Surrender (4 page)

Isabel's catlike grace, her sleek black hair,

and faintly slanted eyes. She was one

of a handful of other women in the

room besides Victoria who had defied

the current style by wearing a strong

color rather than demure white or pastel

tonight. Her riveting deep emerald green

gown shimmered brilliantly in the light of

the ballroom.

But it was not Isabel's unusual looks that

made Victoria regard her with a certain

wistful envy. It was the freedom conferred

upon her by her age and her status as a

widow that Victoria secretly admired. A

woman in Lady Rycott's position was far

less subject to the close scrutiny of the ton

than Victoria was. Lady Rycott was even

free to indulge in discreet affairs.

Victoria had never met a man with

whom she had wanted to have an affair,

but she would have liked very much to

have had the freedom to do so if she

chose.

 
Good evening. Lady Rycott." Victoria

looked down at the woman who stood

several inches shorter than she.
 
Are you

acquainted with the earl?"

Isabel shook her exquisitely shaped

head.
 
We have not yet been introduced,

unfortunately. He has only recently entered

Society, although I hear he has been active

at the gaming tables in the clubs for some

time now.

 
I
  
heard
  
the
  
same
  
thing,"
  
Annabella

said.
 
Bertie says the man is an excellent

gamester. Very coolheaded."

 
Really?" Isabel glanced across the room

to where the earl was still standing with

Lady Atherton.
 
He's not at all in the way

of being handsome, is he? Still, there is

something quite intriguing about him."

Handsome? Victoria could have laughed

aloud at the notion of using such an

insipid word to describe stone vale. No,

he was not handsome. His face was strong,

harsh even, with a sharp blade of a nose,

an aggressive jaw, and an unrelenting

awareness in those gray eyes. His hair

was the color of a moonless night sky, shot

with silver at the temples, but none of it

added up to handsome. When one looked

at stone vale, one saw quiet, controlled,

masculine power, not a fine dandy.

 
You must admit," Annabella said,
 
that

he certainly wears his clothes well."

 
Yes," Isabel agreed softly.
 
He wears his

clothes exceedingly well."

Victoria did not like the assessing look

Isabel was employing as she surveyed

the earl, but there was no denying that

stone vale was one of those rare men who

was not dominated by the elegant tailoring

that was so fashionable. His powerful

shoulders, flat waist, and strongly molded

thighs needed no padding or camouflage.

 
Perhaps he will turn out to be rather

amusing," Isabel said.

 
Yes, indeed," Annabella agreed cheer

fully.

Victoria glanced again at the tall, dark

figure beside Lady Atherton.
 
Amusing may

not be quite the right word." Dangerous was

the right word.

But Victoria was suddenly willing to

experiment with this dash of danger; the

social whirl of the ton, which lately she

depended upon more and more to fill up

the long hours of the night, was no longer

enough. She needed something else to help

her hold the restless nightmares at bay.

The Earl of stone vale might be just the

tonic for which she had been searching.

 
Dearest Lucas, what did you think of

her? Will she do?" Lady Atherton gazed up

at stone vale with an anxious expression in

her beautiful, gentle eyes.

 
I think she will do nicely, Jessica." Lucas

sipped champagne from the glass in his

hand, his eyes moving across the crowd.

I know she is a bit old."

I, myself, am a bit old," he pointed

out dryly.

 
Nonsense. Thirty-four is an excellent

age for a man intent on marriage. Edward

was thirty-three when I married him."

 
Yes, he was, wasn't he?"

Jessica
 
Atherton's
  
eyes
  
were
  
instantly

filled with a heart-wrenching contrition.

 
Lucas, I am so sorry. How clumsy of

me. You must know I did not mean to

hurt you."

I'll survive," Lucas finally spotted Vic

toria in the crowd. He kept his gaze

on the tall figure of his quarry as she

stepped out onto the dance floor with a

plump, elderly baron. Victoria obviously

enjoyed dancing, although she appeared to

restrict her partners to very young, socially

awkward males or those much older than

herself. She probably viewed such men as

harmless.

He regretted he did not dare risk asking

her out onto the floor. It would be

interesting to see if she followed him

there as easily as she had followed him

into the card room. But he was not certain

how well she would tolerate the lack of

grace in his damned left leg, and at this

juncture he could not take any chances.

He sensed no streak of cruelty in her,

though. She definitely had a temper,

but he knew she would not stoop to

insults or cutting remarks about his limp.

Nevertheless she might very well tread quite

forcefully on his toes if he managed to goad

her as he had in the card room. The image

made Lucas smile.

 
It was quite outrageous of her to

accompany you into the card room, of

course," Lady Atherton said.
 
But, then,

I fear that is our Miss Huntington. She

does have a tendency to come very close to

the edge of what is considered proper. But

under a husband's guidance, I am certain

that regrettable element of her nature could

be controlled."

 
An interesting notion."

 
And she does have a noticeable pre

dilection for that rather overbright shade

of yellow," Lady Atherton added.

 
It's clear Miss Huntington has a mind

and a will of her own. But I must allow

that the yellow looks attractive on her. Not

many women could wear it successfully."

Lucas studied Victoria's tall, willowy

figure in the high-waisted gown. The

yellow silk was a ray of honeyed sunlight

in the crowded room. It gleamed with a

warm richness amid the array of classical

white and watery pastels.

The only real problem with the gown

as far as he was concerned was that the

bodice was cut far too low. It revealed

entirely too much of the gentle, high slopes

of Victoria's breasts. Lucas had an almost

irresistible urge to borrow some matron's

shawl and wrap it firmly around Victoria's

upper torso. Such an impulse was so out of

character for him that he was momentarily

astonished.

 
I fear she has a reputation for being

something of an Original. Her aunt's doing,

no doubt. Cleo Nettleship is most unusual

in her own right," Lady Atherton said.

 
I would much prefer a lady who is

out of the common run. Makes for more

interesting conversation, wouldn't you say?

One way or another, I suspect I shall have

to endure a good many conversations with

the woman I eventually marry. No getting

around it."

Jessica sighed softly.
 
Tis unfortunate,

but there simply is not a large selection

of heiresses around this Season. But, then,

there rarely is. However, there is still Miss

Pilkington. You really should meet her

before you make up your mind, Lucas. I

vow she is a very admirable female. Always

perfectly correct in her behavior, whereas,

I fear, Miss Huntington has a certain

tendency to be somewhat headstrong."

 
Never mind Miss Pilkington. I'm quite

content with Miss Huntington."

 
If only she weren't very nearly five and

twenty. Miss Pilkington is only nineteen.

Younger women tend to be more amenable

to a husband's influence, Lucas."

 
Jessica, please believe me when I tell you

Miss Huntington's age is not a problem."

 
You are quite certain?" Lady Atherton

eyed him uneasily.

 
I would far rather deal with a woman

of a certain age who knows what she's

about than a young chit straight out of

the schoolroom. And I would have to say

that Miss Huntington does, indeed, know

what she is about."

 
You mean because she has managed

to stay single so long? You are probably

right. She's made it very clear she has

no interest whatsoever in turning over her

inheritance to a husband. Everyone but the

most desperate of fortune hunters has quite

given up on her."

stone vale flashed a crooked smile.

 
Which narrows the field for me."

 
Don't misunderstand me. She is an

engaging creature, rather refreshing in some

ways, like her aunt. Victoria does have her

share of admirers. But they all seem to be

relegated to the status of friends."

 
In other words, they have all learned

their places and they stay in them."

 
If they overstep themselves, she drops

 
them immediately. Miss Huntington is

known for being kind for the most

part, always has a smile and a charming

word. Quite willing to dance with the less

attractive men in the room. But she is

very firm with all of the gallants who hang

around her," Jessica added.

That did not surprise him. Miss Hunt

ington would not have remained her own

mistress this long unless she had learned

the trick of manipulating the males in her

orbit. He was going to find himself walking

a very narrow line during this courtship.

 
She is well educated, I take it?" Lucas