Chapter Four

" C hampagne at ten in the morning? How gauche," Anthony admonished as he took a seat beside Darling in their club. His friend looked up from the morning paper in surprise.

"Hair of the dog, dear boy. Nothing better than champagne. And good morning to you as well. Didn't think I'd be seeing you today. Thought you'd have a certain toothy Amazon's legs still wrapped around your waist," Darling answered, chuckling. "I take it you had no success at Renfield's."

Anthony grunted. "She wasn't there."

Darling took an appreciative sip of champagne and smiled amusedly at his friend. "Now, don't you sound petulant."

"You would know; you always sound petulant," Anthony laughed.

"I do not!" The pages of Darling's newspaper fluttered as he tossed it aside in gentlemanly outrage.

"Aha!" Anthony exclaimed, pointing. "You see?"

The dandy began to roll his eyes, but then apparently realized how truly petulant that looked and settled for a frown instead. "Well, I'll admit that Renfield's was a long shot. If your Amazon's as feisty as she seems from your description, perhaps private salons aren't her thing ."

"Neither are they mine, but I had the courtesy to show up on the off chance I might find her." Anthony scowled and slouched further into his chair. After he kissed a woman, he always had the courtesy to seek her out to see if she'd favor a repeat performance. Apparently his Amazon had no such courtesy.

Darling fixed him with a confused look, then threw his head back and roared with laughter. "By God, Stirling! This little minx has you panting at her heels." He sighed and brushed imaginary tears of laughter from his cheeks. "Do please wipe that dejected look off your face. You are precariously close to damaging your reputation over one elusive female. Have some pride!"

Anthony was in no mood for his friend's teasing. "I'd love some. Help me find this woman so that I can wrest mine back from her."

Darling shook his head in mock pity and clicked his tongue. "Oh pish, Stirling. We've been through some interesting times over the years, and I hope I have not misjudged you so badly as to assume that you can hold your own with a mere hoyden. You've never let a woman get the upper hand with you before. She must have caught you on an off-night, dear boy. I would hate to have to end our friendship just because you've begun to bow at the altar of woman. I simply couldn't be seen in polite company with a married man as my friend."

Anthony shrugged. Marriage was the last thing on his mind. Delicious revenge was still the first. "Don't write me off yet, Darling. I'm far too young to be thinking about the banns. Now, are you going to continue mocking me, or do you have anything helpful to say?"

Darling furrowed his brows, searching for something useful. Anthony knew he wouldn't disappoint. Darling knew everything about everyone and was an infallible judge of character. Unfortunately, or perhaps in Darling's mind, fortunately, these talents were mostly put to use seducing Bath's prettiest maidens. No woman could out-maneuver Darling's pernicious mind. Finally, his friend spoke: "Well it may be nothing again, but why don't you try the theatre tonight? It's the place to see and be seen, and if she's there, you'll have more than an easy time identifying her. And –" he waggled his eyebrows, "making your intentions known."

"Wonderful." Anthony loved the theatre even less than a salon. Ever since he'd bedded a potentially insane actress who had attempted to do some rather unsavory things to his male anatomy with a pair of scissors the morning after their encounter because he'd declined to become her protector, his enjoyment of the stage had been reduced to trepidation. "She had better be there. I'm becoming rather annoyed by her dashed gall in avoiding me." He stood and stalked out, but turned back at the door. "And Darling," he said, icily polite, "if you've steered me wrong again, I might just have to claim my winnings from last week's faro game. I believe you promised me a month of your Spanish mistress, fully paid?" His friend blanched at the thought of the un-recouped expense. "You had better hope I find my Amazon, or I might just be in the mood for your Jacinta."