Page 30 of The Model Debutante
Tallie dropped her eyes, too embarrassed to meet his amused gaze. He stood up and straightened his cuffs, then dabbed at his grazed knuckles with the powdered handkerchief. ‘William, go and tell your mother that Tallie is all right and will be out in a moment.’
There was a long silence after the door closed. Tallie got carefully to her feet and smoothed down her gown. Surely the moment she stepped outside the door people would look at her and know that only a few minutes before she had been locked in Nick Stangate’s embrace, kissing him back with all the fervour she could. Surely “Wanton” was branded across her forehead?
‘Tallie,’ he said softly, one hand on the door knob.
‘Yes?’
‘Will you not tell me your secret?’
Tallie’s eyes flew to his face. Of all the things he might have said, this was furthest from her imaginings. ‘No,’ she blurted out. ‘No. Was that why you kissed me? You thought you would confuse and befuddle me until I would tell youanything? Well, I will not.’ She was through the door and into the corridorbefore he could stop her. Three hurried steps and she was on the threshold of the ballroom. Tallie ignored the footsteps behind her, took a deep breath, fixed a social smile on her lips and stepped calmly into the mêlée.
She made her way to Aunt Kate’s side and sat down with a careful smile on her face. After one startled glance her chaperone handed her a fan and said brightly for the benefit of their near neighbours, ‘Talitha dear, how often did I warn you about the country dances? You look a sad romp.’
‘Yes, Aunt Kate. I am sorry, Aunt Kate.’ Tallie did her best to shrink back while around her amused chaperons tutted and smiled at her over-enthusiasm.
She was rescued eventually by William asking her to accompany him to the supper room. He tucked her hand firmly under his elbow, treated her as though she was made of glass and scowled so forbiddingly at any man who came near that they ended up in sole possession of a table.
Tallie made herself nibble at a savoury patty and relax in the hope that William would relax too. It was rather like being escorted by a large, fierce dog. ‘Where is Lord Arndale?’
‘I’m not sure. I think he has left: he was certainly looking like thunder when you came out of that room. And he was pretty short with me when I tried to ask him what he was going to do next.’
‘What did he say?’
‘Didn’t make sense.’ William’s brow furrowed. ‘He said it was time to take some precautions and at least he now knew what he was dealing with. Does that make any sense to you?’
‘No.’ Tallie shook her head. ‘None at all, unless… William, he wouldn’t have gone after Mr Lynley would he?’
‘What, to call him out after all? No, not without me. He’d need at least one second, and I’m the only one he can involve without risking talk.’ William offered Tallie a plate of sweetmeats andwhen she shook her head stood up. ‘Let’s get back, shall we? Do you think we can have another waltz without all the old biddies shaking their heads over us?’
Tallie followed him, just relieved at the thought of being in a safe pair of arms and having something to think about other than Nick Stangate. All the contradictions were back, making her unable to think about him coherently, let alone know how to deal with him.
He had saved her again, this time with his anger and his physical courage rather than his quick wits and self-restraint. And he had aroused in her feelings and longings that she could hardly comprehend, let alone control. And then he had struck at her with that question about her secret. He had tried to trick her into an answer when he must have known she was at her most vulnerable, must have known that he had contributed to that vulnerability.
Nick Stangate was ruthless and dangerous, and he had most cause to be when he thought something of his was threatened. If he found out the truth about her he would see it as a direct threat to his family, never mind how forgiving Aunt Kate was inclined to be about it. And now he knew how she reacted to being in his arms he had a potent weapon she had to make certain he never had the opportunity to use against her again.Never.
Chapter Eleven
The household in Bruton Street received no visits from Lord Arndale during the week following the Duchess’s ball. Which was not to say that he was not making himself very much felt.
Tallie heard from Zenna that she was receiving particulars of houses almost daily. Then there was a visit from a very helpful clerk who offered Miss Scott his escort to any properties she might wish to view.
‘He brought Lord Arndale’s card with him,’ she explained on a fleeting visit to ask if she might borrow a maid to accompany her. Lady Parry had agreed immediately, explaining that she had a parlour maid with aspirations to become a ladies’ maid. ‘It will be useful practice for her to learn how to behave when out with a lady.’
William reported bumping into his cousin in various clubs and once as he emerged from a house near Pickering Place. ‘Asked him what on earth he was doing there. He gave me one of his poker-faced looks and said he was calling on his agent. Rum sort of place for an agent if you ask me.’
But, disconcertingly, Nicholas appeared at every function Tallie attended. He did not ask her to dance or engage her in conversation, merely stopped long enough to give the appearance of normality before moving on to the card tables or another dancing partner.
Tallie moved rapidly from feeling relieved to being intrigued and then downright piqued, especially as she was beginning to enjoy a flattering amount of success with her come-out. The least Nicholas could do was to ask her to dance occasionally. When his parting shot at Lady Cressett’s musical evening was, ‘I am glad to see you are doing nothing indiscreet or unwise,’ Tallie was filled with an urge to do something quite outrageous out of sheerdefiance.
Fortunately nothing occurred to her and the next afternoon she set off in the Parry’s carriage for a cosy evening in Upper Wimpole Street to discuss the lodging house scheme with Mrs Blackstock.
She arrived early enough to spend some time with Millie before she set off for the Opera House and listened with interest to tales of backstage rivalries, Millie’s excellent progress in her singing and the flattering number of floral tributes she was receiving.
Tallie caught Zenna’s eye. She had confided her experience with Jack Lynley because she wanted to put Zenna on her guard if she had any further contact with him. Now she raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly in Millie’s direction. Zenna shrugged and a few moments later took the opportunity to whisper, ‘I have not seen him around, but it doesn’t mean she isn’t seeing him at the Opera House.’
‘Probably hiding his bruises,’ Tallie said grimly, remembering the sound of those blows thudding home.
By seven o’clock Tallie and Mrs Blackstock found themselves alone. Zenna had been invited to visit the family of one of her ex-pupils and Millie had departed for the Opera House in a hackney carriage.
