The Incorrigible Mr. Lumley (11 page)

Joanna sat in Lady Ellsworthy’s parlor on a
pleasant afternoon a few days later and looked once more at the
cards in her hand. Her partner, Mr. Lumley, had her on edge and she
found it very difficult to focus on the play. She lay down what she
thought was the right card, then looked to Lady Hannah to make her
move.

Mr. Lumley drummed his fingers on the table.
“I believe I shall remove to the refreshment table whilst she
attempts to make a decision.” Yet he made no move to rise.

Lady Hannah rolled her eyes. “Perhaps if I
were trying to find a card to please you, dear brother, I would
take that long. But as I am partnered with Mr. Whitmore, I can
simply play the best card in my hand.” She made her move.

Mr. Lumley promptly flipped down his own
card and the play went on. He lifted his gaze to meet Joanna’s and
offered her a smile she recognized as genuine.

That was a good word for the man.
Genuine
. He had no airs about him, which was refreshing. She
couldn’t understand why men acted one way at a race meeting or in
the stables, and altogether differently in a formal assembly. Of
course, one polished one’s manners to a certain degree at any
formal event, but one’s essential temperament should never
change.

Some gentlemen, she’d discovered, had a
different manner based on how lofty their hostess was, as if the
wives of barons and bankers didn’t deserve the same respect as did
the wives of earls. One such man sat at a nearby table as the
partner of Aunt Ophelia. His fawning comments often overpowered the
conversation at Joanna’s table.

“That is the perfect card you chose, Lady
Ophelia,” he said.

Joanna wrinkled her nose at Lady Hannah, who
hid her grin behind her fingers. Mr. Lumley caught their exchange
and shook his head, speaking
sotto-voce
. “Is he a friend of
the family?”

“I’ve never met the man,” Joanna
confessed.

Mr. Lumley looked at the next table again,
but said nothing.

Lady Hannah leaned close, whispering, “Ask
me when we take a turn about the gardens later.”

Her brother nodded. “I believe I’ll be ready
for fresh air when this hand is through. What say you,
Whitmore?”

Whitmore nodded. “That would be wise, to
walk before it becomes too chilly.”

“Excellent, now we may finish this hand?”
Mr. Lumley asked with a grumble, looking at his sister.

“The play just came my way. Do not blame me
for holding you up. Honestly, David, I do not know why you come to
play cards. There is no prize for the first table finished.” She
took her turn.

Mr. Lumley slapped down another card. “I
must suggest such a variation to Mother the next time we invite our
friends to play. It should liven up the evening.”

“Are you suggesting you find our company
dull?” Lady Hannah pierced him with her glare.

“No such thing. Whitmore and I’ve the good
luck of being partnered with the prettiest ladies in attendance,
and your wit’s no less sparkling.”

Joanna giggled softly, and looked to see if
their hostess could hear their discourse. Lady Ellsworthy was not
known for her wit, and might not appreciate the banter. “Come now,
you two, you must get along, even if it pains you to be civil
toward one another.”

“I shall speak to you, Lady Joanna, and
ignore my brother. That will keep the peace. Have you been to the
King’s Opera House yet? I saw a performance last week that was most
enjoyable.”

“No, I haven’t been. Northcotte mentioned
escorting me one evening, but he’s been so very busy of late.” Some
nights, the light still burned in his study when she returned home
from an assembly, but the door was always closed so she never
entered.

“You should have him join you one evening
when we’ll be attending the same ball. He could keep David company
while we enjoy ourselves.” Lady Hannah looked from Joanna to her
brother.

Joanna noticed Mr. Lumley’s brows draw
together briefly before she responded. “I’m afraid he’s not much
for dancing.”

“Neither is David. It would be perfect.”

Mr. Lumley cleared his throat. “I’m capable
of choosing my own friends, minx. And I’m certain Northcotte would
prefer to keep an eye on his sister, should he attend, much as I
do.”

Lady Hannah lifted one card in her hand,
then another, as if indecisive. “You say such things, but how much
trouble can we get into in a crowded ballroom with half the
ton
observing?”

“You’d be surprised,” he grumbled.

Joanna coughed away the laughter that
bubbled up inside her. Was Mr. Lumley thinking of his own exploits,
or some scandal of past years? He didn’t seem the type to take
advantage of an innocent, but a good many less-than-innocent ladies
frequented these balls. Imagining him with a light-skirt caused a
band to form around her middle. She played her turn without taking
the time to be certain it was the best move. Mr. Lumley’s frown
told her it probably was not.

Thankfully, the game ended soon and she and
Lady Hannah rose. The two gentlemen followed. Mr. Lumley came
around the small table and offered his elbow. “Shall we tour the
garden? I understand Lady Ellsworthy has some excellent
statuary.”

“Yes, that sounds pleasant.” With her gloved
hand on his arm, Joanna followed Lady Hannah and Mr. Whitmore out
the French doors.

As they wandered past the marble benches and
ornate fountain, a lovely arbor covered in lavender blooms came
into view. Mr. Lumley inhaled deeply, then said, “Jasmine.”

“I believe it’s wisteria,” Joanna
replied.

“Wisteria in a perfume? Do you have it made
especially for you?”

She realized then what he’d referred to.
“Oh, I thought you meant the arbor. Yes, my perfume is jasmine.”
The heat that warmed her cheeks was silly. His taking notice of
little things meant nothing. He’d done nothing to indicate his
interest, other than dance with her on a regular basis and go
riding with her and Lady Hannah several times. Should she make her
interest more plain?

Walking next to him felt so natural. Their
strides matched, and he was very attentive to where she stepped, to
avoid ruining her white kid slippers. The warmth of him beside her
offered an unusual comfort, similar to when she hugged Patriot. She
smiled at that thought. What would he think if he knew she compared
him to her horse?

Joanna chewed her lip. Mr. Lumley was fully
aware of why she was in London, and that her brother had given her
an ultimatum. She had to interpret the fact that he’d not pushed to
deepen their acquaintance as his not wanting to do so. She needed
to take a good look at the rest of the gentlemen at these
assemblies and do what was needed to find a suitable husband.
Before her brother found one for her.

“You’re quiet.”

She started, and offered him a small smile.
“I’m sorry. I get lost in my thoughts sometimes.”

“Where did they take you on such a pleasant
afternoon?”

What should she say? She couldn’t blurt out
her fears about finding a husband. “Just reflecting on my time in
London.”

“Ah, yes, the high point of a young lady’s
year. Has it been everything you wished for? You’ve only been here
a few weeks, but if your schedule has been anything like Hannah’s,
I imagine you’ve been busy every minute.”

“It does seem that way. I suppose it’s
better than having no invitations at all, but I miss having a lazy
afternoon to sit under a tree and read.”

“You should schedule time for that, then.
Hannah doesn’t read much, but perhaps one of your other friends
would enjoy taking a book to the park.”

She had to press closer to him to avoid
getting her gown caught on a rose bush. His arm came around her
shoulders, whether to steady her or him, she was not certain. Her
skin heated from the contact, which ended too soon for her liking.
When he stood that close, she could smell his soap, and the
sweetness of punch on his breath. If he kissed her, would he taste
as sweet? She couldn’t resist looking at his lips, and licking her
own.

He groaned, or cleared his throat, and
shifted slightly to put some distance between them. Obviously he
was not as affected by her nearness as she was. She sighed and
quickened her pace to catch up to Lady Hannah.

David let Joanna hurry ahead and took a
moment to compose himself. When she’d licked her lips, his muscles
had tightened in need. He tugged at his cravat and shut out the
image of her tongue pressed against that pale pink skin. Kissing
her was not part of the plan, no matter how tempting she was.

And she tempted him mercilessly. He could no
longer convince himself his interest in her was purely to discover
what connection Northcotte had to the poisonings. By now, he
couldn’t recall why he’d ever thought she would know anything. Or
why befriending her would help him find the answers he sought.

He was such a fool. Yet he’d had nothing to
compare their friendship to. His relations with willing widows were
all aboveboard, both parties understanding sex was the only
connection between them. He had no female friends, other than those
young ladies he knew through his sisters, or were family
connections. Plainly, he had no real understanding what spending
time with Lady Joanna would do to him.

He liked her. Enjoyed her laughter, and
discovering what she was thinking. He was genuinely concerned that
she could be forced to marry Sir Frederick.

He shook his head. He was not supposed to
develop feelings for her. His scheme did not involve falling for
her. And he hadn’t really considered what would happen to her when
he walked away after learning what he needed to know.

This was a bad scheme all around. As David
lengthened his stride and closed the distance between him and the
other three, he decided he needed to find a resolution that would
be kind to Lady Joanna. Before she was hurt.

Chapter Nine

Pacing the fading Turkish carpet in her
chamber, Joanna wrung her hands and contemplated the evening ahead.
Molly clutched a strand of pearls to her chest, her eyes pleading.
Joanna shook her head. “I won’t wear any jewels. It’s bad enough
Robert has forced me to attend this evening. Sir Frederick! Molly,
have you seen the man? I’m not shallow enough to complain over his
looks. If I could believe his manner was lacking due to ignorance,
I should not belittle him. He is so arrogant, yet completely
unaware of how a gentleman behaves.”

“Yes, my lady, so you’ve said. But please,
his lordship insists I make certain you look your best whenever you
go out.”

“And you have done your best, Molly. Should
he complain, I‘d inform my brother you are not to blame if he finds
anything about me lacking. I truly doubt he’ll notice, though. He
will have Lady Barbara on his arm. He’ll not see me.”

Molly set down the pearls and picked up
several hairpins. “Will you allow me to at least secure your curls?
I couldn’t bear it if your coiffure fell before you returned
home.”

Joanna paused, her arms folded in front of
her, her gaze fixed on the mirror. Molly was proud of her station,
and Joanna’s appearance reflected on her servant. No matter how
badly she wished to appear plain and undesirable, it was not fair
of her to injure Molly’s reputation in the process. “Do what you
must. But please, don’t do it too well.”

A knock sounded on the door. Molly opened it
and Joanna saw one of the younger footmen standing in the hallway.
He cleared his throat. “His lordship wishes to know if you are
ready. Sir Frederick has arrived and the gentlemen are waiting in
the study.”

“Thank you, Thomson. Please inform his
lordship I shall be down presently.”

He nodded and scurried away, showing his
youth in his speed and lack of decorum. Molly closed the door and
returned to Joanna, pushing a few more pins into the bun. “There,
that should hold.”

Joanna offered a smile she didn’t feel.
“Thank you. You may go now, get some rest before I need you to help
me undress later.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Joanna’s hand hesitated over the perfume
bottles. Her favorite bergamot-laden scent calmed her immensely.
She would prefer to wear it, but didn’t wish Sir Frederick to think
she’d worn anything to please him. The heavier French fragrance
would never do. For a moment, she wished she could run to the
stables, rub her hand in some horse sweat and apply it liberally,
but the moment passed quickly. Robert would not find the humor in
the action.

Skipping any sort of fragrance, she rose,
picked up her pelisse and went to face her doom. An entire evening
listening to Sir Frederick speak on whatever he deemed suitable
conversation. Remembering their exchange on the dance floor that
one evening, she suddenly feared he would say nothing the entire
night. People would talk about her strange escort who ignored
her.