Lady Beneath the Veil(24)

'My dinner,' explained Raymond, smiling. 'I ordered it earlier. I hope  you do not mind if they set it up now, while I finish reading this?'

He threw himself into the armchair and continued to read. Dominique  clasped her wine glass before her, wishing she had thought to wear a  veil. She felt very out of place sitting there, while the servants  marched in and out.

As soon as they were alone again she put down her glass and rose.

'Monsieur Lamotte, you have read every word now. I must go-'

'No, no, madame, not quite yet, if you please.' He was on his feet and  standing between her and the door. 'I was hoping that you would do me  the honour of dining with me.'

He reached out for her hand, but she snatched it away.

'Out of the question,' she declared. 'It would be most improper to dine alone with you.'

'But you are already here and alone,' he pointed out, coming closer.

'That is very different.'

'Is it?' He gave her his charming smile, but she was more alarmed than attracted.

Dominique retreated a few steps. She had placed herself in a most  precarious situation. To visit a gentleman's lodgings, without even her  maid in attendance, was the height of impropriety. Gideon would never  forgive her, if he found out. She took a breath.

'Monsieur Lamotte, I think you misunderstand. You promised you could help me with news of my father.'

'And so I can, Madame Albury, but I would like you to show a little gratitude. Would dinner be such a trial?'

'Sir, it is impossible. Please stand aside and let me leave.'

His smile became predatory.

'Well, if you cannot dine with me, perhaps a little kiss-'

He lunged at her. Dominique whisked herself away, but not before his  fingers caught the muslin fichu tucked decorously into the neck of her  summer gown. It slipped from her shoulders as she retreated behind the  sofa, anger blazing through her.

'How dare you?' She glared at him. 'I came here in good faith, monsieur. I thought as a fellow countryman I could trust you!'

'And so you can, madame.' He held out his arms. 'All I ask is a little kiss from you and I shall let you go.'

'Do you think I am a fool?' She snatched up the poker from the hearth. 'Stand away from the door, monsieur.'                       
       
           



       

He looked a little startled, but made no attempt to move out of her  way. Dominique was enraged, but she was well aware that the Frenchman  had the advantage of strength and size. She was debating what to do next  when swift footsteps were heard on the stairs and a familiar voice  sounded from the landing.

'No need to come with me, my man. I know the way.'

The door opened and with a smothered exclamation Raymond jumped aside,  his eyes narrowing as Gideon appeared, his frame almost filling the  doorway.

Dominique stared. To her amazement her husband merely smiled at her.

'My apologies, my dear, have I kept you waiting? I was delayed, don't you know, in Piccadilly.'





Chapter Ten

Gideon uttered the words cheerfully as he came in and closed the door  behind him. He had entered the room with every nerve-end tingling,  prepared for a brawl, but when he had opened the door to see his wife  brandishing a poker to keep her would-be seducer at bay his worst fears  were alleviated. In fact, he had a strong inclination to laugh.

'I think, my dear, you can dispense with the weapon now.'

She lowered the poker.

'How did you know where to find me?'

'A simple deduction.' He glanced at Lamotte, who was silently watching  him, a guilty scowl darkening his countenance. 'What inducement did you  use to entice my wife here?'

Nicky said quickly, 'He told me he could help me find my father.'

Gideon raised a brow. 'And can you, monsieur? I thought not,' he added  drily as Lamotte shrugged. He picked up the fichu from the floor and  handed it to Dominique. 'Here, madam. Put this on and your coat, too. I  shall escort you home.'

She took the muslin scarf from him, but made no move to put it on.  Instead she stood twisting it between her hands, her dark anxious gaze  fixed on his face.

'B-but I have been seen here. The landlord and the waiters who brought in the dinner-'

'The landlord now believes you came here looking for me and as for the  waiters, I think our friend here will be able to silence them.' He  turned to Lamotte, placing the tip of his cane against the Frenchman's  silk waistcoat. 'Let me make myself very clear,' he said icily. 'If the  slightest hint of scandal attaches to my wife's being here, monsieur,  then I shall take great pleasure in calling you out and despatching you.  Do you understand me?'

Lamotte shook his head.

'Believe me, I never meant any harm to madame.'

'No.' Gideon's eyes narrowed. 'You were put up to this by another, were  you not?' The flash of fear that crossed the Frenchman's face gave  Gideon his answer. His lip curling, he gave the cane a little push,  sending Lamotte staggering back.

Dominique had put on her pelisse and was now watching them. Gideon opened the door, saying loudly,

'I am very grateful to you, monsieur, for looking after my wife until I  could join you. But we will not keep you any longer from your dinner.  Adieu, sir!'

He flourished a bow and held out his hand to Dominique. She picked up a  sheet of paper from one of the armchairs and stuffed it into her  reticule before crossing the room to join him.

'It is the information about my father,' she said in response to his enquiring gaze. 'It will not be needed now.'

She bent a look of burning reproach upon Lamotte, who had the grace to hang his head.

'I beg your pardon, madame.'

Gideon took her arm.

'Come, my dear.'

He escorted her down the stairs and out into the street. As they walked  away from the lodging house Dominique gave a little sob.

'I am so very sorry, Gideon. It was foolish of me to go there alone. I should have told you...'

'And why did you not?'

'B-because he said that success in finding out about Papa depended upon the utmost secrecy.'

Gideon looked down at her bowed head.

'But that is not all, is it? You thought I should refuse to sanction this line of enquiry.'

'Yes.' Her reply was so quiet he almost missed it. He sighed.

'Am I such an ogre, Nicky?'

'Oh, no, no!' She stopped and turned towards him. 'You are not an ogre  at all, but your abhorrence of all things French-' She bit her lip. 'But  in this case you were right to be suspicious of Monsieur Lamotte  and-and I beg your pardon.'                       
       
           



       

He squeezed her hand.

'It was not totally your fault, Nicky.'

She was silent for a while, but as they walked out into St James's  Street, she said slowly, 'You said someone else was behind this. Do you  think it was my cousin?'

'I not only think it, my dear, I am sure of it.'

She gave an angry little growl.

'Ooh, of all the odious-' She stopped. 'There he is now, across the  street with his cronies! And he has seen us. Let us confront him. I  would like to scratch his eyes out!'

'I have a much better idea,' he said, catching her chin between his  thumb and finger. 'We will show him that his plan to cause trouble  between us has not worked at all.'

He lowered his head and kissed her.

* * *

Dominique's heart stopped and she forgot all about being angry with  Max. She forgot about everything, save the soaring pleasure that filled  her whole being. Gideon was still holding her chin so she could not pull  away, even if she had wanted to do so, which she did not. His lips were  gentle, it was the lightest of kisses and she found herself standing on  tiptoe to prolong the moment. When at last he raised his head he was  smiling down at her, such a glint in his eyes that she wanted to reach  up and pull him down so she could kiss him again.

'Is he still watching us?' he murmured.

'Who?' She ran her tongue round her lips, trying to drag her mind away  from the distracting cleft in his chin and the seductive curve of his  lips.

He laughed, settled her arm firmly in his and began to walk on.

'Your cousin is standing on the far pavement and staring at us as if he  cannot believe his eyes. Look across, my dear, and smile while I tip my  hat to him-like so. There, is that not more satisfying than, er,  scratching his eyes out?'

Dominique chuckled even as she smiled and nodded at Max, who was glowering across the road at them.

'It is amusing to see him so dumbfounded,' she agreed, 'but I am so  angry with him! He will be fortunate when we meet again if I do not box  his ears!'

'What a violent creature you are,' marvelled Gideon, a laugh in his  voice. 'I find you brandishing a poker at Lamotte and now you want to  assault your cousin.'

'When I am in a passion I hardly know what I am about,' she confessed ruefully.

'No, you don't, do you?'

She looked up at that, a laughing question in her eyes, and found him  watching her with such an arrested expression that her laughter died.  Had she angered him, perhaps?

'Can you really forgive me for my foolishness today?' she asked him  anxiously. 'I promise you I shall not keep anything from you again.'