Chapter Two
London
May 5, 1820
W hile not a usual denizen of Mayfair townhouses, Mr. Marcus Dandridge felt strangely at home in Lady Hamilton’s elegant ballroom. Gazing about at the expensive appointments—the numerous gilt-edged mirrors, the myriad crystal chandeliers, the massive floral arrangement in the center of the dance floor—Marcus nodded, noting that the aristocratic home had décor very similar to his gaming club, The Dandy.
“Dandy! What the devil are you doing here?” Lord Somersby, the young heir to the Marquess of Thaxted and a steady customer at the club, grinned at him as he came up beside Marcus, stationed just inside the ballroom. “Not your sort of entertainment at all, is it?”
“Well met, my lord.” Marcus bowed to the young ne’er-do-well. “You are correct. This isn’t my normal venue. However, as Lord Hamilton was kind enough to secure an invitation for me, I didn’t think it polite to refuse.” Not exactly the way it had happened, but Somersby didn’t need to know that.
“Deadly dull after the excitement at The Dandy last night.” Somersby looked wistful. “Wish I’d have been there to see the altercation. Rumors have been running rampant.” He leaned toward Marcus and lowered his voice. “Did you take down Donalson? Some say it was you, some say it was your man, Johnson.”
“It was Johnson, my lord. I wasn’t there at the time.” Marcus wished to God he had been. He might have been able to persuade Lord Donalson not to take a swing at the dealer. Such notoriety was the last thing he wanted for his gentlemen’s club while he was trying to look respectable, especially after that fiasco at the Copper Penny only weeks ago. “And I assure you, it wasn’t nearly as exciting as some have made it out to be.”
Somersby shook his head. “I still wish I’d been there. I would have been, but my allowance for the quarter is gone and father’s not been keen on advancing the blunt. Instead he’s been insisting I attend these ton entertainments instead. Your club is much more inviting than dancing attendance on women who bore one to tears.”
“I take your meaning, my lord.” Marcus had been watching the guests arrive and had just spotted the party he’d been expecting. “And I think I have a solution for you.”
“Indeed.” Somersby’s brows rose.
“I might be willing to forgive your current debts at The Dandy.” Marcus turned away from the doorway, and Somersby turned toward him, shielding him from the guests just entering.
“That would be most generous of you, Dandridge.” Somersby’s eyes lit up. “I’d be quite in your debt.”
“But not for long, my lord.” Marcus glanced over his shoulder at the three people just entering the ballroom. “That debt can be paid this evening if you would be so kind as to engage Lord Longford in the card room for the next half hour.”
“Longford?” Somersby frowned. “Why?”
Marcus shrugged. “Let us say the gentleman holds a grudge against me and I would rather not provoke an argument while I’m here. I don’t plan to stay long, but I don’t wish for him to make a spectacle of our disagreement at a ton function.”
“Very well, Dandy. I’d be happy to distract Lord Longford until you’re ready to leave.” Somersby grinned and turned toward the doorway. “And there he is now. Longford!” The earl hurried toward the tall, daunting gentleman whose fierce gaze took in the entire ballroom at a glance.
With his back still to the doorway, Marcus moved a little further away, counting silently until he was reasonably certain Somersby had spirited Longford off to the card room. Now he had almost half an hour to put the rest of his plan into play. He scanned the room for his hostess, but before he could locate her his gaze fell on Lady Joanna Longford and Marcus stilled, holding his breath.
The lady and her mother had moved to the side of the ballroom, Lady Joanna looking about eagerly. Her gown of cream satin, with an intricate braided trim down the front and a series of large satin leaves all about the hem, became her complexion exquisitely so that she seemed to glow in the light of hundreds of candles. But it was her face that always arrested Marcus, ever since the first time he’d seen her. Flawless alabaster skin, a heart-shaped face with pink cheeks and rose-petal lips that made her look angelic, framed by deep chestnut curls always made him think she should be painted as a Madonna in one of the pictures in the British Museum.
With a shake, Marcus forced himself to look away and begin searching for Lady Hamilton. He didn’t have much time and couldn’t stand here mooning over the lady if he wanted to actually meet her. Spying his hostess to his right, Marcus strolled purposefully toward the lady, attired in an elegant gray gown encrusted with small crystals. He presented himself and bowed. “Lady Hamilton, I wanted to thank you once more for your kind invitation.”
The lady’s brows rose, her eyes fixed on his face as though trying desperately to remember his name. “You are most welcome Mr.…Dandridge.” She came up with it at last. “I am always happy to include those friends of my husband with whom I am not already acquainted.”
“If I might make a request of you, my lady?” He nodded toward Lady Joanna, now speaking with a blonde young lady. “Would you be so kind as to introduce me to the young lady there?”
“Lady Celinda Grantham?” His hostess smiled broadly. “She is a most popular young lady this Season.”
Marcus shook his head. “While I would be delighted to make Lady Celinda’s acquaintance of course, it is the other young lady of whom I speak. Lady Joanna Longford.”
“Certainly, Mr. Dandridge.” The lady looked at him askance, then nodded. “Come with me.”
His stomach tied in knots, Marcus fell in just behind Lady Hamilton as they threaded their way around the clusters of guests as they traversed the ballroom. He had to constantly remind himself to breathe else he was likely to meet Lady Joanna only to faint dead away in front of her. They reached the lady in question and Marcus had to fight to keep a pleasant but neutral expression on his face. It would not do, in ton Society, for a gentleman to show his emotions.
Not that he was a gentleman.
“Lady Longford, Lady Joanna Longford, and Lady Celinda Grantham,” his hostess smiled perfunctorily at the ladies. “Ladies may I present to you, Mr. Dandridge? Mr. Dandridge is an acquaintance of Lord Hamilton.”
“Ladies, how do you do?” Marcus tried not to sound gruff, but his voice didn’t want to cooperate. “I’m delighted to meet you.” He addressed them all, but his gaze never left Lady Joanna’s face.
“Mr. Dandridge.” Lady Celinda curtsied and cast an admiring glance at him.
“Good evening, Mr. Dandridge.” A slight bow of her head was all Lady Longford deigned to give him, still she didn’t seem to recognize his name. That was encouraging.
“How do you do, Mr. Dandridge?” Lady Joanna’s liquid tones sent a shiver down his spine as she gave a curtsy and smiled at him.
Marcus thought his heart would stop. He had to get himself in hand, however. “I am quite well, my lady. I wished to ask, if you are not engaged for the next dance, if I might claim you as my partner.”
To his total surprise and relief, the lady smiled eagerly. “I am not engaged at present, sir, and would be happy to agree to partner you.”
A bit dazed, Marcus nodded and offered his arm. He’d never expected it to be this easy. Longford, for all his talk, apparently hadn’t warned his sister about his interest in her. Which was strange, if he thought about it. Did he truly think Marcus would forget about Lady Joanna? As if any man could. Still, he mustn’t look any gift horse in the mouth. And he must enjoy this stolen dance to the utmost before Lord Longford returned to the ballroom and put a stop to it.
“I am so looking forward to this first dance, Mr. Dandridge.” Lady Joanna’s lilting voice brought Marcus back from his brooding and focused all his attention on her.
That might not have been the best thing, however. Gazing at the lady, so close to Marcus he could see every lovely line of her body, every beautiful inch of her face, he could scarcely believe he was walking next to her, her small, gloved hand tucked so naturally in the crook of his arm it made Marcus ache all the more with longing. He must find a way to leave a lasting impression of himself upon her in the few minutes of the dance they would share. It was the only way he could ensure the lady would remember him favorably.
“I am as well, my lady.” They had reached the ballroom floor and taken their places with the other couples for a quadrille. Marcus looked at Lady Joanna, trying his best to keep the longing look out of his face. “You have no idea.”
As the music began, they bowed to one another, then to their corners, and when they took hands, the first thing Joanna realized was that Mr. Dandridge was an extremely strong individual. The grip of his fingers on hers almost made her gasp. It wasn’t painful, so much as it was forceful. But that was enough to make her look a second time at the gentleman. She’d looked at him of course when Lady Hamilton had introduced them and thought him a very distinctive man indeed.
His attire was the standard evening dress of all the gentlemen, although on Mr. Dandridge the usual black jacket and trousers looked terribly unusual. It gave him the aura of a wild animal leashed, but awaiting its chance to pounce. His somewhat swarthy complexion gave him the air of a pirate, rather making her think of Byron’s Corsair . His dark good looks, offset by his rugged build was intriguing and more than a little dashing. Never had Joanna seen such a man before. And she was to have him all to herself for the whole of the dance. Wouldn’t Celinda be green with envy when she returned to her?
Smiling broadly at the thought, Joanna took hands with Mr. Dandridge again and they promenaded through and around the second couple. She had to say her partner was light on his feet for such an imposing man. He wasn’t quite as tall as her brother Geoffrey, but he was broad in the shoulders, with a substantial chest. A gentleman to be reckoned with, no doubt. The next sets of couples commenced their turn to exhibit the steps, and she leaned over to tell her partner, “I think the quadrille a marvelous dance, don’t you?”
He smiled sheepishly. “I fear I do not dance it often enough to have an opinion on that, my lady.” His penetrating, dark gaze seemed to go straight through to her soul. “However, I will say that I think this particular quadrille is especially stirring, because we are dancing it together.”
The intensity of feeling in his voice startled Joanna. He truly sounded as though he meant every word. She’d been trained to remain calm when gentlemen spoke to her in a manner that indicated he had some interest in furthering their acquaintance. Mr. Dandridge wasn’t wasting any time making his wishes known. His dark chestnut-colored eyes scarcely left her own, their power almost palpable though they stood at least a foot apart at the moment.
Joanna swallowed hard, trying to summon some moisture to her mouth, but none was forthcoming. It wasn’t like her to act this way, although it was her first official ball. Perhaps, these kinds of nerves were normal. She would have to ask Celinda.
“I would venture to engage you for another dance, my lady.” Mr. Dandridge had her hand in his, the heat from his fingers searing her own. “Although I suspect that will not be possible.”
“Why…why do you say that, sir?” Joanna didn’t quite know what to do. Her entire arm now felt as though it were on fire. “I have not promised any other dances at the moment.” She glanced up into his hungering eyes and the pit of her stomach dropped to her toes. She had to take time to breathe before she could speak again. “If you wish for another dance, you need only ask.”
The moment before they joined the other couples in the intricate steps a look of pure joy flashed over his face, replaced immediately by one of resignation. “I thank you for that, my lady. I will treasure your words for some time to come.”
Joanna cocked her head, entirely puzzled by his response. “I might think, Mr. Dandridge, you would be better off asking for the dance, which you could then treasure instead of the mere words agreeing to it.”
“I assure you, Lady Joanna, if I believed I would be able to partner you again, I would have already asked.” He shot a glance over his shoulder at the doorway into the ballroom. “Unfortunately, I do not think that will be allowed.”
The hectic buzz of conversation in the room was suddenly quelled when a raised voice overcame the din of the other guests. “What the devil is going on here?”
Joanna jerked her head around. She knew that voice all too well.
Her brother Geoffrey, head and shoulders taller than most of the other people in the room, was striding toward the ballroom floor, shouldering people out of his way with the determination of a general leading his troops into battle. As he passed their mother, she snared his arm, pulling him around to face her.
Returning her attention to the dance, Joanna had a sinking feeling that Mr. Dandridge’s estimation of the chances for them dancing again was completely correct. She’d seen that look on Geoffrey’s face before and knew it did not bode well for Mr. Dandridge. The reason for her brother’s ire, however, escaped her. At least she and her partner were able to continue the quadrille until the final bow and curtsey. Then, smiling her thanks to Mr. Dandridge, she took his arm and glanced up into dark eyes that stared at her with such longing she had to stifle a gasp. “W…will you escort me back to my mother, please?”
“Of course, my lady. It will be my utmost pleasure.” Mr. Dandridge started them toward the spot where her mother stood, a false smile plastered on her face, beside Geoffrey who looked as though he’d swallowed ground glass.
“What is between you and my brother?” Joanna whispered to him. “Why does he look as though he wants to kill you?”
“Most likely because he does.” Mr. Dandridge’s pace didn’t slacken, even after that startling statement. They approached her family and Geoffrey stepped forward, his face dark as midnight without a moon.
When they were close enough, her brother snatched her hand from Mr. Dandridge’s arm—although not before Mr. Dandridge managed to give it a fleeting squeeze that sent another wave of heat up her arm. Then Geoffrey was standing between her and Mr. Dandridge.
“I thought I told you in no uncertain terms, Dandridge, that you were to leave my sister alone.” Her brother’s face was a monstrous thing to behold—his brows furrowed in the deepest frown, his lips pressed into a straight line, his eyes flashing with absolute hatred.
The last of these frightened Joanna more than anything else.
“You did make that request of me, my lord.” Mr. Dandridge had his cold gaze trained on Geoffrey, then it strayed to her and softened almost imperceptibly. “I fear I chose to disregard it.”
Good lord, was the man baiting her brother? And here, in the most public of places? The recesses of her mind, however, posed the question of why Geoffrey had forbidden Mr. Dandridge to have anything to do with her.
“You do so at your peril, sir.” Geoffrey drew himself up to his full six-foot, four-inch height.
Mr. Dandridge cooly scanned the ballroom, then he leaned toward Geoffrey. “If you intend to call me out, you will have your pick of witnesses, most of whom will believe that your action was prompted not because I was merely dancing with your sister—which you must agree is allowed in Polite Society. But rather because you believe I have compromised her in some way. Even I would take odds on that being tomorrow morning’s on-dit .”
Geoffrey’s face drained of color and Joanna caught a muttered curse.
“Very well, Dandridge.” Geoffrey stepped back, immediately assuming a polite, disinterested mask on his face. “I take your point.” He ground his teeth together until Joanna would swear she heard them crack. “However, I fear my sister is fatigued, so we will be leaving. Come, Mother.”
Without another word, he seized Joanna’s arm and pulled her toward the doorway.
As they passed through the throng of guests, Joanna could feel every eye trained on them, the curious, the thoughtful, the gleeful who couldn’t wait to spread the latest gossip. At that moment, had she possessed a weapon, she would cheerfully have used it on her brother. Not only had he opened her and the family to undeserved gossip, but he’d cut short the first ball of her Season. For that alone, she’d be hard pressed to forgive him.
As they emerged from Lady Hamilton’s townhouse, and Geoffrey called for their carriage, Joanna turned on him, her own anger bubbling over. “Will you deign to explain to me now why you’re literally dragging me from my first ball of the Season? The Matchmaker’s Ball too, Geoffrey? How could you do that to me in front of the entire ton ?”
“You don’t understand, Joanna, and I refuse to discuss it here where anyone can hear.” Geoffrey paced back and forth like a caged beast.
“I think Joanna is within her rights to ask that, Geoffrey.” Mother went to stand in front of him, stopping his incessant movements. “I too would like to know why you have made us, if not the scandal of the Season, at least the most interesting people at the moment.” She glared at her son, her eyes flashing in the scant moonlight. “And that is never a good thing, as you well know. What were you thinking?”
Geoffrey held up his hand as the carriage rolled around. He hastily helped them into the vehicle, Joanna still fuming, and took his seat then rapped on the trap. The coachman started the horses and Geoffrey at last seemed to relax.
Almost in tears, Joanna, turned to attack. “All right, Geoffrey. Why did you just embarrass me and Mr. Dandridge in front of everyone in the ton ?”
Mother didn’t speak, but she stared so hard at Geoffrey, he began to squirm on his seat.
“I can explain, Mother.” He cut his eyes toward Joanna. “I am sorry, Joanna, but you cannot associate with Mr. Dandridge ever again.”
“Why not?” Joanna’s hackles rose. First he treated her like a misbehaving child in front of everyone, and now he was acting like her lord and master. “I was properly introduced to him by our hostess. I see no reason why I should forfeit the company of a very interesting, very attractive gentleman just because you have a bee in your bonnet about him.”
Geoffrey pursed his lips a moment, then shook his head. “I had hoped to keep this from you and Mother, but I see I must confess it all.” He looked from one to the other of them. “Last October, when I married Diana, I did so not out of the altruism I professed to you at the time, but for a much baser one—money.”
Joanna’s eyes widened. “Geoffrey! You said you were marrying Diana to help her get her uncle’s inheritance.” She turned toward their mother to find her face with much the same shocked expression. “Now you say you did it to gain her fortune?”
“But you told me you signed settlements giving control of the money to Diana.” Mother was livid and rightly so. “Are you saying that was a lie, Geoffrey?”
“No, Mother, that is the truth. Diana has control of the bulk of her inheritance.” He glanced out the widow and sighed. “That was part of the agreement between us. And the other part was that she gave me twenty thousand pounds in return for marrying her.”
“Twenty thousand pounds!” Never had Joanna heard of such a sum simply being handed over to one’s husband because they married you.
“Geoffrey, this is madness.” Mother was clutching her chest, as though to keep her heart confined there.
“No, Mother it was a necessity.” He peered at her, then at Joanna. “If I hadn’t gotten the funds that instant, Joanna would quite likely this moment be married to Dandridge or I’d be in the Tower of London awaiting execution for his murder.”
Shocked to her core, Joanna clapped her hand over her mouth, horrified.
At last Mother spoke. “You must tell us the whole of it, Geoffrey. We cannot wait any longer to know the worst of this.”
“Dandridge sent me a message, asking me to allow him to marry Joanna and, in case I refused, he informed me he had bought up the mortgages on most of the earldom’s properties and would call in the debt in that instant, a sum of twenty thousand pounds.” Geoffrey shrugged. “At that point, I went looking for an heiress.” Her brother’s face flushed. “At The Lyon’s Den.”
“Good Lord.” Their mother twisted the string of pearls around her neck with fidgety fingers. “I know that place’s reputation.”
“Isn’t that where Thomas met Honoria?” Joanna couldn’t take her eyes off Geoffrey’s face. Could this night get any more bizarre?
“Yes. That is what gave me the idea to go there. Mrs. Dove-Lyon put me in contact with Diana, and although we both initially refused to entertain the idea of a marriage, at last we both realized it was the only way we could both solve our very different problems. So we struck a bargain. We had an understanding that as soon as possible, we would find a way to divorce, however that part of the scheme was rendered moot when we fell in love with one another.” With a huge sigh, Geoffrey slumped against the seat. “I didn’t wish to frighten either of you, so I didn’t tell you of Dandridge’s plan. Perhaps I should have, but I’d been lulled into thinking he’d given up his mad scheme when I heard nothing else from him. Now I know he has not.” Geoffrey peered suddenly at Joanna. “He didn’t do or say anything untoward to you, did he?”
Dully, she shook her head, a ringing noise in her ears. “No, he was a perfect gentleman. We talked about dancing and he said…”
“What did he say?” Her brother sprang up in the seat, as if suddenly on alert again.
She’d been about to tell him about Mr. Dandridge’s request for a second dance, but that would likely only make Geoffrey angrier. “He said he enjoyed our quadrille very much.” He had said that too, so she wasn’t actually lying to her brother. “I did too.”
“Scoundrels are inevitably charming, my dear. You must learn to guard against them, learn to tell real gentlemen from the riff-raff.” Geoffrey sat back in his seat once more. “I don’t doubt we’ve seen the last of Mr. Dandridge, however we will not step foot outside the house without an armed guard from this moment until the end of the Season. Hopefully, once Dandridge discovers that he will not be able to come near you, he will give up this foolish notion and find another woman to obsess about.” Her brother’s sigh sounded as though it came from the depths of his soul. “I can only pray he will.”
Joanna sat back as the carriage wound on through the night toward St. James, remembering the look of hunger in Mr. Dandridge’s eyes, and thought her brother’s prayers would almost certainly not be answered.