Was it anger or surprise that stirred inside him at being manipulated?
All eyes in the room were on him. That had never bothered him before now. But this was different. He didn’t like the feeling of being backed into a corner, especially by a mischievous miss.
Andrew moved a step away from the lovely but devious young lady. He should have known immediately what the golden-haired beauty with the shining blue eyes was up to when he found her in his room, but he’d let his attraction to her rule the head in his trousers rather than the one housing his good common sense.
He should have escorted her out immediately, but she’d tempted him to linger.
Not only was his great aunt looking at him with accusing eyes, but there was also a rather tall, regal lady who he assumed was Miss Banning’s aunt looking straight at him with a gaze that looked like it could pierce steel. And if that wasn’t enough to turn an already disturbing evening into a hellish nightmare, the Lord Mayor’s robust, loud-speaking wife, Dorothy Farebrother, was eyeing him as if he were a dirty lecher ready to pounce on an innocent girl.
That might not have been too far from the truth only minutes ago. But not anymore. His hot arousal had vanished as quickly as warm breath hitting the air on a freezing day.
Andrew was too much of a gentleman to tell the three older ladies that the beautiful miss standing beside him was most likely a deranged young woman who first told him she was looking for a ghost and later admitted she was merely curious as to the contents of his bedchamber. And he would like to inform them all that this entire situation had been staged by her in hopes of tricking him into marriage.
But instead of the truth, he stated, “There has been a great misunderstanding here. This is not a rendezvous or any kind of affair of the heart. She and I don’t even know each other.”
“That’s not what it looked like to me,” the Lord Mayor’s wife said.
Ignoring her interrupting remark, Andrew continued calmly, “I came up here to get a handkerchief and she was peering in the looking glass. I believe there might have been something in her eye.”
Andrew had no compunction about lying to cover the reputation of a young lady no matter how designing she might be. It was especially easy when the lie would benefit him as well.
“He’s right, Auntie,” Miss Banning said as she immediately started blinking rapidly and rubbing one of her eyes. “He did not invite me in here, nor had I any idea he would come in here. We’ve never spoken, nor have we met until just now.”
“And I don’t believe we’ve met, my lord,” her aunt said, walking closer to him while keeping a stern expression on her face.
“That’s right, Agatha,” his petite Aunt Claude said. “You didn’t meet my grandnephew earlier. The receiving line was halted when the vase fell from the landing. Andrew, may I present one of my oldest and dearest friends, Miss Agatha Loudermilk. I believe you have already met her grandniece, Miss Olivia Banning.”
Oh, yes, indeed he had met her. He had touched her. He had tasted her, and despite her cunning, he wanted to taste her again.
It was a little late for formal introductions, but Andrew allowed his aunt to have her way, so he suffered through them, including the bows and curtsies.
“What I would like to know is how you missed the retiring room?” Mrs. Farebrother asked Miss Banning as soon as the pleasantries were finished. “There would have been any number of ladies in there who could have seen to your eye.”
Miss Loudermilk glared at the Lord Mayor’s wife and said, “She is my niece, Dorothy, and I will be the one to question her about this, thank you very much, and if you don’t mind, stay quiet.”
Dorothy sniffed, raised her thick eyebrows in disdain, and said, “Of course not. I just don’t understand why she didn’t leave these rooms the second she realized she was in the master of the house’s bedchamber?”
“I knew as soon as I entered it was not the retiring room,” Miss Banning said, “but I had no way of knowing this was Lord Dugdale’s private chamber.”
“With these grand furnishings?” the brash Mrs. Farebrother asked, stretching her arms wide.
Andrew noticed how Miss Banning defended herself as she unobtrusively moved away from him and closer to her aunt.
This was beginning to feel like a drunken, madcap masquerade ball, except he could see all the faces. Andrew knew he had to take control of this situation before things got worse. He’d had enough of these women sniping at each other.
“Ladies, there has been no harm done here. Let’s forget this happened and go back downstairs for something to eat and drink.”
“Not so quick, my lord. I am not willing to concede that there has been no harm to my niece. That has yet to be determined. However, I will be happy to entertain you and your solicitor tomorrow afternoon to hear what you have to say for yourself concerning this turn of events.”
“Auntie, what are you talking about? We’ve explained what happened. It’s completely unnecessary for you to summon the earl for such an insignificant matter.”
“This is not an inconsequential matter, my dear girl. The fact is there are witnesses to you being alone with this man in his bedchamber.”
Andrew had to give the young lady credit for knowing how to play the part of the innocent victim with conviction. Before she’d stepped away from him her eyes seemed to be pleading with him to do something, but he’d felt little sorrow for her, considering she brought this unpleasantness on herself.
He’d fully expected her to demand marriage on the spot. He could only thank his lucky stars that hadn’t happened—yet.
Since the introductions, he’d forced himself not to look at Miss Banning for fear her aunt might think he was trying to send her some kind of secret message, but suddenly across the space between them their gazes met.
Andrew was instantly reminded of how good she felt in his arms, how wonderful the softness of her mouth felt beneath his lips, how sweet and innocent she’d tasted on his tongue.
“In my day, if a man disgraced a young lady he was made to marry her as soon as the proper banns could be posted,” the Lord Mayor’s wife blurted out.
“I don’t want to marry him,” Miss Banning said firmly, her eyes darting from him, to the Lord Mayor’s wife, to her aunt. “He did not disgrace me. You don’t know what you are talking about.”
“His hands were on your face. I saw it,” Mrs. Farebrother insisted.
“Dorothy, please be quiet and let me handle this.”
“By all means, Agatha, you should be the one to find out what was going on in here. But I’m certain they were touching.”
“Might I ask who was touching whom?”
Gasps echoed like a lonesome whisper around the suddenly silent room.
Andrew’s gaze flew to the doorway just in time to see the buxom Lady Lynette Knightington stepping from behind his short Aunt Claudette to get a good look at what was going on inside.
Bloody hell!
“You may ask, but you might get snapped at for doing so,” Mrs. Farebrother said in an annoyed tone.
“I heard voices and came to investigate. What’s going on in here?” Lady Lynette asked.
“We don’t know yet,” Mrs. Farebrother answered before anyone else found their breath. “The three of us were on our way to the retiring room when Claudette noticed Lord Dugdale’s bedchamber door ajar. We walked over to close it and found the two of them in here in what possibly could have been an embrace.”
Heaven help him. What next? This was worse than any poorly acted comedy he’d seen at the Lyceum. He had to get all of the ladies out of his rooms before anyone else showed up.
“Mrs. Farebrother is speaking out of turn,” Miss Banning remarked, stepping forward as color fled up the column of her slender, beautiful neck and settled in the softness of her cheeks.
“Yes, she is, and that’s enough from you, Dorothy.” His Aunt Claude spoke up for the first time in quite a while.
“Indeed,” Miss Loudermilk reprimanded. “How dare you continue to insert yourself into this very private matter when you’ve been asked repeatedly to stay quiet?”
“I’d hardly call it private when the three of us witnessed their embrace. Just because we have been friends for more than thirty years, Agatha, you have no cause to speak to me in such a tone.”
“I do when you continue to offer an opinion that is neither wanted, nor is it needed. I insist on handling this delicate concern without your help.”
“I know what I saw,” Mrs. Farebrother insisted and folded her arms across her chest defiantly.
“But nobody is asking you about it,” Miss Banning said in a composed tone.
“That’s not true,” the Lord Mayor’s wife complained. “Lady Lynette asked.”
Andrew was ready to throw them all out.
“Ladies,” Andrew said tightly as he walked past them and to the door. “I really must insist that you go back downstairs and rejoin the party. As Miss Loudermilk suggested, anything that needs attention can be dealt with by the two families tomorrow.”
“So true, Andrew,” his aunt said and joined him by the door. “It’s time we all returned to the party.”
“I trust that all knowledge of this incident will stay in this room,” Andrew said, though he knew it was too much to ask. “I wouldn’t like to see Miss Banning’s reputation tarnished over something that was of no consequence whatsoever.”
“Of course you can trust me to never breathe a word of this to anyone,” Mrs. Farebrother said.
She might have been the first to declare the vow, but Andrew saw exhilaration in her eyes that told him she couldn’t wait to get downstairs and tell others what she had seen. He wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that the stout, loud-speaking woman was one of the ladies who constantly fed information to the writers of the scandal sheets.
Even Lady Lynette, who was known to be one of the kindest of the spinsters in the ton, had a compassionate smile on her face, but an unusually bright gleam of excitement in her eyes.
It was uncommon for a duke’s daughter to remain unwed past her twenty-first birthday, but as far as he knew, Lady Lynette, who was nearing, if not past, thirty, had never been seriously courted. She’d been born with a dark red birthmark on the side of one cheek. It wasn’t hideous, but most people would consider it unsightly the first time they saw her. She was also taller than most men, which unfortunately added another strike against her marriageable prospects.
To her credit, she had lovely green eyes and a full womanly figure, and she was always cheerful. She’d never let her quite noticeable birthmark keep her in hiding. She attended most of the parties each Season and occasionally she was asked to dance.
Andrew had no doubt that when this incident got out, it would be the Lord Mayor’s wife who tattled to the gossips, and not the duke’s daughter. He was certain the story would be all over the party within the hour, and highly embellished to boot.
“Please, ladies,” he said again. “I must insist you go belowstairs.”
Miss Loudermilk lifted her chin. “I’ll expect you tomorrow afternoon before tea.” She then took hold of her niece’s arm just above the elbow and almost herded her out of the room with Dorothy, Lady Lynette, and his aunt following them.
His last glance at Miss Banning caused his stomach to tighten. She was a good actress. She had a convincingly distraught expression on her face, but he was sure the entire evening had gone according to her plan.
But he would take over from here.
Andrew had no intention to alter his bachelor lifestyle and take on the responsibilities of a wife. And a beautiful chit with tempting lips wasn’t going to change his mind about that.
As soon as the ladies were gone Andrew shut the door behind them. He took a deep breath and ran both hands through his hair.
What an evening.
First, a priceless urn had fallen from the shelf where it had been sitting for the better part of fifty years. It landed only inches from him. If it had landed on his head he could have been killed. And now a very appealing miss was trying to leg-shackle him.
What nerve she had to enter his room, pilfer through his things, and set a plan to become his countess.
He’d come close to being forced to marry once before and had managed to escape. He’d find a way to cheat Cupid once again.
The only thing he could do right now was to go downstairs and act as if nothing had happened. And on his way down, he would take a vow to never again host a party in his home.
As soon as he entered the crowded room he found a servant and asked that he be brought a brandy. Champagne and wine were not strong enough to get him through the rest of this evening.
The music sounded uncommonly loud and the chattering of his guests was more of a resounding roar in his ears. Light from the hundreds of candles seemed harsh and brassy rather than soft and golden. The strong smells of perfumes, liquor, and flowers mixed heavily in the unseasonably warm air.
He would have liked nothing better than to clear his house of all the richly dressed women and impeccably clothed gentlemen and have the time to reflect on the possible consequences of the past few minutes, but he couldn’t do that. He had to make the best of what was sure to be a long night.
Over the next couple of hours, Andrew made a point of walking from room to room, talking with everyone in attendance. All his guests were having a marvelous time. He discussed horses with the Marquis of Westerland, hunting with Lord Colebrook, and politics with the Duke of Knightington and two other members of Parliament.
Andrew had already danced with three different young ladies who were enjoying their first Season in Society. And he was gliding across the crowded dance floor with the fourth, but he really didn’t see the lady’s face in front of him at all. His thoughts were on another female—one standing by his dresser, her golden-colored hair bathed in lamplight. He would never forget the look of pure, innocent pleasure on her face as she held his soap to her nose.
Her delicate skin didn’t have the milky white look of so many young ladies he’d admired over the years. Her complexion had more the color found in a piece of expensive parchment.
When she’d offered him permission to search her body he hadn’t been able to deny himself the pleasure of touching her, breathing in her scent, and tasting her lips and mouth. Once his fingertips caressed her silky soft skin it was as if nothing else mattered. He had to kiss her and that had made him want to lay her on his big bed and sink deeply into her.
At the time it didn’t seem so unusual that she was more than willing to allow his forward advance, never once trying to stop him. He should have known she had her own designs when she didn’t admonish him for his forward behavior in any way. He’d been too enchanted by her beauty, her boldness, and her body.
How could he have passed on the challenge she threw out to search her person to prove her innocence?
He couldn’t.
And she knew it.
That thought tightened his stomach with anger. He wasn’t used to being outmaneuvered by a bewitching young lady.
The problem was that he’d been captivated by her before he ever opened his mouth to say a word. Obviously that had been part of her plan.
And it had worked.
Otherwise she would have screamed for help when he touched her or at least slapped his face. Yet, all she had done was melt into his arms as if she had been waiting a lifetime for him to come and awaken her to the wonderful, sensual pleasures of kissing.
She could claim all she wanted that she was really looking for a ghost or merely curious about the contents of his room, but he was convinced what she really wanted was to be the wife of an earl.
He’d stepped right into the middle of her plan.
Andrew shook his head as the young lady he was dancing with twirled under his arm. He couldn’t think about Miss Banning as looking like an angel and feeling like a long-lost lover in his arms, especially when he was in the company of a young lady who was trying desperately to charm him with her smile.
He must remember Miss Banning as the sprite who entered his private chamber without invitation and made herself at home. He must remember her glaring at him with seeming outrage when he had accused her of being a thief. He must remember she had laid the blame for their being caught on him.
Yes, that was the image of Miss Banning he must remember.
She was obviously drawn to his title and fortune, his connections to London’s most prestigious families, and maybe even his looks. Most young ladies considered him the handsome sort.
She had remained adamant that there was nothing between the two of them during the conversation in his room with the older ladies. But he was sure that was all part of her innocent act to get her way eventually.
Andrew escorted the young lady off the dance floor and returned her to her mother who was bent on regaling him with her daughter’s attributes. She was lovely, with dark hair and light brown eyes. Any other night he might have been tempted to spend more time with her.
But not tonight.
He bid his farewells to the ladies and was heading to get another drink when he saw his good friends John and Chandler standing by the courtyard door. Both were motioning for him to follow them outside.
He had no doubt as to why they wanted to see him alone.
For a moment, he was tempted to ignore them and not to go, but realized he would have to face them sooner or later.
Glancing at the hall clock, he saw it had taken more than two hours for them hear about his misfortune with Miss Banning. That surprised him. If this entire incident hadn’t been so serious, he would have laughed.
Andrew stepped outside into the warm night air. It was a clear night, free of fog, clouds, or mist, but only a small slice of a bright moon broke the blackness of the sky. Andrew couldn’t help but think the endless canopy of darkness matched his mood. He spoke to several people who were also enjoying the nighttime atmosphere before reaching his friends who stood at the far end of the portico.
“What the devil is this we hear about you and a young lady being caught in your bedchamber?” John asked as soon as Andrew was close enough to hear them.
“If it’s true, it’s one hell of a story,” Chandler added.
“No kidding,” Andrew said after taking a deep breath.
“You look like you need a drink,” John said, offering Andrew the glass he held in his hand.
He needed more than just a drink. A beautiful enchantress was trying to upset the contented balance he’d just achieved in his life. He feared it would be a battle of wills between the two of them.
“My finest brandy hasn’t begun to dull my senses tonight.”
“Maybe that’s just as well. Tell us what happened.”
Andrew gazed out over his garden. The greenery was lush from rain and dotted with splashes of color from the spring blossoms. The entire back area glowed from lamps that lit the limestone walkways.
He shook his head and laughed. “It is so unbelievable, my friends, that it’s downright laughable.”
“Speak, man. Tell us, what were you thinking to arrange an interlude with a young lady in your room?”
“And while you had one hundred guests in your house? It’s absurd,” John added.
“You’ve done some wild things, Andrew, we all have, but this goes beyond them all.”
Andrew looked from one friend to the other. He knew they thought him mad. “That’s the hell of it, fellows. I didn’t arrange to meet her. I had never even met her. I went up to my room and there she was.”
“Who?” John questioned.
“The lady’s name is Miss Olivia Banning.”
“You’ll have to point her out to us.”
“I’ve looked the house over,” Andrew answered. “She’s already left the party.”
“So who is this Miss Olivia Banning?” John asked.
“And what was she doing in your room if you didn’t invite her?”
Andrew hesitated. He hadn’t kept much from them in all the years they’d been friends, but he didn’t want to tell them how Miss Banning had looked shadowed by lamplight, standing by his dressing table, holding his shaving soap to her nose, eyes closed and inhaling the scent.
Even now the remembrance did strange things to his insides.
“I’m not sure. She was just standing near the looking glass.”
“Well, surely you asked her. What did she have to say for herself?”
Should he tell them what she said? That she was looking for a ghost and became curious once she entered his room? He was tempted, but no, that, too, he would keep to himself, for now anyway. He would stay with the story that she found his room by accident and she had something in her eye.
“Not much,” he lied without compunction. She’d had plenty to say and she wasn’t shy about it, but his friends would never know that, either. “I thought at first maybe she was going to steal something. I had some coins on the dressing table.”
“How did she get into your bedchamber? It wasn’t locked?”
“No. I—she said something about getting lost while going to the ladies’ retiring room. While I was trying to find out who she was and what she was doing there Aunt Claude, the young lady’s aunt, and the Lord Mayor’s wife saw the door to my room ajar and came to investigate. Before I could get everyone out, Lady Lynette came in asking questions.”
“Damnation,” Chandler whispered. “That many people saw her in your room? What a hell of a mess.”
Andrew took a deep breath and shook his head as he remembered the bickering of the three older ladies. God save him from a scene like that again.
“It was lunacy,” Andrew said.
“Bloody hell. It sounds like it,” John said.
A short unexpected laugh escaped past Andrew’s lips. “This party has been a disaster right from the beginning of the evening.”
“Yes, we heard about the urn falling from the landing at the top of the stairs before we arrived. How the hell did something like that happen?”
“I don’t know, but I’m beginning to think fate has decided to play a few cruel jokes on me.”
“So what happens with the young lady now?” Chandler asked.
“I’m going to call on Miss Banning and her aunt tomorrow afternoon and settle this. No doubt it will get out and the tittle-tattle sheets will chew on it for a few days, but with a little luck it will eventually die away as all scandals do.”
“Yes, but how will you settle it? Marriage could be demanded of you.”
Not in this lifetime.
“Don’t worry, my dear friends. I have a few ideas. After all these years of spurning the pushy mamas and irate fathers, not even giving in to marriage when a financial match would have been so easy and welcomed, I’m not about to be caught in parson’s mousetrap now.”
“For your sake, I hope it will be as easy for you to ditch the fortune seeker as you think.”
“I don’t foresee a problem. I can be very persuasive. Now, I’m going back to the party.”
“We’re here, if you need us,” Chandler said and clapped Andrew on the arm.
“I know that.”
It was strangely comforting to know that his friends, who had made it clear that they preferred their wives’ company to his, were still there for him when trouble came knocking.
Andrew turned and walked away.
Immediately his thoughts went deep. Perhaps all he had to do was mention to Miss Loudermilk that her niece said she was looking for a ghost. That wasn’t something intelligent young ladies did. Surely no one would expect him to marry a young lady whose mind wasn’t as it should be.
That was a shame, too. She was really very tempting.
He could always say he had to think of the title. Whenever he married it would have to be to a woman of sound mind. His sons would need to be strong and intelligent.
Suddenly his stomach twisted. He didn’t like using Miss Banning’s own words about her pursuit of a ghost to save himself from the gallows called matrimony, but in this instance he might have to.
If her stern-looking aunt didn’t already know about her queer searchings for members of the afterlife, she would by the end of tomorrow afternoon.