A Season of Romance Page 15

  ‘You make a fair point.’ Mama looked increasingly distressed, and Adela inwardly cursed Daniel for putting pressure on a frail old lady. ‘Oh dear, I am not sure what to think.’

  ‘Depend upon me to find my own way, Mama. I can assure you that the attentions of a few fortune-hunters will not turn my head. You can be of inestimable help by not encouraging Daniel to think there is any hope for him, since there most decidedly is not.’ She squeezed her mother’s hand. ‘I do not return Daniel’s supposed feelings for me, so he would be best advised to look elsewhere. I want what you and Papa had, and I am determined not to marry for anything other than the deepest love.’

  Mama gave a sad little smile. ‘I was very fortunate, I’ll grant you. I just wish your papa was still with us. He would know what to do.’

  ‘I share that wish. However, we must cope as best we can without him.’

  ‘You are so very sensible. I am sure I didn’t harbour two clever thoughts at a time when I was your age. I was far too busy enjoying myself. Now, where is my shawl? I had best go down and make sure everything is being done properly.’

  ‘Don’t trouble yourself. All the preparations are in hand and you and I will just be in the way if we try to interfere. Why don’t you stay up here and rest? It will be a long night. If there are any problems, I will deal with them.’

  ‘Perhaps I shall, my dear. I had quite forgotten just how tiring society’s demands can be. Engage your aunt’s services if there are difficulties. She will make sure that everything is as it should be.’

  ‘No need, Mama. I am well able to manage and will check with Talbot now. Then I am going out for a short time. I have business with Mr Carver.’

  Mama did not ask what business. ‘Don’t be gone too long, my dear. You must not tire yourself. You may have a great deal more energy than I do, that’s undeniable, but the demands of the London season can wear down the hardiest of souls.’

  Adela issued the necessary reassurances, kissed her mother’s brow and went to her own room to put on her pelisse and bonnet. She didn’t bother to ring for Bess, about whose loyalties she was still highly suspicious.

  By the time she went downstairs again, Harker was waiting outside the front door with the curricle. He helped her into it and drove off at a brisk trot as soon as she had settled herself. Adela glanced back at her house and noticed her aunt’s face pressed against the glass of her bedroom window. For some reason, the sight caused a shiver to travel down her spine.

  Mr Carver received her with great civility. Adela was pleased to see that his offices were once again in pristine order, all signs of the burglary eradicated. She sat across from the lawyer and explained exactly how she would like her property disposed of in the event of her death.

  ‘You cannot make your own will until you reach your majority,’ he explained to her, ‘but as your trustee, you can give me written instructions regarding your wishes and in the unhappy of event of it becoming necessary, I shall ensure they are adhered to.’

  ‘I assume that my circumstances are somewhat unconventional.’

  ‘A little, perhaps, but it doesn’t follow that they cannot be controlled. You have done the right thing in exercising caution and have explained yourself most succinctly. Leave the matter with me. I will draw up the necessary document for you to sign and contact you again when we are ready to take that step.’

  Adela thanked him, offered him her hand and left his office with a spring in her step. She felt more in control now, ready to face the world again.

  ‘Oh my goodness!’ Adela cried when her gaze fell upon Harker. Instead of greeting her with his habitually cheerful smile, he was slumped against a wall, struggling to breathe. Blood poured from the side of his head.

  ‘Mr Harker, are you all right?’ She rushed up to him and placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. ‘What the devil happened to you?’

  He grimaced, reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and held it to what at closer quarters appeared to be just a small cut. She breathed a little easier when she recalled that head wounds tended to bleed profusely.

  ‘Come and sit inside until you recover,’ Adela said anxiously. ‘What happened?’ she asked for a second time.

  ‘Some snivelling coward crept up on me from behind and threatened me with a dagger.’ Harker growled the words, clearly more concerned about being caught unawares than by the injury he had sustained.

  What did he want?’

  ‘Didn’t give him a chance to say. He made the mistake of standing too close behind me. I simply elbowed him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, which forced him to drop his knife and scarper.’ He pulled the knife in question from his pocket and brandished it.

  ‘Who was it?’ Adela felt very concerned. ‘And why did he attack you in broad daylight in the middle of a busy street? He took a terrible risk. To say nothing of the fact that you could have been killed.’

  ‘Nah.’ Harker shrugged the suggestion off, reinforcing Adela’s impression that the main damage had been to his pride. ‘Like I say, the moment I fought back, he took to his heels.’

  ‘Did you recognise him?’

  ‘Afraid not. I only saw his back view and then just fleetingly. He disappeared around that corner. There was nothing distinctive about him. Could have been anyone. I didn’t go after him, just in case there was another cove waiting to nab you the moment you came out.’ Harker removed his handkerchief from the wound that had now stopped bleeding and scowled. ‘I reckoned that was the idea. Get me out of the way and you’d be fair game.’

  ‘I am not quite as helpless as I appear.’ But Adela shuddered, aware that she would be no match for a stronger and more determined opponent, especially if taken unawares. ‘Are you well enough to drive, Mr Harker?’

  ‘Course I am, m’lady. It’ll take more than a pin-prick to stop me doing me duty. Besides, I shall have to explain myself to his lordship.’

  ‘This is nothing to do with him.’

  Harker chortled. ‘You tell him that, if you dare. I know better than to keep important stuff from him.’

  Adela smiled when the big man’s shoulders shook with mock terror. ‘Very well then, let’s return to Eaton Square, where you can be properly looked after. After that, you must do whatever you think best.’

  Adela spent the short journey wondering about this latest worrying development. Who knew that she had planned to call upon Mr Carver that morning? The immediate answer was no one other than her aunt. Despite everything, she really didn’t want to think that Daniel would stoop to attempted abduction, seduction…murder even. There again, if his mother had told him about Adela’s stark determination to remain in control of her own fortune, that could well have set a vindictive man off in pursuit of vengeance.

  Would Daniel really be stupid enough to attack a strong man like Harker in broad daylight in the middle of a respectable neighbourhood? But who else could it have been? Anyone who thought she had proof of the traitor’s identity could have followed them, she supposed. Much as she hated to make the admission, Ezra was in the right of it. She was in danger. Nervous, on edge and fighting mad. Something needed to be done to resolve the situation, otherwise she would be constantly looking over her shoulder.

  Back at Eaton Square, everything appeared to be under control. She found her mother and aunt taking tea together in the morning room and joined them. There was no sign of Daniel, which suited Adela. She would much prefer not to see him ever again.

  ‘There you are, my dear.’ Mama lifted her face in expectation of receiving a kiss. Adela duly obliged. ‘Did you get matters agreed?’

  ‘Yes, thank you. The weather is lovely, and I enjoyed the drive.’ She focused her gaze upon her aunt as she spoke. ‘The spring flowers are blooming everywhere. We drove back through the park. They are quite beautiful.’

  ‘Our own gardens are looking lovely, too,’ Mama agreed. ‘But I have yet to take a turn in them.’

  ‘We will do so together tomorrow,’ Adela promised.
‘You will enjoy the little pond.’

  Her aunt remained distracted and took little part in the conversation. Adela helped herself to tea. When they had finished, all three ladies went up to dress for the party.

  Adela had already instructed Bess to prepare her green satin evening gown, and when she entered her room she had the satisfaction of seeing it free of creases. Bess fussed with hot water while Adela stepped out of her petticoats and then attended to her ablutions.

  ‘Such an upheaval downstairs as never was seen, my lady,’ Bess said, appearing keen to chatter. ‘I’m sure you must be that excited.’

  Adela suspected Bess of…well, something. Disloyalty being at the top of her list, although why Bess would risk such a prime position by displaying anything other than fierce protectiveness towards Adela’s interests she could not have said. The first thing she had done upon returning to her room was to check her escritoire and satisfy herself that the lock had not been tampered with. As far as she could ascertain, it remained untouched.

  ‘I am beside myself,’ Adela said, and to some degree it was true. She did feel excited to be opening up her home to society’s elite, and was determined not to let those who wished her harm spoil her enjoyment.

  After washing her hands and face, Adela stepped into the petticoats that Bess held out for her and breathed in as Bess laced her into her short corset. Then came the gown, a floating creation in Venetian crepe over a white satin under-dress. There were three rows of shell-scalloped lace ornaments adorning the low neckline and hem, each bordered with variegated laurel. The design left her shoulders, back and bosom on display, more graphically than was perhaps customary for a young woman who had not been presented. But Adela was determined to forge her own path. Her bust was arguably her best feature, and she didn’t see why she shouldn’t show it off. If it caused raised eyebrows or earned her a reputation for being unconventional, she didn’t have the energy to care.

  Bess dressed her hair in a waterfall of artfully dishevelled curls. A twisted band of variegated laurel matching the decoration on her dress formed a green tiara that nestled towards her forehead, keeping the curls in question more or less in place. She was aware that she would never be beautiful, but she could create her own style and make the best of what she had to offer.

  ‘You look lovely, my lady,’ Bess said.

  Adela glanced in the full-length glass and was obliged to agree that she had never looked more mature, more self-aware—mischievous even. It would take more than two attempts on her life in two days to quell her spirit. She wondered if Ezra would approve of what he saw, then reminded herself that she was not attempting to impress him.

  She absolutely was not!

  ‘You know, Bess, I rather think that I do.’ She pulled on her gloves and picked up her fan. ‘Thank you for your efforts.’

  She walked through the door that Bess opened for her, head held high, ready to face whatever the evening had to offer.

  *

  Ezra tried to decide how early he should arrive at Adela’s soiree, aware that the more punctual he was, the more the speculation regarding his intentions would increase. On the other hand, he felt distinctly uneasy about leaving her unprotected for too long, even in her own home crowded with members of his own set. Especially then. He knew very well that crowds made a useful cover for those with disreputable intentions.

  He hadn’t made up his mind when his butler told him that Harker needed to see him on a matter of extreme urgency. Ezra’s anxieties racketed up a notch.

  ‘Send him up,’ Ezra barked.

  Harker appeared in the doorway to Ezra’s dressing room minutes later. There was a small cut on the side of his face and his expression was dour. His concerns increasing, Ezra dismissed his valet.

  ‘What happened?’ he asked, the moment he and Harker were alone.

  Ezra’s frown grew darker as Harker told him.

  ‘I had to stop close to a corner,’ he finished up by explaining. ‘There was nowhere else where the curricle wouldn’t have blocked the road. The attacker crept around that corner and came at me from behind. He wouldn’t have caught me unawares otherwise.’

  ‘You are relatively unharmed?’

  ‘So is he, more’s the pity,’ Harker growled with indignation. ‘Couldn’t risk going after him and leaving Lady Adela unprotected.’

  ‘You did the right thing.’ Ezra took a moment to gather his thoughts and slide his arms into his coat. ‘You sure you didn’t catch a glimpse of him?’

  ‘Afraid not. Average height, average build. Only saw his back for a second.’

  ‘Could it have been Lady Adela’s cousin?’

  ‘It could, but then it could have been a dozen other people, too.’

  ‘Right. This business has gone on for long enough. It’s time to bring it to an end.’

  ‘What do you need me to do?’

  ‘Watch Lady Adela like a hawk all the time I’m not at her side. The rest of the time, don’t let that cousin of hers out of your sight. He’s up to something, and he’s getting less and less subtle about it. I want to know everything he does. Everyone he talks to. Are we clear?’

  ‘Crystal, m’lord.’

  ‘Right. Thank you, Harker. You did your best to protect Lady Adela, and don’t seem to be too worse for wear as a consequence.’

  ‘It’s only me pride what’s hurt.’

  You’re recover.’ Ezra grinned at his old retainer. He then examined his reflection, straightened his cuffs and was ready to set the plan that circumstances had forced upon him into action.

  Half an hour later, Ezra arrived at Eaton Square before the earliest guests could be expected. He asked Adela’s butler to inform Lady Gantz that he required an urgent word in private. Talbot showed no reaction, other than to take Ezra’s outdoor garments and ask him to wait in the morning room.

  ‘I shall inform her ladyship,’ he intoned, closing the door softly behind him.

  Lady Gantz did not keep him waiting. ‘Lord Bairstow,’ she said breathlessly as she walked into the room, impeccably attired for the evening ahead. ‘This is an unexpected pleasure.’

  ‘I apologise for intruding when I know you are expecting a houseful of guests.’

  ‘You are always welcome.’ She motioned him to a chair. He waited until she had seated herself before taking it. ‘How can I help you?’

  Lady Gantz’s face broke out into a broad smile when Ezra told her. ‘By all means,’ she said. ‘Yes, indeed. Absolutely. I could not be happier.’

  With their business swiftly concluded, Lady Gantz excused herself. Ezra loitered in the morning room until he heard voices and then wandered into the entrance vestibule, watching as Lady Gantz and Adela received their guests. Ezra’s breath caught in his throat when he caught sight of Adela in a very becoming and highly revealing gown that displayed her charms a little too graphically for his comfort.

  Ripon and his mother loitered to one side, glasses in hand. Ezra sensed that they wanted to be a part of the receiving line but chose not to risk a rebuff from Adela by joining it. Ripon looked shocked, and his expression turned thunderous when he saw Ezra emerge from the morning room. Ezra cast him a dismissive look as he sauntered up to Adela.

  ‘Lord Bairstow.’ She dipped a curtsey. ‘Where did you spring from? I did not see you arrive.’

  ‘I came early to speak with your mother.’

  She blinked at him. ‘Good heavens, what on earth for? Mama’s maid told me she had come down early to receive a visitor, but I had no idea it was you.’

  He took her arm. ‘Your mother can do the receiving. Walk with me.’

  He took her elbow and gave her little choice. ‘Be careful. Everyone is watching us.’

  ‘Which is exactly what I want them to do.’ He grinned at her. ‘Look happy. I have just asked for and received permission from your mother to call upon you.’

  ‘You have what?’ Adela stopped walking, snatched her elbow from his grasp and glared up at him with her mouth hanging o
pen. She could not have looked more shocked if he’d stripped naked in front of her and danced across the room.

  ‘I like to do things properly,’ he said, grinning at her discomposure. She was probably the only girl in London who would not have been delighted by his behaviour.

  ‘Have you taken complete leave of your senses? Everyone will now think that we are on the point of becoming engaged.’

  ‘Exactly! Then perhaps they will stop trying to kill you.’

  She swallowed. ‘A noble sacrifice, my lord, but I have no desire to marry you.’

  ‘Marriage may not appeal to you, but you most definitely desire me.’

  ‘Stop looking so smug, you irritating man. Even if what you say is true, you could hardly expect me to confess to it.’

  ‘I don’t see why not. You are frank enough about most things. At least admit that you are curious.’

  ‘I shall admit no such thing.’ She sent him an arch smile, full of disobedience. ‘Your conceit needs no help from me. Anyway, why have you taken such a ridiculous step?’

  ‘I told you. Whoever wishes you harm will think twice now that he has me to contend with.’ Adela looked endearingly torn. ‘That gown is positively indecent, by the way,’ he added.

  ‘You don’t like it?’

  ‘I like it far too much, but I would prefer it if the rest of the men in this room did not get too close a look at what is mine.’

  ‘Ha! If you think that, you really are delusional. I am no man’s chattel, nor will I ever be.’

  ‘Were you very frightened this afternoon?’ he asked, his expression sobering.

  ‘I was not the one who was attacked, so I was more concerned about poor Mr Harker. He was injured quite badly, you know.’

  ‘It was barely a scratch. I have seen him myself, so am in a position to know. Don’t worry about him. He’s tough and has suffered much worse.’

  ‘He must be truly touched by your concern for his welfare,’ she replied with the sweetest of smiles.

  ‘Who did you tell that you would be going to see your lawyer today?’