Page 34 of A Scandalous Proposition
‘Only that Kennedy has my sympathies. Whenever you tried to inflict such vile cures upon Celia and me when we were small, we discovered that our ailments miraculously disappeared.’
‘That is probably because they didn’t exist in the first place and you invented them in the expectation of avoiding your lessons.’
‘Very likely.’ Adam laughed. ‘In hindsight, we didn’t stand a chance of fooling you.’
‘With five children to my credit before you came along, Adam dear, do you imagine I hadn’t learned a thing or two about infantile stratagems?’ The dowager smiled at her son as he disappeared into an anteroom. ‘Now then, where is James?’
Philippa materialised, looking lovely in cream shot silk, but not especially enamoured to see the dowager. ‘Mama, you are precipitate. I hadn’t expected you to come?’ Adam reappeared and her tart tone gave way to one of welcome as her eyes greedily traversed the length of his body. ‘My, how handsome you look, Adam. I am so glad you are come early. We can enjoy a quiet family interlude before the guests arrive. Oh, Mrs Grantley, you are come too.’ Her eyes flashed now with a very different emotion. ‘I hadn’t thought you would?’
‘I invited Mrs Grantley to join us.’ Adam spoke with deceptive casualness. ‘I presumed that was what you would wish since she does reside here.’ He lifted a brow, his expression full of innocent guile. ‘Did I somehow get it wrong? Would you have me walk her back to the dower house and wait with her there until a more social hour?’
Florentina was obliged to smother a smile as Adam flung down this challenge with the ease of a man accustomed to being obeyed. She got the impression there was a dispute of some sorts raging between Adam and the duchess. There was certainly brittle tension rippling between them.
‘Of course not,’ Philippa said tersely. ‘You are welcome, Mrs Grantley.’
‘Is James down yet?’ Adam asked.
‘Yes.’ Philippa’s eyes shot daggers at Florentina who, encouraged by Adam’s support, did her best to bear the scrutiny with every appearance of calm indifference. ‘He’s in the drawing room.’
‘Ah, the conquering hero!’ The duke greeted his brother in al hectoring tone. ‘Evening, Mother. And Mrs Grantley.’ His expression was far more welcoming than his wife’s as his eyes lingered on Florentina. ‘You look exceptionally well tonight, m’dear.’
Florentina curtsied. ‘Thank you, your grace. I am pleased to see you looking a little better.’
‘Oh, I dare say it will all be too much for me but…’ He shrugged. ‘Philippa insisted that we had to welcome the hero home, so what could I do but agree.’
‘You mustn’t tire yourself, James,’ the dowager said.
‘I shan’t let him do that.’ Philippa emphasised her authority in a manner Florentina thought insensitive and unnecessary. ‘Now then, Adam, why do we not ask Kennedy to open some champagne? If this isn’t an occasion for celebration, then I don’t know what is.’
Philippa took Adam’s elbow and steered him slightly apart from her husband. Florentina watched her drinking in his features with an expression of open avarice and felt a modicum of sympathy for his plight. She had first-hand knowledge of how spiteful the duchess could be if she didn’t get what she wanted. And, unless Florentina was greatly mistaken, what she wanted with single-minded determination was Adam.
*
Adam tore his eyes from the line of emerald love knots guarding Florentina’s décolletage and followed Philippa across the drawing room. Florentina’s elegant ensemble was unfussy to the point of being plain but he’d never seen her look lovelier. Not even in the scarlet gown she had worn for him the previous night, her lack of a corset on that occasion implying something he was irrationally delighted to discover she was not. This was the real Florentina Grantley. Beautiful, shapely, spirited and completely natural. The only thing missing from her attire was emeralds at her throat and ears. And his would be the privilege of one day presenting her with those trinkets.
The nature of that resolve brought him up short. What in the world was he thinking? Admiration was one thing but the expenditure of a vast sum on jewellery for a lady he barely knew implied something else entirely.
‘Adam.’ Philippa’s voice recalled him to her conversation. ‘I was just now asking your opinion upon my idea for an al fresco luncheon later in the week.’
‘Regrettably I cannot enter into any such engagement. I have business matters awaiting my attention that I have already neglected for too long.’
‘Then surely they can wait a little longer.’ She pouted. ‘I have barely spent five minutes in your company since you arrived. I might almost think you are deliberately avoiding me.’ Her pout gave way to a capricious smile that lit her features and reminded him of the woman he thought he had once known. ‘I must have my share of your company whilst you are here.’
He bowed. ‘I shall endeavour to make myself available to you.’
Her smile wavered. ‘You make it sound like a chore.’
‘I believe I hear the first guests arriving.’
Philippa muttered something unladylike and moved away to do her duty.
Adam was in great demand that evening. His appearance was exclaimed over by the young ladies, who batted their eyes as they fingered his uniform and swamped him with a barrage of inane questions. He took their silliness in his stride but all the time he kept Florentina in the periphery of his vision. She was surrounded by the young bucks who were supposed to be entertaining the ladies currently plaguing him. And all the while Philippa hovered like a predatory spider, a circumspect smile on her lips as she kept him firmly in her sights.
He could handle Philippa. But could Florentina see through Bertram Dennett’s very obvious ploy to detach her from the rest of the company? He had to fight the urge to spirit her away from Philippa’s presumptuous brother. Dennett must know what role she played within the family and consider her to be fair game as a consequence.Wrong, Dennett.Lay so much as one finger on her in an inappropriate manner and you’ll have me to answer to.
Much to Adam’s frustration, he was unable to rescue Florentina. Several of the older gentlemen demanded full accounts of his exploits on the peninsular and his view on the battle of Corunna. He was in the midst of an abbreviated account of that conflict when he noticed a new arrival and his words stalled. Never would he have supposed that Philippa would have the effrontery to invite Lord King to the Court. By there he was, as large as life, looking thoroughly pleased with himself as he greeted his hostess. As though sensing his eyes upon him, King turned in Adam’s direction and made a mocking bow.
When dinner was announced he was pleased to see that Dennett was required by Philippa to escort another young lady in. But his relief was short-lived. His sister-in-law, with the deliberate spite he was starting to recognise in her whenever she didn’t get her way, had allocated Florentina to Lord King. He felt fit to burst with anger but could do nothing about the situation other than keep a weather eye on the dissolute rake, who appeared to be going out of his way to charm Florentina. Adam was called upon to escort Lady Hutchins and wasn’t surprised to find himself at the opposite end of the table to Florentina, seated directly to Philippa’s left. Florentina was stuck like a delicate and delectable flower between King and Dennett.
