The Viscount's Vendetta (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) (25 page)

“You did not warn me we would have a marquis at our table.” Caroline frowned at him.

“I must apologize, my guest list was far from complete, and you have managed the surprise guests well.”

“The marquis said you, Rook, and Edward were long-standing friends.”

Damon smiled. “Half the time I forget Rand has his title. His father died two years ago. Rand has been one of our group of foursome so long I didn’t think to tell you about him.”

“You kept in touch with these three while you were traveling?” Caroline asked. She watched her handsome husband look off in the distance. Tonight he had dressed in dark-blue pants and coat with a blue and silver vest and one of the more formally tied cravats around his tanned neck.

“I was able to keep in touch and see them occasionally. Rand married during the time I was away. His wife died the year before his father. There was some talk about her death, and he has been a recluse since that time. To be truthful I didn’t expect him to accept the invitation. I sent Rook to deliver it personally, hoping to encourage him to come. It worked, to my surprise.” Damon looked back at Caroline.

“How did his wife die?” Caroline asked in a hushed tone.

“She died when her carriage overturned. Her companion, a young man who had been showing her much attention and who had created talk concerning their behavior, was also killed.”

“I suppose the
ton
had a field day with the gossip,” Caroline said.

“Rand’s father managed to squash most of it. He was a very powerful man. Rand has never commented on her death or the circumstances to anyone, not even to his closest friends.”

Caroline smiled. “I’m glad you invited him and that he came. Hopefully this will be a good experience, and he will become less of a recluse. Grief held in and left to fester never helps anyone.” She knew Damon did not miss her warning.

He put out his arm and his face resumed the closed expression he so often wore. “It is time we joined our guests.”

Caroline sighed softly and put out her gloved hand.

* * * *

The lounge was full. The ladies were dressed in their formal gowns, creating a rainbow of colors, and the gentlemen stood beside them, handsome in their formal attire.

Caroline stood for a moment at the door, admiring the change in the room with people conversing and lovely flowered decorations on many of the tables. Her heart swelled with pride. The room was illuminated with candlelight, and warmth spread from a fire in the large fireplace in the middle of the opposite wall. Footmen moved around the room with glasses of wine.

Caroline and Damon separated and ambled through the room, greeting their waiting guests. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Damon stop and visit with Lady Ferrier and her brother. Caroline continued on her way around the room, greeting Edward and Katherine Sylvester, Joan and Sara, and then the marquis and Rook.

Mrs. Smitten smiled as Caroline walked up to her and her husband. The Rev. Smitten and his wife were standing with two couples Caroline had not met formally.

“Lady Royston,” Rev. Smitten said, “may I present Sir Marshall Owens and his wife, Lady Owens?” Sir Marshall was a portly man with a flushed face and thinning brown hair. His wife appeared birdlike, her nose sharp as a beak, and she had probing dark eyes. Both smiled in greeting Caroline.

“I’m so glad you could attend tonight,” Caroline said. “I’m sorry I did not have the opportunity to meet you sooner.”

Lady Owens smiled a tight, cool smile. “I understand you are a new bride, Lady Royston. You must be very busy acquainting yourself with your new home.”

Caroline nodded and looked at the other couple and the young lady standing by them. Mrs. Smitten spoke up. “This is my brother and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Upton. My brother is the barrister, two villages over, and Annie”—Mrs. Smitten nodded to the young lady—“is their daughter. Annie is the teacher I told you about, milady.”

Annie Upton was a tall, thin young woman with light-brown hair and blue eyes, a younger, softer version of her mother. She smiled hesitantly to Caroline.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Upton. I hope to have time to talk with you more during the next few days.” Caroline smiled and turned to find Damon at her side.

“Dinner is ready, my dear.” Damon spoke softly.

“Good, please excuse me,” she said to the couples. Then she took Damon’s hand and moved away from the group. “I will ask the marquis to escort me to the dining room. Perhaps you would escort Lady Sylvester.”

Randolph Haddon bowed to Caroline and put out his arm. “I am honored to have such a lovely lady to escort tonight. I must admit I have become somewhat of a hermit and have almost forgotten the beauty of a true lady.”

“You honor me, Lord Haddon, but when you know me better, you might change your mind,” Caroline answered.

“Perhaps, but I do not think I am wrong.”

Caroline was pleased to see the dining room in all of its glory. The chandelier spread light over the table. The china and crystal sparkled in the light. Name cards were placed in front of each dinner plate.

The seating arrangement had been carefully planned. Caroline was secretly gleeful to see it done exactly the way she directed.

Damon’s eyes flashed with sardonic humor when he saw she had placed Lady Sylvester and her husband to his right and his Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Christopher to his left. Damon was surrounded by the most proper couples. Lady Ferrier, much further down the table, glared briefly at Caroline.

She had seated Sara on her left and Rook next to Sara, then his sister, Sally, on his other side. Arthur, Lady Ferrier’s brother, sat between Sally and Hannah.

The marquis was seated to the right side of Caroline, with Joan next to him. She noticed Joan’s guarded face when she saw her place card. The others filled in the middle of the long table.

Caroline motioned for the servants to start serving the first course, which was turtle soup. Buckley walked around the room filling wine goblets. Conversation flowed easily around the table. She relaxed and sat back to enjoy her dinner party.

* * * *

Rook was surprised that the young lady, who had always appeared shy and awkward in his presence, had a good knowledge of the possibilities of railroads becoming a major mode of transportation in the future. He watched the expressions on her face change when she became more engrossed in her subject.

Rook glanced over at Caroline and caught her smile. He knew what she was about. He had not forgotten her slip the night of the ball about Sara finding good in him.

Trying to appear nonchalant as usual, Rook sipped his wine and finished his soup. He knew Sara was dangerous to him. She was not the type of woman for a rake to find attractive. He could not have a fling and walk away from an innocent young lady.

* * * *

“You are very quiet, Lady Royston.” The Marquis of Milbrough broke into Caroline’s musing.

“I’m sorry. I did not mean to ignore you.” Caroline flashed him and Joan a quick smile. “Did Lady Joan tell you, she, Sara, and I have been friends as long as you and my husband? We grew up in the same area and went to London the same year.”

“Friendships are an important part of growing up and long friendships are to be treasured the most.” The marquis smiled at Caroline and nodded to Joan. “But your friend, Lady Joan, seems as quiet and introspective tonight as you do, milady. I hope you do not have a problem troubling the two of you. Perhaps I may be of assistance?”

Caroline leaned toward the marquis and whispered. “Lady Joan is rather more serious then Sara and I. She is not as easy to know, but it is worth the challenge.”

She straightened and looked down the long table catching Damon’s eye. He did not look pleased to see her whispering in the handsome marquis’s ear.

Joan had turned to Mr. Upton, sitting on her other side. He was giving her a rather lengthy and boring dissertation on property law. Caroline watched Joan pretending to show him attention. But she’d tightened her hand on her wine glass while Caroline talked with the marquis. Caroline suspected her friend was not as unaware of her other dining partner as she wanted everyone to believe.

She talked quietly to Sara and Rook and the marquis and Joan, as she nibbled on the red mullet with cardinal sauce. She enjoyed watching the conversation flow between her visitors.

Charles had flashed a look of anger at her after seeing his seating assignment. Caroline had chuckled, adding fire to his dislike of her. She was glad to note he had not gotten a word into the conversation all evening thanks to Mrs. Smitten.

Damon got up after the dessert courses of chocolate cream, pineapple cream, and two ices had been served and finished. He invited the men to join him for a smoke and port in the game room. Caroline led the ladies into the smaller sitting room.

“Lady Joan, would you play the pianoforte for us. Lady Joan plays exceptionally well,” Caroline said to the group.

“Miss Annie Upton has a lovely voice,” Mrs. Smitten interjected. “Perhaps she could accompany you, Lady Joan.

Joan nodded, but flashed a quick warning glance to Caroline. Caroline knew Joan would take her to task in the morning. First for seating her beside the Marquis, and then for placing her in front of the group and having her play. Joan was not pleased.

The men soon joined the ladies and all sat back to enjoy the music. Annie Upton had a surprisingly light, clear voice, and Joan as usual excelled in her playing of the pianoforte. The applause was long and sincere at the end. Shortly afterward the group began to disband, with the neighbors going home, and the house guests retiring for the night.

Caroline wished she could visit with her friends, but knew they were tired as she and it was best to wait until tomorrow.

She sent Agnes to bed after she had helped her into her nightgown. Caroline was sitting at her dressing table when Damon entered.

“That was quite an impressive dinner, my dear. I marvel at your ingenuity in the seating of our guests.”

Caroline glanced in the mirror at his reflection and thought for a second she caught a brief smile on his face. He was dressed in a ruby-colored robe, his dark hair tousled, and his beard beginning to show a slight darkness on his jaw. As always, he was handsome, but more than that he was exciting in his own stern way. She watched mesmerized as he picked up her brush and pulled it gently through her curls.

“Your profile was the first thing I noticed about you. Then you turned those gray eyes toward me, and I knew I had to have you.” Damon’s words were soft and caressing.

He put down the hair brush and placed his hands on her shoulders. His hands slid down and covered her breasts. The touch and heat of his hands brought a soft sigh from her. His lips trailed down her neck, and then he helped her stand and turned her to face him. He took hold of her waist and pulled her against his hard frame.

His lips covered hers and her arms went around his neck, pulling him closer against her near-naked body. His heat and the firmness of his body pressing against hers brought shivers of anticipation to Caroline. Leaning around her, he blew out the candles, lifted her, and carried her to the bed.

When Caroline awoke, the only sign that Damon had been beside her was the indentation on the other pillow. The sun shone bright, promising good weather for the early morning hunt planned for the men. She blushed thinking about last night.

Damon had not spoken after he took her to bed, at least not with words. His mouth and hands filled her with exquisite joy and she tried to touch the inner man Damon kept so guarded.

She swung her legs out of bed, forcing her thoughts away from the previous evening. If she hurried, she could talk with Sara and Joan before they went down for breakfast. Most of her women guests would lay abed until much later.

Sara and Joan were up and dressed when Caroline knocked. “I am glad to see I caught you. I prefer to talk with you in this room,” Caroline said.

“You sound very mysterious, Caroline,” Sara commented with a puzzled look on her face.

“I was so relieved when Damon said you two were coming. I desperately need someone I can trust to share my thoughts with, and I trust you two above all,” Caroline spoke bluntly.

Joan frowned. “I thought I could trust you, Caroline, but after last night I don’t know.”

“Joan, you don’t mean that,” Sara protested. “She is just out of sorts because she finds herself attracted to the marquis and doesn’t want to admit it.”

“I do not, Sara. You and Caroline are hopeless romantics, and you can’t accept that I have a more realistic view of the world.”

“Then you and the marquis should suit quite well,” Caroline commented dryly. “The marquis seems very serious and has been a recluse since his wife died. He is not at all the rakish type and would absolutely not need to marry for a woman’s income.”

“That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t expect complete obedience and control his wife at every turn. Thank you, but no. I have seen the type before. I really have no need for a man in my life.” Joan’s frown warned her friends to not meddle.

“Then I am truly sorry, and I will not try to push you and the marquis together again. He seems a sad man to me, and I thought you might bring some joy to his life.”