Seduction

FIFTEEN

Julian prowled his bedchamber restlessly, aware that his inability to sleep was a direct result of the knowledge that Sophy was not next door in her own room. Where she should be. He ran a hand through his already tousled hair and wondered exactly when and how he had arrived at a state of affairs in which he could no longer sleep properly if Sophy was not nearby.

He dropped into the chair he had commissioned from the younger Chippendale a few years ago when both he and the cabinetmaker had been much taken with the Neoclassic style. The chair was a reflection of the idealism of his youth, Julian thought in a rare moment of insight.

During that same era, which now seemed so far in the past, he had been known to argue the Greek and Latin classics until late at night, involve himself in the radical liberal politics of the Reform Whigs and even thought it quite necessary to put bullets in the shoulders of two men who had dared to impugn Elizabeth's honor.

Much had changed in the past few years, Julian thought. He rarely had time or inclination to argue the classics these days; he'd come to the conclusion that the Whigs, even the liberal ones, were no less corrupt than the Tories; and he had long since acknowledged that the notion of Elizabeth having any honor at all was quite laughable.

Absently he smoothed his hands over the beautifully worked mahogany arms of the chair. Part of him still responded to the pure, classic motifs of the design, he realized with a sense of surprise. Just as part of him had insisted on trying a few lines of poetry to go with the diamond bracelet and the herbal he had given Sophy. The verse had been rusty and awkward.

He had not written any poetry since Cambridge and the early days with Elizabeth and in all honesty he knew he'd never had a talent for it. After one or two tries he had impatiently crumpled the paper in his fist, tossing it aside in favor of the brief note he had finally written to accompany the gifts to Sophy.

But that was not the end of it, apparently. Tonight he had received further, disquieting evidence that some of his youthful idealism still survived even though he had done everything he could to crush it beneath the weight of a cynical, realistic view of the world. He could not deny that something in him had responded to Sophy's demand for proof that he respected her sense of honor.

Julian wondered if he should have agreed to let her spend the night with Fanny and Harriett. Not that he could have influenced her decision to do so, he reflected wryly. From the moment Sophy had received Guppy's message, she had been unswervable in her determination to go immediately to Fanny's bedside.

Julian had not argued the matter. He was genuinely worried about his aunt's condition. Fanny was eccentric, unpredictable, and occasionally outrageous, but Julian realized he was quite fond of her. Since the death of his elderly parents, she had been the only member of the Ravenwood clan he genuinely cared about.

After receiving the message, Sophy had delayed only long enough to change her clothes and wake her maid. Mary had bustled about, packing a few necessities while

Sophy had collected her medicine chest and her precious copy of Culpeper's herbal.

"1 am almost out of several herbs," she had fretted to Julian in the carriage that he had ordered to take her to Fanny's. "Perhaps one of the local apothecaries can provide me with some good quality chamomile and Turkish rhubarb. It is a shame that Old Bess is so far away. Her herbs are by far the most reliable."

At Fanny's they had been greeted at the door by a distraught Harriett. It was the sight of the normally placid Harriett in a state of anxiety that brought home to Julian how ill his aunt must be.

"Thank God you are here, Sophy. I have been so worried. I wanted to send for Doctor Higgs but Fanny won't hear of it. She says he is nothing but a charlatan and she will not allow him through the door of her room. I cannot blame her. The man loses more patients than he saves. But I did not know what else to do except send for you. I do hope you don't mind?"

"Of course I do not mind. I will go to her immediately, Harry." Sophy had bid Julian a hasty farewell and flown up the stairs, a footman hurrying behind her with her medicine chest.

Harriett turned back to Julian who was still standing in the hall. She looked at him anxiously. "Thank you for allowing her to come out like this at such a late hour."

"I could not have stopped her, even had I wished to do so," Julian said. "And you know I am fond of Fanny. I want her to have the best care and I rather agree with her about the doctor. The only remedies Higgs knows are bleeding and purging."

Harriett sighed. "I fear you are right. I have never had great faith in bleeding and believe me, poor Fanny does not need any further purging. She has already experienced quite enough of that sort of treatment because of this vile ailment she had contracted. Which leaves only Sophy and her herbs."

"Sophy is very good with her herbs," Julian said reassuringly. "I can personally testify to that. I have the healthiest, most robust staff in town this season."

Harriett smiled distractedly at the small attempt at humor. "Yes, I know. Our staff is getting along very well, too, thanks to her various recommendations. And my rheumatism is much more manageable since I began using Sophy's recipe for it. Whatever would we do without her now, my lord?"

The question brought Julian up short. "I don't know," he said.

Twenty minutes later Sophy had reappeared at the top of the stairs long enough to inform everyone that she believed Fanny's distress to be caused by bad fish at dinner and that it would take hours to treat her and monitor her progress. "I will definitely be staying overnight, Julian."

Knowing there was nothing else to be done, Julian had reluctantly returned home in the carriage.

The restlessness had set in almost as soon as he had dismissed Knapton and finished preparing to climb into a lonely bed.

He was wondering if he should go down to the library to find a dull book when he remembered the black ring. Between his concern over discovering Sophy in the gardens with Waycott and Fanny's illness, Julian realized he had temporarily forgotten the damned ring.

Daregate was right. It must be gotten rid of immediately. Julian determined to remove it from Sophy's small jewelry case at once. It made him uneasy even to think about it being in her possession. She was far too likely to give into the impulse to wear it again.

Julian picked up a candle and went through the connecting door. Sophy's bedchamber seemed empty and forlorn without her. The realization brought home to him just how accustomed he was now to having her in his life. Her absence from her bed was more than enough to make him curse all sellers of bad fish. If it were not for Fanny's illness, he would even now be making love to his stubborn, gentle, passionate, honorable wife.

Julian walked over to the dressing table and opened the lid of the jewelry case. He stood for a moment surveying Sophy's meager collection of jewelry. The only item of value in the case was the diamond bracelet he had given her. It was carefully placed in a position of honor on the red velvet lining.

She needed a pair of earrings to go with the bracelet, Julian decided.

Then his gaze fell on the black ring in the corner of the chest. It was resting on top of a small, folded slip of paper. The mere sight of the ring aroused a quiet anger in Julian. Sophy knew the ring had been given to her sister by a heartless rake who had no compunction about seducing the innocent. But even she could not know how dangerous the band of metal was or what it represented.

Julian reached into the case and picked up the ring. His fingers touched the folded paper underneath. Motivated by a new uneasiness, he picked it up also and unfolded it.

Three names were written on the paper: Utteridge, Varley, and Ormiston.

The embers of Julian's quiet anger leaped into the white hot flames of fury.

"Will she truly be all right?" Harriett stood by the side of Fanny's bed, anxiously studying her friend's pale face. After hours of spasmodic vomiting and intestinal pain, Fanny had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep.

"I believe so," Sophy said, mixing another pinch of herbs in a glass of water. "She has gotten rid of most of the noxious food that was in her stomach and as you can see, she is no longer in much pain. I will keep watch on her until morning. I am almost certain the crisis has passed but I cannot be completely sure yet."

"I will stay here with you."

"There is no need for you to do that, Harry. Pray get some sleep. You are as exhausted as Fanny is."

Harriett brushed that advice aside with a casual flick of her hand. "Nonsense. I could not possibly sleep knowing Fanny might still be in danger."

Sophy smiled in understanding. "You are a very good friend to her, Harry. Fanny is most fortunate to have you."

Harriett sat down in a bedside chair, absently adjusting her purple skirts. "No, no, Sophy. You have it backward. I am the one who is fortunate to have Fanny for my dearest friend. She is the joy of my life—the one person in the world to whom I can say anything, no matter how silly or wise. The one with whom I can share the smallest bit of gossip or the most monumental news. The one in whose presence I can cry or laugh or with whom I can occasionally indulge in a bit too much sherry."

Sophy sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the bed and studied Harriett with sudden understanding. "She is the one person on the face of the earth with whom you can be free."

Harriett smiled brilliantly for a moment. "Yes. Quite right. The one person with whom I can be free." She touched Fanny's limp hand as it lay on the embroidered counterpane.

Sophy's gaze followed the small gesture and she sensed the love implicit in it. A familiar sense of longing flared within her and she thought of her relationship with Julian. "You are very fortunate, Harry," she said softly. "I do not think there are many married people who share the bonds that you enjoy with Fanny."

"I know. It is sad but perhaps understandable. How could a man and a woman possibly understand each other the way Fanny and I do?" Harriett asked simply.

Sophy laced her fingers together in her lap. "Perhaps," she said slowly, "perhaps complete understanding is not necessary if there is genuine love and mutual respect and a willingness to be tolerant."

Harriett looked at her sharply and then asked gently. "Is that what you hope to find with Ravenwood, my dear?"

"Yes."

"I have said before, he is a good man as men go, but I do not know if he can give you what you want. Fanny and I watched helplessly at Elizabeth burned out most of the warm qualities in him that you seek to tap. Personally, I am not sure if any man is capable of giving a woman the things she truly needs."

Sophy's fingers clenched more tightly together. "He is my husband and I love him. I do not deny that he is arrogant and stubborn and exceedingly difficult at times, but he is, as you say, a good man, an honorable man. He takes his responsibilities seriously. I would never have married him if I had not been certain of that much. Indeed, at one time I thought never to marry at all."

Harriett nodded in companionable understanding. "Marriage is a very risky venture for a woman."

"Well, I have taken the risk. Somehow or other, I hope to find a way to make it work." Sophy smiled slightly as she recalled the scene between herself and Julian in the garden earlier that evening. "Just when I am convinced all is hopeless, Julian shows me a ray of light and I regain my enthusiasm for the venture."

Fanny stirred and opened her eyes sometime shortly after dawn. She glanced first at Harriett who was snoring softly in the nearest chair and smiled a weary smile of deep affection. Then she turned her head and saw Sophy, who was yawning hugely.

"I see I have been well attended by my guardian angels," Fanny remarked, sounding weak but otherwise much like her old self. "I'm afraid it has been a long night for both of you. My apologies."

Sophy chuckled, stood up and stretched. "I collect you are feeling much better now?"

"Infinitely better, although I vow I shall never eat cold turbot dressing again." Fanny levered herself up against the pillows and extended her hand to take one of Sophy's. "I cannot thank you enough for your kindness, my dear. Such an unpleasant sort of illness to have to deal with. I don't know why I could not have suffered from something more refined such as the vapors or an agitation of the nerves."

The soft snoring from the other chair halted abruptly. "You, my dear Fanny," Harriett announced as she came rapidly awake, "are not likely to ever suffer from the vapors or anything the least bit similar." She leaned forward to take her friend's hand. "How are you feeling my dear? You gave me quite a scare. Please do not do that again."

"I shall endeavor not to repeat the incident," Fanny promised.

Sophy saw the undisguised emotion in the expressions of the two women and felt a sense of wonder. The affection between Fanny and Harriett was beyond that of friendship, she realized with sudden insight. She decided it was time to take her leave. She was not certain she fully understood the close association between Julian's aunt and her companion, but she was definitely certain it was time to give them both some privacy.

She rose to her feet and began repacking her medicine chest.

"Would you mind very much if I asked your butler to have your carriage brought around?" she asked Fanny.

"My dear Sophy, you must have breakfast," Harriett said immediately. "You haven't had any sleep and you simply cannot leave this house without nourishment."

Sophy looked at the tall clock in the corner and shook her head. "If I hurry, I will be able to join Julian for breakfast."

Half an hour later Sophy walked into her own bedchamber, yawned again and decided that bed was infinitely more appealing than breakfast. She had never been so exhausted in her life. She sent Mary out of the room with assurances that she did not need any assistance and sat down at the dressing table. A night spent in a chair had not done much to improve her tendency toward dishevelment, she thought critically. Her hair was a disaster.

She reached for her silver backed brush and the glint of diamonds caught her eye. She frowned, startled to discover she had left the lid of her jewelry case open. She had been in a dreadful hurry last night. She must have accidentally forgotten to close the case after removing the diamond bracelet and placing it inside.

Sophy started to shut the lid and then realized with horror that the black ring and the slip of paper containing the three names were gone.

"Looking for these, Sophy?"

At the sound of Julian's cold question, Sophy leaped to her feet and whirled around to see Ravenwood standing in the open doorway between the bedchambers. He was dressed in breeches and his favorite pair of polished Hessians and he was holding the black metal ring in one hand. In the other he held a familiar-looking slip of paper.

Sophy stared first at the ring and then into Julian's gemlike eyes. Dread assailed her. "I do not understand, my lord. Why did you take the ring from my jewelry case?" Her words sounded brave and calm but their tone did not reflect the way she was feeling. Her knees went weak as she realized the significance of Julian's having found the list of names.

"Why I took the ring is a long story. Before we go into it, perhaps you will be good enough to tell me how Fanny is doing?"

Sophy swallowed. "Much recovered, my lord."

He nodded and walked into the room to seat himself in the chair near the window. He put the ring and the piece of paper down on the table beside him. Morning light reflected dully on the black metal.

"Excellent. You are a most accomplished nurse, madam. Now that particular matter is out of the way, there is nothing to distract you from telling me precisely what you are doing with this list of names."

Sophy sank back down onto the dressing table chair and folded her hands in her lap while she tried to think how to handle this unexpected turn of events. Her mind was fogged from the long, sleepless night. "I collect you are angry with me again, my lord?"

"Again?" His brows rose in their characteristic intimidating fashion. "You are implying, I suppose, that I spend a good portion of my time with you in that mood?"

"It seems that way, my lord," Sophy said unhappily. "Whenever I think we are making progress in our association, something arises to ruin everything."

"And whose fault is that, Sophy?"

"You cannot blame it all on me," she declared, knowing she was getting near the end of her tether. It was all too much. "I doubt if you will take this into consideration, but I would like to remind you that I have had a long, trying night. I have had virtually no sleep and really am not up to an inquisition. Do you think we might postpone this until after I have had a nap?"

"No, Sophy. We are not going to postpone this discussion another minute. But if it is any consolation to you, rest assured we face each other on equal terms. I, too, did not get much sleep last night. I spent most of the time trying to envision where and how you had got hold of this list and why you connected it to the ring. What the devil do you think you're doing? How much do you know about these men and what in bloody hell did you plan to do with the information you have on them?"

Sophy eyed him warily. Something in the way he had phrased his questions made her realize he knew as much if not more about the ring and the list than she did. "I have explained to you that the ring was given to my sister."

"I know that already. And the list of names?"

Sophy chewed on her lower lip. "If I tell you about the list I fear you are going to be even more angry than you already are, my lord."

"You do not have any choice. Where did you get the list of names?"

"From Charlotte Featherstone." There was no point denying any of it now. She had never been good at lying even when she was at her best and this morning she was simply too exhausted to make the attempt. Besides, it was obvious Julian already knew too much.

"Featherstone. Damnation. I ought to have guessed. Tell me, my dear, do you expect to have any reputation left at all once it becomes known that you are socializing with a member of the demimonde or do you simply not care that the gossips will have a carnival with you once this gets out?"

Sophy looked down at her hands. "I did not speak to her directly. A friend of mine sent her the message. Miss Featherstone responded most discreetly. She really is very pleasant, Julian. I think I would probably enjoy her as a friend."

"And she would no doubt find you extremely amusing," Julian said brutally. "An endless source of entertainment for someone as jaded as herself. What was the nature of the message you sent to her?"

"I wished to know if she had ever seen a ring such as that one and if so, who had worn it." Sophy met his gaze defiantly. "You must realize, my lord, that this was all business relating to the project I told you about."

"What project was that?" he demanded.

"On top of everything else, you do not even listen to me half the time, do you? I am referring to the project I said would keep me busy and out of your way. I informed you that I intended to pursue my own interests, remember? Do you recall my telling you that I was going to be exactly the sort of wife you wanted? That I would stay out of your way and not cause you any trouble? I promised you that after you made it clear you were not interested in my love and affection."

"Damn it, Sophy, I never said that. You deliberately misunderstood me."

"No, my lord, I did not misunderstand you."

Julian stilled a muttered oath. "You are not going to distract me now, by God. We will return to that issue later. At the moment I am interested only in what you learned of the ring."

"Through some investigations I did in Lady Fanny's library, I was able to discover that the ring was most likely one worn by members of a certain type of secret society."

"What type of secret society, Sophy?"

"I have the impression you already know the answer to that, my lord. It was a society whose members very probably preyed upon women. Once I had ascertained that much, I applied to Charlotte Featherstone for information about the men who might have been a part of that club. I assumed she moved in a circle of Society that might bring her into contact with that type of man. And I was right. She knew of three who had at one time or another worn the ring in her presence."

Julian's eyes narrowed. "God save us. You are trying to track down Amelia's lover, aren't you? I should have guessed. And what in hell did you think you would do with him once you found him?"

"Ruin him socially."

Julian looked blank. "I beg your pardon?"

Sophy shifted uneasily in her chair. "He is obviously one of the hunters you warned me about, Julian. One of the male members of the ton who preys on young women. Such men value their social status above all else, do they not? They are nothing without it because without it they lack access to the prey they seek. I intend to deprive whoever wore that ring of his social connections, if at all possible."

"Before God, I swear your audacity leaves me breathless. You do not have an inkling of the danger, do you? Not even the smallest notion of what you are dealing with. How can you be so knowledgeable about arcane matters such as your medicinal herbs and yet be so unbelievably stupid about affairs in which your reputation and even your life may be at stake?"

"Julian, there is no risk involved, I promise you." Sophy leaned forward earnestly, hoping to reason with him. "I am going about this in a cautious manner. My plan is to arrange to meet the three men on that list and question them."

"Question them. Dear God. Question them."

"Very subtly, of course."

"Of course." Julian shook his head in disbelief. "Sophy, allow me to inform you that your talent for subtlety and deliberate subterfuge is akin to that of my skill for embroidery. Furthermore, the three men on that list are out-and-out bastards—rakehells of the worst sort. They cheat at cards, seduce any woman who falls into their path, and have a sense of honor that is lower than that of a mongrel dog. In fact, it would be safe to say the dog's notion of honor would be infinitely more acceptable. And you thought to interrogate these three?"

"I intend to use deductive logic to determine which of them is guilty."

"Any one of the three would slice you to ribbons without a moment's hesitation. He would ruin you long before you could ruin him." Julian's voice was tight with fury.

Sophy's chin came up. "I do not see how he could do that as long as I am careful."

"Lord, give me strength," Julian said through his teeth. "I am dealing with a mad woman."

What was left of Sophy's self-control snapped. She leaped to her feet, her hand sweeping out to snatch the nearest hard object. Her fingers closed around the crystal swan on her dressing table.

"Damn you, Julian, I am not a mad woman. Elizabeth was a mad woman but I am not. I may be silly and stupid and naive in your view, but at least I am not mad. By God, my lord, I will force you to stop confusing me with your first wife if it is the last thing I accomplish on this earth."

She hurled the ornament at him with all her strength. Julian, who had started to rise at the beginning of her tirade, barely managed to dodge the small missile. It flew past his shoulder and crashed against the wall behind him. He ignored the impact and crossed the room in three long strides.

"Have no fear, madam," he said fiercely as he swept Sophy off her feet and into his arms. "I am in no danger of confusing you with Elizabeth. It would be a complete impossibility. You are, believe me, Sophy, totally and completely unique. You are a paradox in so many ways it defies description. And you are quite right. You are not mad. I am the one who is fast becoming a candidate for Bedlam."

He strode toward the bed and dumped her unceremoniously down onto the counterpane. As she bounced there, her hair tumbling free of its moorings, he sat down on the edge of the bed and began to yank off his boots.

Sophy was incensed. "What do you think you are doing?"

"What does it look like I am doing? I am seeking the only cure I can find for my affliction." He stood up and unfastened his breeches.

She gazed at him in shock as his heavy manhood sprang free. He was already fully, magnificently erect. Belatedly she gathered her confused senses and started to wriggle off the other side of the bed.

Julian reached over quite casually and wrapped one big hand around her wrist, effectively halting her retreat. "No, madam, you are not leaving just yet."

"You cannot mean to… to bed me now, Julian," Sophy said angrily. "We are in the midst of an argument."

"There is no point arguing with you further. You are beyond reason. And so am I, it seems. Therefore I think we shall try a different means of terminating this unpleasant discussion. If nothing else is achieved, I might at least obtain some temporary peace."