And given that Lady Bessmel was acknowledged to be one of the finest gossips in London, the thought of missing an event at her magnificent Park Lane mansion was tantamount to professional suicide. Now, as Barrington stood opposite the entrance to the grand ballroom, watching the parade of swirling dancers make their way around the room, he wondered how many darkly held secrets would be exposed tonight.
A quick sweep of the room revealed the usual attendees: blue-blooded aristocrats with their equally blue-blooded wives, a smattering of officers and politicians, some in the present government, some casualties of the last, as well as the miscellaneous collection of ladies and gentlemen who, though not titled, were well born enough to receive the much-coveted invitations. Colonel Tanner was standing at the far side of the room with his pale little wife, but, other than a brief nod in Barrington’s direction, betrayed no sign of having seen him.
Barrington allowed his gaze to move on. He was used to being ignored by those for whom he worked, if one wished to call it that. It was a hazard—or a blessing—of the job, depending on how one looked at it.
Then, suddenly, there was a commotion as three ladies entered together. Lady Annabelle Durst, magnificent in lilac silk, Lady Lydia Winston, lovely in shimmering green, and a third, slightly older but equally striking woman with whom Barrington was not acquainted. She wore an elegant silver-grey gown, long white gloves and a diamond necklace that could have fed London’s poor for a year. And when he heard whispers in the crowd and realised that most of Lady Bessmel’s guests didn’t know who the lady was, he put the pieces together. This must surely be the mysterious Baroness Julia von Brohm.
More importantly, however, it was also the first time he had seen Anna since the arrival of her note acknowledging Peregrine’s guilt. How would she receive him? With haughty indifference or grudging acceptance?
Knowing that the question had to be asked, he crossed the room to where she stood and bowed in front of the three ladies. ‘Good evening, Lady Lydia. Lady Annabelle.’
‘Why, good evening, Sir Barrington,’ Lady Lydia said with unaffected pleasure. ‘How nice to see you again. I thought perhaps you had been in hiding, we have seen so little of you.’
‘Alas, I have been kept busy with work,’ Barrington said, conscious of Anna’s eyes on him.
‘Yes, so I understand,’ Lady Lydia’s eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘I happened to bump into your sister at Hatchard’s the other day. She said you haven’t been round for a visit since the occasion of her last dinner party.’
Barrington’s mouth twisted, remembering his less-than-memorable meeting with Lady Alice Stokes, a pleasant woman with whom he’d had absolutely nothing in common. ‘I will go round and see Jenny this week. And apologise,’ he added with a rueful smile. Then, bowing towards Anna, said, ‘I trust all is well at home, Lady Annabelle?’
‘Yes, thank you, Sir Barrington.’ Her expression was tranquil, but Barrington thought he detected a quiver in her voice. Surely she wasn’t nervous about seeing him again?
‘And Mr Rand?’ he asked.
‘He is doing as well as can be expected, under the circumstances,’ she said quietly. Her hair was drawn softly off her face and caught up with a cluster of deep pink roses. Barrington thought she had never looked lovelier. ‘Are you acquainted with Baroness von Brohm?’ she asked, adroitly changing the subject.
‘I am not,’ Barrington said, turning towards the third lady, who was watching him with undisguised interest. ‘I was hoping I might prevail upon one of you to make the introduction?’
‘With pleasure. Baroness, may I present Sir Barrington Parker,’ Anna said smoothly. ‘Sir Barrington—Baroness Julia von Brohm.’
The lady regally inclined her head. ‘Sir Barrington.’
‘Baroness.’ Barrington bowed over her hand. ‘I’m surprised it has taken this long for us to meet, given that word of your arrival has been swirling for weeks.’
‘There has been a great deal to do and I have kept much to myself,’ the baroness admitted. ‘But Lady Annabelle felt it was time to make my appearance in society and I am grateful to her and Lady Bessmel for their kindness in making it happen.’
‘We decided to take Julia under our wing,’ Anna explained. ‘I’m sure you won’t find that surprising, given what you know of me.’
Barrington wasn’t sure if she was taking him to task, but when he saw the twinkle in her eye, he allowed himself to hope that the remark intended nothing of the sort. ‘Yet another convoluted life exercise?’ he ventured.
He was relieved to see her smile, and for the first time since the arrival of her note, he felt himself breathe properly again.
‘Ah, Parker, good evening,’ Lord Cambermere said, joining them. ‘Might have known I’d find you hoarding the three most beautiful women in the room.’
‘On the contrary, having only just made the baroness’s acquaintance, I cannot be accused of hoarding. Especially since the other two ladies are as well known to you as they are to me.’
‘Julia, allow me to introduce my father, Lord Cambermere,’ Anna said with a smile. ‘Papa, Baroness von Brohm.’
The earl’s gaze sharpened, a man appreciating the beauty of a woman. ‘I had heard of your arrival, Baroness, and am compelled to say that Vienna’s loss is our gain. I trust you are enjoying life in London?’
‘To be honest, I have experienced very little of it, Lord Cambermere,’ the baroness replied. ‘As I told your daughter, I have been busy setting up my household. There has not been much time for sightseeing or socialising.’
‘But now that Julia is finished with all that, I have assured her that we shall be seeing a great deal more of her in society,’ Anna said. ‘Tonight is her début, if you will.’
‘And a splendid début it is,’ the earl said quietly. ‘Would you allow me to introduce you to a few of my friends, Baroness? Having seen me in conversation with you, they will not forgive me if I neglect to do so.’
Barrington saw the look of pleasure that warmed the baroness’s face, but also noticed the look of startled surprise on Anna’s. Obviously she wasn’t used to her widowed father paying court to a beautiful woman, especially one who was also so recently widowed. But, true to form, she recovered with swiftness and grace. ‘Yes, do go, Julia. Papa knows everyone and he is perfectly respectable. Just don’t start him talking about horses.’
‘Oh, but I love horses!’ the Baroness was quick to say. ‘My late husband’s stable was one of the finest in Vienna.’
‘Good Lord,’ the earl said, leaning forwards. ‘Never tell me that your late husband was Captain Baron Ulrich von Brohm?’
A soft gasp escaped the baroness. ‘Yes. Did you know him?’
‘I most certainly knew of him. I read several of his papers on early equine development and thought his ideas were nothing short of brilliant.’ The earl offered the lady his arm. ‘I would be honoured to have a chance to speak to you about him.’
As an opening gambit, it couldn’t have been better. Barrington watched the baroness place her gloved hand on Cambermere’s sleeve, aware that her eyes were bright with interest as they rested on his face. They were already talking about horses as he led her away, prompting Barrington to wonder how many of the earl’s friends were likely to be introduced to the beautiful baroness that evening.
‘I think you have a success on your hands, Anna,’ Lady Lydia whispered. ‘If everyone else is as taken with the baroness as your father, we will surely see her married before the end of the Season!’
Barrington tended to echo Lady Lydia’s assessment, though he wondered how Anna felt at having her father’s affection for the woman so bluntly stated. It wasn’t always easy for daughters to accept a new woman into their father’s life, especially daughters who still lived at home. The