London Temptations: Historical Regency Romance Collection Page 47

  Lord Hoskins sucked in a breath. “But that is the skill of it, do you not see?” he said, keeping his voice low. “I am sure that there are one or two gentlemen that he has brought into this situation with him, so that they might assist him in his attempts to cheat. They do so knowing that he will give them something of the money he gains.”

  “I see,” Phillip replied, aware that, whilst Lord Hoskins remarks were nothing more than speculation, there was some merit to the idea. “Then who might it be this evening?”

  Lord Hoskins threw a quick glance back toward the table where Lord Swinton sat. “I could not say,” he replied heavily, although his voice held a good deal of anger. “But there is someone there that must now be aware of his intentions and will be doing all he can to assist. I could not say which gentleman, but mark my words, Lord Swinton will do very well this evening.”

  Phillip considered this, then nodded slowly. “Very well,” he replied, looking toward the gaming table. “If it is as you say, then you would expect Lord Swinton to win, would you not?”

  “I would expect him to win almost every game he sits to play,” came the swift reply.

  “Then,” Phillip continued, “if it is as you state—and I confess, I struggle to believe that he could be doing such a thing for he is a gentleman of quality and, as yet, appears not to have been discovered—then should he do very well this evening, I shall retract my doubts and permit you to inform me of the full extent of your suspicions.”

  A flicker of a frown crossed Lord Hoskins’ face, but he sat back in his chair, evidently satisfied with Phillip’s decision.

  “It will be as I have said,” Lord Hoskins replied, lifting his glass in a half-toast. “And you shall have to pay my debt at White’s as an apology for refusing to believe me immediately.”

  Phillip chuckled and raised his own glass. “Very well,” he agreed, glancing at the gaming table once more. “If Lord Swinton wins the majority of the games, he plays this evening, then I shall believe all that you have said without question and shall pay the debt you hold at White’s. Now, does that satisfy you?”

  “And you shall never attempt to join or accept an invitation to play a game where Lord Swinton is present also,” Lord Hoskins stated firmly, and Phillip had no choice but to agree.

  “Until the end of this evening, then,” he said, before throwing back the rest of his drink. Lord Hoskins chuckled, did the same, and then slammed his glass back down on the table, grinning broadly at Phillip. “I look forward to my debt being paid, Wiltshire. It has become overly large of late.”

  Phillip lifted an eyebrow. “Just as well, then, that I have done as well as you state, in my dealings and with my estate,” he said, chuckling. “It has taken me some years to recover myself entirely but at last, I have enough funds that I will be able to pay for the debt you owe to White’s.”

  “Good,” Lord Hoskins grinned, his melancholy mood already forgotten, it seemed. “Now, shall we linger here or make our way into the ballroom itself? We do not have to stay here if we do not wish it. I can find out how well Lord Swinton has done later in the evening.”

  Phillip nodded and rose from his chair, stretching just a little as he did so. “Indeed, I think I should like that very much,” he replied honestly. “I have not spent a good deal of time within society these last few years, as you well know, but this year, I think I shall do all I can to enjoy myself.”

  Lord Hoskins grinned and pushed himself out of his chair and together, the two gentlemen quit the card room in search of better company.

  Phillip considered all that had occurred these last few years as he made his way into the room filled with guests. He had been given the title at a rather early age, due to a father who liked nothing more than to drink the most excellent of brandy. This, unfortunately, had led to gout and to other more distressing ailments, which the late Viscount Wiltshire had never truly recovered from. However, falling down the staircase when he had been in his cups was what had brought the title to Phillip’s shoulders, and whilst Phillip had grieved for his father, he had been also a little relieved that the title and the estate would not fall into any worse fortune than it had been at that time.

  Lord Wiltshire had not done all he could to protect the estate and his family fortune. With only one son to leave the title to, he had decided to give way to his own pleasures and desires and thus, had thrown aside all responsibility in his later years. Phillip had been forced to spend the first few years as the new Viscount Wiltshire attempting to be as economical as possible. The fields that had been left to rack and ruin, the tenants that had gone elsewhere—he had tried his best to improve both. It had taken some time and at least three summers but, finally, his fortunes had begun to turn. Within five years, his estate was making a profit and Phillip felt as though he could finally breathe with a little more ease. There was no more difficulty facing him, no more trouble that threatened to mount upon his head. Instead, there was only his future waiting for him, letting him choose what he would wish to do with it rather than what he would be forced to do.

  “Might you consider a bride soon, then?”

  Phillip pulled himself from his reveries and looked at Lord Hoskins, one brow lifting. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Well,” Lord Hoskins grinned, the look in his eye warning Phillip that he was doing nothing other than ribbing him. “You have said that prior to this year, you have been unable to really enjoy the Season. This year is to be different, is it not?”

  “It is,” Phillip agreed slowly, his brows now furrowing. “And you think that I should, therefore, expect to find a suitable bride?”

  Lord Hoskins shrugged. “It would be a wise decision, would it not?”

  “And are you also intending to follow your own advice?” Phillip asked, his lips twitching with mirth. “You have not yet wed, if I recall correctly. Nor have you shown any particular interest in courtship or the like. Will this Season alter that fact?” He grinned as Lord Hoskins frowned, the question now turned back toward him.

  “There are very many beautiful and eligible young ladies present this evening,” Lord Hoskins said, a trifle unwillingly, “but I fear that I will find none to be suitable for me. However, you, who have very few considerations and requirements, will find plenty to interest you, I am sure.”

  Phillip let out a bark of laughter, which only made Lord Hoskins grin, clearly aware that their conversation was nothing more than foolishness itself.

  “You believe yourself to be quite caught up in requirements and expectations as regards a young lady?” Phillip asked, disbelief in his voice, his brows high on his head as he rolled his eyes. “You, who have never been able to turn away from enchanting eyes or a beautiful smile.” He laughed again. “You have continually sought out young ladies to dance with, to converse with, and to acquaint yourself with, but you have never once shown any eagerness to further anything particular with any one of them. And I, for one, do not expect that to change this Season, I can assure you.” He elbowed his friend, hard. “Am I mistaken in my belief?”

  Lord Hoskins considered for a moment but did not instantly agree. “I may give that impression, certainly,” he said in such a considering manner that Phillip himself was startled. “But I believe that such a thing is always open to change. It may be that I set eyes on one lady and find myself entirely lost.”

  Phillip looked at his friend with a frown growing across his brow, expecting him to laugh and to throw back what he had just said as though it was nothing. But Lord Hoskins merely smiled with what appeared to be a genuine consideration for what he had just said. “You believe that to be true?” Phillip asked, unable to believe it. “That you might, one day, simply encounter a lady and find yourself unable to do anything but think of her?”

  Lord Hoskins nodded, his eyes clear and free of mirth as he looked back at Phillip. “I do believe that, certainly,” Lord Hoskins replied honestly. “I would be surprised if such a thing did occur, of course, for I think it to be a very ra
re circumstance and most likely, I shall end up marrying a lady who is nothing more than suitable… but still, I shall be open to the possibility.”

  “I am astonished to hear you speak so,” Phillip admitted, looking around the room with a fresh vision, taking in the many ladies present and wondering which of them, if any, might capture Lord Hoskins’ attention. “I have never once considered such a thing.”

  Lord Hoskins grinned. “Mayhap you should,” he replied with a shrug. “I have been jesting a little, for I am sure that you are determined merely to enjoy this Season, now that you can do so, but it may come to pass that you find yourself in the exact position I myself have described.”

  Phillip scoffed inwardly at this, although he kept his expression open and did not say a word against Lord Hoskins. Very soon, they were distracted from their discussion by the arrival of one Miss Bellingham and her mother, who made immediate conversation with Lord Hoskins—although they did not seem much interested in Phillip. Whilst both he and Lord Hoskins were viscounts, Phillip was, unfortunately, known to have had difficulties with his estate and fortune. Therefore, it was quite expected that any young ladies and, in particular, their mothers would focus their attentions on Lord Hoskins rather than on Phillip. Nonetheless, Phillip managed to secure a dance with the lady, although Lord Hoskins took two.

  “A very good evening to you,” Phillip murmured, bowing as the ladies departed. He did not miss how Miss Bellingham sent a long, lingering glance toward Lord Hoskins as she departed, and he turned to lift one eyebrow in his friend’s direction.

  “No, indeed not,” Lord Hoskins said emphatically, clearly aware of what Phillip was thinking. “Miss Bellingham, whilst lovely, is much too aware of her beauty and would not do.”

  “What a pity,” Phillip murmured, reaching for a fresh glass of whisky that was on a footman’s tray. “She seemed to be rather taken with you.”

  Lord Hoskins chuckled and rolled his eyes, but Phillip stopped dead, his glass halfway to his mouth.

  A young lady had come into view only a short distance away from him, speaking quietly to an older lady beside her. He had never set eyes upon her before, he was sure of it, for he would certainly have remembered her.

  Red burnished curls, gathered at the back, trailed over her shoulder with smaller ringlets framing her face. Flowers were pressed into her hair and a delicate locket hung around her neck. For whatever reason, she looked toward him, catching his gaze for a moment, and Phillip felt his heart slam hard against his chest. Vivid green eyes had looked into his and his breath had been stolen from him.

  Whatever was wrong with him?

  “Are you quite all right, old boy?”

  Phillip blinked rapidly and tried to speak, looking at his friend with wide eyes as he struggled to regain his composure.

  “Whatever is wrong?” Lord Hoskins asked, now looking a little worried about the state of his friend. “Something has occurred to make you unwell. We should leave at once. I—”

  “I am quite all right.” Phillip closed his eyes and dragged in air, aware that his voice had been hoarse and rasping. “My apologies, Hoskins.”

  Lord Hoskins was not about to let the matter drop, however.

  “What occurred to make you appear so?” he asked, looking at Phillip with slightly narrowed eyes. “Did you have some sort of turn?”

  Phillip opened his eyes and looked at his friend, trying desperately to find an excuse that would be believable. “I—I just thought I had seen someone I have not seen for some time,” he lied. “But I realized that it was not he.”

  The frown that etched itself into Lord Hoskins’ features did not express any sort of belief, much to Phillip’s disappointment.

  “And who was it?” Lord Hoskins asked slowly. “Who was it that you believed you saw?”

  Phillip shrugged and waved a hand. “It does not matter,” he said as nonchalantly as he could. “It was not he, so it matters not.”

  His friend took a small step closer and looked into Phillip’s face with a hard stare. “You are not speaking the truth,” he stated, only for something to immediately wipe away his frown and, instead, widen his eyes in evident astonishment. “Wait, now. Can it be that you have seen a lady that has instantly intrigued you?”

  “You are quite mistaken,” Phillip declared firmly, although the heat that instantly flooded his face was, unfortunately, unwilling to dissipate despite his best intentions. “You are allowing our earlier conversation to color what it was that—”

  “Who is she?” Lord Hoskins asked eagerly, turning his head this way and that in evident search of the lady. “Where is she?”

  “You are being ridiculous, Hoskins,” Phillip protested, suddenly rather eager to hide the truth of the lady’s identity from Lord Hoskins and, indeed, to remove him entirely from the suggestion that Phillip had been affected by her presence. “There is nothing in it at all.”

  Lord Hoskins’ grin was wider than Phillip had ever seen it. “You may wish to continue to pretend, but I know very well that it can only be a lady,” he said, jabbing Phillip hard in the chest. “You have never once reacted in such a way before and thus, it can only be that a lady has caught your attention. Now, of course, you wish to pretend that it is not so, in order to hide the truth from me—but I will discover it.” Chuckling, he continued to look around as Phillip felt his face growing all the hotter. “I will discover her, in fact. All I need is a little more time.”

  “Ridiculous,” Phillip said again, all the more firmly. “Come now, we have only one dance—or two, in your case—on our cards. We must go in search of others, if we are to have an enjoyable evening.”

  “I shall watch every interaction with interest,” Lord Hoskins replied brightly. “Shall you go to her at once? Shall you find a way to beg an introduction to her?”

  Phillip sighed heavily with what he hoped was enough frustration in his expression to be convincing, before turning away from the young lady in question. Putting his back to her, he led Lord Hoskins through the crowd and soon came upon three young ladies that Lord Hoskins was already acquainted with. Phillip allowed his friend to lead the conversation and, knowing only one of the young ladies already, was swiftly given an introduction.

  Try as he might, however, Phillip could not rid himself of the thought of the red-haired young lady. She was present in his mind every time he looked about him, every time he spoke to another. Lord Hoskins was quite correct, even though Phillip was not about to admit it to him. He wanted nothing more than to find that young lady again and find a way to have himself introduced to her, so that, at the very least, he might know her name. But given that Lord Hoskins would, no doubt, be watching him very closely, Phillip knew he could do no such thing. The gentleman would revel in the fact that he had been correct, would pester Phillip to the point of embarrassment, and would not permit him even a moment to consider all that he felt.

  Perhaps such feelings will fade, Phillip told himself as he began to write his name on the dance cards of the ladies present before him. Perhaps it was only because of what we have been discussing that I felt such a thing. Yes, indeed, I am quite sure of it. That is all it was. Nothing more that I need to consider.

  “And we must see how Lord Swinton has done,” he murmured to Lord Hoskins as the three ladies cooed over their dance cards. “I have yet to discover whether or not I have to pay your White’s debt.”

  Lord Hoskins chuckled, his confidence practically oozing from him. “I look forward to adding to my debt this evening, before you are able to pay for it,” he said as Phillip grinned. “But you shall not convince me to forget about this mysterious lady, Wiltshire. I shall discover her.”

  “I am sure you will,” Phillip replied in a tired voice. “Come now, Hoskins, enough of this nonsense. We have a dance to enjoy.” And so saying, he put out his arm to one Miss Belham, who took it at once, a shy giggle escaping from her as he led her to the dance floor. Bowing to the lady, Phillip forced himself to keep his eyes fixed on h
er rather than permit himself to look elsewhere in search of his unknown lady. He would forget such feelings soon enough, he was sure of it, and probably before the end of the evening. There was nothing he needed to concern himself with. Of that, Phillip was quite sure.

  3

  Three days later

  “Good afternoon, Aunt.”

  Lucinda greeted her aunt warmly before she stepped into the carriage, her aunt climbing in carefully behind her.

  “How do you fare this morning, Lucinda?” Lady Crampton asked as Lucinda smiled at her brightly. “I must hope that you are well after last evening.”

  “I am very well,” Lucinda replied with a smile. “Father was a little in his cups, yes, but he was not overly loud or embarrassing, much to my relief.”

  Lady Crampton let out a sigh of evident relief. “I am glad to hear it,” she said quietly. “I was concerned about leaving you, but Lord Crampton was very much inclined to depart from the soiree.”

  “I can well understand it,” Lucinda said wryly. “It was not the most entertaining of evenings and Miss Foster is inclined to sing for a very long time indeed.”

  “Which would be very lovely if she could, in fact, sing in tune,” Lady Crampton replied, and Lucinda giggled, one hand to her mouth. “Oh, you need not hold back when you speak to me about her, my dear Lucinda. I am well aware of how torturous it became when Miss Foster continued to play and sing on and on and on into the evening. Had her father not been the host for the evening, I believe something would have been said to discourage her.”

  Lucinda nodded ruefully. “It would also have been most proper for her to allow someone else to do so,” she said, thinking of the other ladies who had been present and had not had any opportunity to perform for those present. “Not that I count myself amongst them, although Father was a little frustrated that I did not press myself forward with eagerness.” Her smile faded and she frowned slightly, allowing her gaze to fall to her hands. “He was a little displeased with my conduct last evening, unfortunately.”