you mean about fusing as one?”

Milli straightened, furious that he could tug at her emotions like she was some fish on a hook. “A lady never tells. Good day.”

With those last words, she spun around and hurried down the hall. Her heart was beating in her ears, she was so mad. King George! Who did he think he was? He wasn’t her guardian. He knew nothing. She may have been stupid last night with Knightengale, but it was her life.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Besides, her problems paled in comparison to Jane’s.

She entered her guest chamber and strode straight for her wardrobe to change her gown. Lord Hughmont was coming by to take her for a ride in Hyde Park. And she refused to wait until Stephen returned to ask permission!

In fact, she would persuade Lord Hughmont to go shopping for hats!

She grabbed her white and pink striped gown. It looked lovely on her. Many gentlemen complimented her when she wore it.

Marcus would be sorry he had ever lectured her about men!

She would show him she was no little girl. Knightengale, Hughmont and any other gentleman who wanted to pay attention to her would work into her plans very nicely indeed.

Chapter Nine

T
he two neatly dressed gentlemen rode their horses in Hyde Park amidst the cream of Society. As they reined in their mounts, a slight chill settled in the air.

“I don’t like what happened,” the older man said. “But now that the deed is done. I say marry that girl or someone just as rich. We need the money.”

The younger of the two looked over Hyde Park, his large gloved hands patting his horse’s neck. “The Clearbrooks are quite a force. It’s not as if I can flee with the girl to Gretna Green and not have any problems. Though I have planned for that if I must. One night of traveling without a chaperone and she would be ruined. Would rather marry her and stay in England. Besides, she likes me. I vow, it will only take a bit of time, and the chit will be mine, along with that lovely inheritance."

The other man growled. “But she might not turn it over to you. Did you ever think of that?”

The younger man stiffened and spit out a curse. “There are ways to make a woman do what I want. After she is my wife, she will be my prisoner. What can she do? What can anyone do then? She will be my property at that point. I’ll have her one way or another. Stephen will have to agree.”

A phaeton rolled by, and the men tipped their hats. A few seconds passed before the older man spoke. “He may kill you. The Clearbrooks are a vengeful lot.”

“Not if it means ruining the lady’s reputation. Besides, I have her in the palm of my hand. Gretna is not my first choice.”

“I don’t like the thought of abducting her. And I didn’t like what you did with Shelby either. I do have my morals, don’t you know.”

“Morals? Ha!” The younger man swiveled in his saddle. His eyes narrowed into two icy chips. “You owed him too blasted much.” He looked around, making sure no one else could hear them. “We could not pay him back,” he said between clenched teeth. “You asked me to take care of the situation. I did. So forget it and move on. We’ve talked about this until my jaw aches!”

The older man scowled and shook his head. “But poison? A ghastly way to go. Ain’t wanting to think of taking a man’s life.”

“Oh, the devil! It’s been two years! The girl is of age. She inherited half of her Papa’s money. Don’t turn into a sniveling coward now.”

“I am not a coward. It’s just not gentlemanly to do what you did. Never thought you would kill the man.” The older man swallowed hard. “That was taking things a bit too far. And I don’t want her ruined. Marry her right.”

“You’ve been complaining to me for two years now, and I’ve had just about enough of your drivel. Shut the hell up. I’m going to see the Shelby chit later today, and devil take it, I don’t want you to interfere with my plans.”

“I agreed to you marrying the girl in a decent way. No runs to Gretna Green. But don’t you tell your father to shut up.”

“Ha. I shall tell you anything I want.” The younger man cursed again and sent his horse into a gallop, leaving his father frowning and shaking his head.

“Would you like an ice at Gunters, Miss Millicent? That is, after we pick up that book you want at the shop down the way.”

MiIli looked at Lord Hughmont and sent him her sweetest smile. Maybe she was flirting just a bit, but she wasn’t hurting anyone, was she? Women did this all the time, especially in the plays she read about. Besides, Lord Hughmont knew her ways and still liked her.

“Perhaps we can pick up the book later,” she said innocently. “I was, uh, wondering if we could make a stop at the milliner’s?

“The milliner’s?” The big man looked as if he had swallowed a bird. “If it’s the one I’m thinking about, that’s where all the ladies gather to pick out . . . well, female things and not just hats. I am not one to spend my time in there. Don’t want to be stubborn about this, but confound it, the place is full of ribbons. Not my kind of thing at all.”

Milli looked at him, a bit shocked by his comments. “But I assure you, it will only take a minute.” They continued to stroll down the street with Milli’s abigail following.

She gazed into Lord Hughmont’s blue eyes. “Please.”

Lord Hughmont blushed. “I cannot deny you, and you well know it. Those puppy eyes of yours do me in every time.” He laughed. “Very well, you little actress. Let us venture into the valley of the hats.
‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’
”

Milli chuckled at his use of Shakespeare. He always seemed to quote the playwright at some time in their conversation. “You are too good. You put up with more nonsense from me than any man would. By the way, I saw your father the other day. How is he doing?”

Lord Hughmont’s face turned hard. “We are having a bit of a tiff. But nothing I cannot handle. Saw him a bit before I came for you.”

“Oh, I hope it’s nothing serious. I know how family can be sometimes.”

The young man frowned. “Ah, well, you know how father’s can be.”

Milli nodded, but said nothing. She still missed her papa.

Hughmont stopped and held her hand. “Forgive me. For a moment, I forgot about your loss. It was stupid of me.”

Milli sighed. “You are not stupid. But please, make up with your father. One never knows when it is his time to go.”

“I suppose you are right. I will try not to hold a grudge. But bonnets and lace, Miss Millicent? Zeus! A chill snakes down my spine at the very thought of taking one foot inside that place. The shop has no men’s hats whatsoever. It is purely a nest of feminine delights. Why if the gentlemen at the club saw me . . .”

She smiled, never having seen this side of the man. Oh, she knew Hughmont did not care for feminine frilliness, but in the theater group, he was quite chivalrous with the ladies.

“It isn’t as bad as all that,” she said gently. “I have this divine bonnet with a blue ribbon picked out for my sister. It’s for her birthday. And you should not feel uncomfortable. There are many gentlemen who venture into the depths of that dark abyss,” she lowered her voice, “dare I say, of dastardly bonnets and lace?”

A flicker of amusement flashed across his face. “I am no coward. You have put me in my place. I daresay, you won’t be long then?”

She shook her head, feeling a bit guilty about dragging Lord Hughmont into her womanly web. But sometimes, a female had to do what a female had to do.

And if Marcus saw them together, so much the better.

“I will only be a few minutes.” And she wasn’t quite lying about the bonnet. There was a magnificent hat she had wanted to buy for Lizzie. Her sister’s birthday was four months away, but Lord Hughmont didn’t know that.

The bell above the door jingled as they walked into the shop. Rows and rows of fabric filled the room, along with every color ribbon in the rainbow. The sweet scent of French perfume permeated the air.

Lord Hughmont looked on in horror. “Miss Millicent,” he hissed. “I find this intolerable. This place is full of everything a woman desires. And what in the blue blazes is that?” His finger shook toward the rows and rows of colorful fabric lining the aisles.

Milli grinned. “Bolts of cloth. I guarantee, they won’t jump up and bite you.”

Lord Hughmont reddened. “Never been in a place like this. Don’t have a sister. And my mother’s dead.” He looked left and right, as if hoping no gentleman would see him. “Feels too . . . frilly. I’d rather be riding or boxing at Gentlemen Jackson’s. Or hunting. Jupiter, anything but this.”

“John,” she said, using his first name to calm him down. “There is nothing to fear. Think of it as an adventure in research. We can look for fabric for our Christmas play.”

“Absolutely not,” he said, his voice going hoarse. “I may like acting, but by heaven, this is where I draw the line. No ribbons, no frillies,” he glanced at the flowers adorning the hats and frowned, “and no flowers!”

Milli took his arm. Guilt washed over her in waves when she felt him shake. The man obviously hated the very thought of shopping in a woman’s domain. Any minute she thought he might break out into hives. This was a bad idea all around. “We can leave. Forgive me, I only thought—”