Page 74 of Only Pleasure Will Do

Chapter 31

Maddy jerked her head upward to stare into Reginald’s cool gray eyes. Not perhaps the ideal time or place to make the declaration, but at the moment, she couldn’t have been happier. Just hearing the words sent a thrill of joy through her.

“Who are you, sir?” Verwood straightened and looked down his nose at Reginald.

“Sir Reginald Matthews, my lord, a magistrate of Bow Street. Betrothed to Miss Forrester, as I have just stated.” Reginald took a step toward the fastidious fop and Maddy was overjoyed when the lord took a hasty step back. Reginald’s presence, always imposing, seemed overly charged with a dangerous energy at the moment. Spoiling for a fight, if she didn’t miss her guess. “And you, sir?”

“Lord Verwood, sir. And I hardly think you can be affianced to this woman.” He cut his gaze to Maddy, his eyes narrowing. “I have it on the best authority that she is on the hunt for a husband, preferably a titled one.”

“Then your ‘authority’ is not the best, I’m afraid, my lord.” Confidence flooding back into her, Maddy faced the viscount down. “I am making my debut into Society, it’s true, but as for seeking to marry a titled gentleman, that has always been the furthest thing from my mind.”

“You declare you are engaged to marry this man?” Verwood’s tone had turned ugly. His gaze bored into her. “And does he know exactly who he is marrying?”

“Of course I do.” Reginald broke in before she could answer. Restrained anger was pouring off him in waves. “She is Miss Forrester of Rayleigh, daughter of the late baron. We have been acquainted for some time now.”

Verwood swaggered a bit, his mouth puckering with suppressed laughter. “Then you must also be acquainted with her other identity?”

Reginald frowned, cutting his eyes toward her then back to Verwood. “Her other identity? You must be mistaken, my lord. She has no other.”

“I think you are not as well informed as you might be, Sir Reginald.” The glee in Lord Verwood’s voice made it rise several octaves. “Have you never sampled the wares at the House of Pleasure, sir? If you had, you’d likely have been more well acquainted with Miss Forrester, or rather with Amorina Vestry, for they are one and the same.”

Rage darkened Reginald’s face until it was a monstrous shade of red. With the quickness of a striking snake, he closed the distance between him and Verwood and seized the fop’s lacy cravat in an iron fist. Twisting the cloth until it resembled a noose, he then hoisted the petrified lord up until his toes scarcely touched the ground. “You dare dishonor Miss Forrester with this vile accusation? I will meet you, my lord. You undergo my challenge this instant. Name your seconds or else retract your vicious and utterly false charge against the lady.”

“But…but,” Verwood gasped for breath, struggling to reach the ground, “but I met Vestry some years ago. She’s the same person, I’ll swear it.”

Reginald tossed the viscount onto the planked floor with a hard thump. “I assure you, my lord, you are mistaken. I met Amorina Vestry myself over a year ago while investigating a case. To even insinuate that Miss Forrester is an any way connected with her is to besmirch her honor. Will you meet me then, my lord? Name the time and place and I’ll send my seconds to you.”

“Matthews? Where the devil are you?”

Maddy’s head went up as four familiar figures joined them, their shoes thumping noisily on the plank walkway. Lords Dalbury, Trevor, Manning, and Mr. Morley hove into the light, a very welcome sight.

“Is there a problem, Sir Reginald?” Dalbury, leading the throng, stopped right beside Lord Verwood, looking him up and down as he would some loathsome creature.

“This foolish gentleman has accused Miss Forrester of being the notorious Amorina Vestry,” Reginald paused, his gaze meeting Dalbury’s, an “I told you so” lurking in his eyes. “An infamous declaration, to say the least. He is now about to give me the names of his seconds so that I might pass them on to you as my second, for he undergoes my challenge.”

“Indeed.” Dalbury’s scrutiny of Lord Verwood became more pointed. He raised his quizzing glass and peered at the man, beginning with his curled wig, lingering on the garish suit, until he finally appeared to study the man’s ornamental sword.

“Lord Verwood,” he said at last, “how dare you accept an invitation to an entertainment at my home only to insult me in this abominable manner? Lady Dalbury and I befriended Miss Forrester after her guardian, Sir Peter Fitch, suffered an early demise.” He looked pointedly at Lord Manning, whose stoical face could have been carved of stone. “I take it as a personal affront that you would say such a thing about my ward in my presence.”

“But Lord Dalbury—” Lord Verwood’s face had paled even whiter than his paint. Anyone who knew Lord Dalbury remembered the series of duels he’d initiated a little over a year before. All of which he’d won. Few men would wish to cross swords with the marquess.

“See that you send me your seconds, my lord.” Dalbury dropped his quizzer onto this chest. “Should you survive Sir Reginald’s challenge, we shall meet also.”

“You really should listen to the gossips more, Verwood.” Lord Trevor, tall and solidly imposing, stepped to the far side of the viscount. “You’d know that Madam Vestry fled to the Continent just after she attempted to kill Lord and Lady Dalbury right there.” He clamped his hand onto Verwood’s thin shoulder and spun him around to face the garden.

Even the faint moonlight couldn’t conceal the devastation of what had been a beautiful formal garden with fantastical topiary figures and regular raised beds of flowers. Now there were heaps of dirt here and there surrounding the crater at the center of the once pleasant space.

“Listen, Verwood,” Dalbury leaned back, a splendidly haughty look on his face, “I may be a philanthropic man, but I simply draw the line at allowing my wife to be the social sponsor of the woman who tried to kill me and my family. ” Dalbury went to the other side of Verwood and leaned against the balustrade. “Even if that were not so, Vestry would be mad to stay in London and face my retribution. Her accomplice, Mr. Redmond, sailed for the colonies to escape my wrath.” He patted the man’s back and Verwood began to shake. “A wise decision, wouldn’t you say? Those who have felt my vengeance often wish they had been as astute.”

“Come, my lord.” Reginald raised his voice and Verwood whirled back around to face him, his gaze darting from one incensed gentleman to another. The peacock had surely had his feathers plucked. Reginald glanced down at Maddy and took her hand. “You have yet to accept my challenge, Verwood. Will you meet me or no?”

“S…Sir…R…Reginald, I fear I…may have misspoken earlier.”

Relief flowed through Maddy, making her almost giddy. She squeezed Reginald’s hand. Could this nightmare come to a miraculous happy ending?

“Indeed, my lord, I am glad to hear you own it.” Reginald bowed to the gentleman whose pasty complexion seemed to have gained a bit more color. “I would not wish for such a malicious rumor to ruin Miss Forrester’s splendid debut. We have undergone too many trials to have her evening of triumph spoiled. Is that not so, my dear?”

“Yes, Sir Reginald.” Maddy gazed up into his face, his eyes alight with a love so shining she thought she might weep.