* *
The Upminster carriage turned in to the square a little past two to Hal’s enormous relief. Over an hour of sentry duty in December had rendered his feet and fingers frozen solid, but the expensive flowers thankfully still looked impressive as he walked towards the holly-wreathed front door to greet her.
However, the carriage did not slow and sped past him, its elusive occupant hidden from his view by the tightly drawn curtains, and turned down towards the mews. Hal quickly followed, rounding the corner just in time to see the impressively tall, wooden rear gates slam shut. Frustrated, he dashed back to the front door and knocked again.
After an age, Stevens opened it.
‘I know she is at home Stevens, I just saw the carriage return. Kindly tell her I am here.’
‘Lady Elizabeth has been made aware of your presence, my lord, and of the fact you have been loitering outside for most of the day. She has asked me to convey a message and was most particular it was issued verbatim.’ For effect, he coughed gently, then scowled and bellowed, ‘Go away, Redbridge! You are as welcome as a dog with fleas.’
‘She said that?’
‘She did, my lord. And in that exact tone.’
‘Ah.’ Seeing as his only option was to try and overpower the butler, something which he was not entirely certain he could do and which would ruin the line of Hal’s coat significantly, he had no choice but to admit defeat. ‘Can you see that Lady Elizabeth gets these, Stevens.’ He thrust the flowers forward. ‘And as you are so good at delivering messages verbatim, would you kindly tell her exactly this. My tempting invitation still stands.’ He winked at the giant saucily and watched the big man’s eyes widen. ‘Please make sure you wink, Stevens, as that is part of the message, too. Good day to you. It has been a pleasure.’
The following evening, within half an hour of their arrival at the Benfleet soirée, Lizzie’s resolve not to argue with her father lifted surprisingly swiftly and was soon replaced with raging, clawing anger. Because this time, her dear, meddling papa had gone too far.
‘I have taken the liberty of filling your dance card for you.’
He had said this so blithely, in the midst of a crowd, which made calling him on it impossible. He had also made sure her partner for the next dance was stood right next to him as well, effectively trapping her because the calculated old politician knew full well she would rather not cause a scene. The ‘lucky’ gentleman, a slightly rotund fellow with no discernible chin, appeared terrified as he held out his hand, making it obvious to one and all he had been press-ganged into service and was there only on sufferance. She was tempted to feel sorry for him.
With gritted teeth, she allowed him to lead her to the dance floor, all the while shooting daggers at her father. Once this dance was done, they would be having words, and when those words were said she fully intended to go home.
* * *
However, being skilled in the art of diplomacy, her dear papa had already anticipated her intent and had successfully managed to render himself invisible. For over an hour she danced stiffly with man after man, trying to catch a glimpse of him, her mood deteriorating significantly every time he failed to materialise. To make matters worse, he had apparently found the dullest men in the whole of Christendom to saddle her with. All so crushingly safe and dependable they blended into the wallpaper. All depressingly in want of a wife with a substantial dowry. When the ancient Earl of Ockendon came to claim her, Lizzie pretended to need to visit the retiring room, fled on to the terrace and shivered behind a statue. Freezing to death was infinitely preferable to dancing with him.
‘Isn’t it a little cold to be stood out here without a shawl?’
Lizzie spun around and saw the Earl of Redbridge lounging against the balustrade, smiling smugly and looking effortlessly gorgeous. ‘Where have you been!’ Instantly, she clamped her silly jaws shut. He did not need to know she had been frantically looking out for him.
‘Be still my beating heart. You sound astoundingly pleased to see me.’ His words grated. ‘In fairness,’ he said as he shrugged out of his coat, ‘I only arrived a few minutes ago. I saw you dancing with someone, looking more sullen than usual, and had been waiting for the opportune moment to rescue you because I am a charitable soul, by and large. But you disappeared out here at speed. At one point, I was certain you were going to break into a run.’ He solicitously placed the warm garment over her shivering shoulders. It smelled of him and, despite her better judgement, Lizzie snuggled into it gratefully. He might well be an irritant and a rake to boot, but his thoughtful gesture was kind and not at all what she would have expected from a man like him.
‘My father has filled my dance card and I blame you for it!’
‘How can I be to blame? I wasn’t even here.’
‘I chatted with you last night. Then you sent me flowers. It set a precedent and it has given him ideas. He has lined up every dullard from here to Land’s End, hoping I will take to one of them.’ She tried, and failed, not to notice the way the soft linen of his shirt clung to his upper arms or the way his waistcoat emphasised his broad chest and shoulders. He reached out and plucked the ribbon of her dance card from her wrist and scanned the names.
‘Good grief! What a shockingly dour bunch.’ To her consternation he then picked up her hand and gently threaded the ribbon back over it. His fingers were warm. Too warm. They were giving her skin ideas. ‘As I alluded cryptically to your charming butler yesterday, my offer still stands. I am prepared to lend myself to you as your decoy beau to ward off this sea of dullards if you agree to protect me from my ocean of eager hordes.’
This must have been what Adam felt like when Eve offered him a bite of her apple and, curse him, his proposition was attractive. ‘I suppose...for the sake of a month of peace, I could pretend to be a little interested in you.’ Good gracious. Lizzie could not quite believe those words had just come out of her mouth, but thanks to her father, what other choice did she have? Her stubborn papa was vehemently determined to get her wed with unacceptable over-zealousness. She was heartily ashamed at being so weak-willed in the face of such temptation. ‘But only on the strict understanding that it is all a sham and I would never really entertain you as a suitor.’ Of its own accord, one of her fingers was jabbing him pointedly in the chest. It was alarmingly solid. His reaction was to smile down at her, unoffended by her insult.
‘That’s the spirit. I hope you have a talent for acting because nobody will believe it if you continue to glare at me as if I am something offensive stuck to the bottom of your shoe.’
Now that he came to mention it, her facial muscles were beginning to ache from the exertion of her frown. As they always did at these unwelcome social functions. Lizzie scrunched up her face to loosen them and then stared back at him blandly. ‘I do not wish to give my father false hope. I should prefer it if you appear more keen than me in his presence. That way, once I terminate our acquaintance he won’t be too upset.’
‘Agreed. I shall be a simpering, fawning lapdog in front of your father and an amorous suitor in front of your dullards.’
She did not like the sound of that. ‘Not too amorous!’
‘My dear, you know nothing about the ways of men. When a young lady is being courted and appears uninterested, it means she is still fair game and only spurs the other
