Lord Belami 01 Midnight Masquerade by Joan Smith

Author:Joan Smith [Smith, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-12-22T19:27:09+00:00

"Very unwise."

"Are we to hear an interesting announcement this evening, Belami? An odd time you chose for a liaison in Paris, when your betrothal is about to be made in public. Can't say I blame you,” she added with a look across the room to Deirdre, who had returned to respectable behavior when she noticed that Belami wasn't looking at her.

Belami's hands clenched into fists, involuntarily. He hardly knew why, but he knew he was angry at the slur on Deirdre's attractiveness. He took a hasty glance across the room and was struck at how well she looked this evening. Her cheeks wore the soft pink flush of a sea shell. Her eyes glowed with the gleam of youth, and on top of it, she looked elegantly respectable. In comparison, Lennie looked like a well-worn and slightly gaudy silk rose. “There will be no announcement,” he said with bored indifference.

"I see! I'm catching you on the rebound, am I? Did she turn you off, or was it la duchesse ?"

"We agreed to disagree."

"Pity. It would have been an interesting match, to see whether you debauched the child or she reformed you. I think you would have won. See, she's already learned how to flirt. A vast improvement, if I may say so."

Looking toward the corner, Belami watched as Deirdre resumed her flirtation. She hit Bidwell's hand with her fan, in a good imitation of Lenore. Anger surged through him again, causing him to ignore Lenore's question. She spoke on again.

"How does the case go on?"

"Superbly. I shall be announcing the solution shortly."

"Then we'll see her casting her wiles in earnest, I think,” she said with a speculative look at Bidwell.

"You know about her and Bidwell, then?” he ventured, and listened sharply for her answer.

"I surmised. Truth to tell, I didn't suspect it before this visit. Does the duchess approve?"

"She won't, after I have solved the case,” he said, to gauge how she reacted to hints of knavery on Bidwell's part.

"Oho, so that's the culprit! I can't say I'm surprised. Who else could it be, when all's said and done? I'll tell you this, Dick: he was silent as a mouse all the time Chamfreys and I were—were in the next room,” she said with a nervous look around her. “And when he called us, I noticed a few droplets of water on his hair. Melted snow, it must have been. I didn't mention it to him.

"Nor to me either, Lennie. Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Was anyone with him in the next room?"

"I don't believe so. Why do you ask?"

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