Wildfire Kiss (7 page)

“Deuce take it, I forgot to tell him. Right then,
tell the lad it’s fine … tell Jack to find a place for the
coach and m’sister’s horses.”

“Papa, what have you done?” Babs asked with some
concern. “How could you, when we are at a wits end to keep above
water, take on this additional expense for the season?”

“For you, child … I asked her to come for
you …” he said quietly.

Babs sighed heavily and then clucked her tongue
before she ran into his arms. “Oh Papa … I do love you, and
although I know you hate that I have … written … that I
have … well … but it is pulling in quite a bit of
profit …”

“Hush …” he said with a warning eye.

At that moment the door knocker sounded resonantly,
and father and daughter stood stock still eying one another. Maudly
shook her head and went forward to open the door.

At the door stood Lady Jane’s postilion. He promptly
and correctly stepped aside to allow his mistress and her charge to
glide past him into the house’s central and dimly lit hall.

In an aside, Babs whispered to Maudly, “Do we have
guestrooms ready, Maudly?”

Maudly made a face, displaying her obvious
disapproval about anyone arriving at such an hour. However, chin
well up, she answered, “Of course.”

Babs loved her warm-hearted and very opinioned aunt,
but they were forever at odds. She had learned in her early years
that her aunt was a study in contradictions and could never be
easily ‘handled’.

Her aunt was already throwing orders about to her
driver and her groom with the luggage. Maudly had vanished and
returned at this juncture with a tray of biscuits and tea from the
pot she had already put up in anticipation.

“Oh, Maudly.” Lady Jane smiled at her genuine
warmth. “How very kind of you, and allow me to say how well and fit
you look. You may take the tray up to the Yellow room, where I
shall stay as always … so very kind.”

“Yes, mum.” Maudly made her a slight curtsy. “And
Miss can have the room next to Lady Babs …”

“Lovely,” said Aunt Jane.

Maudly had one more thing to say: “As it happens yer
rooms are ready … though I was not expecting you till
tomorrow.” So saying she went towards the stairs, her body
movements displaying her disapproval.

Babs witnessed this and had to stifle a giggle.

Lady Jane however did laugh and turned to her
brother. “Well, here we are.”

“The devil,” his lordship said under his breath.

Lady Jane was already hugging Babs in her arms and
then setting her apart to declare, “Heavens, Barbara … you are
quite a beauty!” She then waved this away and said, “Meet your
cousin, my late husband’s niece, Corrine Bretton.” Having made this
introduction, she moved off to link her long, lanky arm through her
brother’s.

Their conversation was lost on Babs, for she could
see that her aunt’s niece was blushing a bright shade of red. Babs
gave her a bright, welcoming smile and took her hand to lead her
upstairs, saying, “Come on … a cup of tea and a biscuit will
do you good—and me as well …”

“I am so sorry for arriving at such an hour …
but Aunt Jane insisted …” Corrine said softly as they went up
the stairs.

“Yes, poor Maudly. I am certain she had already gone
to bed, as we never expect her to wait up on us.” Babs smiled. “But
no one can control Aunt Jane. It is why my father and she rarely
visit one another.” She gave the newcomer an open appraisal. “Now
tell me, how is it we have never met before?”

“Long story,” Corrine answered and sighed.

Babs opened the door to Corrine’s room and said, “I
do hope you will be comfortable here. It is a lovely room of mauve
and greens, is it not?”

Babs stood back and watched her cousin with a soft
smile as Corrine moved about and said with pleasure, “Lovely.”

Babs put up a finger. “Wait a moment … I’ll go
to Aunt’s room and fetch us some little biscuits and tea … Go
on, sit and be comfortable.”

A moment later they were seated and sipping tea
while Babs set Corrine at ease by recanting an anecdote about her
aunt in previous years.

This immediately set the girls giggling
together.

Babs set down her empty cup and then went about the
room, showing her cousin where to store her things and babbling on,
hoping to set her at ease, for she could sense a certain reserve
about Corrine Bretton.

“Now,” said Babs, plopping in all her finery upon
the large bed and patting a place beside her. “Take off your
spencer and bonnet and be comfortable, and we shall have a very
short and more intimate chat before I let you sleep.”

“Oh, that would be nice, for now I am quite awake
and not ready to sleep at all,” said Corrine, finally taking off
her bonnet. She placed it, along with the spencer she shrugged off,
on a nearby chair.

She sat on the bed, and found Babs’ dark eyes on her
and asked with a smile, “What?”

“You look as though you think I am going to eat you
alive.” Babs giggled. “I am not such a terror.”

“It is not that at all … it is, well, I have
been closeted in a closed coach with Aunt Jane all day …”

“Oh my word! No need to go on—I quite understand,”
Babs said with a laugh. “So why precisely is she here? To curb my
wayward ways?”

Corrine smiled. “I think so, yes … are they
wayward?”

“Oh most definitely. But, I want to know about
you …”

Thus, Corrine found herself spilling not only all
her history but her points of views, her hopes, and her fears. The
next hour ended with them hugging one another fiercely.

Corrine sighed and plopped onto her back on the bed.
“And Auntie wants to launch me … look at me, Babs … I am
too tall, too thin, nowhere as exquisite as you—”

“Stop!” Babs exclaimed, making her sit up. “Listen
to me—you are beautiful! Just look at your hair … a mixture of
auburn and this tawny color, quite unique … all it needs is a
snip and a curl. I shall have my own dear Bess, who is very handy
with such things, put it right. Your figure is delicious—and tall
is what I have always wanted to be. We are going to Bond Street
tomorrow and set off your height and figure with just the right
things. I don’t think they knew what they were doing in New
York … with such clothes …” Babs chin swept the air in
the direction of Corrine’s traveling ensemble.

“Oh, these are not from New York but from a small
town near my finishing school … and I haven’t shopped for
gowns in ages …”

“Never mind all that. We shall set it to rights, and
there is also the fact that you are an heiress to catch the eye of
the beau monde—”

“I am not!” said Corrine hurriedly and with a
shocked expression.

“You have inherited, have you not?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“But nothing—
we are going to set the
ton
on fire!”

“Yes, but I don’t want men to chase me for my
inheritance!” Corrine wailed.

“They will, but you will lead them a dance, and you
will see through them all to the one man you must have …”

Corrine laughed. “I see now why Aunt is here—you do
need a controlling hand.”

“I do, I really do.” Babs laughed. “However, I shall
leave that to you, for I already adore you, Corry.”

“Corrine,” corrected Miss Bretton.

“No, Corry … ’tis so very familiar, and that is
what we will be from now on.” Babs got to her feet. “To
sleep … both of us. Tomorrow will be ever so exciting.”

“Babs … what about you … how is it you
haven’t … you aren’t …”

“I am Lady Barbara Waverly. I am expected to
marry … or rather, sell my name to the highest bidder, but I
have this little dream about marrying for love. And I shall, as
you shall
, but in the mean time, a little rumor to open the
lazy eyes of the
haute ton
is just what we need, do you
see?”

“No … no I do not …”

“Well, Corry dear, you shall …” Babs giggled
and left her newfound friend and cousin to her dreams.

Seven

BABS THOUGHT OF her new friendship with her cousin
Corry as putting the lyric to the tune. They shared a kindred
spirit, a sense of humor, and an appreciation of the ridiculous.
She found that they were from the start able to view life from the
same height, to turn to one another and laugh, or cry, and always
see the other’s mind.

Babs knew she tended to do the outrageous, the
bubbling, the naughty, and the impulsive, while Corrine would
observe it all from her seemingly placid exterior and thoroughly
enjoy herself. Babs also realized that her newfound friend wielded
a gentle hand of control over her. Babs was no fool—she knew she
needed a calming hand—and so did not mind in the least; in fact,
she welcomed it.

Babs also did what she had promised she would. A
word here, another there, never overstating, never doing more than
hinting, and the rumor began, so that when she told Otto her cousin
‘had something of an inheritance’, it grew upon itself in their
circle.

Thus it was that the rumor came back to her that the
lovely Miss Corrine Bretton was not only one of the season’s new
beauties, but she was
an heiress
!

And that was all that was needed.

Corrine’s dance card was constantly filled, and the
two cousins fluttered throughout society most enjoyably.

Babs did not see very much of the Duke of Barrington
that first week after their first dance together. She did, however,
bump into him briefly on two occasions in the park. Their first
accidental meeting allowed her to introduce him to her cousin.
After the second of those meetings, she turned to Corry and sighed.
“Is he not … the most handsome devil you have ever seen?”

“He is most certainly attractive … but in a
dangerous sort of way,” Miss Bretton said thoughtfully. “Never
say … you are genuinely interested in him?

“Interested? Oh Corry, more—much more. You see,”
Babs confided, “
I want him
.”

“Babs!” Miss Bretton squealed her objection.

“Oh I know what that sounds like, but I can’t help
it. I know it is quite impossible.” She sighed and said on a low
note, “You know, it is most unfair that men may go about flirting
and kissing and … and … all sorts of things with
impunity, but we must wait till we are married …”

“Hush, you silly thing, before someone hears you.”
Corry shook her head but could not repress a short laugh and a nod.
“But you are quite right … and it leaves us in a precarious
situation.”

“Yes, for we must marry in order to enjoy
the …”—Babs twinkled—“pleasures of the flesh, and what if we
don’t enjoy them … with the man we marry?”

“’Tis why so many married women have affairs …
like Lady Caroline and Lord Byron … and so many others who
have married for convenience and find satisfaction elsewhere. I
suppose that is our lot in life.” Corry sighed sadly.

“Well, it shouldn’t be, and I for one don’t mean to
abide by rules made by men for their own selfish gain.”

“You are quite right, but there is nothing we can
do …”

“There is, and we should do it. Look at what that
Godwin woman did … with her publication of
A Vindication of
the Rights of Woman
. In her work she actually indicated the
position of women in society, most notably describing marriage, as
legal prostitution. What do you think of that?”

“Babs, Babs … your father would die of an
apoplexy!” Corry laughed. “And I think that is coming it too
strong, don’t you?”

Lady Barbara sighed. “Well, yes, but something must
be done—if not, we risk being married off by our fathers to men we
can’t abide.” She clucked her tongue. “And all this bother doesn’t
really matter, because the man of my dreams—Lord Wildfire—doesn’t
even really look at me.”

“Yet, I noticed that he is not adverse to your
charms,” her cousin answered thoughtfully, and her hazel eyes
twinkled. “And you certainly did exhibit them as best as you could,
didn’t you?”

Her hand received a playful rap. “Horrid girl!” Babs
laughed amiably. “And how could I do that with everyone in Hyde
Park watching me speak with him?” She looked around and noted that
it was the fashionable hour; it seemed all of London’s
haute
ton
was out displaying themselves. She was heartily sick of it,
and then with a flutter of her heart she noticed Lord Wildfire had
just pulled up his black gelding to speak to another man on a
gray.

“Look!” exclaimed Babs, exerting control over her
fingers, which seemed to have a will of their own as they began to
point. It took extreme effort to keep them at her side.

Corry noted a juggler working a set of ripe apples.
Not far from him was a rather strange-looking gentleman balancing
himself on the ledge of the water fountain whilst his friends
cheered him on. “Yes,” she said, “Very odd …”

“Odd—why?”

At the tone of surprise in Babs’ voice, Corry turned
to see her cousin was looking not towards the juggler but in a
different direction altogether. “Oh …” she said once she
realized what had captured her cousin’s attention. “I should have
known only the Wildfire himself would catch your eye.”

Babs blushed and rolled her eyes but said, “No…with
him—the gentleman with him!”

Corry frowned and looked and said, “How, dearest,
could I know who the gentleman with him is if
you
don’t?”

“No, of course you wouldn’t. He has been rusticating
in the country. I have never been introduced to him, but he was
often about, and I did notice him before it all happened. Yes, yes,
his name is Sir Frederick. There was a tremendous
scandal …”

“Really? What sort of scandal?”

“I don’t repeat gossip like that. The poor man
suffered a great deal over it …”

“Too late—you have already told me there was a
scandal. You must now follow through.”

“Not now … here comes Lord Byron!” Babs said
with a happy smile as she watched the poet’s approach. He was of
average height, and while some women thought him handsome, she did
not. His gait was hindered by a considerable limp. He was well
dressed, but not in the ‘dandy’ style. She smiled to herself, for
he appeared to the world as though he were bored, but she had
enjoyed his company enough to know it was not that … not at
all. She gave him a welcoming wave.