Chapter 5

Henry had done many in his life that he regretted, but there were far more about his life that he had little to no regrets about. He wished that when he was a boy that he had not gone riding with his younger brother. Because if they had stayed home, then perhaps he would still have a brother. That was part of the reason he often imbibed far more than he should have. The memories of that day haunted him still. He especially would love to forget that his father had ever been disappointed in him and because of that, he had not been with his father when he passed.

Some things just could not be altered, though. The hardest lesson he had ever learned was that one. As much as a person wanted to go back and change something, they couldn”t. What was done was done, and no amount of wishing would or could be altered. So it was odd that he found himself wishing he could have done anything differently regarding Lady Lilah Stephens. He”d had a few encounters with her now. Ones where he was completely sober, and he still did not recall the incident.

There was no need to expound on the facts of it all. He knew what he had done. If he had not been foxed, he may not have acted so recklessly. Henry would like to think that he would not have so carelessly ruined a young woman without a thought. In fact, it was clear to him that he had not been thinking. There was no other rational explanation for it all.

There was one other aspect that he had to accept, or at the very least admit to himself. He was thoroughly attracted to Lady Lilah. He found her lovely, intelligent, and the most interesting woman he”d ever crossed paths with. When he was near her, he had this urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she moaned with pleasure. The very fact that she would unman him if he did made her even more appealing. He was one perverse man. Because he found himself seeking her company whenever possible, and all she did was insult him at her leisure.

Not that he blamed her... She had every right to hate him. He took those insults with that same perverse pleasure. As his right, or penance for his actions. Henry wanted her to upbraid him. He would have encouraged her to do so, but he almost feared she would stop.

He strolled into the parlor and stopped short. The room was full of guests. Most of them appeared to be women. Where were all the gentlemen? He wanted to slowly back out of the room and pray no one had noticed him. He wasn”t to be that fortunate, though. ”Lord Harcrest,” a woman with a shrill voice called to him. He almost shuddered at the sound.

Lady Daisy,” he greeted her. Henry had to get out of this room and as fast as possible. The last person he wanted to be cornered by was Lady Daisy Allen. She was beautiful, to be sure, but she had the worst personality. The only reason she hadn”t been a wallflower was because of the aforementioned beauty and her sizable dowry. As the daughter of a duke, she was perhaps the richest debutante of the season. ”How lovely to see you. I did not realize you would be attending this house party.”

He would still have come to the abbey, but he would have been far more circumspect about what rooms he found himself in. The season was all but at an end and Lady Daisy still had not found a match. As the daughter of a duke, and a lovely beyond compare, that had to make the chit desperate. With those bloody rumors, she might even believe he would consider her. Why would he have decided to wed so late in the season? Surely those marriage minded mamas with still unattached daughters must have taken that into consideration...

”This house party is the only one worth attending,” Lady Daisy said in that haughty tone of hers. Her voice pierced through his ears and made him want to cover them to ensure that the sound did not enter again. ”I”m more surprised you are here. The rumors are true, then?”

”And what rumors are those?” He lifted a brow. Henry shouldn”t be playing the dumb fool, but he didn”t know what else he should do. How did one downplay rumors he wished to wed? Especially when before this he had carefully cultivated a reputation that suggested otherwise. ”Please tell me that a young lady like yourself hasn”t heard of my more, shall we say, scandalous exploits?”

”Not those rumors,” she said and waved her hand dismissively. Then she leaned a little toward him as if sharing some great secret. ”The ones that suggest you want a wife.”

Bloody hell... She was fishing for information. Henry schooled his features to show nothing of his irritation, and he indisputably had no interest in her or those foul rumors. He tilted his head to the side and studied her. ”You cannot actually believe that nonsense.” Henry shuddered. ”Marriage is not something I will ever do.” The thought of being married to the likes of Lady Daisy Allen terrified him. He couldn”t do it. ”You can rest assured, my lady, those rumors will never have a modicum of truth. Do you believe everything you hear?”

”Of course not,” she said in a flippant tone. But she had glanced away as she spoke. Of course, she had believed it. And why wouldn”t she? Most of the ton thought he wanted a wife. There were several bets in the book at the club. He”d made a wager himself, on himself, and his determination to remain unmarried. He”d win. Because he knew the truth.

”I”m glad you were not so unintelligent,” he said. Then grinned. ”I do hope this house party proves to be as entertaining as Lord Ardmore promised.”

”That”s why I am here.” Lady Daisy said. ”To have fun.”

He just bet that was why she was there... ”What have they planned for us today?” He hadn”t bothered to discover what Lady Victoria Spencer had planned for this house party. Henry hadn”t really cared.

”Parlor games today,” she said, then wrinkled her nose. ”The rain is preventing us from doing much else.”

He”d been disappointed in the rain, too. He wanted to go to this cabin, Ardmore promised them. But they would be confined to the main house with all the rain they”d been having. Perhaps he should return to his bedchamber. A nap wouldn”t be a terrible idea. He considered doing just that until Lady Lilah entered the room. Then he remained rooted to the spot. She was as lovely as he remembered. He flexed his fingers, itching to touch her. He was unquestionably a masochist... Something he had never known about himself.

”Are you staying for the games, then?” Lady Daisy asked.

”What?” He turned his attention back to her. Henry had to drag his gaze away from Lady Lilah. ”Oh, that. Yes. Perhaps I will.”

Without another word, he left Lady Daisy alone and headed toward his quarry. Lady Lilah might not know it yet, but she had all of his attention.

* * *

Lilah stared around the parlor and frowned. She really did not wish to participate in any of the parlor games that Victoria had planned. She would much rather go to the library and find a book to read. If it were up to her, that was exactly what she would have done already. But then the plan would not be able to move forward.

”Hello everyone,” Victoria called out. ”If I can have your attention.”

They all stopped and looked at Victoria. She smiled at them. ”My apologies that we had to cancel the outdoor activities for today. We do hope that tomorrow the rain will allow those to be rescheduled.” She sighed. ”But we all must accept that weather in England can often turn toward rain.”

Laughter echoed in the room.

”Now that we have no other choice,” she said. ”I planned some parlor games for each day on the chance we would need them. Today we are going to do something that perhaps we have not done since we were children.”

What was Victoria up to? Were they not playing something like charades? Lilah frowned. She was uncertain she liked this. She should have asked more questions. Then she would be more prepared. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lord Harcrest. He had been talking with Lady Daisy Allen. One of the ladies they had invited specifically for him. Did he have an interest in her?

”We are going to play hide and seek,” Victoria announced. ”No room is off limits. You can hide anywhere. Once you are found, you must return here to the parlor. The last person found will win a boon.”

”How will you choose who is the seeker?” one guest asked.

”We are going to draw straws,” Victoria said. She held up a fistful of straws. ”The shortest one is the seeker. Now everyone, come forward and pick one.”

There were a dozen people in the room. Most were females except for a few gentlemen. The rest might have gone to the game room instead. Why had Lord Harcrest not done the same?

They drew their straws. Lord Foxcroft had the short straw. He looked as if he would rather not be there. ”All right,” Victoria said. ”Lord Foxcroft is going to count to a hundred.” She grinned. ”As slowly as possible. We need to give everyone a chance to hide.”

”Are you hiding?” Lord Foxcroft asked her. Then winked. ”I might need help counting.” Victoria blushed at his words. Was the earl flirting with her? That was interesting.

She ignored him and then turned her attention to the guests. ”Go everyone. Hide.”

They all bustled out of the room. Lilah followed behind them and sighed. Perhaps she would just go to her bedchamber after all. She might even have a book there she could read, or she could just go to the library. She could pluck a book off the shelf to bring back to the parlor to read after she was found. Lilah didn”t plan on hiding well. The sooner she was located, then she could be done with the game.

Lilah headed to the library. She’d been unaware that Lord Harcrest followed close behind her until she reached her destination and found him following her. ”What do you want?”

”I thought to hide in the library,” he said, as if that was the most normal thing in the world.

”There aren’t very many places to hide in this room.” She narrowed her gaze. ”What are you up to?”

”Me?” He blinked at her with an innocent expression on his face. ”I”m playing hide and seek. What game are you playing?”

Lilah sighed. He was incorrigible. He had some scheme planned. She’d wager on it, and likely win. Lilah didn”t like it. Not one bit. ”Do as you please. You always seem too anyway.” She did her best to ignore him and went to the nearest shelf. She found a book of sonnets and sat on the settee.

”Are you not going to hide?” he asked her as he moved closer to her.

”Why bother,” she said in a preoccupied tone. Lilah flipped open the book.

He snatched the book from her and flipped it open. ”Shakespeare?” Lord Harcrest turned the page. ”Not even one of his plays...but poetry?”

”I like poetry,” she said, a little insulted. ”What is wrong with poetry?”

”Nothing,” he said, then shrugged. ”It just seems too frivolous for you.”

”Lord Harcrest,” she said contemptuously. ”You do not know me well enough to make such assumptions.”

He continued to ignore her. Lord Harcrest sat on the settee next to her. ”Perhaps I should read one to you. Would you like that?”

”No,” she said a little irritated. ”I”d like to read them myself. Quietly.”

”Don”t be silly,” he said in a flippant tone. ”Poetry should always be read aloud. That is the only correct way to appreciate them. I think this one especially should be heard.”

Oh, bother... He was going to do this, anyway. Maybe if she allowed it, he would leave her alone. She waved her hand at him. ”Then by all means, my lord, impress me.”

He grinned, and it did funny things to her. His smile was devastating to behold. It made her stomach lurch and an unexplained tingling to settle there. ”I intend to,” he told her a little too confidently. Then he began to read. Those tingling sensations spread throughout her body. His voice was soothing and seductive at the same time. She felt herself drawing closer to him, and when he spoke the last lines of Shakespeare”s Sonnet Eighteen...Lilah almost sighed in contentment. ”So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

Lord Harcrest met her gaze. What did this all mean? Why was he being so nice to her? She cleared her throat. ”That was lovely.”

”Not nearly as lovely as you,” he said. His eyes spoke of sincerity. Lilah almost believed him, too. He met her gaze and held it. Breathing became more of a struggle with each moment that had passed. She started to wonder if perhaps she”d forgotten how to, until a whoosh of air flooded her lungs. He was too close to her. Maybe he wasn”t close enough. What was this she...felt?

She stood up. Lilah had to leave. She couldn”t be alone with him any longer. This was wrong, all wrong. She was not supposed to have any favorable feelings for this man. ”Running away already?” he taunted her.

”Not at all,” she said, then turned to face him. ”There is nothing in the room worth my time. Have a pleasant afternoon, my lord. I intend to.”

She was running. Lilah would never admit that to him, though. She had far too much integrity and pride to give him that satisfaction. For a brief moment there, she had wondered what it might like to kiss him. He”d made her feel things for him. Things she had no right to feel for such a callous man.

This plan of hers was starting to take a turn she never would have expected. Because the man she wanted revenge on... He was too bloody likable for her own peace of mind, and if she wasn”t careful, Lilah might start to want him in a way she had no right to.