Lady Catherine's Secret: A Secrets and Seduction book (3 page)

“Before everyone leaves, I have an announcement to make.” Bernini paused and glanced around the room, making sure he had everyone’s attention. “The first annual Bernini’s Fencing Tournament will be held on the second Saturday in March. The winner will be awarded a moderate purse and a traveling trophy.” He smiled as a spark of interest flashed through the room. “The winner will have his name engraved on a plaque and will be permitted to keep the trophy until he is beaten in a subsequent tournament. Anyone interested in registering can speak with Mr. Winston and provide him with your entry fee.”

The room began buzzing with conversation and Bernini quickly disappeared from view as members of the academy surrounded him, besieging him with questions. She wanted to speak with him, too, but it was obvious she wouldn’t be able to get close to him. She’d just end up looking like a small dog trying to force its way into a pack of wolves.

Wentworth gripped his fencing mask and yanked it from his head. He locked gazes with Catherine for a moment, glaring at her, and then lifted his chin and closed his eyes. A moment later, his shoulders visibly relaxed as if his anger simply ebbed away. When he opened his eyes again, they appeared cool. He gave Catherine a quick nod of acknowledgment and then spun on his heel and strode toward the door at the end of the large fencing salon. He tossed his foil and mask to a servant before he passed through the door, apparently leaving the other fencers, and the incident, behind him.

That was quite the trick. Had his temper really abated just as quickly as it had spiked?

She peered at Huntley to gauge his reaction. He appeared relieved as he watched Wentworth stride from the room. And then his gaze turned toward her, almost as though he’d sensed her looking at him. He was halfway across the room, walking straight toward her, before she even realized he’d moved.

Did he mean to speak with her? Apparently so. She slid her mask under the crook of her arm.

“My compliments to you, Gray.” Huntley’s voice held a faint, but pleasant, Scottish lilt. “You bested my friend on his first night at Bernini’s. He’d planned to show off his finely honed skills, but instead he found himself beaten by a young pup barely out of clouts.” Huntley smiled more broadly as he handed his equipment to a waiting servant. When he glanced back at her, his gaze lingered on the scar on her cheek.

Clouts? Catherine didn’t know whether or not to take insult with his reference to diapering a baby. “I hope your friend will forgive the affront since none was intended. Lady Luck was with me tonight. Lord Wentworth is an excellent fencer. I look forward to our next match.” She scratched her nose as she glanced at the empty doorway through which Wentworth had exited. How much of a problem would the man prove to be?

“You seem mature for a boy of your years,” Huntley said, drawing her gaze back to him. The man’s cool blue eyes seemed to focus on her with an uncomfortable intensity. She suddenly felt as exposed as a mouse spied by a hawk. “What are you, twelve... fourteen years old?” He narrowed his eyes, measuring every inch of her.

The question put her on her guard. Perhaps his last comment about clouts
had
been meant to rattle her. She cocked one eyebrow and shot back at him, “And you, sir, how old are you?”

Bernini, walking past, must have overheard at least part of their exchange, because he paused and said, “Lord Huntley, please allow me to introduce our star pupil, young Alexander Gray. Master Gray, you have the honor of meeting the Marquess of Huntley.”

Catherine didn’t snort. Barely. She wasn’t surprised to learn of the man’s exalted rank in the peerage. Huntley exuded an aura of superiority. Perhaps it would be wise to show him the expected amount of respect, despite his rudeness. “Lord Huntley, you do me great honor,” she said with a graceful bow. She raised her head and met his gaze with serenity. “How long will we have the pleasure of your company in London? I look forward to many more matches with your friend.”

“I plan to stay here for the season. Both Lord Wentworth and I have a number of interests in town, and I have a project that will require much of my time.”

“Yes.” Catherine nodded. “I believe I heard something about your ‘project.’ You’re in search of a bride, am I correct?” Asking the question felt very much like poking a hornet’s nest with a stick.

Huntley cocked a brow at her. “You are remarkably well-informed for your age.” He narrowed his eyes. “I plan to be back here at the academy next week. Will I see you then?”

She glanced away. “I try to come often, but I don’t have a set schedule.”

“Yes, yes,” Bernini interjected. “The boy would improve much more rapidly if I could get him here on a more frequent basis.” He said this with a small frown. It was an ongoing point of contention between them. “I don’t know how he expects to do well in the tournament in two months’ time if he doesn’t work harder.”

That stung, especially since he’d already said she had a good chance of winning. Had his opinion changed that quickly? “I haven’t decided if I’ll take part in it yet,” she said.

Bernini shot her a sharp glance, and then grinned. “Playing coy? I know you,
ragazzo
. You’ll never be able to resist the challenge.”

Huntley’s eyes flickered toward the door, and Catherine followed his gaze to find Wentworth standing there, glowering at them. He already wore his cloak and was obviously impatient to leave.

Huntley gave Wentworth a nod and then turned back to them. “Maestro Bernini, Mr. Gray,” he said, glancing back and forth between them, “I bid you both a good evening. I look forward to our paths crossing again.” He took a step toward the door but then paused and turned back to Catherine. In a low voice he said, “I hope Wentworth’s temper didn’t offend you. He’s both quick to anger and quick to forgive. He might indulge in a bit of posturing, but he’s an honorable man. I’ve never had a truer friend.” With a brief nod, Lord Huntley left and joined his companion.

She watched him for a moment and then frowned as she tried to parse his message. Was he trying to reassure her? Or perhaps to underscore his friendship with the other man? Perhaps he simply wanted to cast his friend in a better light.

With a shrug, Catherine gathered her things together and met her brother near the main doors. “I didn’t get the opportunity to see your match with Lord Huntley,” she said. “How did you do?”

He grimaced. “Badly.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand, preempting her. “Don’t ask.” Turning his back, he hurried into the foyer.

Catherine caught up to him. “Wait,” she said, grabbing his forearm and pulling him to one side. “What do you think about the tournament? Should we enter?”

He twitched one shoulder. “Why? I don’t have a chance, and even if you manage to win, what would you do with the trophy? Hide it in the stables?”

She jutted out her chin. “Maybe. But first I’d have to win it. Where to put a trophy is the least of my concerns.”

He shrugged. “Enter. I’ll help you get here. It’ll probably be during the day, so I can help you slip away from the house.”

She squeezed his solid forearm by way of a thank you and then crossed the foyer to Mr. Winston’s tall desk. It didn’t take long to fill out the entry form and provide him with the fee.

It was a cold night, and Catherine tossed her black cloak over her shoulders. As she stepped onto the front steps, her breath trailed a puff of white smoke in her wake. She immediately spotted Huntley in the flickering gaslight. Even here, in the near darkness, the man commanded her attention.

Huntley and his friend climbed into a carriage, chatting amicably. When Wentworth spied her on the steps, he shot her a cold look.

She lifted her chin and stared back at him. She’d beaten him, and publicly, too. He clearly resented it. She kept her gaze locked on Wentworth’s eyes until the movement of his carriage carried him out of sight. She’d show him and all the others not to underestimate her.

She’d win that tournament.

2 - A Ride through London

As Catherine rode home, a cool breeze ruffled her horse’s mane. The chilly air felt a bit warmer than it had earlier in the evening, and she wished she could pull off the white cap. She tipped her head back to stare up at the stars as her horse followed the familiar path through the slushy streets of London.

“See anything interesting up there?” Charles asked.

He rode next to her, and at his teasing tone, she stopped contemplating the stars to glance at him, noting his grin. The lamplight glinted in soft brown eyes that were so similar to hers, and she couldn’t resist returning the smile. He didn’t often relax this way, but when they took these excursions together, something occasionally broke loose within him. With Catherine by his side, his youthful exuberance was more likely to surface.

He might be her brother, but she could see why so many of the girls tripped over their feet with excitement when the young viscount asked them to dance. He was good at it, too. As children, she and Charles had often practiced intricate quadrille steps in front of their mother in their grandparents’ ballroom at Kensington House, but as soon as she’d left them unsupervised, they’d pulled out Father’s fencing equipment. Dancing and fencing would always be inextricably linked in her mind.

The metallic sound of horseshoes clattered against the paving stones and echoed off the town houses in the residential area surrounding Bernini’s Academy. “When will you return to Oxford?” she asked. It was a sensitive topic, but the evening’s exercise had lifted his spirits. Perhaps now he’d be more willing to give her an honest answer. She saw him stiffen momentarily and then relax back into the easy rhythm of his mount’s stride.

His eyes shifted away, avoiding hers. “Soon, I hope.”

“I know something is wrong, Charles. Maybe if we talked about it—”

His eyes glittered in the dim light as he faced her. “I
want
to tell you. In fact, this may well be the perfect opportunity to explain everything.” He shook his head in frustration. “But Mother’s forbidden me to say anything to you. She’s afraid your maidenly sensibilities will be shattered.”

“My sensibilities? Ha! Mother would be shocked if she knew the things I’ve overheard at Bernini’s. Men speak quite differently when they believe no women are present.” Her chin jerked up. “Wait. If Mother thinks I’ll be shocked, then it must be a problem with a girl.”

He let out a deep sigh. “See? This is exactly why I’ve avoided this subject. You always seem to know exactly what I’m thinking.”

“What happened? Did you dally with the wrong sort of girl?”

“Watch your tongue, Cat. You know me better than that.”

“Yes, but I still like to goad you.” And it usually worked.

He relaxed slightly at her teasing. “Well, stop it, or I won’t divulge anything more. And whatever I
do
tell you needs to remain confidential.”

She used an imaginary key to lock her lips. When he let out an involuntary snort at the ridiculous, wide-eyed face she made, more tension melted from his shoulders.

“It’s my own fault, really,” he said. “I was too trusting. I met a young lady who pretended to be smitten with me, but she was really interested in an acquaintance of mine. They kept their relationship a secret from everyone.”

“Did you fall in love with her? Did she break your heart?” Catherine scowled. How dare someone abuse her brother’s good nature?

“No, no, it wasn’t like that. No hearts were broken, but her father
did
want to break open my head.” He chuckled as her eyes widened. “She used me to distract her father from the object of her true affections, a man with a less-than-stellar reputation. She spread the rumor that she and I shared ‘a secret love.’” He grimaced.

Catherine raised her eyebrows but didn’t interrupt.

“She thought that since I was, in her view,” he flipped to a false, girlish voice, “‘a hard-working young man in line for a prestigious title,’” then he returned to his own voice, “I’d be the perfect dupe. After she ran off to Gretna Green with the man, her father came haring after
me
. He threatened to have me horsewhipped if I didn’t produce his darling. Obviously, I had no idea where she was, and things started to turn ugly until it finally dawned on him that I must be telling the truth since
I
wasn’t at Gretna Green. For a while, he was furious. I’m fortunate not to have sustained any physical injuries. I think the ones to my reputation will eventually fade when the truth finally comes out, but there is still a great deal of gossip back in Oxford. In fact, I think her father may still look to me for a solution to his problems. You see, the girl—” He shook his head.

Catherine caught her breath. “What do you mean? What happened to her?”

“This is the part that Mother doesn’t want you to know.” He stopped speaking. Catherine knew better than to plead with him. Either he would tell her or he wouldn’t, and nothing she could say would sway him, so she let the silence stretch between them.

The residential area surrounding Bernini’s was behind them, and now they were traveling through a business district, shuttered for the night. When the storefronts closed, an entirely different sort of environment came to life in its own sordid way. As they passed a pub, someone opened a door, letting out a blast of raucous laughter that was abruptly silenced when the door fell shut. Gaslights illuminated the night-dwellers in scattered vignettes as she rode along. Here, a man stumbled out of a tavern; there, a woman leaned against a lamppost. Catherine blushed. She knew why the woman with the painted face lingered on the street. Mother had no idea of the things she’d seen.