is my sister’s youngest, you know, and a very popular chap. One of his good friends has a country estate and Hugh spends a lot of the year in Berkshire.’ Edith shook one of Dolly’s arms to emphasise the information she was about to impart. ‘Viscount Blackthorne has a vast acreage. And with Hugh being the youngest son he has not much in the way of prospects or property to look forward to, so gratefully accepts such favours.’ She sniffed. ‘It is a shame because he is so much nicer than his older brother who will get the lot. Toby Kendrick is a stuffed shirt and mean with it—’ She broke off that hissed aside to welcome her nephew.
‘How have you been, Hugh? And your mama?’ Edith clasped her nephew’s hands. ‘I’m afraid I must scold my sister soon; I have been waiting for a letter from her for the past six months. I was just saying to my companions, you and I have been strangers for too long.’
‘Had I known you had the acquaintance of such pretty young ladies, Aunt Edith, I would have been a far more regular visitor to Hammersmith.’
Edith’s nephew had spoken teasingly and the compliment made Elise chuckle rather than cringe.
‘And we are pleased to make your acquaintance, sir,’ Bea responded with a smile that brought a dimple to her cheek. Her eyes darted to her sister before her lashes lowered.
Elise remembered that look very well. A mix of anticipation and excitement had gleamed in Beatrice’s eyes the first time Mr Vaughan had paid her attention on a previous occasion when they’d been in town visiting the Chapmans.
And Hugh Kendrick was paying attention to Beatrice, Elise realised. Although he was politely conversing with their aunt Dolly, his warm gaze was returning again and again to her sister.
Elise could understand why he had quickly impressed Bea; in the short while since he’d joined them Hugh Kendrick had displayed an amiable manner, lively conversation and he was good-looking to boot.
But he had no prospects. His aunt had disclosed that he was the youngest son with little to look forward to, hence his grateful acceptance of favours from his rich and generous friend. Inwardly Elise sighed for she feared her sister might again pin her hopes where there was little chance of success.
‘We are going over to talk to the Chapmans—will you come and say hello too?’ Now Hugh had joined them, Edith wanted to keep his company for a while; he had a way of fitting in and enlivening the atmosphere.
Having spotted the group Hugh’s smile faded. ‘I believe Mr Whittiker might not appreciate my presence. We are not the best of friends.’
‘Then indeed you must come with us, sir,’ Elise insisted in a dry undertone. ‘And we will all approach him in like mind.’
Hugh chuckled, swinging a glance between the sisters. ‘I knew straight away you were sensible as well as pretty girls.’
‘He is courting Fiona Chapman,’ Bea chipped in with a grimace that gave enough of her opinion to render words unnecessary.
Hugh politely offered Bea an arm to clasp and she immediately took it with a shy smile. He would have extended the same courtesy to Elise, but she’d skipped a little ahead and joined their matronly aunts who were already squeezing a path through the crowd.
Chapter Six
‘Must we stay longer, Alex?’
‘You’re ready to leave? I thought you were enjoying yourself.’
‘Of course, if you’d sooner stay...’ Celia Chase gave her lover an arch smile. ‘But I know of better ways of enjoying myself than listening to tedious melodies.’ Her sultry eyes flashed a promise at him. ‘I thought we could return to Vale Court. I have told Paulette to prepare us a little supper for later. Are you hungry?’
A gruff chuckle escaped Alex, but he continued scanning the crowd as he murmured, ‘I’m always ravenous, you know that.’
‘Good...for I am, too,’ Celia purred, subtly rubbing her hip against his thigh. ‘It is wonderful we share a similar appetite.’
Despite Celia’s sensual nudging against his sensitive groin Alex continued glancing about.
When he’d returned from his rendezvous with Lady Lonesome’s sister he’d been surprised and not a little irritated to find that Hugh was nowhere to be found. His mood had not been improved by the realisation that he couldn’t put the young woman he’d met from his mind, and not just because his body was throbbing with unrelieved sexual tension because of her. He’d been searching for her slight figure in the throng, but had not had a glimpse of her. From the way she’d bolted off into the night he guessed she might have decided to drag her sister off home before the chit brought shame on them both. Alex hoped they hadn’t yet quit the gardens because he wanted to see her again and find out more about her.
Once he caught up with Hugh he’d tear him off a strip. His friend ought to have realised that an ingénue, eager for excitement, might imagine it great fun to invent such a harebrained scheme.
But it wasn’t fun at all, as Hugh’s own sister could testify. She had been ostracised for a similar folly, causing heartache and financial crisis to her family, when she’d allowed herself to be compromised by a fellow with seduction on his mind.
Alex knew that he had no right to a moral high ground on that score. If Lady Lonesome’s luscious sister hadn’t fled when she had, he might have been tempted to kiss her again and finish what he’d started. He could still sense her soft flesh filling his palm, the lissom length of her leg flowing beneath his fingertips and the fresh lavender scent of her skin seemed to again be teasing his nostrils...
‘Are we to go, then?’
Celia’s petulance cut into Alex’s pleasurable reflection, making him frown at her. But his eyes were soon swooping back to a group of people close to the stage and he stared in disbelief before cursing softly in a mingling of surprise and satisfaction.
‘I won’t be going yet—I have some business to attend to.’ A ferocious determination had entered Alex’s voice and he swiftly turned his head, searching for a temporary companion for his mistress. He noticed the gallant young Hussar still watching them, so gave the fellow a nod causing him to look rather confused. A moment later Alex was propelling Celia towards her admirer. Ignoring both his mistress’s furious, suffocated indignation and Sidney Roper’s startled smile, he strode away.
* * *
‘Oh...I say! It looks as though Hugh’s great friend is heading our way. Indeed, what an honour it would be if he were to join us, Dolly,’ Edith squeaked excitedly. She started to waft a hand in front of her pink cheeks before digging in her reticule to find a small fan. Having snapped open ivory sticks, she hissed from behind them, ‘Have you spotted him, Dolly...the tall Continental-looking gentleman who appears rather severe? He is a viscount, you know...and I swear we are about to have his company.’
It seemed Edith had been more vigilant than her nephew in noticing Alex Blackthorne approaching, stony-faced. Hugh continued chatting to the group of ladies that now included Maude Chapman. Mr Chapman and his eldest daughter had James Whittiker as company and only Fiona was looking comfortable about that arrangement.
When Alex clapped a heavy hand on Hugh’s shoulder a few moments later, his arrival went unnoticed by Elise as she was slightly apart from the others, turned sideways, talking privately to Verity. The two friends had finally managed to start a whispered dialogue about what had occurred during Elise’s mission to rescue Bea. But before Elise had got very far into her doctored account, an abrupt quiet had descended close by and the change in the atmosphere penetrated her consciousness, making her turn her head.
‘Ah...Alex...how nice of you to join us.’ Hugh quickly overcame his surprise at having been rather roughly handled by his noble friend. ‘Sorry to disappear like that, but I spotted my mother’s sister in the crowd and came over to say hello to her. Let me introduce you to my Aunt Edith.’
‘Oh, but we have been introduced, Hugh.’ Edith gave