Rescued by the Viscount

Shaking his head, he finished his brandy and thought about pouring another, but decided against it.

He was no nearer to solving the puzzle of Miss Charlotte Stevens, but he had no intention of letting the matter drop. Jack would make it his business to discover more about the family and their circumstances. They were newcomers to the social scene in London. Though they had presumably come to give their daughter a Season, their background might bear more investigation. The best way to discover what he needed to know was to cultivate Matt Stevens’s acquaintance; a few card evenings and a drinking session at the club should prove enlightening, for he believed that the young man would be easy enough to pump for information.

Jack did not consider what his interest in the girl might be when he discovered what he needed to know; it was merely a mystery to be unravelled, which amused him, and a mild flirtation with a pretty girl was never a waste of time, though where it might lead was another matter.

* * *

Next day, Jack saw the two girls walking arm-in-arm through the park and smiled inwardly, as he noted that Julia’s maid was walking some distance behind, as no doubt she’d been warned to do by her mistress. He’d wondered why she’d insisted that she would not drive with him, but would meet him if he chose to walk through Hyde Park that afternoon. Now what mischief was she up to?

He doffed his beaver hat to the ladies, one eyebrow quirked as he saw Julia’s wicked smile. ‘How pleasant to meet you, cousin...Miss Stevens.’

‘Yes, what a surprise,’ Julia said, a challenging smile in her eyes. ‘We are getting to know one another, Jack dearest. You must know that Charlotte is to be my best friend. I love her already and you must be nice to her or I shall never speak to you again.’

‘I am almost tempted to do her some mischief,’ Jack murmured so softly that only the ladies closest to him might hear. ‘Yet I fear she does not deserve it and, worse, you would not keep your word.’

‘You wretch!’ Julia cried and gave him a little punch on his arm. ‘Did you hear him, Charlie? I declare he is not worthy of our notice. We shall walk on alone.’

‘I believe your cousin merely means to tease you,’ Charlotte said and laughed.

‘He is clearly in an odd humour,’ Julia accused. ‘We shall ignore him. Oh, look, here comes your brother. It seems everyone is walking in the park today.’

‘More of my cousin’s plotting, I dare say,’ Jack murmured as he matched his pace to Charlotte’s and his cousin walked a few steps ahead to take Matt’s arm. ‘Somehow I do not think these chance meetings—do you?’

‘It would seem unlikely,’ Charlotte admitted. Her head lifted as she met his eyes. ‘Is your cousin a flirt, my lord?’

‘Oh, most definitely. You should warn your brother not to lose his heart to her. I shall certainly put him on his guard.’

‘I believe Matt can take care of himself,’ Charlotte replied. ‘Julia is a delightful companion, but I imagine her parents intend her to marry well?’

‘Naturally, she is the heir to a sizeable, though not huge, fortune, left to her by her godmother.’

‘As I thought,’ Charlotte said, meeting his enquiring gaze honestly. ‘Matt has a small estate and some capital, though by no means a fortune.’

‘He is surely your father’s heir?’

‘Yes, of course, but Papa...Papa has some unfortunate debts,’ Charlotte said honestly. ‘Whether he will have an estate to leave to my brother is not certain. I have a little money of my own, but we are neither of us a good prospect—unless money is no object. In matters of the heart it does not always matter what one has, does it?’

‘You are very straight, Miss Stevens. Is that wise, do you think?’

‘I see no reason to lie, sir. My mother hopes that I shall make a good match and perhaps be able to help Papa a little, but I would not deceive anyone in the matter of our circumstances.’

‘Some would say you would do better to keep the information to yourself, at least until a proposal is made.’

‘Yes, indeed. I do not shout it from the rooftops, but I have confided in Julia and she is bound to mention it to you, I think.’

‘Julia has few secrets from me. We’ve always been almost as brother and sister.’

‘Yes, she told me as much, which is why I thought it safe to confide in you. Obviously, we do not wish it generally known, for it might spoil my chances, but I do not accuse you of being a gossip, sir.’

Jack looked at her intently, trying to discover why she had been so open with him and his cousin. Was she telling him that she did not consider him a likely suitor, therefore felt it did not matter what he thought of her? Or was she putting him on his mettle, challenging him?

She intrigued him more each time they met and he felt his hunting instincts rise, as if scenting exciting prey. It might be that Miss Charlotte would be interested in becoming the mistress of a man who was prepared to free her father of debt and advance her brother’s prospects...or was he misjudging her? After all, he could not know what had led her to the mad escapade that had so nearly been her undoing.

Hearing a little sound of alarm from Charlotte, he glanced at her face and saw the colour had left her cheeks. She was staring at a couple of men walking towards them and he noticed that her hand trembled on his arm.

One of the gentlemen was Lord Harding and he halted as he saw Matt, lifting his hat. The other man was one of the two rogues who had been pursuing the young woman at his side the other evening, though Jack did not know his name.

‘Stevens, well met,’ Lord Harding said. ‘Patterson and I were arranging a little trip to a new gambling hell of which I am a member—for this evening. I think you would enjoy it, we dine at my house at seven.’

‘No! I can’t,’ Matt blurted out, his eyes staring like a hunted rabbit and a hot tide of colour sweeping his neck. ‘I am engaged to...’

‘Matt is engaged to me this evening for cards and dinner,’ Jack supplied easily. ‘Forgive us, Harding, but we have somewhere to be. Mr Patterson...’

He tipped his hat slightly, but did not remove it. ‘Excuse us, please, I do not care to keep the ladies standing. The air here, you understand, is not fitting.’

His tone was cutting and he saw the anger rush into Harding’s face, turning it puce. The man had a choleric temper and would end by having a fit if he were not careful. Jack’s insult had been deliberate and yet veiled so that although Harding knew perfectly well what was intended, he could not make anything of it, but would no doubt find a way to retaliate another time.

Once they were safely past, Jack looked at his companion. She was still a little pale, but had recovered her composure.

‘You do not like that gentleman?’

‘He...he led Matt into bad ways and my brother lost money he could not afford. What capital he has is in trust, you see, and he has only an allowance from Papa.’

‘Yes, I understand. Do not fear, I shall not allow your brother to gamble for large stakes at my house. We play for amusement only.’ Jack spoke the lie easily. As a rule there was no limit set, but he would make certain that the young man stayed within his means; there were innocuous games of chance that could be played for a few guineas. Some of Jack’s friends might think he’d run mad, but since they were content to drink his fine wine, eat the excellent food his chef prepared and simply talk, they would be happy enough to indulge themselves while he played for shilling points with his protégé.

‘Oh, I dare say he can afford to lose a few guineas, but not thousands,’ Charlotte said ruefully. ‘That was how he came to lose—’ She broke off suddenly, a flush in her cheeks. ‘I am looking forward to the drive to Richmond and the balloon ascension, sir. It was so kind of your cousin to extend the invitation to me.’