Kissing Cousins (3 page)

“
Why the devil didn
’
t you come to me sooner!
”
he said in a voice several tones higher than usually heard under Salverton
’
s noble roof. He didn
’
t notice the strength of his voice, but the word
“
devil
”
struck his ear amiss. It was not one he approved of in others, and certainly not in himself, especially in front of a lady. Even a lady wearing coquelicot ribbons.

“
We came to London to have a good time. Some fun, you know. There seemed no point in contacting you.
”

The worst of this facer was that she didn
’
t even mean it as an insult. Salverton swallowed his ire and said in his most laconic accents,
“
Our views on what constitutes a good time do appear to be at odds. I could not have introduced you to lightskirts, to be sure. But there is no point crying over spilled milk. What have you done about Darren
’
s situation? Of course you
’
ve hired a lawyer.
”

“
I never thought of that,
”
she said, blinking her big blue eyes in surprise.
“
We never had anything to do with the law before, you see, except to bail out our coachman when he was drunk as a Dane and drove into the Shaws
’
back porch, which is why we came to you. Whom would you recommend, Cousin?
”
she asked in a frightened voice that he felt suitable to the occasion.

“
I
’
ll send a note off
to my man, Withers.
”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he began to have second thoughts. To be taking the case to court was as good as announcing it in the journals. There might still be some way to wrap up the dirty linen. Sir Geoffrey might be induced to drop the case if the thousand pounds were returned, and perhaps some small political perquisite thrown in to ensure his silence.

“
Would you mind speaking to him for me?
”
she asked.
“
I feel my best chance of finding Darren is Brighton. I am eager to be off.
”

“
Why Brighton?
”
he asked in trepidation. The half of polite London would be flocking to Brighton as soon as the Season closed.

“
Because Wanda had a bathing costume made up."

Salverton waited for the significance of this.
“
Yes?
”

“
She would have no need of that in London, so I am sure she went to Brighton, and I have a fair idea where she is staying. Sir Geoffrey used to take her to a cottage he owns there, just outside of town. To visit his mama, she
said.
She had a key to the cottage.
”

“
Trespassing on top of all the rest!
”

“
Or they might be at a hotel. Miss Donaldson thinks so, but I am not so sure Wanda would waste the blunt. She is pretty tight-fisted when it is her own money. Or, in this case, Sir Geoffrey
’
s. I paid for everything when I was out with her a few times without Darren. It was only two ices and the fare for a hackney cab, but she never opened her purse. You would think it was welded shut,
”
she said with an air of grievance.

Salverton listened with a frown pleating his brow.
“
By all means, go to Brighton. Find Darren and drag him back to town. Meanwhile, I shall have a word with Withers.
”

“
The problem is,
”
she said,
“
we gave Darren all our money. If you could lend me a few guineas to take the coach, naturally I shall repay you.
”

“
The coach! You can
’
t travel on the coach. Take your carriage.
”

“
Darren took it as well,
”
she said, and shrugged her shoulders.

“
Good God! Is there no end to his folly, leaving you and Miss Donaldson stranded, penniless, away from home. I
’
ll lend you some money. Be sure you take a couple of footmen with you.
”

Samantha uttered a weary sigh.
“
We dispatched them this morning. We were to go home today, you see.
”

“
I
’
ll send a few of my men with you and Miss Donaldson.
”

“
Auntie won
’
t be coming. Someone must stay here in case Darren shows up.
”

Salverton sat, shaking his head in disbelief. It was becoming increasingly clear that the whole bunch of them were not only green as grass, but mad as well. The chit couldn
’
t go alone, and he had no wish to drag any of his other female relatives into the business. He trembled to think what new folly his cousin would stumble into if he let the girl go scrambling off to Brighton alone in a public conveyance in that garish bonnet. There was nothing else to do. He would have to go with her and make sure the matter was contained within the family.

It would mean missing Louise
’
s dinner party, but he had cautioned her he would have to leave early, so he could say an emergency meeting had been called. Salverton considered himself an honest man, but even his strict code found room for a social lie. It would spare Louise worry. He would be home to take her to the opera tomorrow night, and for her ball the next evening. He couldn
’
t miss that ball. If all went well, the Duke of Derwent would announce the betrothal of his eldest daughter to the Marquess of Salverton.

"I
’
ll go with you,
”
Salverton said in a voice more resigned than eager.

Samantha leapt to her feet as if he had struck her.
“
Oh, no! I would not dream of putting you to so much bother, Cousin. Just lend me a few guineas.
”

“
No female cousin of mine is going alone on the coach to a strange city. You can
’
t stay alone overnight in a hotel.
”

“
But I can hardly stay with you in a hotel,
”
she pointed out reasonably.

“
You are my young cousin. I am your ad hoc guardian for this occasion,
”
he said, but a pink flush crept up from his collar. What would Louise say if she ever heard of this?

“
In any case, we shan
’
t be staying overnight. We
’
ll take my carriage, find Darren, haul him back, and arrange matters with Bayne. We
’
ll be back by morning. I have a few notes to write before leaving. I was just working on this budget report for the prime minister. It is due this week.
”

“
The prime minister! Really!
”
she exclaimed, showing the proper degree of awe.

“
Lord Liverpool counts on me to a considerable extent,
”
he said as modestly as the words allowed. When she just smiled, he added,
“
You might as well remove your pelisse. This will take a few moments.
”

While Samantha did not relish spending so many hours in Salverton
’
s company, she knew his carriage would be preferable to the coach. And it would be well to have a gentleman with her, too, for finding Darren and Wanda might require a deal of legwork. She took off her cape and spread it over the back of her chair.

“
It is very kind of you, Cousin,
”
she said.
“
I meant only to ask your advice, and perhaps borrow a little money. Miss Donaldson said you would know what to do, and I see she was right.
”

Salverton smiled at this sensible speech. It was at this point that he noticed his cousin was remarkably well preserved for a lady in her twenties. In fact, she was prettier than she had been five years before, at Celine
’
s wedding. A late bloomer. Her figure, especially, had blossomed remarkably. He couldn
’
t remember her having such full, lush breasts before. The face was also pretty, but he would ask her to change her bonnet before leaving.

He rang for his butler and called for his traveling carriage. This done, he drew out a sheet of crested vellum and began to write. Samantha sat and watched him as his pen made bold strokes across the page.

“
Who is Louise?
”
she asked.

His head rose and his steely eyes stared at her.
“
Is it the custom in Milford for a lady to read a gentleman
’
s private correspondence?
”
he asked sarcastically.

“
I was not reading the letter, Cousin! Only the name. Good gracious, don
’
t tell me she is a lightskirt!
”
she exclaimed.

His gray eyes turned a shade darker.
“
Certainly not! She is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Derwent, if you must know.
”

“
Is she your sweetheart?
”
the incorrigible lady asked.

“
I hope to marry her.
”

“
Is she pretty?
”

“
She is considered tolerably handsome.
”

“
Oh, a marriage of convenience,
”
Samantha said.
“
Of course. I should have guessed.
”

Salverton
’
s jaw quivered in indignation.

She immediately lost interest in the letter and amused herself by opening her reticule and stacking up her shillings and pence on the edge of his desk to facilitate counting them.

As Salverton applied a wafer to seal his letter, the butler came to tell him his carriage was waiting.

Salverton and Samantha went out to a handsome black, crested carriage drawn by a team of four high-stepping bays.

“
We shall be there in no time,
”
Samantha said, admiring the team.

Salverton held the door while she scampered in.
“
First we shall stop and have a word with Miss Donaldson, while you change your bonnet,
”
he said.

“
Miss Donaldson knows I shall be going to Brighton,
”
Samantha replied, fingering the velvet squabs of the carriage and running her eye over the glitter of what was probably silver appointments.
“
I brought my bandbox with me.
”

“
You will want to change your bonnet, in any case.
”

“
The servants have gone on ahead to Drumquin with most of our trunks,
”
she said, although she had, in fact, kept another bonnet behind, as this one was considered too fine to subject to the long journey home.
“
You don
’
t seem to realize, Cousin, speed is of the essence if we hope to keep Darren out of Newgate.
”

Jail! He could almost hear the door clang, and the death knell of his own aspirations. Salverton was perfectly alive to the urgency of the matter and decided no one who mattered would see the garish bonnet.

“
Spring
‘
em, Foley,
”
he called to his coachman, and the carriage lurched into motion.

The first glimmering that this trip was not to go as smoothly as Salverton hoped occurred before they got out of London. In fact, it was at the corner of Piccadilly that Lord Carnford, a fellow Tory and colleague, recognized Salverton
’
s carriage and signaled his coachman to stop.

Salverton uttered a mild profanity, apologized, and said to Samantha,
“
Sit in the shadows and don
’
t speak.
”

Samantha crouched in the farthest corner as Carnford hopped out of his carriage and advanced to the window of Salverton
’
s rig. Before nightfall, even the darkest corner was not very dark, however, so she turned her head aside, hoping to conceal her face by her bonnet.

“
Glad I bumped into you, Salverton,
”
Carnford said.
“
I wonder if you would mind delivering my apologies to his grace. I was to dine at Derwent House this evening, but I have had a frantic note from my aunt Hettie. It seems her husband has suffered a stroke
—
died this afternoon. She needs me to handle the arrangements for her. Derwent will understand. I wrote my apologies, of course, but did not take time to give a reason.
”

“
I
’
m very sorry to hear of your trouble, Carnford, but it happens I had to cancel the dinner party myself.
”

“
Indeed?
”
Carnford waited, fully expecting to hear a tragedy outpacing his own, for he knew Salverton would not willingly offend the duke.

“
A family emergency,
”
Salverton said briefly.

Carnford
’
s sharp eyes strayed over his friend
’
s shoulder to the fetching blond lady trying to hide in the corner. His jaw fell an inch.
“
Ah, just so,
”
he said in a high, disbelieving voice. Salverton with a lightskirt! He wouldn
’
t have believed it if he hadn
’
t seen her with his own eyes. Lord Salty was back to his old tricks! A reckless grin formed on his lips and he said in a low, insinuating voice,
“
Mum's the word, old chap.
”

Salverton replied coolly,
“
This is my cousin, Miss Oakleigh, from Drumquin.
”
Samantha pulled herself farther into the corner, trying to disappear.
“
Don
’
t you want to meet Lord Carnford, Cousin,
”
Salverton said grimly.