The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance Read online

  “No one in particular, as far as I know.”

  “And he pays you no notice whatsoever?”

  She shrugged. “Very little. Or, at least not in . . . in that way.”

  It wasn’t that he didn’t notice her, or that he ignored her. No, he was well acquainted with her. They had known each other for years, as he was one of Daniel’s closest friends. That was, perhaps, the problem. He treated her just as Daniel did, as a sister. Or worse. She sometimes wondered if he was even aware that she was female. He never looked at her as certain other gentlemen did, with a spark of interest in his eye, or the slightest hint of desire.

  Yet, whenever she saw him, for her it was all spark and desire. Among her brother’s friends, Geoffrey was the only one who made her so thoroughly aware of his . . . maleness. She never much noticed how other men’s pantaloons stretched taut across a well-muscled thigh, or the impressive set of shoulders beneath their tight-fitting coats. But she had been noticing such things about Geoffrey for several years. The sight of him had been making her warm all over since long before she understood what it meant.

  “Hmm.” His brow furrowed as he studied her. “And so I am to make this chap jealous?”

  No sense in denying what he already knew. Maybe there was still hope for this scheme after all, even if it had been turned topsy-turvy. “That is what Philip and Daniel suggested, and Philip agreed to do it. They said that nothing piques a man’s interest in a young lady like seeing another man shower his attentions on her, especially if that man is generally known for avoiding such things, for keeping himself above any potential entanglement.” She tried to sound blasé but her cheeks flushed with warmth.

  “Well, then, I am your man.” He slapped a hand against his chest. “I have never singled out any woman, publicly or privately, so if I am seen acting the mooncalf over you, it will certainly be noticed. Ah, the dance is about to begin. Pay attention, my girl. Observe my uncanny ability to make everyone here believe I am madly in love with you.”

  And he did. He even made her believe it. He never took his eyes off her, except for those moments when the steps required him to link arms or hands with another man’s partner. At all other times, his gaze never left her. Sometimes it was so intense, locked so ardently with hers that she almost felt as though they were alone on the dance floor.

  It was all perfectly glorious. Except, of course, that it was not real. He was merely play-acting, and doing a splendid job of it.

  When the second dance of the set was about to begin, Geoffrey led her out of the line. “Parched, did you say? Then by all means allow me to procure you a restorative glass of chilled champagne.” Lowering his voice, he said, “Let us find the refreshment room and make our plans for the rest of the evening.”

  Ever the proper gentleman, Geoffrey first located her mother and told her where he was taking Lydia. She looked puzzled – it was the first set, after all, and had so far not been lively enough to have worked up much of a thirst – but nodded her approval. One small ante-room had been set aside for light refreshments and, as it was still early in the evening, it was almost empty of guests. Geoffrey led her to a table in a corner, then flagged down a footman who brought them glasses of champagne. She had not often partaken of the pale sparkly wine, and smiled when the bubbles tickled her nose, which made Geoffrey laugh. She had been too nervous to eat before the ball, so even a few sips had her feeling slightly giddy. Maybe the champagne would help her get through this odd evening, allow her to enjoy the ridiculous situation instead of walking around in alternate states of confusion and panic.

  “How am I doing so far?” he asked.

  “You are playing the part beautifully, Mr Danforth.”

  “Excellent. Has he noticed?”

  “Who?”

  “The man I am trying to make jealous, of course.”

  “Oh. I . . . I am not certain.”

  “I say, Lydia,” he said, his brow furrowed into a frown, “you had better tell me who the chap is. How am I to make sure he sees me mooning after you? In fact, I believe this whole scheme is doomed to failure unless I know its object. So, tell me. What lucky man has stolen your heart?”

  Suddenly the bubbles in her stomach had nothing to do with champagne. Who was she to name? Should she simply look him straight in the eye and tell him that he was the one he was supposed to make jealous? That he was the one whose attention she wanted so badly that she had resorted to such desperate measures?

  No, she couldn’t possibly confess the truth. It would be too mortifying for both of them. But what to do? She must name someone. The doors of the ante-room were open so that she could see into the ballroom. Just then, she caught sight of the infamous rake Lord Tennison leaning against a pillar and shamelessly leering at Lady Dunholme’s impressive bosom.

  A fraction of a second later, before her brain could tell her how absurd it was and stop her from making an even greater fool of herself, she blurted his name. “Lord Tennison.”

  Geoffrey’s jaw dropped and he glared for a moment in wide-eyed disbelief. “Good God. You can’t be serious.”

  In for a penny, in for a pound. She drew herself up and said, “I’m quite serious. I find him exceedingly charming. And handsome.”

  He stared at her as though she’d lost her mind. Which wasn’t far from the truth. “But you have no idea what he is, my girl. Trust me, Lydia, he is not the man for you.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Really. He is a . . . a . . .”

  “A rake. I know. That’s what makes him so—” she smiled dreamily and gave a little shiver “—exciting.”

  Geoffrey narrowed his eyes. “Exciting, eh? That’s what you’re looking for?”

  “Yes, why not?”

  “I don’t know. It just doesn’t sound like you, Lydia.”

  “Perhaps, sir, you do not know me as well as you think. Besides, who wants a dull, respectable gentleman who offers little more than a lifetime of tedium and propriety? A woman wants a man who makes her feel . . .”

  “Desirable?”

  Heat rose in her cheeks, but she soldiered on. “Yes, desirable. Is that so wrong?”

  A corner of his mouth twitched upwards. “Not a bit. Tennison certainly knows how to do that, as he’s been openly desiring women for years. He is quite a bit older than you, of course, but I don’t suppose that signifies.”

  “I like a mature man.”

  “I do not doubt it.” The twitch became a full-blown grin. Was he mocking her? Did he guess that Lord Tennison was a ruse?

  “Well, my girl, you have given me a formidable assignment. However, I shall do my best to see that Tennison not only notices you, but is overcome with jealousy. He will be falling at your feet by the end of this evening, I assure you.”

  Oh dear. She wondered if she was in over her head, but was not inclined to turn craven just yet.

  “Here’s what I will do,” Geoffrey said, keeping his voice low even though there were only a few other people in the ante-room with them, and no one close enough to overhear. Did he do that deliberately? Did he employ that low, smoky tone because he knew it unnerved her? “I have been seen dancing with you. Now I will be seen not dancing with anyone else. I shall linger about making calf’s eyes at you while you dance with other men. And I shall not dance at all until the supper dance, when I shall lead you out again. Remember, you must save that dance for me. We’ll be cosy over supper and make sure Tennison sees. Does that sound like a good plan to you?”

  “It sounds brilliant. I will watch for those calf’s eyes.”

  His expression softened, his eyebrows lifted and his eyes filled with a sort of woebegone yearning. Then his shoulders sagged as he gave a heartbreaking sigh, and Lydia burst out laughing. He was the very picture of a young boy in the throes of his first infatuation. “Do not overdo it, sir, I beg you. No one would believe it of you.”

  He cast off the moonstruck look and was himself again. “You think not? You think no one would believe I could fal
l in love?”

  “Oh, I believe you could fall in love.” She pinned all her hopes on it, in fact. “But I daresay it would never be a simple schoolboy’s passion with you.”

  “You are quite right, my girl.” He laid his hand over hers. “I am no longer a boy. It will be a much more complex experience for me. When I fall in love it will be deeply and completely and for ever.”

  It was her turn to sigh. How she wished she could be the object of such a love. His love.

  He rose and took Lydia’s hand to help her from the chair, then kissed it. “For luck,” he said and led her back to her mother.

  For the next hour and more, Lydia danced with other gentlemen. Her mother encouraged her to accept the attentions of each of them, as it was her fondest hope to see Lydia engaged by the season’s end. It was, after all, her second season. One more and she would be edging closer towards bona fide spinsterhood. Frankly, if she could not have Geoffrey, she would as soon be a spinster. It was not in her nature to settle for second best.

  It was a heady experience to watch Geoffrey gaze at her across the room as though he could not tear his eyes from her. She could at least pretend it was real, couldn’t she? Or was it worse to know what it would feel like to have him look at her with love in his eyes than never to have known it at all? Was she setting herself up for disappointment and heartbreak?

  Others noticed Geoffrey’s obvious attention. Her friend Daphne Hughes pulled her aside and peppered her with questions, certain that Lydia was hiding something from her. Worst of all, her mother noticed. “I cannot fathom what has come over him,” she said. “It’s as though he suddenly realized what a beauty you are. I won’t quibble over it, though. He’d be a fine catch for you, my dear. With your glossy dark curls and his golden hair, you will make a stunning couple.”

  Her maternal hopes were encouraged when Geoffrey came to claim her for the supper dance – a waltz, no less. She positively beamed when he led her daughter on to the floor.

  “You might want to ease up on the calf’s eyes, Mr Danforth,” she whispered. “My mother is getting ideas.”

  “Is she? Well, that only plays right into our plans, does it not? If my blatant attentions are seen to meet with Mrs Bettridge’s approval, then we have Tennison exactly where we want him: very much aware that another man desires you. Look, he has just led out Mrs Wadsworth for the waltz. Let’s move a bit closer to them so he won’t miss the way my rapt gaze drinks in the perfection of your bosom.”

  The music began before she could respond, and soon she forgot all about his impertinence. His hand was warm at her waist and, as her hand rested upon his shoulder, she could feel the strength of his muscles beneath the fine velvet of his jacket. He moved with such grace and confidence that she barely had to think about where to put her feet. His lead was sure.

  It might just be the nearest she would ever come to being held in his arms. She closed her eyes and relished the moment.

  “Tired?” he asked. “You have danced every dance. You will no doubt welcome the respite of supper.”

  “Hmm,” she said, meaning: I will welcome any time I can spend with you, but especially twirling about the floor in your arms. She opened her eyes, looked directly into his, and hoped he might somehow read her thoughts.

  “You are playing your part very well, too, Lydia. I swear you look as besotted as I do. And don’t look now, but Tennison is actually paying attention. Our ploy has worked. His eyes are all for you, my girl.” He muttered something else under his breath but she couldn’t be sure what it was.

  He pressed his hand against the back of her waist and pulled her a fraction closer.

  Lydia supposed she ought to glance over at Lord Tennison now and then, just to maintain the charade, but she only had eyes for one man, and she was dancing with him. The sheer bliss of the waltz ended too soon, and as it was the supper dance it was a short set. Geoffrey kept his hand lightly on her back as he led her into the supper room.

  He guided her to a small table meant for two, and surreptitiously winked when Lord Tennison and Mrs Wadsworth took an adjacent table. Geoffrey placed her with her back to the other couple, then leaned down and said, “He shot an interested glance in your direction. He is most definitely intrigued. Let’s see if we can keep it that way.” He grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing footman. “I shall go fill a couple of plates from the buffet. Don’t you dare let another chap take my seat.” He grinned and walked away towards the tables set out like groaning boards.

  She realized she was starving, as she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She’d been nervous all day, but now she was surprisingly calm, despite the rather startling turn of events. How strange to think that she had come tonight hoping to make him jealous and perhaps to see her in a different light, and instead . . .

  But wait a moment. That was still her ultimate objective, was it not? To make him see her as a woman, a desirable woman worthy of a man’s attention. It was possible that all the play-acting had forced him to see her differently. Was that enough?

  When this scheme had been hatched, it was because men were supposedly susceptible to jealousy. It had come about on a dreary, rainy day too wet to do anything out of doors. Daniel and his friend Philip Hartwell had been sprawled upon the drawing room sofas, bored to tears and itching to be out and about. With nothing else to do, they had deigned to spend time in her company – a novelty as she was five years younger than Daniel, the little sister only occasionally tolerated. They had been talking of the Erskine ball and who they might dance with or whether they should simply haunt the card room. Philip had asked Lydia about her friend Daphne Hughes and if she would be attending. She was quite sure he had a tendre for Daphne, though he would never admit to it. He asked Lydia whom she was hoping to dance with, and soon both he and Daniel were teasing her about several gentlemen. The gloomy day had affected her mood and she told them, rather snappily, that she did not care tuppence for any of those men, that the only man she cared about didn’t know she was alive.

  That confession had set them off. They begged his name but she refused to tell and soon wished she’d kept her mouth shut. Eventually, they both dropped their teasing, especially Daniel who seemed genuinely concerned that his sister’s heart was in danger of being broken. The two young men commiserated over ways she might attract the unnamed gentleman, but it had all seemed horribly embarrassing and she had more or less ignored their advice.

  Until, that is, they had struck upon the notion of making the man jealous. That had seemed a more logical approach, especially as they cited several romances where jealousy had turned the tide. As the Erskine ball approached, she’d become less sanguine about the plan they’d concocted, but the idea of jealousy as a means of encouragement still held a ring of truth for her. Upon consideration, Lydia decided the original plan ought not to be completely discarded just yet.

  She looked up to see Lord Tennison returning to the adjacent table with a plate of food. He was tall and lean, and quite fit for a man of his age, which must be at least thirty-five. He was dark-haired and dark-eyed, his face chiselled into sharp planes and angles. His eyes were heavy-lidded and his lips were more often than not curled into a seductive leer. Lord Tennison was considered a dangerous man, with an unsavoury reputation and no honour where women were concerned. Yet, he was an infamous rake with many high-born conquests, so clearly a good number of females were drawn to him. He was still handsome, in a world-weary sort of way, but he held no appeal for Lydia. His dark, swarthy looks were the antithesis of Geoffrey’s golden beauty. She had, however, named him, and so she might as well make use of him.

  She caught his eye and smiled. He paused, arched an eyebrow, then returned her smile. “Miss Bettridge. You are looking remarkably pretty this evening.”

  His gaze flickered momentarily down to her bosom, which seemed to be generating inordinate interest tonight. She hadn’t minded Geoffrey admiring her figure, or even the other gentlemen she’d danced with, but Lord Tennison’s o
pen appraisal made her decidedly uncomfortable. She was tempted to reach down and tug up the bodice, but decided that the rather daring neckline served her purpose. When Tennison’s eyes once again met hers, she broadened her smile, leaned ever so slightly forwards, giving him a better view, and batted her eyelashes. Once. Twice. But no more. She hoped to appear provocative, not silly. “Thank you, My Lord. It is kind of you to say so.”

  He regarded her more closely, with a sort of melting warmth, and all at once she could understand how so many women had fallen under his spell. With nothing more than the look in his eye, he made her feel as though he’d touched her in a shockingly intimate manner, and while other more sophisticated women might welcome such a look, Lydia did not like it at all. To maintain her pretence, though, she dropped her gaze demurely and batted her eyelashes once more.

  “Kindness had nothing to do with it,” he said in a lazy drawl. “I merely spoke the truth. See here, is someone getting you a plate? Or would you allow me the honour of doing so?”

  “Someone has already done so, Tennison.”

  She hadn’t seen Geoffrey approach, but the timing could not have been more perfect. His furious expression was an encouraging sign. Lydia put on her very best smile and turned to Lord Tennison. “Thank you so much for asking, My Lord. Perhaps some other time?”

  “I look forward to it,” he said, glancing at Geoffrey with a gleam of mockery in his eye before returning to Mrs Wadsworth.

  Geoffrey put a plate of food in front of Lydia and took his seat. His scowl was one of the sweetest things she’d ever seen. He really was jealous. At least, that is what she hoped. Maybe he was just angry, and feeling protective of Daniel’s sister.

  “Dammit, Lydia, you truly are determined to have that scoundrel woo you?”

  “I have said so, have I not? And I must say, Mr Danforth, that peevish look on your face does not signal that you are wooing me, which, you may recall, is the plan.”

  He gave a resigned shrug. “Right you are. I must not forget my role.”