Chapter Three
As Julian gazed around the room, he hated to admit even to himself that he was looking for her.
Miss Bantham.
Why hadn’t she succumbed to his charms? Everyone liked him. He went to great lengths to make sure of it.
Whatever it was, she most certainly didn’t like him and an hour later, he found it bothered him to the point of distraction.
He hadn’t even been given a chance to captivate her with his wit. She’d merely been introduced to him and decided from that short exchange she disliked him. Perhaps she was too English to accept his plaid sash and brogue. Except she had called him an arrogant dandy, not an uncivilized barbarian.
Meanwhile everyone else he’d encountered had been pleased to speak with him. Perhaps there was something wrong with her. He had to know.
Seeing Lady Archer and Lady Foxley across the room, he made his way to them. If anyone would know anything about anybody, it would be the two biggest gossips of the ton.
“My ladies, it is so good to see you this evening. I dinna realize we shared an interest in antiquary.”
“Oh, yes, my lord,” Lady Archer gushed excitedly. “Lord Archer and I have been continued supporters and have many artifacts attributed to us in the museum.”
“I generally prefer living specimens of a zoological nature,” Mrs. Foxley commented.
“But certainly, you can enjoy an interesting rock now and then?” he said, making the women laugh. As women often did in his presence. Except Miss Bantham.
The more he considered the puzzle the woman was, he was more convinced there was something wrong about her rather than a defect in himself. That had to be it.
“I hope to join the expedition myself. I am most looking forward to meeting new people.”
“That does sound exciting, my lord.” Lady Archer gave an approving nod.
“I wonder, what do you know of Lady Darlington’s niece?” As casual segues went, that wasn’t his best example, but this was the only question he needed an answer to. And his question was all it took to launch the women into a thorough accounting.
“Oh, the poor girl. As if her height wasn’t enough, she is cursed with that red hair.”
He followed their gazes and there she was. Miss Bantham. He found her hair to be a lovely shade between blonde and red. It reminded him of sunshine.
He shook his head. What the devil did sunshine even look like? It was much too bright to stare into the sun, not that it had been out much recently.
“Apparently they don’t allow bonnets in China and Egypt for she bears the marks of the sun.” This was said with a tut of disapproval from Lady Foxley whose skin was pale and almost waxy.
It took him a second to realize they were speaking of freckles, not large scars as she’d made it seem with her dramatic gasp.
Lady Archer leaned closer to whisper to their small group. “I’ve heard she took a lover in Morocco.”
“Morocco?” Lady Foxley challenged. “No. I heard it was Singapore.”
A lover? Miss Bantham? Not that he was judging, he’d had many lovers over the years. But the word lover indicated affection, not something he imagined her capable of after his brief interaction with the woman.
When she’d confronted him, he’d envisioned wild passion; nails digging into his skin, the nip of her teeth on his neck.
“Do you know if she takes to fits of anger? Or is slightly mad?” he asked, wanting to get to the more relevant information.
“No. Why? What have you heard?” Lady Archer practically drooled with interest.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” It wouldn’t do to start up gossip. “I only like to be prepared.”
“She has always seemed pleasant when we’ve conversed. She tends to speak at length on things ladies shouldn’t discuss, but then she is the daughter of a vicar and is only in Society because she was fortunate enough to be raised by her uncle, the viscount.”
Julian didn’t know if Miss Bantham would call herself fortunate to have been orphaned at a young age, but he didn’t say so.
“I understood from Lady Darlington that Miss Bantham’s mother was her sister. Therefore, Miss Bantham would be the granddaughter of a duke on her mother’s side, is she not?”
Lady Archer’s eyes flared with intrigue.
“The late duchess was known to seek out other entertainments after the heir was born. The youngest daughter, Miss Bantham’s mother, was said to be a result of a liaison between the duchess and a painter.” She frowned and placed her fan on Julian’s arm before adding the required, “God rest her soul.”
“I see.” And he did see. There seemed to be quite a bit of scandal swirling around Miss Bantham. Perhaps this was the cause of her bitterness, which meant her unpleasant demeanor had nothing to do with him but with the peerage in general.
He caught sight of her across the room again. But watched in confusion as she smiled in what seemed to be pleasant conversation with an older couple. She seemed quite the opposite of bitter at the moment.
Still, whatever the reason for her earlier outburst, it couldn’t have been his fault. Everyone liked him.
Everyone.
*
“You can’t possiblybe serious,” Lainey said when the ball was over and she was alone with her aunt and uncle, currently known as the traitors who’d raised her.
She’d hardly been able to wait until the last guest had left so she could broach the subject of Lord Melville again. She’d planned to point out all the ways he wasn’t suited for such a voyage, but her pleas went unsaid when Uncle Henry cut her off with his counterattack.
They couldn’t really mean for her to accompany the man to Scotland. It was preposterous.
“Oh, but we do,” her uncle said with a steely look. “You will oversee the earl’s training in Scotland.”
She shook her head, unsure of how she ended up in this situation.
“Please.” She had resorted to begging, it seemed. Not a noble trait, but if it worked, she would continue until she was free from this madness.
“I see now, I was out of line,” she continued. “I will… apologize to Lord Melville for my behavior and everything will be put to rights.” Apologizing to that rotter would possibly make her ill, but she’d do it if it meant getting out of this impossible situation. The lesser of two evils was an apology.
“You will apologize to his lordship and accompany him on the expedition to Scotland,” her uncle said. “You are the one who challenged his fortitude and questioned his abilities to learn the skills needed. It will be you who teaches him and reports back whether or not he is permitted to join us on the larger voyage to Egypt.”
“If it’s my decision, I can say now, he can’t go. There. The matter is settled.”
“Do you think that is the fair thing, Lainey?” her aunt questioned, causing guilt to twist in Lainey’s stomach. “Is there a reason you dislike the man?”
She couldn’t bear to talk about the reason she despised the earl. How embarrassing that conversation would be. Even with the woman who was like a mother to her.
“Is it because he’s a Scot?” her uncle asked.
“No. Of course not.” She let out a breath. “But do I need a reason? It’s clear he’s a rake and a scoundrel. Everyone knows it.”
“Because the gossips say so?” her aunt asked skeptically. “You are too smart to believe what people say. You are a person of facts, and always insist on getting information first-hand. You must give the earl the chance to prove himself. If he fails as you expect, he will most likely bow out of the larger expedition. But if he prevails, then you’ll be reassured he is able to handle himself in Egypt.”
Their request was more than fair, but she still didn’t like it. She couldn’t spend a minute with the man let alone a month in Scotland.
Alone… She quickly grasped onto a possible way out of this.
“For propriety’s sake, I can’t travel alone with a man. I will be ruined.”
Her aunt and uncle exchanged a look and then laughed.
Laughed at her very viable excuse.
“I’m sorry for laughing,” Aunt Rose was the first to recover from her mirth. “It’s just that you spend your time wearing men’s clothes and digging in the dirt. You refused a lady’s maid when we offered to have one assigned. You have never whispered a word about your reputation and now all of a sudden it’s a matter of great concern?”
“I should have forced a marriage with that maharajah who helped you climb up on the roof, or the emperor’s youngest son you convinced to go swimming with you,” Uncle Henry said, with an amused smile.
“Don’t forget the comte,” her aunt mentioned unhelpfully.
“Of course, the comte, you’ve surely been alone with him numerous times over the years.”
“Very well, you’ve both made your point, but you can’t mean to have me travel with a suspected rake.” Lainey held up her finger to stop her aunt’s retort and continued. “I said suspected. As you pointed out, until I ascertain whether he is or isn’t guilty of his reputation it doesn’t seem wise to put me at risk of his wiles.
“Very well. We will obtain a chaperone to accompany you.”
“A chaperone?” Lainey frowned. “Never mind. I don’t require a chaperone.”
“But your reputation!” Uncle Henry declared in a mocking tone.
Lainey was glad they were amused by her distress.
“I do believe she has recalled her time with Mrs. Kirkpatrick.” Aunt Rose chuckled while Uncle Henry practically hooted with laughter.
“I am so glad my misfortune entertains you so.”
Mrs. Kirkpatrick had been positively awful. She’d tried to contort Lainey into a proper young lady and pointed out every little thing Lainey managed to do wrong, which was basically everything. Including breathing.
Lainey truly didn’t know how she could do something as simple as breathing incorrectly, but she’d managed to and the woman was quick to point it out.
Her aunt patted her shoulder and offered a kind smile.
“We are sorry for making sport of your concerns. You will be pleased to know we didn’t plan to send you off with the earl alone. Lord and Lady Leighton will accompany you.”
Lainey didn’t have anything to say to that. Lord and Lady Leighton were wonderful people and would be suitable chaperones during their travels.
“Very well,” Lainey conceded, because what else could she do? “I will do as you wish and see the earl to Scotland to evaluate his abilities.” She offered a beaming smile and kept it there more naturally when their humor faded into genuine concern. She’d learned a few years ago that when she smiled like that, they grew worried that she was hatching a plan.
In this case she wasn’t, at least not yet. But it didn’t hurt to allow them to think she was up to something. In truth, she didn’t see a way out of this insanity.
At least she wouldn’t need to worry about being in his presence longer than the trip to Scotland. She had only to prove he couldn’t handle an archeological dig, and he would go back to the gaming hells and clubs for his entertainments and be out of her life for good.
“Why do you look so worried?” It was her turn to laugh now. “I will see him to Scotland and teach him the techniques as you ask. But you should not be surprised when it turns out I am right about him.”
“We trust you and will honor your recommendation. If it turns out you are correct about him, and you write to confirm he is not up for the journey, then he will not be permitted to join us in Egypt.” her uncle promised.
“Then I will prepare to leave next week.”
She was going to Scotland with the man who had destroyed her future years ago.
Perhaps she should embrace this opportunity. After all, she now had his fate in her hands, and revenge would be well within her grasp.
Lord Melville would pay for his cruelty.