Rogue in Red Velvet (26 page)

Unless Connie looked at Alex now.

Jasper had lured her to London, had her abducted and put her up for auction in a house of ill repute. Lord Ripley had rescued her and taken her to his cousin’s establishment. She also told them of the subterfuge, that she said she had been taken ill on the road, so her arrival was delayed. She confessed it all. The Downhollands had treated her with kindness and consideration. They deserved to know the truth, or as close as she dared get.

Alex sat next to her on a wide sofa, Helena on her other side. He sat with one leg negligently crossed over the other at the knee, his foot in its shiny black shoe and silver buckles swinging gently.

“I see,” Lord Downholland said. “I appreciate your candor.” He glanced at his wife. “Since we arrived in town we received a visit from your betrothed.”

“You did?” she asked, at the same time Alex said, “That was quick.”

“And how did you become involved in the matter, young man?”

“Her maid, Saxton, came to me after her mistress disappeared,” Alex said unemotionally. “She suspected the involvement of Jasper Dankworth so she came to me, rather than to him. She knew nobody else in London. I had given Mrs. Rattigan my address because I wanted her to write to me.”

Lord Downholland frowned.

Alex spread his hands in a gesture of submission. “What can I say? I was extremely attracted to her and I wanted to keep in touch. I couldn’t approach her while she was engaged to another man but I enjoyed her company, so I would have pursued friendship, if she chose to give it to me.”

They’d shared more than friendship. Connie hastily pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

Lord Downholland nodded gravely. “And you searched for her. Discreetly, for which you should be commended. What do you intend to do now?”

That was frank enough. So was Alex’s answer. “I asked her to marry me but she refused.”

His lordship’s “What?” almost drowned out Lady Downholland’s gasp.

That rejection seemed to turn the tide for Connie, because the tight lines at the corners of his lordship’s mouth relaxed. “Quite right too. You cannot receive the attentions of one man while you are contracted to marry another.”

Lady Downholland turned a beaming face to her. “Your father would have been proud of you,” she said.

Tears sprang to Connie’s eyes, so her godfather appeared through a fine mist. It was the best thing he could have said. And yes, the principles instilled in her by her father had made her decision inevitable.

“Your esteemed father encouraged you to be a person of good character,” Lord Downholland said. “Be true to yourself, he said and often. One of his best sermons was on that very subject. Because of that, I believe you will come through this.”

She swallowed her tears. Despite his bishopric, her father had never sought higher office or promoted his interests, preferring to minister to the parishes and clerics under his care. A truly good man. She owed him so much. “Thank you. I’m so glad you understand. It’s because of that incident I must re-establish my good character, stand and confront my accusers.”

Alex affected his society drawl. “We decided, my cousin Julius and I, to act quickly. So we have introduced Mrs. Rattigan to the highest circles and shown the people who might have gossiped and traduced her that she is a woman of principle. Although some people saw and identified her in lamentable circumstances, society may choose to believe itself mistaken and that Dankworth is not the man it took him for.”

Lord Downholland cleared his throat and exchanged a speaking glance with his wife, who nodded. “We have not remained entirely ignorant of developments while we were not in town. Friends wrote to us. As a result, we came to town earlier than we’d planned to verify the events for ourselves.

“With your agreement, my dear, I will inform them of our decision.” He covered his wife’s hand with his, a tender moment that belied his formal words. “We’ve decided to investigate the matter further with a view to ending the betrothal and the contract.”

His formal way of speaking obscured his meaning for a moment, and then relief swamped Connie on a wave of dizziness. That part of her nightmare was over.

She took a few deep breaths and then managed to speak. “That would be for the best. But will he not require compensation? Can he take you to court for breach of contract?”

Or indeed, her?

Downholland smiled grimly. “Yes he could. And since the inheritance is bound up with the marriage, we could lose everything.”

“But he has declared his engagement to Miss Stobart,” Connie protested.

“We have questioned him. He has confessed his admiration for the young lady, and that he was carried away by his passion for her. He’s signed nothing.”

Alex growled low. “The intention is enough. I have reason to believe he will bankrupt you and bring opprobrium on the title. He has notes of hand all over town.”

His lordship sounded patient, as if he were holding in his ire. “I am making enquiries and I will discover the truth.”

* * * *

“So you understand,” Alex said to his cousin later, in the privacy of his study, “that I must supply them with something to convince them. Connie is free of the taint, but they haven’t agreed to withdraw the inheritance from him. He is, after all, their only relative. Dankworth will ruin the Downholland title. He’s borrowing on the expectation. Besides, I have a score to settle. When someone hurts someone I hold in great regard, then I take that insult personally.”

He took a moment to quell his turbulent emotions. That sword fight the other day wasn’t enough—not nearly enough to assuage his fury against the Dankworths, one in particular.

Julius stared at him, blue eyes glittering. “He’s desperate. Without Connie’s estate, he’s lost. We must drive Dankworth to desperation, stop him borrowing on the expectation of the Downholland title and his marriage to Louisa Stobart and ensure he doesn’t wed the heiress. I’m with you all the way.”

Alex gave a terse nod. “Time to go in for the kill, Julius. I want him completely destroyed. I’ll drive him out, back to whatever hole he came from.”

“What do you plan?”

Alex tapped the side of his nose. “What say I take him into Hell at White’s next week and rook him?”

Julius considered, not a flicker of surprise disturbing his features. “Not White’s, I think. Mother Dawkins’s. You can get a table to yourself and ensure nobody comes near it. I don’t want to do it in White’s. Too sacrosanct, too respectable.”

“I take your point. Very well, I’ll do it at Mother Dawkins’s. I’ll make the arrangements.”

Julius leaned forward, his voice gaining a note of agitation. “Alex, are you sure? You know the risk you’re taking?”

“Would you do it with me?” They had learned to cheat at cards from the best cardsharper they could find, did it for a joke one summer out of sheer devilry. Most of their acquaintances knew of their skills but they also knew neither of them cheated when money lay on the table. But doing it at one of the most notorious addresses in London would hold them up to the highest opprobrium if they were caught. Alex would do it and more for Connie but Julius had nothing to gain in this fight, except fulfilling his sense of justice.

Julius laughed. “Naturally. With a number of members of society looking on.”

Alex wouldn’t let his cousin take this risk. “No. I’ll do it alone. If I suffer for this, Connie will need a powerful friend.”

Julius nodded. “You’re right. She’s welcome to stay here as long as she wishes. And that will give me the distance to continue my very discreet enquiries into the Dankworths’ involvement in this affair. Northwich in particular. So far, I’ve discovered nothing. Either they aren’t involved, or they’re playing a clever hand. Speaking of which, what game will you play with him?”

Alex frowned in thought. “Piquet.” A two hander, a game nobody could ask to join.

“Dankworth made a serious mistake, bringing me directly into his dispute with you. He will live to regret it, whether his august relatives are involved or not.”

Alex exchanged a look of perfect understanding with his best friend. “This is for me to do.” He wanted to control the play and see Dankworth squirm. He would drive the bastard into the tightest corner he could contrive.

Julius didn’t say more than, “Very well.” He shrugged. He’d have done it and that was enough for Alex.

Chapter 16

“You’re always welcome here, Lord Ripley,” Mrs. Dawkins said to Alex. “You bring me custom.” She smiled at another gentleman walking past her. “It’s Lady’s Academy night. Are you willin’?”

She never stopped asking. “Not tonight, ma’am. I’m looking for a quiet game of cards somewhere the ambitious mamas can’t get at me.”

She guffawed, her laugh echoing around the entrance hall. “They won’t come ’ere, sir.”

She was in her best London madam mood tonight. Later, she’d come over the schoolma’am. That was one of her talents; she became whatever the occasion called for. “Ever trod the boards, Mrs. D?”

“That’d be tellin’” she said with a mighty nudge and a wink as subtle as a sledgehammer. “My girls are clean, you know that. All in fun.”

“You hardly need me to crowd out your room, do you?”

“Right enough. Meeting anyone tonight? There’s a fair few gentlemen here you’ll know.”

“There always are. I’ll take my chances.” Although, he knew Dankworth planned to come to the house tonight. A mutual friend had arranged to meet him here, a friend who wouldn’t be turning up. He’d merely done Alex a favor.

Julius had wanted to come as a witness but Alex remained adamant that he wouldn’t allow Julius a part in his decidedly risky scheme. He didn’t want anyone else involved. He saw tonight as a duel. One that didn’t need seconds.

As he stood poised to climb the stairs, Dankworth entered the house. Instead of turning away, Alex confronted him. Right there, under the madam’s jaundiced eyes. “Good evening,” he offered.

Dankworth stared at him, pale blue eyes startled then he nodded. “Evening.”

Alex could act when the occasion demanded it and now he put his best skills to use. “I must tell you that something I attributed to your offices has been discovered to be the act of someone else. My apologies.”

Dankworth found his voice after a few seconds of pregnant silence. “You have?” He frowned, puzzled as well he might be because Alex hardly understood himself. However, he had the man under his gaze and he’d watch every twitch.

He addressed Mrs. Dawkins. “Have they found a new tenant for next door yet?”

“No and not likely to, the state they left that ’ouse in. I’m tempted to take it on myself but not at the price the landlord wants. I could knock through and make this house a bit bigger. But I want cheaper than he’s arsking. And I want a lease, not rent.”

Alex thought he could help there but he wasn’t sure he wanted his name associated with the house. He’d look into it. In order to become independent of his father and the estate he was to inherit one day, he’d made a number of shrewd investments and was, as a result, well known in the City. And wealthy in his own right.

He addressed Dankworth again, forcing himself to affability. “I wanted to say that the slights I assumed you inflicted are, in fact, better placed at another’s door.” This had to be the best acting he’d ever done.

Alex offered his hand and Dankworth shook it, after a moment’s hesitation. “It was an easy mistake to make,” Dankworth said.

Alex let his anger evaporate for now, retaining his expression of lazy insouciance with an effort. “An understandable mistake, especially since we had a mutual interest. But it seems you don’t want her, either.”

Dankworth picked up on that quickly. “Either?”

Alex shrugged. “The world knows how fickle I am. I found the lady not as irresistible as I’d thought.”

Dankworth didn’t hide his surprise. His eyebrows rose and a slight smile quirked his lips. “The last time I saw you, you attended her with great care.”

“That was yesterday.” He kept Dankworth’s gaze and then clapped him on the shoulder. “Did you come for the academy, or do you have time for a friendly game of piquet first and perhaps a bottle or two?”

Dankworth was no fool but this turn of events had to make him wonder. Alex wasn’t unaware of his own worth and standing. If Dankworth made an ally of him, he could probably cozen a few more creditors into letting him punt on tick.

He gave a gracious nod. “Very well.”

Alex had won the first round, even if Dankworth wasn’t aware of it yet.

Alex led the way upstairs and took care to select a small table by the windows where few people would pass. He ordered a bottle of the house’s best red, which was to say, a moderate wine rebottled to look better. Mother Dawkins was too canny to use really cheap wine and her discerning clients didn’t mention her little subterfuge, which probably earned her a few hundred every year.

A woman had to make a living. One day she’d go too far with someone who cared enough to do something about it. Until then, she remained queen of Covent Garden.

They sat and a waiter brought them two sealed packs of cards and their wine. Alex allowed Dankworth to break the packs open and shuffle them. It wouldn’t make any difference to the outcome. He poured the wine and while seeming not to watch, kept a close eye on Dankworth’s actions.