A Gentleman Undone by Cecilia Grant

Author:Cecilia Grant [Grant, Cecilia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-345-53447-7
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2012-05-29T04:00:00+00:00

I DID it for you, ninnyhammer.” Eliza muttered this behind her fan, leaning in with a dash of jasmine scent. “And perhaps a bit for the gentleman. It’s been obvious from the start he’s interested, and what other chance is he likely to have?”

“I wish you’d had the goodness to ask me first whether I wanted any such thing.” Lydia, too, sank her voice and screened it with a fan. Edward and Lord Randall were guffawing over the play, in particular over that tedious old lady having once again said a word that was not at all the one she meant, and between this, and the usual hubbub of an inattentive audience, the men weren’t likely to cast a look over their shoulders to where the ladies sat. Still, she kept an anxious eye on them. “He’s never had a chance. He can’t afford to keep a mistress. And Mr. Roanoke keeps me very well.”

“Ha. Keeps you busy in the library, you mean.” Eliza’s fan fluttered, scarlet plumes dancing in a gleeful taunt. “We barely have your company for an hour together at Beecham’s of late.” Again, the whiff of jasmine as she leaned close. “Captain Waterloo is despondent. I saw his face, the last time he watched Mr. Roanoke drag you from the ballroom.”

“He doesn’t drag me anywhere.” And Captain Waterloo had excellent reasons for despondency. If he hadn’t kissed her, if he hadn’t laid hands on her and then recovered his conscience, they’d be venturing out to another hell tomorrow night. But he had, and as a result she could scarcely look at him, let alone remain in the same room and risk a conversation. “I’m happy to go with my protector when he wishes.”

“Only it strikes me you were happier stealing upstairs to play cards. And in any case, why should you object to the gentleman’s presence at Chiswell? It’s not as though I’ve obligated you to an assignation.”

That was true. She ought not to mind whether he was there or not. She ought to come up with a reason, credible to Eliza, that would explain why she so clearly did mind.

Too late. Eliza’s face whipped left as she perceived the hesitation. “Devil take you, Lydia. You do have some particular objection. What has he done?”

“Nothing.” Another quick look at the gentlemen. “For Heaven’s sake try to be discreet. We’ve ceased to be friendly, that’s all.”

“Did you quarrel?” A considering tilt of the head. “Where and when would you have had the chance to quarrel? I begin to suspect this has all gone further than any of us knew.”

“It doesn’t signify. None of it signifies. I doubt he’ll even come to the party. It’s no concern of mine.” Every statement seemed to incriminate her worse than the last, so she clamped her teeth together and gazed down at the stage, where the tedious lady was delighting the easily amused with her substitution of alligator for allegory.

Eliza could try all the machinations she liked. Even if the gentleman appeared at Chiswell, he wouldn’t consent to having his puppet-strings pulled.

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