“Is this male cousin older than you, Miss McCrae?”
“Oh yes, he’s much older.”
The waltz ended. Jason smiled down at this beautiful young girl. He would like to take her for a nice meandering walk through the Ranleagh gardens, but it wasn’t to be. He offered her his arm and escorted her back to her aunt. “My lady,” he said, and gave her a slight bow. “I trust that Lord Arbuckle will feel better soon.”
Lady Arbuckle said, “That is very kind of you, Mr. Sherbrooke,” and Judith dropped her fan.
“Oh dear, I am so clumsy. No, no, Mr. Sherbrooke, I’ve got it,” but of course, he swooped down on the fan and handed it to her, smiling as he did so. “It isn’t broken. A pleasure, Miss McCrae, Lady Arbuckle.” He bowed again and took his leave. He spied Tom walking toward the doorway, looking neither to his right nor to his left. He looked like a hound who’d just scented a stag, nostrils flared. It was lobster patties. Tom could sniff out a lobster patty from a good thirty feet. Jason joined him, and after Tom downed a good half dozen and drank two glasses of the suicide champagne punch, they left the Ranleagh ball to go to White’s, Jason managing to avoid the troop of young ladies and some not-so-young ladies forging his way. He caught his brother’s eye, and nodded.
That nod meant that they had more plans to make, but not right at this moment. James turned his attention back to the beautiful Miss Lorimer, probably the diamond of the Little Season, who waltzed very well indeed and hummed while she danced. James was charmed.
When James next chanced to look up, it was to see Corrie dancing with Devlin Monroe.
“Whatever is the matter, my lord?”
“What? Oh, nothing at all, Miss Lorimer, just looking out for my childhood friend who continues to disobey me.”
“Hmmm,” said Miss Lorimer. “It sounds more like you’re her father, my lord.”
“God forbid,” James said as the waltz ended. He watched Corrie take Devlin’s arm, and walk to the huge banquet table, right to the nearly empty bowl of champagne punch strong enough to wilt a girl’s scruples after one glass. He cursed under his breath.
When he left Juliette Lorimer with her mama and a warm smile, Juliette said, “I think I will have him, Mama. Even if he were boring or dissolute-which he doesn’t appear to be-one could still look at him, and that would bring enough pleasure, don’t you think?”
Lady Lorimer looked at the magnificent creature to whom she’d given birth, and said in her matter-of-fact voice, “Given that you are the most beautiful girl in this ballroom, and James Sherbrooke the most beautiful man, I think such a marriage would produce children so beyond mortal people they would likely be shot so civilization could march onward.”
Miss Lorimer gave a charming laugh. “There’s only one of me, but Lord Hammersmith has a twin brother who is as beautiful as he is. I saw him dancing with a dark-haired girl who didn’t look very interesting at all.”
“I saw her as well. Very ordinary. But it doesn’t matter. You must remember that his brother isn’t the next earl of Northcliffe, now is he?”
Miss Lorimer gave another charming laugh and watched James make his way through the throng of guests, all, it seemed, wanting to speak to him, most of them of the fairer sex. It was a very good thing that she was the most beautiful girl in these as well as other parts. Otherwise she just might find herself feeling a bit concerned.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The state of matrimony is a dangerous disease; far better to take drink in my opinion.
MADAME DE SEVIGNE
ALEXANDRA SHERBROOKE SHOUTED at her husband even as he eased himself through the front door, “Sometimes I want to shoot you myself, Douglas! Have you lost your wits? Look at you, walking down the street, swinging your cane, yes, I saw you out the window, even whistling, I’ll wager, and not one single friend beside you. I will shoot you myself!”
And she ran across the entrance hall and threw herself into his arms, which opened just in time. He squeezed her, kissed the top of her head, and said very quietly, “I suppose it wasn’t too wise of me, sweetheart, but I’m tired of shadows and threats and worries that someone might jump out at me.”
She looked up at him, holding him even more tightly. “You wanted the assassin to come and get you?”
“Yes, I guess that’s about it.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver derringer. “It fires two shots. My cane is also a sword. I was prepared, Alex.” He hugged her again then set her away from him. He lightly stroked his fingertip over her eyebrows. She closed her eyes and moved closer. It was a habit of long standing. “Damnation, I want this over.”
“I want your friends around you, do you hear me, Douglas?”
“What? All of us are nearly ready to dodder forward into old age and you still want them around me?”
“I don’t care if they’re drooling, their presence would protect you.”
They walked into the library and Douglas quietly closed the door. “I fear that Willicombe will come running in at any minute, and I want some peace.”
“He is taking your safety more seriously than you are, Douglas. Do you know that he asked me if he could hire his nephew, said he could pound in a nail with his bare fist. Of course I said yes. We now have another footman and guard. This Remie stands watch between midnight and three A.M., then Robert until six A.M.”
Douglas fetched a bottle of brandy and poured each of them a glass. “I have thought and thought about this. I swear to you, Alex, I can think of no one who hates me enough to go to all this trouble-it’s all so dramatic, this revenge scheme, if revenge is indeed what this is all about. Georges Cadoudal-I’ve certainly seen him several times over the years once we left him in Etaples in 1803. Since he couldn’t seem to assassinate Napoleon, he set his sights on several of Napoleon’s top generals and functionaries. He killed at least six of them during the last years before Waterloo. But that was over fifteen years ago, Alex. Fifteen years. He died just after Waterloo, sometime in early 1816.”
“When will we find out if he had children?”
“Soon, I hope.”
“I’ve been thinking, Douglas. Remember that special mission you went on in early 1814? All you told me was that it wasn’t dangerous, that you were bringing someone to the safety of England.”
He suddenly looked much younger and very pleased with himself. “Yes, I did manage to keep that from you, didn’t I?”
“Who was it, Douglas?”
“It was a gentleman who had enough money and offered enough information to the War Ministry to earn him safe haven in England. I swore never to divulge his name.”
“So he would have no reason to hate you. You saved him.”
“That’s it.”
“Did Georges have anything to do with this man you brought out from France?”
“My lord, Remie is now on duty.”
Douglas nearly dropped his brandy. He whirled around, his hand already in the pocket of his jacket ready to pull out the derringer, only to see Willicombe standing at sharp attention inside the door.
“How the devil did you get in here without our hearing you, Willicombe? Good God, man, I could have shot you.”
“You would have to hear me first, my lord, and that, I daresay, is well nigh impossible because I am almost a shadow, exactly in the manner as Hollis. I daresay as well that if you had felt my presence, you would have been flooded with warmth and well-being. Never would you have shot me, my lord.”
Alexandra smiled. “You’re right, Willicombe. Hollis couldn’t have moved more quietly than you. Where is Remie stationed for the night?”
“He roams, my lady, roams from the attic to the basement and out to the stable. He lurks in the shadows along the walkways and even slips into the park. He sees all, hears all. He is worth every groat you pay him, my
