Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady(53)

“Excellent.” He popped the last of the sausage in his mouth and winked at the children. “Thank you for the lunch offer. We must do this again soon.”

Once he exited the room and followed the butler down the hallway, he asked, “Does he plan to be down soon, or should I send a white flag upstairs?”

“He is already waiting for you.”

“Perfect.” Leo pushed the study door open. The walls all around were paneled and stained in a mahogany four feet up; above the wainscoting was a dark green paper. The heavy desk at the center made the room feel smaller than it really was, but the big leather chairs made this room the most confortable to convene in.

Leo sat and put his feet up on the desk. “I hear you have a guest.”

Elbows on the table, Tristan’s hands were steepled in front of him. “Or so you’ve surmised.”

“You aren’t really going to deny it, are you?”

“I have nothing to deny.” Tristan’s tone was unusually cool. “Do you want word on your Miss Camden?”

“I do. And while I enjoy your company, I have important matters to look after today.”

“My news is not going to make your day any easier.”

“Why is that?”

Tristan hesitated. “Your lady friend was forced to flee from the house party. No one knows where she’s gone.”

Leo put his feet down on the floor and stood, placing his hands flat on the desk in front of him as he leaned closer to Tristan. “Is that what Lady Carleton said?”

“Not precisely.”

“Then how do you know anything at all?” he demanded.

“I expect Lady Carleton’s response within the hour but gossip has made its way back to me, and it was clear that she had to leave quickly. Miss Camden left the party after Lord Ponsley publicly dismissed her and sent her off with her tail between her legs.”

Leo shoved his chair back. “Shit.”

“Precisely. I have an account that she took a carriage back to the city. But where she’s gone, I can’t say for sure.”

“And whom did you hear this from?”

“No one of concern.”

Leo smacked his hands on the desk for emphasis. “I will drag every last bit of knowledge out of the person you got this information from. Tell me who it is.”

Tristan stood, planted his palms on the desk, and shoved his face closer. “Word will arrive momentarily.”

“Who is the woman?” Leo pressed. That had to be where Tristan had gotten his information.

Tristan’s hands tightened. “There is no woman.”

“Tristan, if there is one thing I can tell, it’s when you lie to me.” He strove for calm and failed. The only thing that mattered was finding Genny. “Who is the woman in your room?”

“She is of no consequence.”

“Like hell she isn’t!”

“If you don’t leave this alone, I will personally throw you out of my house.” Tristan tapped his joined fingers hard against Leo’s forehead. “Think logically. Where would she have gone?”

Leo stood and rubbed his hand over his head, mussing his hair. “I don’t know.”

“Does she have family here?”

“No. She doesn’t.” He sat heavily in the chair. “I don’t know if she does or not. I never thought to ask. I’m assuming she doesn’t. She would have gone to a friend’s.”

“Do you know any of her friends?” Tristan asked.

“Just one, and she is in Scotland.”

“Would her cousin have given her money to go somewhere?”

“That’s assuming her cousin saw her before our liaison was made newsworthy.” How in hell was he supposed to find her? “Maybe I should start with Ponsley.”

“You have the sugar duties act coming up. Do you think it wise? He’ll use this to sway the rest of the house against you.”

“I could care less. I need to find Genny. If she has nowhere to go, I don’t want to think what could happen to her.”

Leo leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was wasting time here. He needed to think about where she’d go. Why couldn’t he come up with one possible place? Waiting here wasn’t helping Genny any. He felt helpless, like a damned child unable to do anything for himself right now.

“What if Lady Carleton doesn’t know where Genny is?”

“Must you be all doom and gloom, my friend?”

“It’s the only thing that has been on my mind for the last twenty-four hours. How can I not think the worst when I know she has no family to turn to?”

Tristan tapped his desk. “There was one other rumor that I dismissed as balderdash.”

Leo came to attention in his chair.

“Someone mentioned that the carriage she borrowed stopped in front of Jez’s for some time.”

He was headed out the door at a run before his friend could finish his theory on the carriage.





Chapter 25

A little bird informed me today that a certain marquess has received a veiled midnight visitor under the safety of a moonless night. I will not speculate just yet as to who the mysterious woman is because there is something far more interesting to the whole scenario, and that is … that the lady stayed the night in his private residence.

The Mayfair Chronicles, August 14, 1846

“Jezebel?” Leo shouted as he pounded his first against her door.

It swung open mid-pound. Jez stood on the threshold, expression curious.

“You’ve scared the butler with the way you’ve gone on, Leo.” Jez stood aside so he could enter.

“I’m sorry.” Leo had to lean over at the waist and put his hands on his knees as he breathed in heavily. “I ran here from Tristan’s.”

Jez pressed her palm to the back of his shoulder and rubbed back and forth. “Why would you do that?”

“Is she here?”

Jez leaned over, bringing her face in line with his vision. “She is.”

“Thank God.” He stood, grasped her by the arms, and planted a loud kiss against her cheek. “Where can I find her?”

Jez looked at him queerly. “She’s in the drawing room.”

“Genny,” he shouted, as he jogged down the hall. He burst through the drawing room doors and nearly fell to his knees on seeing Genny safe and sound.

She stood in the middle of the room, hands folded in front of her. She was wearing a borrowed dress—Jez’s most likely; he knew because it was scarlet satin and the prettiest dress he’d ever seen Genny in.

“Leo.”

“Oh, God, Genny. I was so worried.” Leo couldn’t believe he had finally found her and rushed forward, stopping just in front of her when he realized she might not be so welcoming.

Jezebel clicked the door shut, leaving them alone.

“Why are you here, Leo?”

“I’ve been a madman worrying about you since I found out you had to leave the Carletons’.”

“Don’t think because I’ve been properly ruined that you can offer to marry me and save what remains of my reputation.”

He wanted to laugh at her tenacity. “Genny, if we married, it would be because we both love each other and want to spend the rest of our lives together.”

When she lowered her head, he shortened the distance between them and tipped her chin up with his fingers. “Don’t look so gloomy.”

“My life is ruined.” She shook her head. “It happened so fast that I was at a loss for what to do.”

He couldn’t help it; he had to touch more of her, comfort her, do whatever possible to make her feel better. He pulled her into his arms and just held her close. She rested her face over his heart. Her arms were limp at her sides.

“Let me fix this,” he said.

“And what of everything that happened between us? How can I trust you?” She grabbed the material at his waist and scrunched it tight in her fists.

“It may take time before you believe this sentiment again, but you can always trust me.”

She looked up at him with sad eyes. “Can I?”

He nodded his reassurance and caressed the back of his hand over her cheek and kissed her forehead.

“I don’t even understand how we were discovered,” she said. “We were so careful.”

He gathered her close enough to hug her tight again. “It’s my fault. I should have been more vigilant.”

“We were both participants in our affair. It was foolish on both our parts.”

“The biggest gossip was at that party, and I didn’t take extra precaution knowing that. The fault rests solely on my shoulders.” He rubbed Genny’s back. “Lady Hargrove’s name will not fare any better than ours. She’s a ruined woman, too.”

Genny pulled away to look up at him. “What do you mean she’s ruined?”

“Exactly what I said.”

“You mean…”

“Yes, it was her in the maze.”

Genny’s hand came up to her mouth to cover her O of surprise. She was obviously shocked by the news. “It was her? You didn’t…”

Of course Genny would want to know if he’d been the one to spill Lady Hargrove’s secrets. It all came back to the trust issue. He couldn’t blame her for questioning his integrity. “Not I.”

He was rewarded with a smile from her.

“Now, tell me how you ended up here.”