Daring Deception Part 37

She tried another sally.

"I vow, I would have been frightened to death, being shot at by the French!"

Again she fluttered her lashes, but to no avail. This time he did not even look at her, only acknowledging her comment with a tight, impersonal smile.

So it appeared that Lord Sea brooke was impervious to flattery and flirtation. After a moment's thought, Frederica realized that he had probably been subjected to so much of it that it no longer affected him.

Which was just as well, for that sort of thing was not really in her style anyway. Perhaps a different tactic would be more effective.

"What thought you of. Wellington's campaign, my lord?" she asked a moment later.

Between Thomas's pa.s.sion for the recent bat ties and Miss Milliken's influence, she was certain she could hold her own in a conversation about warfare. However, she was not to be given the chance.

"It worked," the earl said briefly, refusing to elaborate.

Frederica resisted an urge to shake the man. How on earth could she hope to captivate him-or even to learn anything of his state of mind--if he would not talk to her? She stole another glance at him and was distress.e.xl by the unhappiness she detected in his face. Could she be the cause of it? The idea unsettled her enough that she attempted no more conversation before he led her in to supper.

For his part, Gavin was trying desperately to dispel the fantasy that it was Cherry he held in his arms instead of Miss Chesterton. Her feeble at tempts at flirtation, while revealing that she was not quite so shy as he had feared, only served to confirm that she was in no way like the girl he missed so much. Only her eyes reminded him of Cherry. He wondered if green eyes would always torment him so--and whether he could endure being reminded of Cherry every time he looked in Miss Chesterton's face. Surely, there must be an honourable way out of this farce of a betrothal!

Perhaps if he were to speak to her brother? The betrothal had been contracted in lieu of payment of that wretched wager. Suppose he agreed to release Sir Thomas from his debt, to repay the marriage settlement? It might be worth a try.

Supper was a lively meal, but only because Gavin and Miss Chesterton were joined by Lord Garvey and his wife, and the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Ravenham, whom Gavin knew only slightly.

The latter were an engaging pair, he found, and rather unconventional, in spite of the duke's reputation as a' high stickler. It appeared that marriage had mellowed him somewhat.

"And you actually helped to whelp the puppies yourself?" Miss Chesterton was asking the d.u.c.h.ess in disbelief.

"Were you successful?"

"Oh, yes, I had done it countless times before, with my father. Once that first big pup-who was breach, to compound things--was out of the way, the others came along right enough.

Odd as it sounds, that was rather a special time for Dexter and myself,"

responded the d.u.c.h.ess gaily.

While the conversation flowed around him, Gavin found himself studying his fiancee. There was certainly no denying that Miss Chesterton was a beauty.

Her bright curls, flawless complexion and those lovely eyes, so like Cherry's, were a bewitching combination. He felt a stirring of response and berated himself for his disloyalty. How could he be drawn to this girl when the one he loved was lost, perhaps even in danger somewhere?

Ruthlessly, he suppressed the attraction h~ felt. He knew well enough that beauty alone could never hold his interest over the lifetime a marriage entailed. Had not all his mistresses been beautiful? They, too, had kindled his desire--but never his love.

Other men might be willing to risk their future happiness for a pretty face, but not he.

Other men? Of course! Now that he saw what a beauty Miss Chesterton was, why should he feel guilty at the thought of dissolving their betrothal There must be dozens of men, many far wealthier than he, who would be more than willing to take his place.

In order to confirm that hypothesis, Gavin spent the remainder of the evening watching Miss Chesterton and her admirers closely. And yes, there were many, many admirers. Among them was Lord Auldin, a marquess who was reputed to be one of the wealthiest men in England. He appeared completely besotted by her, staring down into her eyes as they danced and holding her far closer than even the waltz demanded. The set after that she was partnered by Mr. Tremont, not so wealthy as Auldin, but still far richer than Gavin himself. He also appeared thoroughly smitten by her charms.

No, she was not likely to suffer from a termination of their betrothal, particularly if he could convince her to cry off, thus sparing her any embarra.s.sment. Sternly ignoring an errant thought that perhaps being married to her would not be such a bad thing after all, Gavin decided that he would call on Sir Thomas tomorrow to discuss it.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

Hlmscrmm~ had been a dismal failure, Frederica had to admit, as she reviewed the events of the ball upon awakening late the next morning. Lord Sea brooke had been perfectly polite, but she had detected far more admiration in Lord Auldin--in half of the other gentlemen there, in fact--than in her fiancee And she was no closer than she had been at the outset to discovering what his feelings towards Miss Cherrystone had beenI On descending a short time later, she discovered that no fewer than eight bouquets had been delivered for her already that morning. Eagerly, she examined the cards, but not one was from Lord Sea brooke. She knew she should be gratified that she had "taken" so well, but that one omission overshadowed the ample evidence of devotion from her other admirers.

Dejectedly, Frederica made her way into the breakfast-room, where she found Miss Milliken, in oppressively high spirits, eating sausages and eggs.

"Good morning, Frederica! Is it not a lovely day? What a pity that Town hours require us to sleep through half the morning." With a cheery smile, and looking somehow far younger than she had the day before, she speared another bite of sausage.

"You must have enjoyed yourself far more than I did last night, Milly."

Frederica attempted to keep the gloominess she felt out of her voice, having no wish to dampen her friend's good humour.

"Indeed, I had a far better time than I expected. Who would have thought that I should see Mr. Westlake there? I had nearly forgotten the marvelous weeks we spent in each other's company during my brief Season, but he quickly brought it all back to me." She sighed happily, causing Frederica to regard her in amazement. "He is to take me driving shortly, and specifically suggested that you come along--as my chaperone. Is he not absurd? As if a woman of my years needed one."

Observing Milly's giddy mood, Frederica was not so sure she did not.

"I shall be delighted to come along, Milly," she said, attempting to summon a teasing manner.

"I wish to learn more of this Mr. Westlake, to discover whether he is worthy of you."

Miss Milliken actually t.i.ttered at this, causing Frederica to stare at her in wonder. Was this her staid governess? She would not have thought such a transformation possible. Spending an hour or two in her company might be the very thing for her own depressed spirits.

B~u~o wrrH two undeclared lovers who patently delighted in each other's presence was far from uplifting, Frederica found. Instead, it only served to heighten her awareness of what was lacking from her own life. To distract herself from such thoughts, she set about observing Mr. Wesflake, as she had jokingly told Milly she would. Mr. Westlake was every inch the gentleman, and though unfailingly attentive to Miss Milliken, he remembered to include Frederica in their conversation. He owned a very comfortable estate in the north, she discovered, and had apparently never married, though he was now well past forty.

"After Charlotte disappeared, no other could take her place," he said, with such a fond look at her friend that Frederica felt distinctly de trop. "My parents wished me to marry, of course, but as my younger brother had already done so, the requisite heir was virtually a.s.sured. Having known true love, how could I settle for less?"

Miss Milliken snorted, though the smile never left her face.

"What devotion you now profess, Charles! If you were so in love, why did you not come after me?"

"I tried. Honestly, I did." He half turned, catching Frederica's eye with a rueful smile.

"Though perhaps not as hard as I might have. When a fortnight of enquiries did not produce her direction, I confess I gave it up. I was still young then, remember. It was not until later that I fully realized what I had lost. I'll not allow you to give me the slip again, my dear." Now he spoke solely to Miss Milliken.

"I want your father's direction, as well as that of every other person connected with you, before you leave Town this time."

Recalling his manners, he turned back to Frederica.

"Perhaps you can help me in that, Miss Chesterton."

Frederica absently agreed, her thoughts on his earlier words. Had Lord Sea brooke attempted to follow Miss Cherrystone? Would he also have given up by now? Looking at Miss Milliken and Mr. Westlake in their present happiness, she was struck by the wasted years behind them--twenty years of happiness they might have enjoyed had Mr. Westlake been successful in finding Milly when first she left London. Would she herself one day look back in similar regret? Would the earl?

She determined that it must not be. Rather than face such a bleak future, she would risk his anger, even her own embarra.s.sment, by revealing the charade she had employed. If nothing else, he might at least allow her to visit Christabel again. She missed the child far more than she had expected to.

It was ~ half an hour after Frederica and Miss Milliken left with Mr.

Westlake, Lord Sea brooke came to call at Audley Square.

"Is Sir Thomas in?" he enquired of the footman who answered the door.

On being answered in the affirmative, he handed the man his card and said firmly,

"Be so kind as to tell him that I wish to speak to him at his earliest convenience." ' Gavin was shown into the par lout While waiting for Sir Thomas to appear, he carefully thought over what he intended to say. He hoped to conclude this interview quickly so that he might have the afternoon in which to further investigate Cherry's whereabouts. His one clue was that cottage where the girl with a peac.o.c.k had supposedly been taken up. He had not thought to ask Old Joe what her destination had been. If it indeed proved to be Sea brooke House, he would know for certain that it must have been Cherry, and he would never rest till he discovered where she had gone.