Page 10 of Lord of Mischief
Chapter Five
With a glass of brandy in his hand, Freddie began to make a circuit of the party.He stopped and greeted several people who were friends of his parents.He promised to write to his mother and let her know he had made their acquaintance.
He was beginning to wonder if it was physically possible to die of boredom and whether he had been too hasty in leaving Osmont’s sordid soirée when he received a tap on the shoulder.
“Devil of a ride you showed the other night.There was never any doubt you were going to win.”
Freddie turned to a hand held out in greeting.
“Francis Saunders.A pleasure to meet you.As I was saying, Lord Godwin didn’t stand a chance once you were halfway down Tyburn Lane leading onto Park.The fool was thrashing the hide of his horse right to the very end.”
Freddie took Francis’s hand.He blinked when he beheld the shock of white hair on the other man’s head.It couldn’t have been any whiter if he had stolen one of the Queen’s swans and used it as a wig.
Francis laughed.“The hair?My father swears there is a strong Viking vein in the family’s blood and that’s where my coloring comes from.Something about Ragnar Lodbrok and the siege of Paris.”
“Or more likely that you took one look at your first horse and went white with fear, but don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.”
Freddie looked to one side of Francis and caught sight of the dark-haired beauty who had spoken.Her smile warmed his heart.
Beside her was another young woman with fair hair.As with Francis, her appearance made Freddie gasp.It was as if a porcelain doll had come to life and was standing before him.But, beyond her beauty, she also had the coldness of something made of delicate china.Her gaze held a disapproving look.
“My sisters, Evelyn and Caroline,” said Francis.
Freddie bowed.“Freddie Rosemount.A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
The dark-haired girl stepped forward and eagerly offered him her hand.She gave an air of self-confidence which delighted him.He guessed she only curtseyed when the situation demanded it of her.
“My friends call me Eve.Such a pleasure to meet you, Freddie.I must confess I was screaming at the top of my lungs by the time you reached the finish line at the end of the race.It was so exciting.You rode like a god,” she said.
Freddie’s mood and evening immediately lifted.He had met a few well-wishers on the night of the ride but hadn’t thought his fame had spread as far as the elegant ballrooms of cultured society.It was odd that a young lady such as Eve Saunders would be out late at night, watching illegal and dangerous night rides.She stirred his interest.
“I am surprised you were at the race.It was very late.I take it your parents were not aware,” he replied.
Caroline rolled her eyes, while Francis and Eve shared a conspiratorial grin.
“There are ways and means of getting about after dark in London without stuffy parents finding out.Your ride has been the talk of the young set for most of this week,” said Eve.
Something within him sprang to life at her words.She wasn’t as beautiful as her sister, but she had a charm about her that could have a man begging to be at her beck and call.Her brown- and green-flecked eyes held a thousand unspoken promises.
“You wicked thing,” he replied, with a grin.
She raised an eyebrow as he spoke, and he immediately recognized a kindred spirit.He had wondered if there were mischievous girls among the unwed misses, and the one standing before him immediately raised his hopes.
“So, are you all residents here in London?I’m still finding my feet and only know people I have met over the years through my parents.I don’t know many of the younger set, so I am at a disadvantage,” Freddie said.
“We live permanently in London.Papa and I are in the import trade, mostly from South America.I was at Eton for a year the same time as you, but I don’t’ recall us ever having met,” replied Francis.
Freddie heard Francis’s words of explanation, but his gaze and mind were firmly fixed on the hazel eyes of Eve Saunders.Her long black lashes tempted him with their every blink.
Eve smiled, and Freddie could have sworn she batted her eyelids ever-so-slightly.His manhood gave a twitch.He had been offered all manner of sexual delights this evening, yet none of them had stirred his soul like the girl who now stood before him.He let out a soft breath and tried to cool his blood.Interesting.
“And apart from mad horse racing, what else do you do, Frederick?”asked Caroline.
Freddie caught the death stare Eve shot her sister, and chuckled.The Saunders siblings were fast becoming the highlight of his evening’s entertainment.“I’m engaged in a short-term cadetship at the House of Commons at the moment.Learning about the inner workings of parliament and all that.I am expecting to take up a post with the British Library just after the New Year,” he replied.
Caroline looked down at her pale green evening fan and proceeded to make a subtle show of flicking it open and fanning herself.She made no attempt to hide her displeasure and obvious boredom with their encounter.
Freddie and Eve caught each other’s gaze.
