Don’t Look Back

Chapter Twelve

Shortly after midnight Lavinia stood with Tobias at the edge of Lady Stillwater’s elegantly proportioned ballroom and watched Anthony lead Emeline into the sweeping turns of a waltz. A sense of inevitability descended on her.

“They do look very well together, don’t they?” she said.

“Yes, they do.” There was no inflection in Tobias’s words. “I know that you had every intention of marrying Emeline off to a wealthy man, but sometimes love gets in the way of an otherwise entirely commendable scheme.”

She watched the dancers. “It might be just a passing flirtation.”

“Don’t sound so hopeful. I fear the worst.”

She winced. “The worst being that they are falling in love?”

“That is your view of the matter, is it not?” he said in that same, too-even voice.

For some odd reason the casual manner in which he agreed that falling in love was, indeed, the worst possible outcome flattened her spirits. She wondered morosely if Tobias would consider the possibility of falling in love himself an equally dreadful fate.

“Unfortunately, I feel obliged to inform you that Anthony does, indeed, seem to have a talent for the investigation business,” Tobias added. “Now that he has had a taste of it, I doubt very much that I shall be able to persuade him to reconsider a more stable career.”

She heard the grim resignation in his voice and understood. He had tried to do his best as a substitute father for his young brother-in-law, just as she had struggled to secure a safe future for Emeline.

“Do you think we have failed them both?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” he said. “But I will say that when one sees them so happy together, it is difficult to feel that we are allowing them to ruin their lives entirely.”

She brightened a little at that comment. “There is something to be said for love, is there not?”

“Something, yes. Precisely what, I cannot hazard a guess.”

She did not know what to read into those words, so she decided to change the topic. “I must tell you that Anthony is not the only one who shows a flair for investigation. Emeline demonstrated a remarkable degree of skill with interrogation techniques this afternoon.”

“The two of you did very well to get the information concerning Lord Banks’s connection to the bracelet so quickly today.”

“Thank you.” She was briefly distracted by the praise. Then she returned to her subject. “The thing is, Tredlow practically melted into a puddle when Emeline smiled at him and complimented him on his reputation in the antiquities business. I vow, she would have got the information out of him even if I had not been there to promise him a fee for his professional services.”

“Charm is always a useful talent, and Miss Emeline has a great quantity of it.”

Lavinia nodded. “I have always known that she had a gracious way about her, but I admit that I had not realized until today how useful the ability to entrance gentlemen could be in the investigation business.”

“Hmm.”

“As a matter of fact, watching Emeline’s excellent performance this afternoon gave me an idea.”

There was a short, wary pause.

“What sort of idea?” Tobias asked cautiously.

“I am thinking of asking her to instruct me in the technique of employing charm to obtain information from gentlemen.”

Tobias choked on the mouthful of champagne he had been in the process of swallowing. He sputtered and started to cough.

“Good heavens, sir, are you all right?” Alarmed, she reached into the little beaded reticule that Madam Francesca had insisted she purchase to go with her gown. She yanked out a handkerchief and thrust it into Tobias’s hand. “Here. Use this.”

“Thank you,” he mumbled into the square of delicately embroidered linen. “I believe that what I really need, however, is a large glass of claret.” He snagged another glass of champagne off a passing tray. “But I suppose this will have to do for now.”

She frowned as she watched him down half the contents of the glass. “Is your leg bothering you again?”

“It is not my leg that is troubling me.”

She did not care for the gleam in his eyes. “What is it, then?”

“My sweet, you have any number of admirable skills and talents. But as your loyal, occasional business partner, I must tell you that, in my considered opinion, any attempt on your part to study the art of charming gentlemen into giving up their secrets would be a complete waste of your time.”

The fact that he assumed charm to be a skill that was beyond her struck her to the quick.

“Are you implying, sir,” she said coldly, “that I lack the ability to cause gentlemen to dissolve into puddles?”

“Not at all.” His teeth flashed in a wicked grin. “You certainly have a dissolving effect on me on occasion.”

She glowered. “You find my notion of studying the techniques of charm quite amusing, do you not?”

“I regret to say that I do not believe that either one of us has an aptitude for charm. I speak with some authority because, as it happens, Anthony has been attempting to teach me some of the finer points of the art.”

She was stunned. “He has?”

“Indeed. I have run one or two experiments on you recently, and as far as I can tell it has had no effect whatsoever.”

“You tried to charm me}”

“For all the good it did. Obviously you failed to even notice my poor efforts.”

“When do you ever employ charm-” She broke off, remembering his recent comments at breakfast. “Oh, yes. That business of me resembling an incarnation of Venus.”

“And there was that rather nice line comparing you with a sea nymph. I practiced that one for the length of the entire distance between my house and yours this morning.”

“Just because you have no gift for charm does not mean that I cannot learn the skill.”

“Save your energy, my sweet. I have concluded that charm is an inborn attribute. One either possesses it naturally, from the cradle, as is the case with Miss Emeline and Anthony, or one lacks it altogether and no degree of instruction will enable one to acquire it.”

“Rubbish.”

“I fail to see why you are concerned with learning how to charm gentlemen,” Tobias said. “You contrive to do rather well without that skill.”

“I believe that is an insult, sir.”

“I did not mean it as such.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Perhaps I would enjoy charming certain gentlemen.”

“Me, for instance?” He smiled in a kindly fashion. “It is a pretty thought, but it is not necessary, my dear. I am content with you just the way you are.”

“Really, Tobias.”

“Yes, really. It is apparent to me that you and I have established an understanding of each other’s nature that goes beyond insincere platitudes and meaningless compliments.”

“You may be correct; nevertheless, it strikes me as an extraordinarily useful inquiry technique and I am strongly inclined to perform some experiments of my own before I abandon the whole notion.”

“I trust you will be cautious, madam. I am not at all certain that my nerves are strong enough to sustain the shock of a heady dose of charm delivered by you.”

She had had enough of his teasing. “Do not concern yourself, sir. I was not planning to waste any such hard-won skill on you. I suspect you would be utterly impervious to charm, in any event.”

“No doubt.” His voice softened to that low pitch that told her he was no longer teasing her. “Nevertheless, if you choose to conduct any experiments with charm, I must insist that you confine your researches to me.”

She caught a glimpse of something in his eyes that was both dangerous and exciting, but she was not certain what to make of it. There was an element of irony here, she thought. This was just the sort of situation where the ability to charm a gentleman would be quite useful.

“Why should I confine my experiments to you, sir?” she asked lightly.

“I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to put any other innocent gentlemen at risk.”

“You, sir, are no innocent.”

“It was a figure of speech.” His gaze went past her shoulder. “Speaking of one who knows the value of charm, here is Mrs. Dove.”

Lavinia was oddly disappointed that Joan had chosen this moment to seek her out in the crowded ballroom. These brisk verbal exchanges with Tobias never failed to invigorate her senses and infuse her with a certain pleasant heat.

Nevertheless, business called.

She collected herself and turned to greet the striking woman coming toward them.

Joan Dove was in her mid-forties, but her pale blond hair hid the telltale streaks of silver well. With her fine, classical features and her superb sense of style, she was frequently mistaken for a much younger woman. It was not until one drew close enough to notice the faint lines at the corners of her eyes and the worldly experience in her gaze that one got a hint of her true age.

Although she had been widowed for a full year, Joan still wore only gray and black in memory of her much-loved husband. While the gowns were limited in their colors and hues, they were inevitably in the first stare of fashion. Madam Francesca saw to that.

Tonight she was serenely elegant in silver satin trimmed with exquisite little black roses. The neckline was cut low to frame her fine shoulders and bosom. The skirts fell in perfect folds to her ankles.

“Ah, there you are, Lavinia. Tobias.” Joan smiled at both of them. “A pleasure to see you this evening. I collect that Emeline and Anthony are enjoying themselves on the dance floor.”

“Indeed.” Lavinia smiled with satisfaction. “This is another social coup for both of them, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your efforts to secure the invitations for us.”

“Think nothing of it. Now that I am getting out a bit more, it is in my own best interests to ensure that there will be people at these affairs with whom I can enjoy conversation. I consider you and Tobias to be not only good friends but colleagues as well.”

Lavinia caught Tobias’s eye. They exchanged glances of mutual understanding that needed no words. The thought of Joan as a colleague was unsettling.

It had been Joan’s suggestion that they should consult with her on difficult cases where her unusual connections might prove useful. Indeed, she was quite enthusiastic about what she viewed as her new hobby.

Although Joan had been their first important client and Lavinia would always be grateful to her, not only for the business but for introducing her to Madam Francesca, there was good reason to have some misgivings about the notion of taking her on as a consultant. On the positive side, however, she offered her services for free.

Joan was a mysterious woman with a shadowy past. One of the few things that Lavinia knew for certain about her was that, before his untimely death, her husband, Fielding Dove, had controlled a powerful criminal organization known as the Blue Chamber. At its zenith, the ring had possessed extensive legal and illegal business interests that reached beyond England all the way to the Continent.

The Chamber had supposedly disintegrated and collapsed following Dove’s death last year. But Tobias had picked up rumors in certain underworld quarters to the effect that many of the Chamber’s enterprises had not been destroyed after all. They were merely under new management.

And the most likely new proprietor in sight, as far as Lavinia and Tobias could determine, was Joan Dove.

Some questions, Lavinia thought, were better left unasked.

“I am happy to tell you that I have been quite busy with my researches on behalf of Lake and March this evening,” Joan said cheerfully.

The enthusiasm in her voice caught Lavinia’s attention and made her look at her friend more closely. This lightness of spirit was new. Perhaps Joan was, at long last, emerging from mourning.

“Lake and March,” Lavinia repeated thoughtfully. “I rather like the sound of that.”

“Personally, 1 do not care for it,” Tobias said. “If you must give our occasional partnership a formal designation, Joan, you may refer to the firm as March and Lake.”

“Rubbish,” Lavinia shot back. “Lake and March is far more appropriate.”

“I disagree,” Tobias said. “The senior partner always comes first.”

“Age is a consideration, of course, although I would not have been so rude as to call attention to yours. Nevertheless-”

“I was referring to being the senior in terms of experience in the profession,” Tobias muttered. “Not my years.”

Lavinia smiled sweetly and turned back to Joan with an inquiring expression. “Now, then, you were saying, madam?”

“Before I was so rudely interrupted by your little squabble about the proper name for your business relationship with Mr. March, do you mean?” Joan’s eyes glinted with a rare amusement. “Yes, well, I was about to tell you of some rumors that are circulating among certain members of the ton who take a keen interest in antiquities.”

Tobias put down his champagne glass and looked at Joan with acute interest. “You have my undivided attention, madam.”

“I knew it,” Lavinia said, excitement bubbling inside her. “Word of the missing Medusa has begun to move through high circles, has it not? That is precisely why I contacted you earlier today and asked for your assistance, Joan. With your social connections you are in an ideal position to learn this sort of information.”

“I am delighted to be able to consult on this matter.” Joan kept her eyes on the crowd and lowered her voice to a confidential tone. “What I discovered is that the news of the Blue Medusa has captured the interest of a certain collector, an extremely wealthy, powerful gentleman who has a reputation for obtaining whatever he sets out to possess.”

“How do you know he wants the Medusa bracelet?” Lavinia asked.

“Because he rarely deigns to appear at social affairs, even though he is on every hostess’s guest list.

The fact that he just walked into this ballroom is proof that he is after the bracelet. I cannot imagine anything else that would have brought him here.”

Lavinia followed Joan’s gaze and saw a man standing with a small group near a cluster of palms. He was well dressed, and he held himself with the cool arrogance and unmistakable assurance that came with rank and wealth. In that, he had a great deal in common with most of the other men in the room tonight. He should have been virtually indistinguishable from those around him. But he stood out in the crowd in some indefinable way, even though he was obviously making no effort to do so. If anything, given his quietly elegant appearance and manner, he was making every effort to be perceived as a part of the landscape.

Yet, Lavinia thought, her eye had gone straight to him. She had known at once which man Joan was watching. In a sea of colorful little fish, he was a poorly disguised shark.

Rather like Tobias, she thought uneasily. The realization made her take a swallow of champagne.

Physically, however, the two had little in common. For one thing, the stranger was older than Tobias-late forties, perhaps. For another, his hairline had receded in a dramatic fashion, drawing attention to a high forehead and a strong profile. He was also taller and more elegantly slender than Tobias.

“Who is he?” Lavinia asked.

“Lord Vale,” Joan said softly.

There was something in her voice that made Lavinia glance quickly at her. She was startled to see an expression of interest in her friend’s face. It occurred to her that she had never seen Joan regard any other man in that manner.

Joan found Vale intriguing.

“Bloody hell,” Tobias muttered. “Is Vale involved in this affair?”

“So it would seem,” Joan said. “What is more, I suspect that he is aware that you and Lavinia are investigating it. There simply is no other reason why he would be here tonight.”

“Damnation.” Tobias set down his unfinished champagne. “I could have done very nicely without this complication.”

Lavinia looked at him. “Why are you concerned about Vale?”

Tobias did not take his attention off the man on the other side of the room. “As Joan just told you, Vale is a collector with very discriminating tastes. He possesses the financial resources to satisfy those tastes. It is rumored that if money alone will not help him obtain what he chooses to acquire, he is willing to employ other means and methods.”

“He is the founder of a very exclusive club,” Joan said. “The members call themselves the Connoisseurs. Only those who collect the most exotic and unusual antiquities are invited to join. Vacancies occur rarely. When they do, a prospective new member must present a suitable relic for the club’s private collection in order to be considered for admission.” She paused. “There is an opening for a new member now, as it happens.”

Tobias glanced thoughtfully at Joan. “How do you know that?”

“Because the vacancy was created by my husband’s death a year ago. He was a member of the Connoisseurs for many years.”

“I wonder why Vale has not filled the opening in the club membership,” Tobias said.

“Perhaps no suitable candidate has applied,” Joan said. “Do not forget, the prospect must present not simply a very fine artifact but one that is considered unusual or extremely rare. It is not easy to find such a relic.”

Lavinia caught her breath. “The Medusa bracelet would almost certainly qualify as an acceptable membership artifact.”

“Indeed. The club’s museum is a very private collection, one that is never open to public viewing. I doubt that Vale or any of the members would be inclined to question the source of a relic provided that it was suitably exotic and rare.” Joan contemplated Vale. “Given his lordship’s appearance here tonight, I think we must assume that he has no intention of sitting back in hopes that some other collector will find the Blue Medusa and present it to the club’s museum. Vale plans to acquire it himself.”

Tobias glanced at her. “Do you know him well?”

Joan hesitated. “He was a guest in our home on occasion when my husband was alive. Fielding liked him. The two respected each other. But I cannot say that I know Vale well. I do not think anyone can make that claim.”

“No,” Tobias agreed. “Probably not.”

“Have you met him?” Joan asked.

“Crackenburne introduced us. But like you, I cannot claim a close acquaintance. We certainly do not move in the same circles.”

“Look, he has left his companions,” Lavinia said. “He’s coming toward us.”

“So he is,” Tobias said quietly. “You were right, Joan. He knows about Lavinia and me.”

They watched Vale glide smoothly around the edge of the dance floor, bestowing an almost imperceptible nod here and there, pausing once or twice to greet someone. But although his path appeared random, it was clear to Lavinia that he was working his way toward where the three of them stood in the alcove.

“He’ll no doubt attempt to interrogate both of you,” Joan warned. “He will be very polite about it, of course, but he is a very clever man. Be careful what you say if you wish to keep your secrets.”

Vale materialized out of the crowd at that moment and stopped in front of them. Lavinia studied him covertly and saw that there was another way in which he differed from Tobias in terms of physical appearance.

Vale had the haunting eyes of a romantic artist.

“Joan.” He bent gracefully over her gloved hand. “It is good to see that you are getting out into Society again. It has been too long.”

“Good evening, Vale.” She retrieved her hand with a smooth motion. “Do you know my friends? Mrs. Lake and Mr. March.”

“March.” Vale nodded once in Tobias’s direction and then he turned to Lavinia. “A pleasure, Mrs. Lake.”

When he took her hand she noticed the odd iron ring he wore. It was shaped like a small key. She tried for a truly charming smile and added a little curtsy for good measure.

“Lord Vale.”

He did not look particularly dazzled, she noticed. He merely bowed briefly over her hand and turned back to Joan.

“May I have the honor of a dance, madam?” he said.

Joan stiffened ever so slightly. The tiny hesitation was almost undetectable. If Lavinia had not been watching her she would have missed it altogether.

“Yes, of course,” Joan said, recovering quickly.

She flicked a puzzled glance back at Lavinia as Vale led her away.

Lavinia watched the pair move out onto the dance floor.

“Well, so much for being interrogated,” she said. “It appears that the only thing Vale had in mind was a dance.”

“Don’t be too certain of that. As Joan said, Vale is subtle.” Tobias clamped a hand under her arm. “Come, there is nothing more we can do at the moment and I find myself in need of some fresh air.”

“It is a bit stuffy in here, is it not?”

She allowed him to steer her toward the French doors that opened onto the terrace. They walked out into the cool of the spring night.

Tobias did not stop at the low rock wall. He kept going, drawing her with him down the stone steps into the lantern-lit garden.

They strolled along a path toward the darkened conservatory attached to the rear of the mansion. The windows of the large greenhouse glinted in the moonlight.

Lavinia pondered the surprise and uncertainty that she had seen in Joan’s eyes when Vale had led her out onto the floor. There were very few things that could fluster Joan, but Vale’s invitation to dance had come close to achieving that rare state.

“I wonder if perhaps you and Joan are both wrong about the reasons for Vale’s presence here tonight,” she said.

“What the devil makes you think we might be wrong?”

“It is simply that I gained the distinct impression that Vale’s goal was to dance with Joan, not to find out how our investigation was proceeding.”

“Vale is an expert at concealing his goals. Joan is equally skilled at the business, if you ask me.”

She blinked at the unmistakable thread of irritation in his voice. “You are annoyed.”

“No.”

“Yes, you are. I can sense it quite clearly. You are in an ill temper. What on earth is the matter? Are you irritated because Vale did not attempt to question us?”

“No.”

“Tobias, really, you are being very difficult.”

He came to a halt in front of the conservatory and opened the glass-paned door.

Lavinia hesitated when she saw that he intended to enter. “Do you think we should go inside?”

“If the owner had wanted no one to enter, he would have seen to it that the door was kept locked.”

“Well, I suppose-”

He tugged her gently into the humid atmosphere and shut the door. The heavy scents of rich earth and growing things teased her senses. There was enough moonlight streaming through the myriad windows to reveal the ranks of palms, ferns, and other plants arrayed in neat rows. She smiled as the pleasant warmth enveloped her.

“Isn’t this spectacular?” She surveyed the heavy foliage and started slowly down an aisle, pausing here and there to sample the fragrance of a flower. “I imagine that this is how it feels to stroll through a jungle. I trust we will not encounter any snakes or wild beasts.”

Tobias fell into step beside her. “I would not depend on that if I were you.”

“Your mood is not improving.” She stroked a long, glossy leaf.

“Do not get too close to that.” Tobias pulled her back from the plant. “I do not recognize the species and there is no point taking chances.”

She swung around, exasperated. “I have had quite enough of your surly mood. Tell me what is wrong, Tobias.”

He looked at her, eyes dark and brooding in the moonlight. “If you must know, when I watched Vale lead Joan out onto the floor, I was suddenly overtaken with an overpowering desire to ask you to dance.”

She could not have been more astonished if he had suddenly announced that he could fly.

“You wished to dance with me?”

“I don’t know what the bloody hell came over me.”

“I see.”

“I have never taken much interest in dancing,” he continued. “And with this damned leg of mine, that sort of exercise is entirely out of the question. I would make a complete fool of myself on the floor.”

In the distance she could hear the muted strains of the waltz emanating from the ballroom. A deliciously exhilarated sensation swirled through her. She smiled at him in the shadows.

“There is no one to see you make a fool of yourself in here,” she said softly.

“Except you.”

“Ah, but I am already well aware that you are not a fool, and there is nothing that you could say or do that would make you out to be one in my eyes.”

He looked at her for a long moment. Then, very deliberately, he reached for her and drew her into his arms.

And for the first time in their tumultuous acquaintance, they danced together.

His steps were awkward and careful, as if he was afraid he would accidentally step on her toes or topple her to the floor of the greenhouse. But that did not matter, she thought. What mattered was that there was music in the distance and moonlight glinted on his dark hair. What mattered was that the air around them was heavy with the exotic fragrances of flowers that had come from far-off climes. What mattered was that she was in his arms and that time was standing still for a precious little eternity.

It was a scene of metaphysical enchantment, a scene that could have come straight from the pages of one of her precious books of poetry.

Tobias moved with her in a slow, measured tread down the aisle of tropical plants. She rested her head against his broad shoulder. The waltz was faerie music. The moonlight was liquid silver. The lush foliage that surrounded them was a magical garden.

When they reached the small bower at the far end, he stopped and tightened his hold on her. He kissed the curve of her bare shoulder.

“Tobias.”

A delicious urgency swept through her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and raised her mouth to meet his.

His kiss left her breathless.

He eased the tiny sleeves of her gown down her arms, drawing the low-cut bodice to her waist. His powerful, competent hands cradled her breasts with astonishing tenderness. She felt his thumbs brush across her nipples and shivered in response.

He lowered himself onto the padded bower bench and pulled her down astride his thighs. His hands slid up her legs under the billowing satin folds of her gown. When he cupped her gently with his palm, her head fell back.

He slid one finger along her cleft, resting it against the small, tight nubbin at the top. She breathed deeply and moved against his hand.

He unfastened his trousers. She reached down and encircled him with her fingers. Her thumb glided across the broad, straining tip of his shaft.

He groaned with fierce pleasure.

“At times like this,” he muttered against her throat, “I cannot doubt your powers of mesmerism. You never fail to entrance me.”

“I may be a trained mesmerist, but you, sir, are nothing less than a sorcerer.”

The moonlight and the magic closed in around them.