Wolfishly Yours (13 page)

“No,” Sophie sighed. “I haven’t seen Mr. Hadley this evening, either.”

Was he avoiding Livi after the scene they’d caused the night before? Apparently, though Livi would have thought he’d have at least sought her out to make an apology, especially after paying her a visit in her private chambers the night before.

“Now, turn around,” Sophie instructed.

Livi turned to look at herself in the mirror and gasped at the vision in green that met her eyes. Sophie had softened her hair by trimming some around the front and sides, and then Marie had swept the rest into an elegant mass of riotous curls held in place by silver combs that glimmered in the light of the candles placed about the room. One long curl draped over her bare shoulder.

She sucked in her stomach and turned to the side. “Are you certain it’s supposed to fit this way?” Livi asked. She had a bit more bosom on display than she’d ever shown to anyone in her life.

“I’m positive,” Sophie laughed. She stepped forward and arranged that single curl so that it lay more perfectly over Livi’s shoulder. “You look beautiful.”

“No one will say I look like a whore?” Livi asked, grimacing at her reflection in the mirror.

“Ladies do not say the word you just used, Livi,” Sophie scolded.

“Whore?” Livi repeated, certain she must look like a bumbling idiot.

“And she says it again,” Sophie muttered to herself as she shook her head. “Don’t use that word,” her tutor ordered.

“What do you call them?” Livi asked.

Sophie appeared to mull it over. “I don’t call them anything. Because a lady does not think of such things.”

“You never think of wh—”

“Livi!” Sophie barked.

Livi rolled her eyes. “Strumpets. Tarts. Loose women.”

“Strumpets, tarts, and loose women are none of your concern. Nor should they be part of your vocabulary,” Sophie informed her. “Focus on the matter at hand, will you? Appearing delicate and refined tonight is your singular concern.”

Livi snorted. “Delicate.”

Sophie sighed heavily. “You said you’re in this for the long haul, Livi. You said you are on a husband hunt, and I’m trying to help you. So stop saying words like that. Wipe them from your mind. Along with any other French curse words.”

“Yes, Sophie.” Livi would endeavor to forget all the words she’d heard every day of her life as she followed her brothers from place to place. Sophie had spent hours practicing dancing with her—playing the part of the man since neither Lord Radbourne nor Gray had turned up all day—until Livi could dance the waltz, the quadrille, and a few other dances she’d never heard of with relative ease. Sophie’s feet were probably aching from all the dancing. Livi knew hers were. “Thank you for all of your help,” Livi said softly.

“You’re quite welcome.” She smiled with a warmth that Livi was fast becoming accustomed to, where her new friend was concerned.

“You make me think I might actually pull this off.”

“I have no doubt of it.” Sophie pointed to Livi’s reflection in the mirror. “Look at you. You’re beautiful.”

She looked for the beautiful girl Sophie saw and couldn’t find her anywhere. She saw a girl playing dress-up in someone else’s clothes. Sophie had been nice enough to let her have one of her own gowns and had even altered the bodice to fit Livi so she could be appropriately dressed. And it fit reasonably well, even if it did show more flesh than was necessary.

“You shimmer like an emerald in that color,” Sophie assured her.

Livi thought she looked more like an artichoke. But perhaps it was the way the light hit the dress from a different angle. She’d take Sophie’s word for it.

“I do have something for you,” Sophie said quietly. “But if you get all weepy and make your eyes puffy, I won’t be able to forgive you.”

A present? For her? “You shouldn’t have done anything special for me.” Sophie had done enough as it was.

“I didn’t,” Sophie clipped out as she turned and retrieved a cask from the bedside. She held it out to Livi. “Go ahead. It won’t bite.” Livi reached for it, and Sophie jerked it back at the last moment. “But mark my words—no crying.”

“I promise,” Livi said quickly as she took the cask and sat down beside the vanity. She opened it slowly. Inside was a folded piece of parchment and two small pouches. She opened the note and read the short salutation quickly aloud to herself. “I thought you might like these. They belonged to your mother…” Her voice trailed off as she got to the end. “It’s from Grandfather.”

“No weeping!” Sophie said, her own eyes brimming with tears.

Livi pushed the note to the side and shook the contents of one black velvet bag into her hands. A gleaming pair of earbobs landed in her palm. Livi couldn’t breathe for a moment. They were beautiful. They were emeralds, almost the same color as her dress, fashioned with gold so that they would dangle from her ears. She opened the second bag and dumped the contents in her palm in much the same manner. A matching pendant on a gold chain necklace tumbled into her hand. She let the gold chain fall through her fingertips and regarded the pendant with awe. It was something of
Maman
’s. Her mother had worn this very necklace and earbobs. Livi swiped a tear from her cheek. “Will you put it on me?” she asked hesitantly.

Sophie hastened to her side. “Of course,” she said as she took the delicate chain and stepped behind Livi to clasp it behind her neck. Then she helped her don the earbobs. Livi gave her head a little shake, and the jewels at her ears shimmered and danced in the light with her movement.

“So beautiful,” Livi breathed.

Sophie squeezed her shoulder gently. “Yes, you are,” she affirmed.

A knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” Livi called absently as she bent to put on her slipper.

Lady Radbourne stepped over the threshold, and her dark eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, Liviana, you are as stunning as Grace ever was.”

Livi sniffed back a tear at that comment.

“My lady,” Sophie scolded, “I’ve been trying to keep her from crying.”

Lady Radbourne smiled broadly. “Yes, of course.” Then she pulled out a handkerchief from her reticule and offered it to Livi. “No puffy eyes, my dear. You want to be radiant when you walk through those doors tonight.”

Livi took the linen gratefully and dabbed at the corner of her eyes with the cloth.

“I thought it would be best if we arrived with Lord and Lady Eynsford. They’re awaiting us in the front parlor.”

“Eynsford?” Livi frowned. She had heard that name before, hadn’t she? It certainly sounded familiar.

Lady Radbourne nodded with enthusiasm, sending her dark curls bobbing about her shoulders. “Such a lovely couple. Lord Eynsford has taken a great interest in my sons’ welfare. Taken them under his wing, so to speak.”

The man Sophie was always threatening Lord Radbourne with. Livi knew the name sounded familiar. “Their older brother,” she added, putting the pieces together.

But a moment later, she wished she could call the words back. Lady Radbourne turned a bit red, and even Sophie’s eyes rounded in surprise. “Brother?” Sophie echoed. “You must be mistaken. There is no familial connection between the two families.”

Livi shook her head. Why were the two women behaving so strangely? “But I thought Gray said—”

“You must have misunderstood him,” Lady Radbourne hastened to explain. “And you mustn’t repeat such a thing, Liviana. Not ever.”

Somehow she’d made a mess out of things again, and she hadn’t meant to. Did she have the wrong gentleman in mind? The one who employed Sophie to tutor the Hadley brothers? She didn’t think so. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled for nothing better to say.

Sophie smiled and linked her arm with Livi’s. “No harm done. Let’s not speak of it again, all right?”

Livi nodded as her friend directed her over the threshold and then down the steps.

“You will love Lady Eynsford,” Sophie promised. “She told me she is most anxious to make your acquaintance.”

A moment later, Sophie ushered Livi into the front parlor where a golden couple awaited them. Both Lady and Lord Eynsford were blond, and the latter possessed a set of golden eyes that were nearly identical to Lord Radbourne’s. In fact, Lord Radbourne looked more like Lord Eynsford than he did Gray. The man before her was most certainly the one Gray had mentioned. He was their older brother, Livi had no doubt. So why had Sophie and Lady Radbourne tried to hide the fact?

Then the answer hit Livi like a great gust of wind. Gray had actually referred to the blond Lycan as their half brother. Lord Eynsford had been born on the wrong side of the blanket. Thank heavens she hadn’t mentioned his fraternal relationship with the brothers Hadley out in public. No wonder Sophie and Lady Radbourne had been so mortified. Gray should have warned her.

Lady Eynsford, a blond beauty with sparkling blue eyes, stepped forward and offered Livi her hand. “Miss Mayeux, I presume.” Her Scottish brogue floated over Livi like a warm caress.

Livi nodded. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh,” the lady gushed, “the pleasure is all mine. I am so glad ye’ll be ridin’ with us ta the Assembly Room.”

“Radbourne and Mr. Hadley have gone ahead of us,” the Lycan lord added. “We’ll meet them there.”

And when they did, Livi would have a few things to say to the elusive Grayson Hadley.

***

Gray tugged at his cravat. He might as well be a caged wolf for all the freedom he possessed in the Assembly Room. Gentlemen glanced at him in mild amusement and ladies giggled behind their fans. “Why am I even here?” he grumbled.

Archer frowned. “Because Dash ordered us here, that’s why.”

That was the truth of it. “I should have left for London last night before he arrived.”

His brother nodded in agreement. “Once again you should have listened to me. Now you are as stuck as I am. So try not to scowl at the ladies. After last night’s performance, you would do well to seem polite and more than a little sober.”

“Ah, Hadley!” A hand clapped Gray on the back. “I see you’ve washed the Avon from your person.”

Gray glanced over his shoulder to find Henry Siddington smirking. Until yesterday, Gray would have never given the man a second thought. Now he would gladly throw Siddington into the Avon and not feel a bit of remorse. Behind Siddington, Lord Robert Hayburn and his brother, the Marquess of Lavendon, both nodded a greeting in Gray’s direction.

“Washed the punch from his skin too,” Lord Robert laughed. Then he stepped forward with a conspiratorial glint in his eye. “Did you mean to douse that awkward chit with your punch, Hadley? Or was it an accident?”

Awkward chit? Gray ground his teeth together, but before he could respond, Archer cleared his throat. “It’s all Lavendon’s fault.”

The marquess scoffed good-naturedly. “I wasn’t even there, Radbourne.”

“No, but you made certain Grayson was more than deep in his cups before his arrival last night.”

Lavendon shrugged. “And here I thought you Hadley men could hold your liquor.”

“Liquor they can hold,” Lord Robert chortled. “It’s the punch they’re incapable of hanging on to.”

“I think I shall have to start attending musicales if they’re to be so entertaining,” Siddington chimed in. “Did Miss Mayeux actually say
nique
ta
mère
to you?”

Gray shook his head. “You are misinformed.”

“By everyone in attendance?” Siddington smirked again, and Gray had the overwhelming desire to smack the expression right from the jackass’ face. “I haven’t heard that phrase since I visited a Paris brothel some time ago. Where do you suppose she learned such a thing?”

Gray growled low in his throat, ready to pound Siddington right into the floorboards under his feet. But then the man’s expression changed to one of appreciation.

“I say,” Siddington murmured, “if she looks like that, she can say whatever she wants, just so long as she’s straddling me when she says it.”

Gray’s head snapped in the direction of the main entrance to find Livi beside Dash, Cait, and Lady Sophia. His mouth went dry, and he blinked at her as though seeing her for the first time. Radiant would have been an understatement.

“Close your mouth,” Archer muttered softly.

Siddington stood up straight and smoothed a hand down his waistcoat. “I did promise my cousin I would dance with her little friend.” That damned smirk was back in place on the blackguard’s face. “What trials I endure for family.” Then he glanced back at Lord Robert and Lavendon. “Do excuse me.”

Gray was about to block Siddington’s path, but Archer hissed in his ear, “Do
not
make another scene.”

“If he so much as thinks about Livi straddling any part of his person, I’ll kill him,” Gray growled. He watched closely as Siddington walked toward Livi, who was dressed in emerald green silk that shimmered under the lights of the chandelier like diamonds. He didn’t realize he’d said the word “diamond” aloud until Lavendon spoke.

“A diamond of the first water,” Lavendon murmured, “is nothing more than a lump of coal to some.” He sucked his front teeth in a most annoying manner.

“A duke’s son is nothing more than a lump of body parts, once he’s beaten to a pulp,” Gray muttered back.

“Beg your pardon, Hadley?” Lavendon said, straightening his stance and adjusting his jacket. He looked a bit like a peacock spreading his feathers.

“You heard me, Lavendon,” Gray snarled back, stepping toward the man. As he cocked his fist to punch the much-too-pretty man in the face, Archer grabbed his arm fiercely within his grip. Gray tried to jerk his elbow free, but Archer held it tightly. “Let me go, Arch,” Gray growled.

“You making a scene will not help her,” Archer said low enough for only Gray to hear. Gray and any other Lycan in the vicinity. He could already see Dash’s ears perking up at the comment. He sent one dark amber look toward them, one so fierce Gray almost wanted to tuck his tail between his legs and slink into a corner.

“Thank you,” Gray murmured to Archer as he lowered his arm and adjusted his own clothing. Then he leaned close to Lavendon and said clearly, “That lump of coal, as you so inaccurately described her, is mine. So stay away from her.” Then he bumped Lavendon’s shoulder hard with his and walked toward the lady in question. Lavendon stumbled under the assault but didn’t say another word.