Three Weddings and a Kiss Part 27

"I hadn't considered it."

The path became narrower, more intimate, another world away from the bustling, busy city of London. Unnerved by the silence, Lidian asked abruptly, "Lord De Gray, are you planning to make an advance?"

He laughed, stopping and turning her to face him. "Would you like me to?"

"No, it's just that...if you are, I would rather have done with it right away, instead of worrying about it!"

His voice was soft and amused. "You have the least patience of any female I've ever encountered, Miss Acland."

"I'm a very patient person. Just not where you're concerned."

"Why is that?"

"You make me so...so..." She floundered for the right word and finally settled for "annoyed."

"Really." She saw the flash of his white teeth in the darkness. "Well, in the future I'll try to be more agreeable. And since you seem to be so eager for my advances..." He bent down to her and brushed a kiss on her lips, as light and soft as the touch of a b.u.t.terfly's wing. Drawing back, he smiled at her. "Now your adventure is complete."

Lidian laughed, rea.s.sured by his casual gesture. "Thank you," she said, meaning it sincerely. He had accomplished the impossible, turning one of the worst nights of her life into something quite enjoyable. Tomorrow she would pick herself up and go on with her life. And from now on she wouldn't be naive. She would never let a man take advantage of her again.

De Gray stared into her upturned face and lightly fingered a lock of hair that dangled at her temple. "I'll take you home now."

After he brought her back to De Gray House in his carriage, Lidian reached her room the same way she had left, through the servants' door and up the back stairs. It wouldn't be long until dawn. She knew she would be exhausted for the approaching day, but she didn't care. She undressed and slipped into bed, pulling the covers high beneath her chin. Later she would think about Chance, about how he had looked and all he had said, but for now her thoughts were filled with fireworks and music...and the memory of Eric De Gray's arms around her. "I'll see you soon," Eric had said with a teasing glint in his eyes as they had parted tonight. "Just to make certain you're recovering."

She knew he was referring to her unpleasant experience at Craven's tonight and her feelings about Chance. "I intend to recover very quickly," she had a.s.sured him. "I have no illusions left about men. I won't ever make such mistakes again."

"So cynical," he had mocked, and left her with a grin.

During the next month there was no word from Chance, nor did Lidian expect there to be. She would have preferred to have a great deal of time alone, to reflect on her past and why she had been so vulnerable to a man like Chance, but the De Grays kept her constantly busy with parties and musical evenings, afternoon calls, and carriage rides through Hyde Park. She was becoming acquainted with the circles of Julia's and Dollie's friends, most of them likable and accomplished women. Her mother seemed happier than she had been in a long time, and Lidian realized how much Elizabeth had missed all the social activities they had enjoyed so many years ago.

Eric De Gray came to visit every few days, and in spite of her efforts to remain indifferent, Lidian found herself looking forward to his arrivals. Her heart beat faster every time she heard his deep voice in the entrance nail, and when she went to greet him, she was aware of the insolent but flattering glances he cast down the length of her body. His manner with her was friendly and teasing, similar to his relations.h.i.+p with Dollie.

On one of De Gray's visits, he lounged in the parlor with Dollie and Lidian, reminiscing with his sister about their childhood escapades, particularly the time they had stolen the gardener's clippers and applied their budding artistic talents to resculpting the hedges in the formal garden. "Poor Edward," Dollie exclaimed, laughing, "he was punished along with the two of us."

"Even though he had nothing to do with it?" Lidian asked in surprise.

"Our parents never discriminated among their children," Dollie replied. "If one was naughty, the others were spanked as well."

"Edward never complained, though." An absent smile crossed De Gray's face. "He was the responsible one, always helping to pull us out of our sc.r.a.pes, sharing our beatings for things he didn't do."

"What a dear he was," Dollie exclaimed, smiling as she brushed a sudden tear from her eye. "I miss him. Do you still think of him often, Eric?"

De Gray's smile faded, and he picked a stray thread from the soft wool of his trousers. "Always." He kept his face averted and changed the subject. "Would the two of you care to join me in a ride through Hyde Park tomorrow morning?"

"Oh, yes," Dollie said instantly.

Lidian hesitated. She considered any number of excuses but finally settled for the truth. "Thank you, but I'd rather not. I don't ride very well." It had been years since she had ridden a thoroughbred, and certainly nothing comparable to the quality of the mounts in the De Gray stables.

"We'll find a gentle horse for you," De Gray said. "There's a five-year-old in the stables named Lady." His eyes twinkled as he added, "A quieter and more responsive female I have yet to meet."

Dollie laughed and pretended to pummel him for his remark while Lidian shook her head. "My riding habit is old and sadly out of style, and besides-"

"Oh, do borrow one of mine!" Dollie exclaimed.

"But I can't-"

"No arguments," De Gray said softly.

Before Lidian could reply, Dollie left the room, saying, "I have just the thing, a black habit, form-fitting, with a blue scarf. I'll go see about it now!"

"Wait," Lidian called after her, but the girl didn't seem to hear. Nonplussed, Lidian gave De Gray a wry smile. "Well, it seems I'm going to ride with you tomorrow."

"You'll enjoy it."

A silence fell over them. It was their first opportunity to talk privately since the night at Vauxhall. "What did, your brother look like?" Lidian asked suddenly. "I've never seen a portrait of him."

"I have one that was painted of the three of us-Edward, Dollie, and me-when we were much younger. It was my mother's favorite. She had it taken down five years ago when he died. She said she couldn't bear to look at it. It's at my town house now."

"I'd like to see it someday," Lidian said without thinking, and then colored. It sounded as if she were angling for an invitation.

He laughed at her discomfort. "That could be arranged."

She hesitated and asked quietly, "How did it happen?"

Eric understood that she was referring to Edward's death. "A riding accident. He fell during a jump he never should nave tried." He stood and walked about the room, pausing to examine the figurines on the fireplace mantel. He glanced at Lidian swiftly. It wasn't easy talking about Edward, but something in her warm brown eyes encouraged him to continue. "I've thought about him every day since. He and I were nearly inseparable. G.o.d knows I never wanted to step into his shoes. At times I-" He stopped and closed his hand around one of the figurines, his fingers gentle on the fragile porcelain. "I wonder if I'll spend the rest of my life being a poor imitation of Edward."

"Surely no one's asked you to," she murmured.

Eric shrugged. "Edward was meant to be the next earl and to manage the family's affairs and produce the heirs my father wants. He was born for it, not I. While Edward always made the highest marks at school and conducted himself honorably, I spent my time playing pranks and chasing after barmaids....And now I find myself trying to live up to the d.a.m.nably high standards my brother set." Eric smiled crookedly. "One of my former friends actually called it a 'stroke of luck,' losing Edward. I've never given a d.a.m.n about the family fortune or the t.i.tle. I feel as if I've stolen it all from him somehow." Eric set down the figurine while a wash of uncomfortable heat built beneath his cravat. He hadn't meant to say so much...he'd never talked so freely about Edward to anyone. Sensing Lidian's small presence nearby, he turned and discovered that she was standing just behind him.

Her face was soft with compa.s.sion. "If Edward couldn't be the one to take care of the family, I'm sure he would want you to. And I know without a doubt that you'll do very well at it."

Eric stared at her wordlessly. Lidian Acland wasn't like any of the shallow, giggling young flirts he had met or like the coolly sophisticated society lionesses his friends had married. She was honest, caring, sincere-and so beautiful that he almost hurt with wanting her. Admittedly she had faults, most notably her stubbornness, but that was fitting justice. Things had always come too easily to him. He had never had to wait for anyone or anything in his life, and now he was finally having to learn patience. G.o.d grant me the strength, he thought wryly, longing to cup the smooth curves of her cheeks in his hands and kiss her.

Instead, he flicked the tip of her chin with his finger in a careless gesture. "Have you heard from Spencer?" he murmured, much as he might have asked Dollie about one of her admirers.

Her thick black lashes lowered. "No. I've spoken to my mother about him, though. I told her I'd heard through the grapevine that Chance had returned. I said I had no further interest in him....She was relieved, of course, and said that I deserved better than Chance." Her gaze fell to her hands, her fingers twisting together. "Do you still see him at your club?"

"Occasionally." Eric refrained from telling her that Chance had established himself as an arrogant young a.s.s. Apparently he was earning a reputation as a das.h.i.+ng blade about town. There were frequent rumors concerning his affairs, gambling debts, and even a duel over some aristocrat's wife. As far as Eric knew, few men claimed to respect or even like Chance Spencer, although there always seemed to be a few dandies and wastrels hanging about him. "Is it true, what you said to your mother?" he asked. "Do you have any further interest in him?"

Lidian was spared from having to reply by Dollie's timely interruption, announcing that she had found the perfect riding habit and that Lidian must come try it on at once.

In London society there was no more eagerly awaited harbinger of spring than Lord and Lady Blasedale's annual ball. "They always stage a treasure hunt," Dollie informed Lidian breathlessly, "and all the guests are given the same clue. Last year the prize was a ruby necklace, and the year before a diamond brooch! This is the first year I'll be allowed to partic.i.p.ate. Wouldn't it be exciting if either of us was to find the treasure?"

Lidian smiled at the thought. "Yes, it would-although I rather doubt I would be the one to discover it."

"One never knows," Dollie said, and spent all afternoon speculating on what the treasure could be.

The Blasedales' huge, ungainly mansion seemed to occupy half of Upper Brook Street with its stalwart granite-and-marble facade of carved cherubim and seraphim. Its many fountains were filled with statues of dolphins, winged horses, and other fantastical figures, while each wall was covered with scenes of mythology and history.

Lidian was dressed in her best gown, the green-and-white satin. A strand of pearls borrowed from Lady De Gray had been twined through her dark hair. Her mother and the De Grays had praised her appearance tonight, saying she had never looked so beautiful. But it was Eric De Gray's opinion she was looking forward to the most. "I'm positive he'll be there," Dollie had a.s.sured her earlier in the day, and Lidian had crossed her fingers hopefully. She couldn't explain exactly why she wanted to see him so much, but she was giddy with antic.i.p.ation.

Just before the De Grays had left for the ball, a pristine white box had arrived for Lidian, containing a perfect pink-and-white orchid. There was no message on the enclosed card, only the engraved name of Lord Eric De Gray. Under the smiling regard of the entire family, Lidian had flushed in pleasure and fastened the orchid to her bodice.

Occasionally she touched the fragile petals of the flower as she talked with the other guests at the ball. They were congregating in the ballroom, awaiting an announcement from Lady Blasedale. Lidian's gaze swept the room in search of De Gray, but to no avail. Just as she began to think he might have decided not to attend, he appeared at her side. He was dressed in buff-colored pantaloons, a well-tailored black coat, and a crisp white cravat. "Miss Acland," he said, his eyes gleaming warmly, and he raised her gloved hand to his lips.

"Thank you for the orchid," Lidian said softly. "If s beautiful."

"It doesn't do you justice." His gaze moved over her in a quick, almost proprietary sweep.

She gave him a shy smile. "Your family seems to think you have taken an interest in me."

"What do you think, Miss Acland?"

She hesitated and said softly, "I'm not certain."

Before he could reply, Lady Blasedale appeared before the a.s.sembled guests. The black plumes fastened in her gray hair bobbed merrily as she nodded her thanks for their applause. "Welcome, dear guests, to our annual ball! Tonight we will share a delightful repast, and later I hope the young people will dance until their slippers are worn, but for now-our treasure hunt." She paused as many guests, especially the females, cheered their approval. "The treasure this year is an emerald bracelet." She smiled as she heard the rustle of pleased murmurs. "I have but one clue to offer you as to its location. As you search through the mansion, bear in mind the number four." She held up four pudgy fingers to emphasize the point and beamed at them. "Good luck to you all, and if anyone tires of the hunt, please join us for refreshments as we await the outcome. We shall alert you when the bracelet has been found by ringing this bell." She indicated a large silver bell and pulled a silk cord, sending a loud musical peal throughout the room. "The treasure hunt has begun!"

The guests scattered immediately, one man pausing to examine the fourth spindle on the staircase, someone else heading for the fourth picture in the art gallery, and others going to investigate such objects as the fourth pot in the kitchen and the fourth room in a particular hallway. Dollie came to Lidian, her eyes bright with excitement. "Come, let's hurry!" she exclaimed. "I have some ideas about where it could be."

Lidian glanced up at Eric. "Will you join us in the treasure hunt, my lord?"

He laughed and snook his head. "I have every confidence that you and Dollie will find the bracelet. I'll pa.s.s the time in the billiards room with friends-"

"And come out reeking of smoke and brandy," Dollie interjected, shaking her head disapprovingly.

Eric gave her an innocent look, as if unjustly accused, and headed toward the billiards room.

Eagerly Dollie tugged Lidian out of the ballroom. "Let's go upstairs," she said. "I happen to know a thing or two about Lady Blasedale. She loves to do needlework, and she has a special sewing room for it. The bracelet could be hidden there or perhaps in the nursery. The Blasedales dote on their children and grandchildren."

"I'll investigate the sewing room," Lidian said.

"I'll locate the nursery, then."

Sharing Dollie's enthusiasm, Lidian hurried to match her pace as they ascended the long staircase. They split apart at the top of the stairs and went on their individual missions.

Just as Eric reached the billiards room, a sixth sense prompted him to glance over his shoulder. A dark figure moved in his field of vision, a man walking through the entrance hall.

"Come in for a drink, De Gray," someone from inside the billiards room called. It was his friend George Seaforth, his face flushed to a shade of red that clashed with his ruddy hair. Eric threw an absent smile in Seaforth's direction. "Later. I believe I'll join the treasure hunt after all."

"I'll wager he's searching for something other than the bracelet," Seaforth remarked, and there was a scattering of laughter as Eric departed. He made his way to the entrance hall and stared at the man, who had already reached the top of the stairs. Eric couldn't be positive of his ident.i.ty, but he had a fair idea. "Spencer," he muttered, his jaw tightening.

Having found Lady Blasedale's sewing room, Lidian ventured inside and scrutinized the small wooden table and the covered embroidery hoops arranged in a row. Each piece of work was in a varying stage of completion. She checked beneath the fourth hoop from the left and the fourth from the right, finding nothing beneath them. Next she searched through the baskets of colored silk thread that were neatly piled on chairs and footstools. To her disappointment, the bracelet wasn't there. As she prowled around the room, trying to think of anything she had left unchecked, she became aware that someone was standing in the doorway. She turned toward the intruder with an inquiring smile...until she heard his voice.

"The only treasure worth finding in this place is you"

Her face turned stiff, and she suddenly felt cold. "What do you want, Chance?"

5.

Chance gave her a wicked smile, the one he had always employed to charm his way into getting whatever he wanted. His striking presence, so elegantly dark, seemed to fill the room. "I want to talk with you."

"It's too late for that," she said in a low voice. "Once I might have been interested in what you have to say-but no longer."

He laughed gently. "Don't be angry with me, darling. You have every right to be upset about my past behavior, but I deserve a chance to explain-"

"You deserve nothing," she said fiercely. "And I don't give a fig for your explanations."

"Don't you?" He smiled again, his gaze seeming to take in the disturbed quickness of her breath, the rising flush on her face. "You're not indifferent to me, Lidian, although you're trying hard to convince yourself of it."

"You're right," she said, her eyes glittering. "I'm not indifferent. I hate you because of what you've taken from me."

He appeared momentarily startled. "What have I taken, pray tell?"

She shook her head, refusing to explain. "Just stay away from me. I wish never to see you again."

"How can you say that? Don't you remember what we shared? We were in love with each other, Lidian."

"I thought so," she said, wiping a hot tear that had suddenly trickled down her cheek. "But apparently we were both in love with you."

He made a soft sound and moved forward, intending to comfort her. Lidian stepped back, nearly stumbling over a large basket of spools. "Stay away!"

"Let me remind you how it was between us, and then we'll talk. Come into my arms, darling." He paused, however, as he saw the change in her face and realized that she was staring over his shoulder at someone else who had just arrived.

Were she not so upset, Lidian might have laughed at the way Chance spun around to see Eric De Gray standing there. Ineffectually Chance tried to dismiss him. "De Gray," he said in a pleasant, man-to-man tone, "as you can see, you've stumbled onto a private scene. If you wouldn't mind leaving-"

"Get out," Eric said, his face as hard as a blade.

Chance's mouth fell open in shock. "You don't understand-"

"Out," Eric repeated, staring at him without blinking.

Completely unnerved, Chance began another faltering protest and cast a bewildered glance at Lidian. She turned away from him, wiping her wet cheeks. She heard him leave, the click of the latch as the door was closed. She had never felt quite so defeated, so weary. Perhaps later she would be embarra.s.sed to recall that Eric De Gray had witnessed the humiliating scene, but for now she was numb. With an unsteady sigh, she looked up at Eric. "Thank you," she whispered. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a few minutes."

Strangely, he seemed angry with her. "You little fool," he said roughly, ignoring her request. "You know he's a worthless b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Why can't you let go of him?"

Lidian stared at him through a screen of wet lashes. "Chance came to me at the time I was most vulnerable. He spun all sorts of beautiful dreams, and made me believe in them. And when he abandoned me, everything withered away, and I was left with much less than I had before. Now I don't trust my own judgment." She tried to set her trembling jaw and failed. "I don't know what love is anymore....I thought I did, and I was wrong. All I'm certain of is that I don't want to be hurt again."

"Everyone is hurt, sooner or later. You can't be so d.a.m.ned fragile that you let one man destroy all your trust." As Lidian turned away from him, Eric stopped her. He was close enough that his warm breath touched her temple, and she sensed his tremendous power held tightly in check. "You don't know how much I want to seduce you," he said, his tone quiet and fierce. "I could make you feel things you've never dreamed of.... I could make you forget everything except the pleasure you feel in my arms. But I'm not going to take advantage of you. That would make me no better than Spencer. You'll have to come to me, Lidian, when you finally let go of your illusions and decide what you want."

She jerked back in annoyance. "There's no need to speak to me as if I were a child!"

"You are still a child, in many ways. But that doesn't stop me from loving you."