Claiming The Chaperon's Heart

‘Yes, perhaps I have,’ he said, seeming to come back to himself all at once. He smiled and she saw that his mouth was soft and sensual, not at all hard or harsh as she’d first thought. ‘I have not decided; it will depend on various things...’

‘Well, I see we have reached a happy agreement,’ Jane said, realising she had quite misjudged him. ‘I shall send Melia down to you so that you may talk in private.’

‘Oh, no,’ he said quickly. ‘Pray send your servant to fetch her, ma’am. There is nothing I wish to say that you may not hear...’

Chapter Four (#ulink_35f91824-1a94-5007-ad6e-2b5a2fc65e2f)

‘We have an engagement for the theatre tomorrow evening,’ Paul told Adam when they met at the boxing club that afternoon. ‘Please keep the evening free, dear fellow. I want you to escort my ward, while I entertain her chaperon.’

‘Do you mean Lady Moira?’ Adam asked, reluctant, for he had not liked the lady Paul had chosen for the task when she called at the house.

‘Oh, no, that is all changed,’ Paul informed him in a blithe tone that made him arch his brows. ‘Lady March will be accompanying us. Melia is happy with her and there seems no point in taking her away from where she is settled. Besides, it was all arranged on the spur of the moment. I did ask Viscount Salisbury—Lady March’s brother—to accompany us, but he was engaged to play cards that evening.’

‘So you thought I would oblige?’ Adam gave him a clear look. ‘I suppose Miss Bellingham looks like a horse?’

Paul gave a shout of laughter. ‘I think her quite pretty. Of course she cannot hold a candle to Lady March... She is lovely, Adam. Truly lovely...’

‘Good grief, if I did not know better I would think you smitten,’ Adam said and his eyebrows rose higher as he saw the expression on Paul’s face. ‘Are you? Is she more beautiful than Annamarie?’

‘Completely different and utterly wonderful...’ Paul shook his head as he saw the astonishment in his friend’s eyes. ‘Yes, you may stare. Such a letter she wrote me! I thought she must be some old trout and went there prepared to put her down—but one look from those eyes and I was floored. I just stood there and couldn’t speak for some minutes. I have never experienced anything like it, my dear fellow. She took my breath away when she smiled.’

‘You have got it bad,’ Adam said drily, still hardly believing that he was hearing those words from Paul’s mouth. ‘In India you could have had any woman you wanted...including the daughter of an earl, but you barely spared any of them a look.’

‘Wait until you see her,’ Paul said. He grinned at his friend. ‘If you value your life, please do not fall in love with her. She’s mine...’

‘Prepared to fight to the death for her, are you?’ Adam teased, thinking he was merely jesting, and then caught his breath as he saw the answer in Paul’s face. ‘What is so special about Lady March?’

Paul stared at him for a full minute in silence and then shook his head. ‘I’m damned if I know, Adam. She is beautiful, but it isn’t that...the laughter in her eyes, perhaps, and yet it isn’t just that. To be honest, I have no idea why I feel this way; it just came out of the blue. I was angry, prepared to come the injured party and demand my rights, but then...it was just so sudden. One minute I wanted to strangle her, and the next it took me all my resolve not to take her in my arms and kiss her until she surrendered.’

‘I should not advise that you do any such thing,’ Adam warned. ‘I met her brother this morning at my club and he told me that Jane is still grieving for her husband. He has only been dead just over two years.’

‘Jane...her name is Jane? Sweet Jane, my love,’ Paul said and sighed. ‘Yes, I was told she was recently a widow but I didn’t realise...I thought her older. She is the woman for me. If she will not have me then I shall never marry.’

‘Nonsense,’ Adam chided. ‘You do not know her yet. Supposing she turns out to have a vicious temper and a sharp tongue?’

Paul looked rueful. ‘She may have, for all I know. She certainly wrote me a cool letter but perhaps I deserved it, for mine to her was curt and I was angry when I left the viscount’s house.’

‘Be careful, my friend. You do not know this lady yet. Take your time, for if you plunge straight in one of two things will happen...’ Paul looked enquiring and he smiled. ‘Either she is on the catch for a husband and she will take you for your money—or she truly loved her husband and will break your heart by turning you down instantly.’

‘I do not think there is a lack of money there,’ Paul said. ‘Nor do I think she is on the catch for a husband—but she would very likely turn me down flat. No, you are right, Adam. I must play a long game—but I could not help sharing my feelings with you. You are the only other person I care for in the world. Had I had you for a brother I should have counted myself fortunate.’

‘Speaking of brothers, have you heard from that lad—your stepbrother?’

‘Mark? No, I have not and I do not expect to. He must be at Harrow or Eton by now—and I heard that his mother had remarried to a rich man. I believe she thought my father wealthy and must have been disappointed when she discovered that he was far from it, and a gambler to boot. He would have spent all she had, I dare say, leaving her only with her widow’s settlement.’

‘You are not thinking of settling money on her, I hope?’

‘Certainly not,’ Paul said and his expression hardened. ‘She and her brat may go to the devil for all I care. She was already carrying her son when they married. I believe the affair had gone on for a while before my mother died of a broken heart.’

‘Well, I am glad of your decision,’ Adam said frankly. ‘You have one weakness—a soft heart for those in trouble. Do not let your family take advantage of you—and make certain this widow is what you think her before you offer marriage.’

‘I would go down on bended knee and beg her to marry me today if I thought she would say yes,’ Paul told him and smiled wryly. ‘Do not worry, my friend. I shall exercise all the caution you advise in other matters—but where Jane is concerned...’

Adam shook his head and gave up, grinning from ear to ear. ‘I never thought to hear those words from your lips, but if you feel that way, Paul, I can only wish you joy.’

‘Save your good wishes until she takes me,’ Paul said. ‘You will come to the theatre?’

‘Wild horses would not keep me away now,’ Adam replied with a twist of his mouth. ‘I am curious about Miss Bellingham—and even more interested in meeting Lady March...’

* * *

‘I wish you had not agreed to go to the theatre with that fellow,’ Will said to his sister that afternoon at tea. ‘I would not have minded if I could accompany you—but we hardly know him, and I do not trust him near Melia...’

‘I believe him to be a gentleman.’ Jane smiled and placed a gentle hand on his arm. ‘Do not concern yourself, dearest. Lord Frant has no interest in Melia other than as his ward. I think he found the whole business troublesome and was glad to leave her in my care once he understood that we were respectable. He is to settle five thousand on her, which is a decent sum. Not that you care one iota for a dowry, but others might.’

‘It does not matter what others think,’ Will said loftily. ‘Melia is already sure of her future...should she wish it.’

Jane looked at him intently. ‘Melia is very young, my love. I think her sweet and gentle and I am sure she would make you happy—but you must not be too certain of her yet. Bringing her to London may not prove to have the result you hoped for.’

‘You think she might fall in love with someone else?’

Will looked so hurt that Jane felt terrible. Yet she had to make him aware of what she sensed. They had only been in company twice so far, but on both occasions Melia had been introduced to attractive, wealthy men, and she’d shown her pleasure in the attention paid her.

‘I do not know, my love. I only felt that you should be a little wary. Melia has not given you her promise—has she?’

‘No, but she knows how I feel. I spoke frankly the last time I visited near her home. She said that she needed to know me better and that’s when the visit to London was first discussed...’

‘Yes, I see.’ Jane was thoughtful. If Melia had been a schemer she might have suspected her brother had been used, but she did not think it. Perhaps not always truthful, and sometimes careless of others’ feelings, Melia might hurt Will but not intentionally. She liked him, considered him her friend and thought that she might like to marry him, but that did not mean she’d given her heart and, until she did, she might well bestow it on another. Jane hoped she would not, but Melia had to have her season; she had to have her chance, because otherwise she might do something regrettable after marriage. She was a girl who liked excitement and adventure, and Will preferred a quiet life in the country. Melia would have to be very certain that she loved him to settle for that life.

‘Well, time will tell,’ she said now and smiled lovingly at her brother. ‘Things happen and people change...but I should not worry about us attending the theatre with Lord Frant. I do not believe you have anything to fear from him.’

In that much Jane was right, but if she wanted to safeguard her brother’s interests she should have refused the invitation until Will could go with them, but perhaps even that would not have made much difference.

* * *

Melia was not sure how she felt about going to the theatre with Lord Frant. He had been kind to her, and she was grateful for the five thousand pounds he was settling on her through the family lawyer. Yet she thought him stern and was a little in awe of him, though her dear Jane seemed to like him and that must mean he was all right. However, the moment he introduced his friend, Captain, Viscount Hargreaves, Melia began to enjoy the evening.

His smile made her heart race and she thought him the most handsome man she had ever seen. Indeed, he resembled the pictures of Greek gods she’d once seen in an art book in her father’s library, but was so much more impressive in the flesh. Not that she could see any flesh other than his hands and face—but after seeing that picture she could imagine what he might look like stripped to the waist.

How immodest she was! Her imagination did not go further than his waist, though his long legs looked powerful and strong in pale pantaloons and she thought would show to even more advantage in riding breeches.

She lamented that she had no horse in London, not realising that she had done so aloud until he at once insisted that he would hire her a good ladies’ horse and take her riding in the park.

‘Would you really?’ Melia asked and fluttered her lashes at him. ‘I have a darling mare at home. She has the softest mouth and has spirit, but is a gentle soul as a rule and would never dream of tipping me off.’

‘I shall bring you a creature to rival your darling,’ Adam ventured, vowing privately that he would buy such a horse if none suitable were to be hired. ‘I promise you will not be disappointed. I am said to be a judge. Even Frant takes my advice on horses, though he is a marvellous judge and rider himself. We have been talking of setting up our racing stables together.’

‘So Lord Frant intends to remain in England?’