Chapter 1
The home of Geb Arafa, a mile outside of London
The last person
Nicholas Ellsworth expected to find at his good friend
Geb Arafa’s
dinner party was Lady Faith Landon. Yet there she was,
Nicholas’s
fiancée, maddeningly pretty and equally aggravating. She fit
perfectly
with the lush décor and priceless artifacts in Geb’s parlor. “Lady
Faith,
I had not expected to find you here. In fact, you and your friends’
presence
is an astonishment.”
“I hope you are not too put out. It seems Lord
and Lady Marsden have
become fast friends with Mr. Arafa, and that
friendship has extended to
the rest of the Wallflowers of West Lane.”
Despite his desire to be rid
of her, Faith’s soft voice flowed over
him like a summer stream and he
longed to hear that voice in the
dark, in their bed. The way her curves
filled out the rose gown set
his body aflame and there seemed nothing he
could do about it.
He
shook away his attraction, reminding himself that this was a sneaky,
manipulative
woman whom it had been a mistake to attach himself to. The
fact that
he longed to find out if her honey-brown curls were as wild as they
promised,
despite her attempts to tame them into submission, shouldn’t
matter.
Nor should his desire to get lost in her wheat-colored eyes and
voluptuous
curves. This was a woman made for loving.
Lord, he hated himself. “I
wonder that your being here with those
friends is not some dire plot
in the making.”
He had reason to be suspicious. When he’d first
arrived home from
France, in the spring, she and her friends had
engaged in spying on him
and trying to ferret out his past. It was
intolerable. He should have called
off the engagement, but the
thought of ruining her for good society didn’t
sit well with
Nicholas. Instead he’d offered her the opportunity to set him
aside,
but she had refused to do so as of yet.
She frowned, and was no less
stunning. Her full lips longed to be kissed
back into an upturned
state. “We are here because Mr. Arafa invited us.
He’s your friend.
I’m surprised he didn’t mention it.”
Nick was equally bewildered by
Geb’s silence on the matter of Faith
and the other members of the
Wallflowers of West Lane. He had met them
on several occasions during
his feeble efforts to get to know Faith. Her
instant suspicions that
he was hiding something may have led to her friends’
actions, but he
still couldn’t let the slight die. Though he did admire the
strength
of the friendship between Faith and the three women she’d gone
to
finishing school with. They were as close as any soldiers who fought
and
died together. Even if they called themselves “wallflowers,” there was
nothing
diminished about any of the four.
“He is not required to give me his
invitation list.” It pushed out more
bitterly than intended.
Those
cunning eyes narrowed. “I think you would like it exceedingly
well if
he did.”
That she wasn’t wrong raised the hair on the back of Nick’s
neck. He
had not been able to keep many friends over the years. His
work for the
Crown had made that impossible. Now his friendship with
Geb Arafa was
in jeopardy as well.
He bowed to her. “I do not
always get what I want, Lady Faith.”
Head cocked, she raised one
brown eyebrow. “Don’t you, Your Grace?”
Geb chose that moment to
stroll over. His dark skin set off his bright
tawny eyes, and though
he dressed in the black suit and white cravat
typical of an
Englishman, there was no mistaking his Eastern background.
“Nicholas,
I’m so glad you are here. I thought you might be held up
with
politics.”
Nicholas accepted his offered hand. “I finished my
meetings and
came directly.”
Smiling in her charming way,
Faith’s golden eyes flashed. “I shall leave
you gentlemen to catch
up.”
Both Nicholas and Geb bowed and watched her join her friends
near
the pianoforte.
“She is a delightful woman, Nick. You
should reconcile and marry her.”
Geb ran his hand through his black
hair, smoothing it back from his forehead.
Not willing to let his
attraction to Faith rule his decisions, Nicholas
forced down the
desire seeing his betrothed always ignited in him. “She
is sneaky and
devious. I shall wait for her to give up and call off.”
“I would have
thought such character traits would appeal to you.” Geb
lowered his
voice. “After all, you are a spy with much the same qualities.
You
might consider speaking to the lady and finding out the details
behind
her actions.”
“Why don’t you just tell me what you know, Geb?” It was
obvious his
friend knew more than he’d disclosed thus far. Nicholas
asking for more
was futile. If Geb was going to tell him more than he
already had, he would
have done so months ago when he’d first
informed him that Poppy and Rhys,
now the Earl and Countess of
Marsden, were investigating his character.
Being spies meant that Geb
and Nick kept their own counsel most of the
time. As an information
broker, Geb was even more closemouthed than
most spies. He only
offered what was necessary to complete a contract or,
in this case,
to inform a friend of something less than critical.
“I am not at
liberty to divulge that information.” Geb’s white
teeth gleamed.
“I
didn’t realize you were so keen on keeping a lady’s secrets,”
Nicholas
teased.
Grabbing his chest, Geb feigned a knife to the heart. “I
would never tell
tales of a good woman. There have been a few ladies
of our acquaintance
who were not reputable, and those who are part of
our line of work whose
secrets I had few scruples about
divulging.”
“Indeed.” As much as he wanted to be angry with Geb for
befriending
Faith and her friends, he couldn’t manage it. The truth
was, Geb was quite
discerning about who he called friend.
During
the time he’d spent with them, he couldn’t help but like them as
well.
They were the most spirited and brightest women he’d ever known. He
recalled
a beautiful blonde in Spain who had tried to put a knife between
his
ribs, and shuddered. At least he didn’t think these Wallflowers were
out
for his blood, just his secrets. What he didn’t know, was why
they were so
keen on divining his past. He might be a fool to think
them innocent. His
trust of a sweet face in the past had nearly
gotten him killed.
Geb nudged him out of his thoughts. “Talk to the
girl.”
Glancing at where Faith stood drinking a glass of wine and
talking
to Poppy Draper, Nicholas mused over if they were plotting
their next
attempt to invade his privacy. “Perhaps later. First, I
would like a glass of
your excellent cognac.”
“Avoiding her will
not make your situation better,” Geb warned, his rich
Egyptian accent
rounding the words and lending a sense of foreboding.
“The lady will
decide I am not worth the trouble and find herself a less
complicated
gentleman to attach herself to.”
Nodding, Geb said, “I’m certain that
is true. She is too lovely for half
the men in London to not be in
love with.”
Nicholas wished that thought didn’t form a knot in his
gut. He also
longed for a day when Faith wouldn’t enter his mind a
dozen times. She
had gotten under his skin before he’d even met her,
and he couldn’t rid
himself of her spell. Even knowing it had been
her mother and not the
lady herself who had written to him when he
was in France hadn’t dulled
what he knew and liked about Faith
Landon.
“One day you shall have to tell me how you came to this, my
friend.”
Geb signaled for Kosey, his servant.
The extremely tall
Egyptian wore a white turban and loose black pants
and a similar
blouse. He carried a tray with two glasses of dark amber
cognac.
“Dinner will be ready in ten minutes, sir. Will that please you?”
Kosey
spoke English in an Eastern way, which made the language warmer
and
less harsh to the ear. It gained looks from some of the other guests,
but
Nicholas liked the formal, old-fashioned speech.
“Very good,” said
Geb.
Nick observed the gaping of the other guests. “Why have you
invited
these snobs to Aaru, Geb?”
“Flitmore has some items I
wish to obtain and Humphry has proved to
be a good source of
information about certain parliamentary discussions.”
“I trust you
would never use such information against my beloved
country.” A knot
formed in Nick’s gut.
“No, but I might try to sway other members of
your government. I like to
know what is happening in my adopted
country, Nicholas. That is all. As a
foreigner, I have no say. This
gives me some needed control.” Geb grinned.
Nick held back a scolding
that would do no good.
“Do not look at me so ill. I merely use
information to my advantage
just as everyone else does. I will share
bits with them or buy back pieces
of Egyptian art. It will harm no
one.”
Kosey moved to the door where he waited for word from the cook
that
dinner was ready to be served.
Lord and Lady Flitmore gaped
at Kosey. Perhaps it was his height as
he towered over everyone in
the room. It might have been his odd clothes.
Whatever it was, their
shocked regard needled at Nicholas.
Faith stepped between him and the
couple. “Lady Flitmore, it’s nice to
see you again. I heard your
daughter Mary would be here tonight, but I’ve
not seen her. I hope
nothing is wrong. I know how she can get into mischief.”
Lord
Flitmore coughed uncomfortably. “Mary had some trouble with
her gown
and is coming in a later carriage. She will be here any moment.”
As
if on cue, a footman announced the arrival of Lady Mary Yates.
A slim
woman with red hair and flawless skin sauntered into the room.
Pretty
in the classical way, her long, thin nose appeared in a perpetual state
of
being turned up at everyone and everything. Hands folded lightly in
front
of her, she walked directly to where Faith stood with Mary’s parents.
In
a voice without modulation, Mary said, “Mother, Father, I’m sorry to
be
late. I hope no one was waiting on me.”
The lack of any emotion in
Mary’s voice made it difficult to tell if
she was sincere or just
saying what was expected of her. “Thank you for
sending the carriage
back for me.”
Lord Flitmore pulled his shoulders back and beamed at
his daughter.
“Dinner has only just been announced, my dear girl.
Please say hello to
His Grace, the Duke of Breckenridge.”
Mary
made a pretty curtsy and plastered a wan smile on her rosy lips.
“How
do you do, Your Grace?”
Bowing, Nick couldn’t help but notice the
look of disdain that flitted
across Faith’s face. “A pleasure, Lady
Mary. I’m pleased you could come
tonight. Do you know Lady Faith
Landon?”
Another curtsy and a smile that likened to a wolf, and Mary
said,
“Lady Faith and I went to the Wormbattle School together. We
have been
acquainted for many years. How are you, Faith?”
Faith
raised a brow. “Very well, Mary. You are looking fine. Your parents
tell
me you’ve had some issue with your gown this evening.”
Mary’s gown
was dark blue and threaded with gold. It pushed all her
assets up to
the breaking point of the material at her breast and flowed
down,
showing off her perfect figure. She blushed. “Just a small issue that
my
maid and a needle and thread resolved easily enough.”
The ladies
leered at each other.
Clearing his throat, Lord Flitmore said, “Mary,
let me introduce
you to our host.”
“Of course,” Mary agreed, and
with a nod to Nick, all three Yateses
left the circle.
Faith
watched after Mary but had schooled her features to a pleasant
expression
that no one could have noted anything amiss from. Nick had
many
questions, but none of them were any of his business.
“Shall we go in
to dinner?” As they were officially engaged, Nick
offered Faith his
arm and they preceded the others into the dining room.
The long table
had rounded corners and was draped in white linen.
Fine china leafed
with gold, and highly polished crystal and silver, made
the setting
gleam under three fully lit chandeliers hanging overhead, and
with
four standing candelabras placed in all corners of the room. The
high-backed,
dark wood chairs were cushioned with a pale blue damask.
It was
decidedly English, and extremely elegant, to appeal to Geb’s guests.
At
the head of the table, Geb welcomed everyone formally to his home
before
launching into a story of being on a sinking ship, and the diners
were
riveted despite the fact that most of them would not invite an Egyptian
man
of no known rank into their own homes. Faith smiled warmly at Geb,
and
Nick wondered if she were different. Would his friends, regardless of
their
origins, be welcomed to her table?
He shook off the notion. He would
not be going through with marrying
Faith Landon, no matter how much
he desired her or how kind she pretended
to be. She had betrayed him
with her spying, and he wouldn’t have it.
Another exception to the
apparent prejudice against Geb were Rhys
and Poppy Draper. The earl
and his bride genuinely liked Geb and had
become fast friends with
him after being stranded at his house in a storm.
“Did you swim to
shore from that distance, Mr. Arafa?” Poppy’s
blue eyes were wide and
her dark hair and lashes made the color all the
more demonstrable.
Geb’s
cheeks pinked and he laughed. “I’m afraid nothing so heroic,
my lady.
I was hauled out of the ocean by a small fishing vessel. My lungs
were
full of water and I caught a terrible ague and spent three weeks in
a
Portuguese hospital.”
They all laughed with Geb.
Rhys Draper
took a long pull on his wine. “I would be willing to bet
you were the
most interesting thing those fishermen plucked from the
Atlantic that
day. And you were damned lucky. Not only could you have
drowned, but
if this had happened a year later, you might have been caught
up in
Napoleon’s invasion.”
“Indeed, luck was with me that day and many
others.” More sober, Geb
gave Nick a knowing look.
Nick noted
his friend’s careful use of luck rather than invoke the name of
the
Prophet in a room full of Christians. Knowing how religious Geb was,
Nick
knew what he was thinking. They had experienced many adventures
together,
and luck, Allah, or God had seen them through some things that
at the
time, seemed impossible.
The footmen served the soup.
Nick noted
that many of the guests poked at the fine broth, vegetables,
and bits
of tender beef, but didn’t eat. The Yates family were among those
who
would not eat from the table of an Egyptian but would be happy to
attend,
since Geb was a good resource for many business dealings. Not
to
mention the depth of Geb’s pocketbook.
Faith, Poppy, and Rhys ate
with gusto. Perhaps more than was natural,
and Nick decided they had
also noticed the rudeness of the other guests.
Besides the Yateses,
Sir Duncan Humphrey, his wife and two sons,
Montgomery and Malcolm,
were in attendance as well as William Wharton
and his wife. All were
well respected among the ton and had obviously
not come for the food
or company. They didn’t speak other than the
occasional thank you.
On
Nick’s right, Faith sipped the last of her soup and turned to Mary.
“You
didn’t like the soup?”
“I’m not hungry. I’m certain it is quite
good.” Mary narrowed
her eyes at Faith.
“It’s really too bad, it
was the best I’ve tasted.” Faith smiled warmly
and turned her
attention back to Geb. “Poppy told me how wonderful your
cook is and
now I can taste the truth of it.”
“You always did have a great love
of food, Faith.” Mary’s voice rang with
disdain and she peered down
that thin nose at Faith’s curvaceous figure.
Poppy looked ready to
leap across the table and do Mary physical harm.
A low laugh from
Faith calmed the situation. “I suppose where I am
fond of a good meal
you are fond of a good bit of gossip. We each have
our hidden
desires. Don’t we, Mary.”
It was a warning, but Nick didn’t have
enough information to know
what was at stake.
Mary bit her
bottom lip and narrowed her eyes before masking all
emotion and
nodding. “I suppose that’s true of everyone.”
A flush of pride swept
over Nick. He had no right to feel any sense
of esteem for Faith’s
ability to outthink another woman and put her in
her place. Yet, he
couldn’t help liking that she had not been bested by a
bigoted
daughter of parents who would attend the dinner party of a man
they
clearly didn’t like, but wanted something from.
Turning his attention
back to Geb, Nick noted his friend’s amusement
at the social volley
going on at the table. Geb smiled warmly at Poppy as
she changed the
subject to the delectable pheasant and fine wine.
By the main course,
Nick had given up on the other end of the table
and was ensconced in
a lively conversation among the four people around
him. Rhys was well
versed in politics and they discussed the state of coal
mines. Faith
and Poppy both added their opinions, which were well thought
out and
more astute than he would have thought for ladies of their rank.
Perhaps
he should rethink his views of what ladies ponder in the course
of a
day. Clearly it was more than stitching and tea patterns.
Geb, too,
ignored the reticent group at the far end of the table and joined
the
banter. When Kosey announced that cake and sherry were being served
in
the grand parlor, Nick was disappointed to leave the conversation.
As
soon as they entered the parlor, Flitmore cornered Geb about the
sale
of several horses, and Sir Duncan wanted to know when the next
shipment
of spices from India would be arriving.
Stomach turning at their
duplicity, Nick escaped to the garden.
Geb had torches lighting the
paths. The gardens here were one of Nick’s
favorite places in
England. They were orderly and wild at once. White
stones lined the
lanes meant to guide one through the low plantings. It
was a maze but
without the threat of becoming lost. The fountain at the
far end
broke the silence of the pleasant autumn night. Soon winter would
turn
the garden into a wasteland and a good snow would give it the feel
of
an abandoned house.
Nick sighed and walked on.
“Are you
determined to be alone, or might I join you, Your Grace?”
Faith
called from only a few feet behind him.
He must be losing his
training for her to have sneaked up behind him
without notice. “Is
there something you wanted, Lady Faith?”
She stepped closer. Several
curls had freed themselves of her elaborate
coif and called out to
Nick to touch them. “It is a lovely garden.” She
glanced around and
smiled.
“Yes. Geb has taken bits from all his travels and placed them
in his
home and this garden. I think it brings him comfort.”
Faith’s
golden eyes filled with sorrow. “Do you think Mr. Arafa is
lonely
here in England?”
“It is never easy to live amongst a people not your
own.” Nick considered
all the time he’d spent in France, Spain, and
Portugal and how much he’d
missed the rainy days in England and
people who understood his humor.
“The Wallflowers are very fond of
Mr. Arafa. We have not entertained
much, but I will see that he is
added to our invitation list. Perhaps a circle
of good friends will
make him feel more at home.” She’d placed her index
finger on her
chin while she considered how best to help Geb.
Adorable.
He
needed to be free of this woman. “You didn’t say what it was you
wanted,
Lady Faith.”
Frowning, she walked forward and down the path. “Must I
have a reason
to walk in the garden with my fiancé?”
Leaving her
to her own devices and returning to the house flitted through
his
mind, but it would cause gossip and he was curious about her reason for
seeking
him out. “We are hardly the perfect picture of an engaged couple.”
“No.
That is true. I wanted to apologize for any undue strain I may
have
caused you by trying to find out what kind of character you have.”
“Is
that your apology, or shall I wait for more?” he said when she
didn’t
elaborate.
She stopped and puffed up her chest. Her cheeks were red
and fire
flashed in her eyes. “Why must you be so difficult? Even
when I’m trying
to be nice, you find fault. The entire situation was
mostly your doing. If
you had been open and honest, that would have
been an end to our query
and none of the rest would have been
necessary.”
Even more beautiful when she was in a temper, he longed
to pull her
into his arms and taste those alluring lips. He was
certain just one tug
would topple all those curls from the pins that
held her hair in place and
he could find out if they were as soft as
they appeared. It was maddening.
“I hardly see how it was my fault.
You and your friends spied on me and
involved Geb, which is
unforgivable.”
As soft and lovely as she was, a hard edge caught in
her voice. “I
suppose, then, you will not accept my apology. I see.
Well, in that case,
I’ll leave you to your solitude.” She turned to
walk away and stopped, eyes
narrowed into the darkness beyond the
gardens, which were surrounded
by tall evergreens.
Following her
gaze, Nick saw nothing, though the hair on the back of
his neck rose.
“What is it?”
“I felt eyes on me, as if someone was watching.” She
shivered and
continued straining to see in the shadows.
“I’m
sure you are imagining things.” He dismissed her worry.
That hateful
glance fell on him before she plastered false serenity on
her face.
“Perhaps.”
He preferred the disdain to the untruthful agreement. Why
he should
care when he wanted nothing to do with her, he didn’t know.
“Shall I escort
you back inside, Lady Faith?”
“You are too kind,
Your Grace, but I can manage the journey on my
own.” With a curt nod,
she stormed away from him toward the house.
16 A.S. Fenichel
Unable
to look away, he admired the gentle sway of her hips until she
climbed
the veranda steps and went inside. Lord, how he longed to hold
those
hips and slide his hands up to that slim waist, and so much more.
He
shook away the wayward thoughts before he embarrassed himself
with
his desires.
One thing was certain, Faith Landon would be his
undoing.
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