The Chaperon Bride

‘Why, merely that Starbeck belonged to Mr Lafoy rather than yourself.’ His voice dropped. ‘It is pleasant to think that I am not entirely surrounded by hostile forces.’

Annis laughed, despite herself. ‘I am sure that it cannot be as bad as that, my lord.’

‘I assure you that it is.’ Adam’s gaze was resting thoughtfully on Samuel Ingram as he chatted to an acquaintance in the theatre pit. He turned back to Annis. ‘You cannot have failed to hear of my…dispute with Mr Ingram, Lady Wycherley, so I do not scruple to mention it. May I hope that you are more sympathetically inclined than your cousin?’

Their eyes met and held. ‘You will find that I am most independently inclined, my lord,’ Annis said coolly. She had no time for Samuel Ingram, but she did not want Adam Ashwick casting her as an ally against Charles.

Adam nodded. ‘I imagine that is the best I can hope for?’

‘I believe so.’

‘Then we understand one another.’ Adam smiled at her. ‘You seem a most unusual chaperon, if I may say so, Lady Wycherley.’

Annis gave him a cool look. ‘From what perspective, my lord?’

‘Well, most chaperons do not own their own estates. One has the impression that they have to work for a living, whereas you, Lady Wycherley…’ Adam gave her a thoughtful look ‘…you give the impression of choosing your profession. As I said, it is unusual.’

Annis laughed. ‘Oh, I have to earn my living, my lord! It is true that I enjoy my work most of the time, and that I prefer to be busy rather than to wither away as some kind of genteel poor relation, but—’ she shrugged ‘—it is not truly a matter of choice.’

‘I see.’ Adam did not seem put out to discover her lack of funds but then, Annis thought, if he had ever seen Starbeck he would know that she was scarcely flush with money. ‘One gets the strong impression that you value your independence, ma’am.’

Annis was a little startled. She had not been aware that she had given away so much about herself. Normally she was remarkably guarded in speaking of herself, particularly to strangers. Particularly to gentlemen of Adam Ashwick’s reputation and experience, who saw far more than they were told.

‘I value my independence almost above all things, my lord,’ she said slowly. ‘And being a chaperon is vastly superior to being a governess or schoolteacher, you know. I may choose when I work and whom I chaperon. I travel and meet people—’ Annis broke off, thinking again that she was offering far too much personal information and wondering why she was telling him such a great deal. It did not help that Adam was giving her his undivided attention, watching her animated face with a faint smile on his lips. She fell silent in something of a confusion.

‘As I said, you are a most unusual chaperon,’ he murmured.

Annis rallied. ‘Do you know many chaperons in order to make such a comparison, my lord?’

‘No, I concede that I do not know many at all.’ Adam was watching her with a lazy amusement that made Annis’s skin prickle. ‘As you correctly surmised, ma’am, I move in vastly different circles.’

‘I imagine that most chaperons can only be grateful for that, my lord,’ Annis said tartly. ‘One must be constantly vigilant for the safety of one’s charges and a gentleman who is not interested in matrimony might be pursuing them for a wholly different purpose!’

Adam laughed. ‘My dear Lady Wycherley, I am not interested in marrying your charges, but I equally uninterested in endangering the virtue of innocents! Only the most hardened of rakes would be so inclined!’

Annis nodded. ‘I see. You make a distinction between yourself and such gentlemen, Lord Ashwick?’

Adam raised his brows. ‘Certainly I do. I am no rake, although I see by your expression that you remain unconvinced, ma’am!’

Annis’s lips twitched. ‘I imagine that it matters little to you what I think, my lord. We shall not be having much conversation in the future.’

‘How so?’

Annis gave him an old-fashioned look. ‘Must I spell matters out, my lord? I am a very proper chaperon with two young ladies to look after. You are…’ She paused.

‘Yes? I am…what?’

‘A gentleman that I would warn my charges to avoid. I am therefore unlikely to set the bad example of courting your company myself.’

Adam burst out laughing. ‘My dear Lady Wycherley! You are harsh towards me. And most direct.’

‘I beg your pardon.’ Annis steadfastly held his gaze. ‘I always feel that honesty helps one to avoid misunderstandings later.’

‘I will grant you that, although I deplore your poor opinion of me, ma’am.’ Adam was still smiling. ‘Perhaps if we had met when we were younger you would not be so wary of me. Indeed, I am surprised that we did not meet, given that we shared a childhood in this very place. I remember your cousins well from my youth.’

Annis smiled. ‘Everyone remembers Sibella, my lord.’

‘Of course! The incomparable Sibella Lafoy! My brother Ned was heartbroken that she preferred David Granger to him. But where were you, Lady Wycherley?’

Annis looked away. ‘I was not brought up near here, my lord. My father was in the Navy and my family travelled a great deal. I visited Starbeck but rarely.’

‘I see. And when you were married? Did you live in London then, ma’am?’

‘No.’ For the life of her, Annis could not prevent a slight shiver. ‘We resided in Lyme Regis.’

She turned away and made a business of looking for Lucy and Fanny in the crowds milling below. Both of them were firmly under Sibella’s supervision, though Fanny was still casting enticing glances over her shoulder at Lieutenant Greaves. Despite the fact that her attention was diverted, Annis could tell that Adam Ashwick was still watching her.

His gaze was steady and perceptive. After a moment he said gently, ‘I am sorry. Have I said something wrong?’

Annis looked back at him, then quickly away. There was no coolness in those grey eyes now, only a searching look that was as disturbing as it was observant. She fidgeted with her fan.

‘No, not at all. Of course not! It is just…I am sorry…’ She floundered, hearing the arch brightness in her own tone. That would convince him of nothing other than the fact that she was disturbed by something. She sounded as socially inept as a schoolgirl. Taking a deep breath she looked him in the eye. ‘I beg your pardon. It is simply that I do not talk about my marriage.’

‘Why not? Were you very unhappy?’ Adam’s tone was soft.

Annis blinked. She was not accustomed to such plain speaking, especially with a man who was virtually a stranger. Yet something in his own directness called an answering candour from her.

‘Yes, I was. Which is why I do not like to speak about it, sir.’

She thought that he would let the matter drop, but Adam touched the back of her hand lightly. ‘I am sorry to hear it, ma’am. Forgive my impertinent questions. When I want to know something I tend to be blunt.’

Annis forced a smile. ‘Please do not apologise, my lord.’ She frowned a little. ‘I am simply uncertain of how we come to be speaking on matters of such intimacy when we are barely acquainted.’

Adam smiled at her. Annis watched the lines deepen about his eyes again and felt a strange pang deep inside her.

‘Natural affinity, I suppose,’ he said softly. He touched her hand again, the lightest of touches. ‘’I shall always be happy to speak with you on any matter you choose, Lady Wycherley.’

‘Annis!’

Annis tore her gaze away from Adam and swung round abruptly. Charles Lafoy had returned to the box and he looked to be in a very bad temper. Annis suspected that this was due in part to the Misses Crossley, who were chattering like a pair of magpies as Sibella ushered them back to their seats, but it was also indubitably the result of finding her deep in conversation with Adam Ashwick. To her own annoyance, she felt herself blush.

Adam got to his feet in unhurried fashion. There was a mocking glint in his eye. ‘Evening, Lafoy. Granger, Mrs Granger, it is a pleasure to see you again…’ He bowed to Sibella before turning back to Annis. There was a decided twinkle in that cool grey gaze now. ‘I have enjoyed consorting with the enemy, ma’am. We must do it again some time…’

‘Good night, my lord,’ Annis said repressively.

Adam smiled at her and withdrew.

Sibella sighed, a little wistfully. ‘Oh, he is as charming as they said he was…’