Something Scandalous (19 page)

The door to her house slammed and Sophie immediately knew Somerton had arrived. She waited for him to find her in the small receiving salon. She felt the anger emanating from him even at this distance, and used it as a warning. The footfalls of his boots pounded the marbled floor almost shaking the house.

“What the bloody hell do you want now?” he demanded as soon as he saw her.

“We have a problem,” Sophie said softly. While she usually could manipulate him easily in his anger, today was different.

“No,
you
have a problem.” Somerton paced the room.

“They have been told a rumor, and I have no way of knowing if it’s true.”

Somerton stopped and turned toward her. His hazel eyes appeared almost completely green in the pale light of the room. “What rumor, and how does it involve me?”

Right to the point. “Someone told them that they might be brother and sister.”

Somerton had the audacity to laugh and then just as quickly stopped. He leaned over her chair and said, “Maybe you have this one wrong.”

“What do you mean?” She hated how her voice quivered slightly. Somerton would never hurt her. His attempts to frighten her were nothing more than his way of taking control.

“Perhaps they are not meant to be together.” He moved away from her and began pacing again.

“Do not doubt my powers, Anthony.”

He spun around at her. “Powers? What powers? You throw two people together in a situation that would have anyone thinking about sex and love, and yet you believe you are the world’s greatest matchmaker.”

She decided it was best to ignore his outburst. “You need to find out if the rumor is true.”

He laughed again. “So you want me to just walk up to people and ask them who Elizabeth’s real father was. I am quite certain that will cause more than a little talk.”

Sophie clenched her fists in frustration. “I believe you may have other ways of obtaining information rather then asking such a delicate question outright.”

“Perhaps I do. But my patience is wearing thin, Sophie.”

“We are almost there. She admitted they had been intimate. She wouldn’t have made love with him if she wasn’t already in love with the duke.” Sophie paused and finally said what she knew he wanted to hear. “As soon as they are married, you will get the woman’s name.”

“No more games?”

“I promise,” she replied, making a little cross over her heart.

“I will see what I can do. But this is a very delicate situation and any information I discover could be disastrous if the wrong person figures out my motive.”

“I understand, Anthony. Do your best.”

With a shake of his head, he left.

Will waited for Elizabeth to return from her calls but dreaded seeing her again. Once more, he would have nothing but bad news for her. Seeing the constant agony on her face was killing him. A sense of futility filled him. He had never felt so worthless in his life.

Hearing the front door open and shut, he assumed she had returned. Her soft footfalls approached his study. He took the last sip of his whisky before looking over at her.

“No luck?” she said.

“I have no luck with anything,” he muttered. No luck with women, no luck with love, and no luck with finding lost diaries. At least no luck finding the right diary.

“Sophie was of no assistance, either.” Elizabeth sat in the chair across from him and removed her bonnet. Red curls rested on her forehead and one fell over her eye.

He longed to reach forward and gently move the curl from her eyesight. But he could not do that any longer. He had no right to touch her. No matter how hard the desire rode him. He might never be able to touch her again.

“Will,” Elizabeth started.

“Yes.”

“Lady Cantwell was at Sophie’s today. She inferred that she had information about my parents.”

Will frowned. “Why didn’t she tell you?”

“She wants us both to call on her.” Elizabeth glanced over at the clock on the mantel and shook her head. “It is too late now. We must get ready for the Hollingtons’ ball.”

“I think we should stay in tonight.” He had no desire to go to a ball and pretend to have an enjoyable time. The idea of dancing with other women when all he wanted to do was take Elizabeth in his arms was driving him mad.

“Ellie and Lucy will be dreadfully disappointed if we don’t attend.”

“Elizabeth, we cannot pretend this didn’t happen.”

“I know, Will.”

“I still want you,” he whispered, leaning forward.

“I—I still want you, too,” she said in such a quiet voice he barely heard her. She blinked several times.

He wanted to tell her he loved her, and take her into his arms and make love to her all night. Then he would wake up in the morning with her in his arms. But he could not do that.

For a moment, he did nothing but stare into her watery green eyes. He could lose himself in her depths. The last thing he wanted to do was go to a damned ball.

“We should get ready to leave,” he heard himself say.

She wiped an errant tear and nodded. “Yes.”

He rose slowly and held out his hand for her. “Elizabeth,” he said, staring down at her. He had to tell her.

“Don’t, Will.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t say anything,” she replied. “I cannot bear to think about this a moment longer. Tomorrow we will call on Lady Cantwell and perhaps our hell will be over.”

“Or just beginning,” he whispered.

Elizabeth watched Ellie and Lucy take their turns on the dance floor as melancholy enveloped her. She didn’t want to be here but attended for the young women. With her closest friends unable to be here, and Will in the gaming room, Elizabeth felt terribly alone.

“Care to dance?”

Elizabeth turned her head to find Somerton standing next to her. She’d been so intent on her woolgathering that she never heard the sneaky devil approach.

“No, thank you,” Elizabeth said honestly.

“It might do you some good.”

She glanced over at his stoic face. “What do you mean?”

“I have heard a rumor. Personally, I do not believe it,” he lowered his voice to a mere whisper.

Elizabeth grabbed the column she had been leaning on for support. He could not possibly know…unless Will talked to him after all. “What exactly did you hear?”

He gave her a smug smile. “A little bird told me you believe you have a brother.”

“Which little bird told you that story?”

“A person who would not want to see you hurt.” Somerton kept his head faced toward the dance floor. “And neither would I.”

“I cannot trust you, Lord Somerton.”

His lips moved upwards into a full smile. “I would not trust me, either. But I might be able to help you, and I am very good at keeping secrets.”

“How could you help?” she asked softly and then glanced around to see if anyone had noticed them.

“When is your birthday?”

“My birthday?” she asked feeling more than a little perplexed.

“I need to determine the approximate month you were conceived. That way I can determine where your parents were that month. I can find out if any of that time overlapped with time his father might have been in the same location.”

“Oh, that makes sense. I was born on April 29, 1791. And according to my mother, I was not early.”

“Where?”

“At the estate in Kendal.”

“Very good,” he said with a nod. “Care for that dance now?”

“No, thank you.”

“As you wish. When I discover something, I shall let you know.” Somerton walked away and disappeared into the crowd.

What a strange man, she thought. Scanning the room, she found Will striding toward her with a scowl on his face.

“What did Somerton want?” Will asked as he reached her.

“You should know,” Elizabeth replied in a flippant tone. She still wasn’t happy that Will had gone to Somerton without her approval.

“How would I know?”

“You told him what happened. He came to ask me questions in order to help.”

Will blew out a breath and raked his hands through his thick brown hair. “Elizabeth, I did not mention anything to Somerton about us.”

“Then how did he know? I didn’t tell him.”

“But you did tell your friend Sophie.”

Elizabeth looked over at him and shook her head. “They don’t even know each other. Perhaps Lady Cantwell overheard Sophie and I discussing the situation and talked to Somerton.”

“Perhaps,” Will drawled. “What did Somerton say?”

Elizabeth recounted the conversation. “Do you think he will be able to find anything?”

Will shrugged. “I have no idea. I thought you knew the man better than I.”

“I know more of the rumors than anything about the actual man. Jennette swears Somerton helped her and her husband in their courtship but she never explained how.”

“All we can do is wait and hope then.” Will held out his arm. “Shall we?”

“We really should not dance tonight.” Elizabeth wanted to dance but the consequences were far too high.

Will leaned in closer until she could smell the scent of his soap. The redolence seemed even more intoxicating to her this evening. She wanted to drown in it…in him.

“Haven’t you ever wanted to do something you knew was wrong?” he whispered.

Not until she’d met him. “Very well, we shall dance before you say something you will regret.”

“I have not regretted a single moment with you,” he said in her ear as she looped her arm around his.

Her heart paused for a brief second. She wanted to stop and question him about his statement, but knew it was wrong. Until they knew for certain they were not related, nothing more could happen between them. And that thought made her heart ache with sadness.

She had never enjoyed being around a man as much as she did Will. As the dance started, her thoughts remained on him. His brown eyes sparkled in the candlelight as they moved across the floor. His lips tilted upward when he smiled down at her. She wanted to move closer to him, closer to his lips. The desire she felt for him seemed overwhelming, and now that she couldn’t act upon those desires, they burned her to the core.

“You really must stop looking at me that way,” he whispered.

Elizabeth blinked and glanced away. “I beg your pardon?”

“You were looking at me as if you wanted to eat me up. While I would not mind that expression at home, here it appears a bit unseemly. Not to mention where it makes my thoughts go.”

“Oh?” She could not believe Will was the one reminding her about her conduct at the ball. Perhaps she had taught him too well.

But being in his arms again felt glorious. Even through the silk of her gloves, she could feel the heat from his hands. If only she could take off her gloves and run her hands along his bare skin again.

“You are doing it again,” he whispered.

She shook her head to clear her lascivious thoughts. She must gain some measure of control. As the dance ended, she walked off the dance floor with Will, and then made her excuse to him.

“I need to go to the ladies’ retiring room,” she said.

With a nod, he said, “Of course. Perhaps we can dance again later.”

She couldn’t help but smile at him. “Perhaps.”

Elizabeth knew that she could not dance with him again tonight. Her mind seemed unable to think properly when he was near. And she needed no more ardent daydreams in his arms.

As she walked down the hall to the retiring room, she wondered if Somerton might actually find something about her family. She prayed he would, because the possibility of finding her mother’s diary was getting smaller every day.

She walked in the ladies’ retiring room to find it empty, save for Caroline.

“You do not take my warnings well, do you?” Caroline said, folding her arms over her extended belly.

“Warning? What warning?”

“About the duke. And you were just dancing with him. Have you no sense at all?”

“All you said is he might be my brother. I had not realized that meant I could not dance with him.” Elizabeth moved slightly to get past Caroline.

Caroline placed a hand on Elizabeth’s arm. “A dance is innocent enough, but anything more is highly suspect.”

“It really is none of your concern, Caroline.”

“It is my concern if you make a mockery of this family. Your sisters will be hurt, and Richard and I will be also. I will not allow it.” Caroline released her arm but not before giving Elizabeth a tight squeeze.

A sense of fear raced through Elizabeth. She had never seen Caroline quite so venomous.

“You and my sisters have nothing to fear from my behavior.”

“A rumor is a very hard thing to live down, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth had been about to walk out but she stopped and stared at Caroline. “Exactly what rumor, Caroline? The idea that perhaps the duke is my half brother? Hardly scandalous. Nearly half the
ton
has half siblings. I was born legally to the prior duke. He never repudiated me to the world and that is all that matters.”

Caroline raised one blond eyebrow at her. “Is it?”

“Yes.”

“Even if you have been intimate with the current duke?”

“That is a lie.”

Caroline tilted her head and gave her a half smile. “Is it, my dear? We both know that many rumors are based in falsehoods, but that does not keep the tongues from wagging.”

Will entered the gaming room and glanced around for a friendly face. Instead, he noticed Richard, once more deep in his cups and losing funds. The man looked old and weary. Perhaps that was what a much younger wife did to a man.

“We should talk,” Somerton said next to him.

“You are the sneakiest man I have ever met. I did not hear you approach.”

Somerton smirked. “That is the way I like it.”

They walked toward the gardens and searched out a private spot. “I could not find anything on Richard other than his recent gambling issues. But that may be just to get away from the shrew he married.”

“And Caroline?” Will asked.

“I would never turn my back on that woman. She will cut anyone down to get what she wants.”

Will didn’t doubt that. “And she wants to be duchess.”