As the music commenced, Nate had his wife exactly where he wanted, clasped in his arms, one of his hands at the small of her back and the other laced with her fingers. After prowling through the party and reacquainting himself with a few old friends, he had found himself gravitating back to Madelyn. And why shouldn’t he? If his scheme was to embarrass Gilmore, better he should stay close to his infamous bride.
Better he should pretend they were madly in love.
It was hardly a difficult task, for she was the perfect partner, light on her feet and easy on his eyes. Her soft blond hair had been drawn up in a coil at the back of her head with wispy ringlets framing her delicate features. The peacock-blue gown enhanced the milky skin of her bosom. He liked knowing that she belonged to him alone, that no other man had made her cry out in ecstasy. She smiled as they whirled around the dance floor, the picture of a sensual woman who enjoyed life to the fullest.
Yet he couldn’t shake the image of her watching Herrington.
“You never answered me,” he murmured while deftly guiding her past another couple. “Have you any regrets?”
“About giving up the marquess in favor of you? Of course not. I wouldn’t have been invited to this party if I was merely a mistress.” She spoke in a soft, breathy tone that required him to bend close to hear. Her eyes glimmered up at him, her lashes slightly lowered in a coy look. “However, you’ll be leaving England in a few months. I’ll be lonely. Perhaps I shall seek out Herrington as a lover.”
Taken aback, Nate forced out a laugh. “That dull dog? He’d bore you inside of two minutes.”
“Would he? I happen to find his intelligence to be highly stimulating. In fact, there are any number of gentlemen here who might be good company for an abandoned wife.” Madelyn glanced around the dance floor as if seeking prospects for future trysts.
The minx was provoking him on purpose, Nate told himself. He wouldn’t let her get away with it. Putting his mouth close to her ear, he breathed in the sweet scent of her skin. “You may not realize it yet, darling, but I’ve spoiled you for any other man.”
“No, what you’ve done is to awaken my desires.” Those big blue eyes challenged him. “And after showing me such pleasure, you can’t expect me to live as a nun in the years to come. That hardly seems fair since you very likely will take lovers in your travels.”
Nate found the topic more disturbing than it ought to be. He didn’t want to acknowledge any truth in her words. And he certainly didn’t want to imagine Madelyn in the arms of a lover, moaning another man’s name in the throes of passion. It was time he called her bluff. “This conversation is absurd. You’ve studied to be a lady for the past fortnight in order to help Emily. You wouldn’t do anything to hurt my sister.”
“Emily will marry eventually, perhaps even by the end of this year. Once her future is settled, I’ll be free to pursue my own interests. Anyway, you ought to encourage me to have affairs once you’re gone. Then I shall be a perpetual disgrace to your father.”
When she flashed that brilliant smile at him, Nate wanted to shake her. Madelyn was teasing him, she had to be, yet his insides felt tied in knots. She was an incredibly lovely, vivacious woman who took great pleasure in sexual intimacy. Without him around to fend off the sniffing dogs, she might very well fall prey to seduction.
As the waltz came to a close, he took a deep breath to dispel the tightness in his chest. Perhaps the root cause of his disquiet came from his childhood. His mother had had affairs; he remembered her as a beautiful, frivolous flirt whose indiscretions had caused much strife between his parents.
But Nathan’s marriage was not based on fidelity to wedding vows. He shouldn’t give a damn what Madelyn did after he left or with whom she did it. Let her open a bordello in Piccadilly Circus if she liked. It mattered nothing to him.
Her fingers pressed into his sleeve. “There’s Lord Dunham and his brother by the fireplace,” she murmured, peering into the crowd. “I lost sight of them while we were dancing.”
His resolve went up in smoke. Dunham had been one of Nate’s cronies in his dissipated youth. The reprobate had been a participant in the auction, the second one tonight who had caught Madelyn’s interest.
Leaning down, he hissed in her ear, “For pity’s sake, can’t you wait with the trysts until I’m gone?”
She blinked at him and then laughed. “I’m sorry, you’ve misconstrued my meaning. Earlier, I noticed Lord Dunham’s brother, Lord Theodore, admiring Emily. He looks to be an agreeable gentleman, and I hope you’ll introduce them.”
Nate looked at her suspiciously. “My sister?”
“Yes, I think she may have gone this way a few minutes ago.”
Her gloved fingers curling around the crook of his arm, Madelyn urged him through the jam-packed room. They found Emily out in the corridor chatting with a fortyish gentleman whose balding head proved him to be far too old for her. Nate had no qualms about drawing his sister away to a quiet corner. As a debutante, she was supposed to be in the company of a family member at all times.
“Why were you left alone?” he demanded. “Where the devil is Gilmore? And Sophia?”
“Papa went to the library to smoke with the gentlemen,” Emily said. “Sophia is upstairs in the ladies’ retiring room. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”
“In the meantime, there’s someone you should meet—” Madelyn began.
“Dunham’s brother,” Nate broke in, still mistrustful of his wife’s eagerness to make the introduction. “Do you know him?”
Emily’s hazel eyes lit up. “Lord Theo? I’ve been pining for an introduction.” Her fingers fluttered self-consciously over her pitted cheek. “But he’s so handsome and clever. He attends Oxford, did you know? Do you truly think he would care to meet me?”
“Absolutely,” Madelyn said, taking a handkerchief from her reticule and using it to discreetly dab a spot on the girl’s cheek. “You look beautiful and, anyway, I saw him admiring you earlier.”
As Emily smiled, her face took on a radiance that made Nathan study her more closely in the candlelight. The pit marks looked less obvious tonight, and he wondered if it was Madelyn’s doing. If she had the skill with cosmetics to transform herself into a wrinkled old servant, as she’d done the night of the auction, then minimizing a few scars would have been a snap for her.
Once again, she had surprised him. She wasn’t the shallow, heartless trollop that he’d initially thought. Of course, that was why he couldn’t entirely trust her, either. She was too much the freethinker for her own good.
“Shall we go?” Madelyn said, looping her arm through Emily’s.
“Wait.” Nate stepped in front of them. He didn’t want his wife anywhere near Dunham. Especially not when she looked so delectable. “Leave this to me, Madelyn. You should return to Grandmamma. Remember, it’s best you’re not seen in Emily’s company.”
“Oh, la! Everyone knows that Emily and I live under the same roof. It will seem odd if we’re not friendly toward each other.”
“I quite agree,” his sister asserted. “And if anyone dares to snub Madelyn, then I shall snub them!”
Nathan had been certain that mentioning Emily’s reputation would succeed in discouraging Madelyn. But she seemed hell-bent on seeing Dunham. At least Nathan could make sure the meeting was under his supervision. “No one is snubbing anyone,” he said tersely. “We’ll go together, then.”
He offered an arm to each lady and they strolled back into the crowded drawing room. His mind continued to analyze Madelyn’s motive. Was it just that she wanted to help his sister? Or was she angling for an official introduction to Dunham?
That had to be it. Although she and Dunham had been acquainted during her time as an actress, no one in society could be privy to that prior association. Therefore, they would have to meet again formally in order for her to converse with Dunham without raising eyebrows.
Why the hell did she want to chat with Dunham, anyway? Was the scoundrel on her list of potential lovers? Blast it, she shouldn’t be planning tête-à-têtes in front of her husband.
Much to Nate’s satisfaction, however, Lord Theodore Langley stood alone by the fireplace, gazing into the flames. Dunham was nowhere in sight—and good riddance.
Nate hadn’t spoken to Theo since he was a timid, gawky lad of twelve, home from Eton during the holidays, with his nose buried in a book. Apparently the years hadn’t changed him much, for he still looked a trifle awkward in company.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Theo Langley,” Nate said, offering his hand. “Nathan Atwood here, in case you’ve forgotten me.”
Theo looked around in surprise, his dark blue eyes rounded behind his spectacles, a lock of sandy-brown hair tumbled onto his brow. “Oh … hullo.” His gaze flicked to Madelyn and then to Emily, lingering a moment on her before he belatedly shook Nate’s hand. “Um … you’re Lord Rowley now, aren’t you?”
“Indeed, and I’ve lately returned from a long journey through the Far East. Lord Theo, if I might introduce my wife, Madelyn, and my sister, Lady Emily. Madelyn and Emily, Lord Theo Langley.”
Theo turned hesitantly to Emily. He took her gloved hand almost reverently. “Hullo. It’s—it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Madelyn offered her hand as well. Her full attention on him, she studied him closely as if inordinately thrilled to meet Dunham’s brother. “It’s an honor, Lord Theo. Your grandfather is the Duke of Houghton, is he not? May I ask, is he here tonight?”
The second question struck Nate as odd—except in the context of her being a social climber. Did that explain her interest in Dunham? Had she selected that rogue as a future conquest on the basis of his bloodline? Nate clenched his jaw. As Houghton’s grandson and heir, Dunham would be a feather in her cap.
And a rich one, too, for Houghton had deep pockets.
“I’m afraid Grandpapa doesn’t get around very well these days,” Theo said. “But I’m sure you’ll meet him at our ball.”
“Ball?” Madelyn inquired.
“It’s in May. You must come, everyone does. It’s always the biggest crush of the season.” He blinked owlishly behind his glasses. “Not that I like great crowds of people. But the ladies seem to enjoy it.”
Theo and Emily were stealing glances at each other and Nate decided the lad needed a nudge. “Ladies like dancing, that’s why,” he said pointedly. “Perhaps you and Emily should go practice your skills right now.”
“Practice? Oh, yes, right, a capital notion.” He bowed to the girl. “Lady Emily, would you care to dance?”
“Yes, I would, thank you!”
Arm in arm, they headed off toward the music, Theo looking tall and lanky beside petite, slender Emily. The young blade had better treat her well, or he’d have to answer to Nate.
He turned to see Madelyn smiling warmly after them. “They’re such an attractive couple. They do seem enamored of each other, don’t you think?”
“It would appear so.”
Nate reflected that he was the one enamored—of Madelyn. That soft smile made him hunger to whisk her upstairs and find a bedchamber in which to make love to her. Even a dark corner or a linen closet would do, anywhere that they could be alone. The blood burned hotly in his veins. He could lift her skirts, press her up against the wall, and thrust into her tight velvet heat …
“Rowley,” spoke a male voice from behind Nate. “You always did have a beautiful woman on your arm. This time, I see she is the scandalous Madelyn Swann.”
Dunham joined them, a drink in his hand, his narrow features exuding a sly snobbery as he glanced from Nate to Madelyn and back again. He looked dapper in a black coat with a ruby stickpin in his cravat, his blond hair neatly combed. The slight sneer on his lips revealed his resentment at being the loser in the auction.
Nate slid his arm around Madelyn in a deliberate display of ownership. “Dunham. You will kindly address my wife as Lady Rowley. Darling, this is the disreputable Lord Dunham.”
“How do you do, my lord?” she said.
Madelyn was still smiling but with tense civility. She didn’t extend her hand as politeness demanded, nor did she curtsy. She watched Dunham almost warily, and Nate wondered if he’d been wrong to think her interested in the man. Rather, there seemed to be an undercurrent of dislike between them.
Why would she have invited him to participate in the auction if she had an aversion to him? Was it just his rank that had attracted her? Whatever the reason, Nate felt disturbed by it.
Dunham waved his glass toward the dance floor. “Was that Theo I saw going off with your sister just now? I’m afraid it won’t do.”
“Won’t do?” Nate repeated coldly.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but my brother shan’t be permitted to court her. Houghton would never allow his grandson to have any connection to a family that has been tainted by common blood.”
The direct slap at Madelyn made Nate’s fingers clench into fists. “If you insist upon insulting my wife, then let’s settle the matter in the boxing ring. Just name the time and place.”
Those pale blue eyes widened slightly. “Fisticuffs,” Dunham scoffed. “That was always your manner of solving disputes, not mine. I ask only that you warn your sister not to expect Theo to come calling.”
With that, he walked away into the horde of guests. The stinking coward. Nate would have enjoyed planting a hook into that weaselly face. It was hard to believe they’d once been cronies, drinking and gambling and carousing together. He must have been out of his mind to associate with such a ne’er-do-well.
He looked down at Madelyn. As she stared after Dunham, her face was pale, her lips compressed. Nate had never seen her so wounded that she could not speak.
The sight stirred a protective instinct in him. “I’m sorry you had to be subjected to that,” he murmured, gently squeezing her hand. “I’ll make certain Dunham never again comes near you.”
She lifted her chin and looked at him. Her blue eyes blazed with anger. “You needn’t coddle me. I’m perfectly capable of watching out for myself. If you’ll excuse me now, I shall return to Lady Gilmore.”
Stunned, Nate stared as she glided away, the incomparable lady as she sailed through the crowd and sat down with his grandmother and the other matrons. He’d been wrong to think Madelyn distressed. She was furious. At him? What the devil had he done but defend her?
No, surely her anger was directed at Dunham. She must be incensed at him for barring Theo from seeing Emily. And she’d be affronted at being dismissed as common.
Whatever the reason for her ire, Nate resolved to keep a closer eye on his wife. Not just tonight but in the coming days as well. There was something between Dunham and Madelyn, something that didn’t quite make sense.
And he intended to find out exactly what it was.
* * *
The following morning at nine, Maddy entered the dining room to see the Earl of Gilmore sitting alone at the head of the table.
She stopped, tempted to make a quiet retreat. The newspaper he was holding blocked him from seeing her in the doorway. What was he doing here at this hour? The earl usually breakfasted promptly at eight. By nine, he was ensconced in the library with his papers and books. She had learned his daily routine in order to avoid his company. But their late return from the party the previous evening must have caused him to alter his strict schedule.
She balked at the notion of making stilted conversation with her father-in-law over the breakfast table. Frankly, the man intimidated her. According to Nathan, the earl had tried to have their marriage annulled. Keenly aware of his resentment of her, she often felt tongue-tied around him. She could do nothing to improve their strained relationship, either, for she had been charged with the task of irritating him.
She was being paid handsomely for her efforts, Maddy reminded herself. It was necessary for her to earn her keep. Besides, the footman standing on duty by the sideboard kept flicking glances at her. And the food laid out there smelled delicious, making her stomach rumble.
She pasted on a chipper smile and advanced into the room. “Good morning, Papa. I trust you are feeling well today.”
Gilmore lowered the newspaper to regard her. Maddy knew she looked respectable in the stylish morning gown of bronze silk. Yet not even the tiniest hint of welcome cracked that dour façade. He merely gave her a nod, then lifted his cup to the footman, who scurried over to refill it from a silver coffeepot.
Maddy proceeded to the sideboard. The chafing dishes held a vast array of kippers and sausages, eggs and deviled kidneys, porridge and toast. Even after a few weeks living here, she never failed to be awed by the lavish meals. At the theater, she’d felt lucky to break her fast with stale bread and a sliver of cheese. Now she filled a plate with coddled eggs and bacon. Then she marched boldly forward to seat herself at the earl’s right hand.
The footman came to pour steaming tea into her cup, and Maddy added a trickle of cream, stirring it with a silver spoon. Gilmore continued to read his newspaper as if she weren’t even present.
She buttered a slice of toast. If there was to be a conversation, she would have to start it. “Lady Milford’s party was a brilliant success, was it not? It seemed we all enjoyed it very much.”
The earl glared over the top of his newspaper. “You behaved adequately last night. Is that what you wish to hear from me? Then consider it said.”
Maddy tried not to quail under that unfriendly stare. Adequately. Was that all? But she hadn’t been fishing for a compliment, anyway. “I was thinking of Lady Emily in particular. She danced with quite a few young gentlemen. She seemed especially taken with Lord Theodore Langley.”
Instantly, she was sorry to have spoken that name, although Gilmore merely grunted and returned to his newspaper. Lord Theo was her cousin and she mustn’t single him out lest someone guess the connection or glimpse a family resemblance. Besides, Lord Dunham had forbidden the courtship.
Houghton would never allow his grandson to have any connection to a family that has been tainted by common blood.
She took a bite of egg without really tasting it. His crass statement had lit the fuse of her fury. She had barely been able to contain herself from blurting out that she and Dunham shared the same blue blood.
But that revelation must wait for the moment when she came face-to-face with their mutual grandfather, the Duke of Houghton. Perhaps at the ball he was giving sometime in May.
Gilmore folded his newspaper and laid it down beside his empty plate. His dark brown eyes penetrated her. Abruptly, he asked, “Who are your people?”
Maddy’s heart pounded. She took her time slathering gooseberry jam on her toast. “My people?”
“Your relatives, your family,” he said in irritation. “Who taught you to speak like a lady? You could not have learned such refinement in your short time here in this house.”
“Oh.” She felt on familiar ground now. “I’m an actress, as were my parents before me. I grew up in the theater. From an early age, I learned to imitate speech patterns, to play many different roles. It was a necessary part of my work.”
His flinty stare made her uncomfortable. It was hard not to look away, to pretend a brashness that she didn’t really feel.
He dabbed his mouth with a linen serviette. “I presume you also became adept with the use of cosmetics at the theater.”
“Why, yes.”
“Emily was wearing face paint last night. My mother would never have allowed it. None of the servants would have dared to disobey her. And Sophia denied any complicity. That leaves only you, Madelyn.”
She clutched her fork, the whorled pattern pressing into her fingers. His stern expression daunted her. His face bore a network of the same unfortunate pits as Emily’s, a legacy of the illness that had claimed the life of his eldest son. How could he be angry over the improvement in his daughter’s looks?
Maddy refused to apologize for helping the girl. “Yes, I did use a bit of powder and paint to minimize Emily’s scars. You mustn’t hold her to blame, either. It was entirely my doing. I can be quite insistent and persuasive, you see!”
“I am not blaming anyone,” he said testily. “My daughter looked exceptionally fine last night. It seems I am obliged to thank you for that.”
Rising, the earl pushed back his chair. Maddy gawked at him in astonishment. Before she could articulate a reply, he walked away and vanished out the door.