Wait Until Midnight

THIRTY-TWO

Shortly after eleven o'clock the following evening, Adam slipped out of the noisy, crowded ballroom. He went quickly along a servants' hall, taking a short cut through the big house to his library.

The music and the dull roar of voices faded slowly be-hind him. Julia had another resounding success on her hands, he thought. The fountains all worked, there had been no leaks and the ruins were extraordinarily realistic in their final form. The Roman villa theme would no doubt be imitated by every aspiring hostess in town.

But the most satisfactory aspect of the evening as far as he was concerned was Caroline. She glowed in an elegantly¬ draped garnet red gown. Tiny gold flowers glittered in her upswept hair.

It amused him that she had been an immediate success,

not because of her connection to his powerful family but because of her status as the author of The Mysterious Gentleman. A crowd had gathered around her the moment she entered the ballroom. It seemed that nearly everyone present wanted to know what dire fate she had in store for Edmund Drake.

He opened the door of the library and walked into the room.

"I got your message, Harold."

Harold Filby stopped his nervous pacing and spun around. Behind the lenses of his spectacles his eyes were uncharacteristically troubled.

"I am sorry to interrupt your evening, sir, but I got back to London a short time ago and came here immediately. I thought you should hear my news at once"

"Do not concern yourself with the interruption.^" Adam closed the library door and crossed the carpet. "I assure you, no one will miss me. Mrs. Fordyce is the main attraction in the ballroom tonight."

"I say." Harold peered at him more closely. "What happened to your eye, sir? Were you in an accident?^"

"It is a complicated tale. I will give it to you later."

Harold cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I'm afraid the information I have for you concerns Mrs. Fordyce. After I received your telegram, I set off for the village of Chilling-ham. It was not easy but I finally managed to discover the details of the scandal in which she was involved."

"Do you know, what with all that has been going on, I almost forgot that I had sent you off to investigate" Adam I leaned back against the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. "Well? What did you learn?"

"I regret to say that the events in question were not of an innocuous nature. We are talking about attempted murder, a madwoman, suicide, implications of an illicit love affair and a lady's reputation."

A chill tightened Adam's insides. "Trust Mrs. Fordyce not to do anything by half measures."

"There are a number of alarming facts but the most important one at the moment is that there was a gentleman involved."

"I assumed as much, given the general nature of scandals»

"No doubt. The rather disturbing bit is that the gentle-man's name is Ivybridge."

Adam went still. "I am acquainted with the man."

"Indeed, sir. But the more pressing matter is that he and his wife are in town at the moment. They are well-connected socially. Need I remind you that everyone who is anyone in Society is on Lady Southwood's guest list this evening?"

"Damn" Adam straightened and made for the door. "Ivybridge may be out there in the ballroom at this very moment. I've got to find Caroline before he does." 1)o not panic, Caroline thought. He didn't see you.

She hurried through a pair of French doors at the far end of the ballroom and escaped onto a small stone terrace. There was no one around. In the shadows at the far end she saw some artistically arrayed chunks of false stone veiled by a swath of blue velvet. The faint sound of gurgling water could be heard coming from behind a curtain tied back with a golden sash.

The drapery marked one of several such private re-treats that Julia had provided for her guests. They were scattered about the lantern-lit gardens and tucked away on side terraces such as this one. The secluded spaces had been designed for the use of couples or small groups desiring to escape the noise and activity of the brilliantly lit ballroom.

As Caroline had hoped, this particular bower had gone unnoticed here on this remote little terrace.

She ducked behind the swath of blue velvet drapery and found herself in a miniature replica of a Roman garden. A carved wooden bench and a small fountain decorated the setting.

She collapsed onto the bench and allowed herself to breathe again. She was safe for the moment. Luckily she had spotted Ivybridge just as he walked into the ballroom with his wife. He had no reason to search for her in the crowd, she reminded herself. Even if he heard people discussing the fact that Mrs. Fordyce, the author, was present tonight, he could not possibly connect the name to her. She had invented her pen name after the events in Chillingham.

Emma and Milly had vanished into the card room an hour ago. She would have to find a way to alert them to Ivybridge's presence so that they could all slip away from the ball before he accidentally happened across any of them.

As an afterthought, she untied the gold sash to release the blue velvet curtain. The drapery closed, concealing her completely. If anyone chanced to discover this little retreat, they would assume that it was occupied and go elsewhere. She forced herself to concentrate. What she needed now was a plan. She must send a message to Emma and Milly via one of the footmen, instructing them to sneak out through a side door. Then she would have to get word to Adam informing him that she had been forced to leave the ball early. She would explain everything to him tomorrow. Footsteps rang softly on the terrace, interrupting her thoughts. Alarmed, she tried not to move or breathe. Had Ivybridge noticed her and followed her?

"I trust you are not so worn out from dancing that you are unable to waltz with me, Mrs. Fordyce." Adam pulled aside the blue velvet drapery. He was smiling slightly but his eyes were unreadable in the dim light. "I realize that you are much in demand this evening, but we are very good friends, after all."

"Adam." Relief mingled with the anxiety that was making her pulse race. She leaped to her feet. "Thank goodness you are here. There is a disastrous scandal brewing."

"Another one? They are mounting up so rapidly, I confess I am in danger of losing track of all of them."

"This one will cause all of the others to pale into in-significance. You must trust me when I tell you that it is imperative that I find Emma and Milly at once. The three of us must arrange to leave this house as secretly as possible."

"It sounds as though another startling incident has occurred" He shook his head a little, bemused. "I vow, my life has become a sensation novel since meeting you"

"This is no occasion for humor, sir, I assure you." She realized that in her agitation, she was waving her folded fan in a haphazard manner. Embarrassed, she forced herself to still her movements. "I should have told you the en-tire story before now but we have been so occupied with murder and mediums and such that I never got around to the details of the disaster in Chillingham."

"No, I don't believe you did."

"It was quite dreadful, Adam. Truly. And a certain per-son who was the cause of it all is here in this very house. I just saw him. If he happens to see me or my aunts, the scandal in which we are presently involved will become a thousand times worse."

"We are discussing Ivybridge, I assume?^"

She froze. "You know about Ivybridge?"

"I am not in possession of the full particulars of the situation, but I am aware that he was the gentleman who ruined your reputation when you were known as Miss Connor."

"Good heavens. This is amazing. How on earth did you learn that?"

"It wasn't easy, especially given the fact that you deliberately misled me with the mention of Bath"

Guilt assailed her. "Oh, yes, I forgot about that part. I beg your pardon, but at the time I did not want to risk providing you with too many clues in the event that you were not entirely, uh—"

"Not entirely to be trusted?"

She flushed. "I did not know you very well a few days ago, and I had to be cautious."

"I understand.^" He inclined his head. "One cannot be too careful when one is attempting to conceal the past. I have had some experience with that sort of thing myself, if you will recall."

"Yes, of course. I was just concocting a scheme that would allow my aunts and me to sneak out of the house. Given your own expertise in such matters, you could be of great assistance."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking in terms of departing through the servants' hall."

"How odd. I was thinking in terms of a waltz."

She glared. "Have you been drinking heavily tonight, Adam?"

"Not yet. But given the manner in which events are progressing, I would not be surprised to find myself resorting to some restoratives before the night is over."

"I fail to comprehend why you insist upon making light of this extremely serious situation. I promise you, if Emma, Milly and I do not manage to escape without being seen by Ivybridge, you and your family will be embroiled in a scandal far worse than anything that you can imagine."

He unfolded his arms and touched his fingertips to her lips, silencing her.

"First, we waltz," he said.

He took her arm and drew her out of the imitation Roman garden.

"Adam, wait, you do not seem to comprehend—"

"If you continue to glare at me like that, everyone will believe that we are quarreling," he said, guiding her back to the ballroom. "Think of the gossip that would cause."

Mesmerized with dread, she offered no further resistance. She had done what she could, she told herself. She bad tried to warn him. His fate was now in his own hands.

When they reached the dance floor, she felt Adam's, strong and sure, go around her waist. The next thing she knew she was gliding across the room in time to the intoxicating strains of a waltz.

It should have been a dream, she thought. The setting was so very romantic. Adam was disturbingly sensual and dangerously intriguing in his formal black-and-white evening wear. He radiated an aura of masculine power and control that made her intensely conscious of her own femininity.

But in reality it was all a nightmare. Heads were turning everywhere in the room. People had noticed that the mysterious ¬Mr. Hardesty had taken the floor with his very good friend, the author. It was only a matter of time before Ivy-budge spotted her.

When the confrontation occurred, it happened so swiftly and with such military precision that Caroline knew Adam had planned it right down to the last detail.

He swept her to a halt directly in front of a startled Ivy-bridge. The latter stared openmouthed at Caroline as though a spirit had materialized before him.

"Ivybridge,^" Adam said with deceptive ease. "Thought I saw you earlier."

Ivybridge swallowed hard and tore his shocked gaze away from Caroline. "Hardesty." He appeared momentarily distracted by Adam's face. "I say, did you walk into a door, sir?"

"Nothing quite that simple." Adam's smile could have frozen the fires of hell. He glanced at Caroline. "My dear, allow me to present Mr. Ivybridge. The family has some property in a little village called Chillingham, I believe. You may have heard of it. Quite near Bath. Ivybridge, this is my very good friend, Mrs. Fordyce. She is an author who crafts the most astonishing sensation novels. You have no doubt heard of her."

Caroline watched Ivybridge's eyes tighten at the corners. "Mr. Ivybridge," she said, trying for the same cold, aloof tone that Adam had used.

It was obvious that Ivybridge had been blindsided by the introduction. Uncertain how to respond, he took the safe way out and acknowledged Caroline with a curt inclination of his head.

"Mrs. Fordyce," he mumbled.

"Come, my dear, we must be off." Adam tightened his grip on her arm. "I believe I see my sister at the door of the buffet room. She seems to be signaling us."

He whisked her away through the crowd so quickly that neither she nor Ivybridge was obliged to make their farewells.

"What on earth did you hope to accomplish with that maneuver?" she whispered to Adam.

"When I engage the enemy, I prefer to do so on grounds of my own choosing, not his."

"Another one of your rules?"

"Yes."

"Adam, I don't know what you're planning but I am very worried," she said, her anxiety growing with every passing second. "You do not know the enormity of the scandal that hangs over my head"

"I'm sure I shall find out soon enough. Events always happen quite rapidly in a sensation novel, I have discovered. One never gets bored."

He brought her to a stop in front of Julia, who stood with a small group of guests.

"There you are, Adam" Julia beamed at Caroline. "The two of you made such an attractive couple on the dance floor."

"I am going to leave Caroline with you for a while, if you don't mind," Adam said. "I have some business to at-tend to in the library."

"Business? Tonight?" Julia gave him a reproachful look. "Really, Adam, surely you could put it off until tomorrow."

"I'm afraid this is an extremely pressing matter." He raised Caroline's hand to his mouth and kissed it lightly. "See to it that Wilson dances with my very good friend, will you?"

Julia seemed to comprehend immediately that some-thing was amiss. She did not question him further.

"I'm sure Uncle Wilson will be delighted to dance with her."

Caroline cleared her throat. "I appreciate your consideration, but I am not actually in a mood to dance at the moment."

"Pity." Wilson materialized at her side. "I was so looking forward to a waltz. I hope you will relent."

"But—"

It was too late. He had already taken her arm and was guiding her back through the crowd to the dance floor.

"I do not know what the three of you think that you are doing," she said in low tones as Wilson put his arm very formally around her waist. "But I can promise you that you are only making matters worse."

"I admit I have no notion of what is going on and I can see that Julia does not, either," Wilson said, unperturbed. "But Adam is obviously in command of the situation"

"He certainly appears to think he is. The problem is that he doesn't know what is going on, either, at least not all of it." She realized that she was becoming breathless trying to keep up with Wilson's surprisingly energetic dancing. "I assure you, there is another great scandal brewing"

"Indeed? It will be interesting to see if it can top the current one."

"But Adam told me that he has a rule against becoming involved in public sensations."

"Adam has a long list of rules," Wilson said. "But evidently he has not told you about the most important one of all."

"What is that?"

"Why, that there is an exception to every rule." THIRTY-THREE

"Regret to be the messenger who brings the bad news, old chap," Ivybridge said. He settled comfortably into one of the leather-upholstered wingback chairs and gave Adam a man-to-man look. "But we are members of the same club and all that sort of thing. It would be remiss of me not to pass along a word or two of advice concerning your association with the woman who calls herself Mrs. Fordyce."

Adam leaned back in his chair and contemplated his visitor. When he had returned to the library, he had sent Filby away to another room along with a bottle of claret and some sandwiches ordered up from the buffet. Then he had sat down to wait for Ivybridge. His intuition had told him he would not be obliged to wait long. He had been right.

"You know the traditional fate of the messenger," Adam said without inflection.

Ivybridge blinked, frowning a little at that. Then he relaxed into a chuckle. "You'll thank me for this news, Hardesty."

"Will I?"

"Indeed. No man likes to be cast in the role of fool."

"I can see you are very eager to impart your gossip."

"It's not gossip, sir. What I am about to tell you are facts. For starters, the lady's name isn't Mrs. Fordyce", Ivybridge glanced expectantly at the brandy decanter. "Caroline Connor is her real name. I suspect she invented the alias of Mrs. Fordyce to conceal her past"

Adam ignored the unsubtle hint concerning the brandy. He had no intention of serving his excellent spirits to the likes of Ivybridge.

"I assume you are going to tell me why she would wish to hide certain facts," he said.

"I will not bore you with all of the details but I can as-sure you that Miss Connor was involved in a great scandal that left her reputation entirely in ruins."

"I see."

"I must say, I am astonished to learn that she somehow managed to resurrect herself under a new name. But then she did strike me as a rather clever woman"

Adam steepled his fingers. "I have found her to be very intelligent and resourceful."

"Well, those are necessary qualities in a successful adventuress, are they not?" Ivybridge laughed. "I admit that she is an interesting creature, assuming one is in the mood for a taste of something out of the ordinary. But hardly a model of proper female behavior, eh?"

Adam pondered the various methods he could employ to dispatch Ivybridge. Unfortunately, most of them involved creating a considerable mess on the carpet.

"Not your sort?" he said instead.

"Alas, I fear that given the unfortunate circumstances in Chillingham, she has become a woman whose reputation is such that no gentleman would even think of introducing her to his family" Ivybridge winked knowingly. "I'm sure you take my meaning."

"I do, indeed," Adam said. He allowed himself to con-template briefly the temptations offered by the extremely sharp point of the silver letter opener. "I suggest we return to the subject of dead messengers."

Ivybridge scowled in confusion. "Beg your pardon?"

The door crashed open without warning and with such force that it banged against the wall. Caroline swept into the room, jewel-red skirts flaring out behind her. Wilson followed in her wake. He appeared highly amused.

"My dear." Adam got to his feet. "What an unexpected pleasure."

She ignored him. "There you are, Ivybridge" She came to a halt in the center of the carpet. "I saw you leave the ballroom and I knew exactly what you intended. You could not wait to give Mr. Hardesty your version of the events in Chillingham, could you?"

Ivybridge surveyed her with a derisive glance, not bothering to rise. Then he looked at Adam. "As I was saying, hardly a model of womanly behavior."

Adam paid no attention to the remark. "Please be seated, my dear"

Either she did not hear him or else she was not of a mind to sit down. She continued to fix Ivybridge with a glare that was a mix of fury and disdain.

Adam looked at Wilson.

"Sorry," Wilson said cheerfully, not looking the least bit regretful. "Couldn't stop her. Once she realized that

Ivybridge had left the ballroom, she was off like a hound after a fox."

He should have known better, Adam thought. Wilson was enjoying himself enormously. So much for maintaining control over the situation.

He walked deliberately around to the front of the desk and propped himself against it. Bracing his hands on either side of his thighs, he studied his small audience.

"I will admit that I am quite curious about the events that took place in Chillingham," he said mildly.

"They caused a great deal of nasty gossip, I can tell you that," Ivybridge said darkly.

Caroline whirled to face Adam. "I will tell you exactly what happened."

The door opened again before she could continue. Julia and Richard walked into the room.

"Lady Southwood." Ivybridge sprang to his feet with a great show of deference and bowed deeply to Julia. "Madam, might I suggest that you take your leave? I'm sure you will not want to listen to this extremely unpleasant conversation. Your delicate female nerves—"

"Do not concern yourself with my nerves, Mr. Ivy-bridge," Julia said coldly.

"I assure you, my wife has very steady nerves, Ivy-bridge." Richard raised a brow at Adam. "What the devil is going on here?"

"Caroline was just about to tell us the details of a great scandal in which she was involved three years ago," Adam said.

"How thrilling." Julia took a seat and assumed an attentive expression.

"Nothing like a good scandal," Richard agreed. He took up a position near the mantel.

The door was flung open yet again. This time Emma and Milly stormed into the library. Their expressions changed from anxious alarm to outrage when they caught sight of Ivybridge

"What is that bastard doing here?" Milly asked.

"Such language." Ivybridge looked deeply pained. "I did try to warn you, Hardesty." He settled himself back into his chair. "The entire family lacks any sense of propriety."

Emma looked at him with utter loathing. "You have come here to try to ruin Caroline again, haven't you?"

"Mrs. Fordyce was just about to tell us the entire tale." Richard gave Caroline an inviting look. "Please continue."

Ivybridge's mouth thinned with annoyance. "I do not know what you hope to gain by embarrassing yourself in this extraordinary fashion, Miss Connor. You will only make things worse."

Julia was immediately intrigued. "Is that your real name? Connor?"

"Yes," Caroline said.

"Go on," Adam said to Caroline.

"I shall try to keep my version of events as brief as possible," she said. "Mr. Ivybridge has a large estate outside the village. His family has held land in the neighborhood for some time."

"Six generations, to be exact," Ivybridge said with the arrogance of a man who knows that he occupies one of the higher rungs of the social ladder.

"Three years ago Ivybridge decided to marry," Caroline continued. "It was no secret in the village that his goal was to find a wife who could bring him some additional property in the vicinity of Chillingham. So he hunted for a wife among the local gentry. For a brief time, he paid court to Miss Aurora Kent, the daughter of another well-established

family in the area. But for reasons of his own, he chose not to make an offer."

Ivybridge tut-tutted. "Family finances proved not to be as represented,^" he explained in a confidential tone to Wilson and Adam.

"In other words, the lady's inheritance was not rich enough to suit you," Caroline said icily. "You withdrew from that quarter and fixed your interests in a different direction."

"My lovely Helen," Ivybridge agreed, his satisfaction plain. "It proved to be an excellent match."

"She was not only quite pretty, she came with a hand-some property that bordered the Ivybridge estate," Caroline said. "But there was a small problem with Miss Aurora Kent, who did not take kindly to being cast aside."

Ivybridge grimaced. "My change of plans evidently affected the lady's nerves in a rather peculiar fashion. She began acting decidedly odd. Actually showed up at my house on two occasions, unescorted during both instances, I might add. Demanded to know whom I had chosen to take her place. There was a dreadful scene in the course of the second visit. Threats were made"

Adam's stomach clenched. "Aurora Kent was mentally unbalanced?"

"Afraid so." Ivybridge shuddered. "I had a very close call, I can tell you. When I think of how close I came to marrying that woman, well, it still sends shivers through me."

"Ivybridge perceived, quite rightly, that Aurora Kent was not entirely sane," Caroline said. "When he withdrew his offer, she became a woman obsessed. He concluded that it would be most unwise to give her the name of his real intended"

"I feared she might do some harm to Helen," Ivy-bridge said, once again looking to the men in the room for understanding and approval. "Obviously I had a duty to protect my future wife from a madwoman."

^"So he gave Aurora Kent my name instead" Caroline's gloved hands tightened into small fists at her side. "He told that poor, demented woman that he intended to marry me. And he never even had the courtesy to let me know what he had done."

Ivybridge's face pinched in rage. "How dare you accuse me of putting you in harm's way?"

"That is precisely what you did," Caroline said. "You wanted revenge"

"Nonsense," Ivybridge said swiftly. "You are inventing more fiction here."

Caroline's gaze was unwavering. "You were infuriated because I had repulsed your lecherous advances. When you saw an opportunity to punish me for turning down your despicable offer to make me your mistress, you seized upon it."

"How dare you accuse me of making unwanted advances?" Ivybridge glanced nervously at Adam and then just as quickly looked away. "You invited my attentions with your unconventional behavior. Always wandering about the countryside on your own without a respectable chaperone—what did you expect a gentleman to think?"

All of the oxygen seemed to have been sucked out of Adam's lungs. He dared not move. He knew that if he did not control himself utterly at this moment, he would surely kill Ivybridge.

"It is true that I was in the habit of going off on long walks to think through my plots and ideas," Caroline said. Her mouth tightened. "Things are different in the country. Manners are more relaxed. No one in the village took any notice of me except you. And you were furious that day when I refused your advances. Later, when Aurora Kent showed signs of becoming quite dangerous, you pointed her in my direction."

"What happened?" Julia asked.

"Aurora followed me one afternoon," Caroline said. "I swear, she stalked me as if she was a hunter and I was the quarry."

"Dear heaven," Julia whispered.

Ivybridge rolled his eyes. "Such a melodramatic imagination. No wonder Miss Connor became a sensation novelist."

Caroline looked at Adam. "Aurora came upon me while I was sitting beneath a tree, making some notes. I saw at once that something was terribly wrong. She was dressed in only a nightgown and a pair of shoes. I spoke to her, asking her if she was ill. She did not seem to hear my question. She just kept repeating the same words over and over again."

Adam could not abide the cloudy veil of old terror gathering in her eyes. He straightened and crossed to where she stood in the center of the room. He put his hands gently on her bare shoulders.

No one moved or spoke. Even Ivybridge seemed suddenly bespelled.

"What did she say?" Adam asked Caroline, speaking to her as if they were alone.

"She said, You have to go away. Don't you see? He will come back to me if you go away."

When she repeated Aurora's words, her voice changed subtly, sliding into an eerie singsong. She was falling back into the memory, he realized, reliving a nightmare. Beneath his hands, her skin had gone cold. He could feel the shivers arcing through her. Very carefully, he tightened his fingers, forcing her to take notice of him.

"What happened next?" he asked into the crystalline silence.

Caroline watched him as if she were trapped in a whirlpool and he held the rope that she could use to pull her-self to safety. "She had been clutching a carving knife be-hind her back. She brought it out, raised it high and rushed at me. She tried to kill me, Adam"

He pulled her close against him, wrapped his arms around her and tried to warm her with the heat of his own body.

"You lived," he said into her ear, rocking her gently. "You lived. You are all right, Caroline. It is over."

"I turned to run," she whispered into his coat. "But my skirts got tangled around my ankles, tripping me. I fell. She was right there, almost on top of me. She went for my throat with the blade of the knife. I managed to roll to the side and scramble to my feet. I ran."

"Caroline" Emma started forward, one arm outstretched.

Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw Milly wrap her hand around Emma's shoulders, silently halting her.

Ivybridge gave another disgusted snort. "For the information of everyone present, no knife was ever found. I fear it was but another figment of Miss Connor's overheated imagination."

"I picked up my skirts and fled toward the river," Caroline said numbly. "She was right behind me every step of the way. So close. I knew that I could not outpace her for long in my heavy dress. I reached the river and started across the footbridge. But she was almost upon me"

Caroline was as tense as though she were still in the act of fleeing for her life, Adam thought.

"What in God's name did you do?" he asked tightly.

"I finally remembered my parasol. It was attached to my waist by the new chatelaine that Aunt Emma and Aunt Milly had given me for my birthday. I unsnapped it and stopped on the bridge. I used the parasol as though it were a long sword, stabbing toward Aurora's face. She fell back, instinctively trying to protect her eyes, I suppose. But she was off balance. The back of her knee struck the low railing of the footbridge. She went over the edge and into the river. The water was very deep. She could not swim."

"She drowned?" Adam asked.

Ivybridge snorted. "Nothing so neat and tidy. It happens that, among her other unladylike accomplishments, Miss Connor is an excellent swimmer. She stripped down to her chemise without a thought to propriety, went into the water and dragged the wretched Miss Kent to safety. Both women were discovered, soaking wet and dressed in their lingerie, by one of the tenants on my estate. A shocking sight, I as-sure you. The gossip did not die down for months."

"What happened to Aurora Kent?" Richard asked. "I trust she was sent to an asylum?"

Caroline raised her head from Adam's shoulder. "She took her own life later that same afternoon."

"Used her father's pistol to accomplish what the river had failed to do," Ivybridge said offhandedly. "Rendering Miss Connor's ridiculous rescue entirely moot."

"What happened to the knife?" Adam asked.

"Aurora Kent had it in her hand when she fell into the river," Caroline whispered. "She dropped it in the deep water beneath the footbridge. I suppose it is still there in the mud on the bottom."

"It was all a great uproar, I assure you" Ivybridge said. "Just to top it off, there were rumors to the effect that Miss Connor and I had been involved in an illicit affair. What with one thing and another, Miss Connor's reputation was in tatters."

Richard took his hand off the mantel and bowed respectfully to Caroline. "I stand in awe of your heroic nature, Miss Connor."

Julia got to her feet. "As do I, Caroline. Indeed, I am greatly moved by this sad tale. In my opinion, Ivybridge's actions lack any semblance of honor or nobility."

Ivybridge was thunderstruck. "I beg your pardon, madam. I am a gentleman."

"I agree entirely with my wife," Richard said. He looked at Ivybridge. "You, sir, are no gentleman."

"I never did like you, Ivybridge," Wilson said. "Please find your wife in the ballroom and leave immediately. You are no longer welcome as a guest in this household."

Ivybridge's face scrunched up first in disbelief and then in growing alarm. Adam could see that it had finally dawned on him that his role in the episode in Chillingham was not viewed with approval by anyone present.

"Now, see here" Ivybridge lurched to his feet. "I was at-tempting to do you a favor, Hardesty. If you wish to offend Society by forming a very public liaison with a woman who was involved in a great scandal, that is your affair."

"You're right." Adam released Caroline and started across the room toward Ivybridge. "It is my affair. And there is another aspect of this situation that you would do well to bear in mind."

Ivybridge gripped the back of the chair. "What do you mean?"

"Miss Connor is not only a very close friend, but I am hoping that in due time she will consider accepting a proposal of marriage from me."

Ivybridge's heavy jaw dropped. Adam heard Caroline utter a tiny squeak of astonishment. It amused him that no one else in the room seemed the least bit amazed by his announcement.

He halted in front of Ivybridge. "I'm sure you can guess how extremely annoyed I would be if Miss Connor were to be embarrassed in any way by gossip concerning the events in Chillingham."

"How dare you threaten me, sir?" Ivybridge blurted.

"1 would be so annoyed, in fact, that I would not hesitate to disclose your investment in a certain establishment in Marbury Street to every intrepid newspaper correspondent in town."

Shock glazed Ivybridge's face. "I have no notion of what you are talking about."

"It is one thing for a gentleman to purchase some discreet entertainment at a brothel, but it is another thing altogether for him to invest in one, isn't it? Imagine how that will appear to your friends when they read it in the press."

"See here, I don't know what you are implying but I can assure you that you cannot prove anything."

Adam spread his hands. "That is the amazing thing about a newspaper sensation, isn't it? Great damage can be done to a gentleman's reputation and his standing in Society without going to the bother of supplying hard facts or proof of any kind." He paused. "But if it eases your mind, rest assured, I shall be able to provide the correspondents with a quantity of evidence"

"I have no intention of discussing Miss Connor's past," Ivybridge said, clearly shaken. "But what about my wife? She will surely recognize her."

"I strongly suggest that she does not recognize her," Adam said. "If any rumors, even the merest hint of Mrs.

Fordyce's connection to the events in Chillingham of three years ago, happen to reach my ears, I will assume that they originated with you, Ivybridge, and respond accordingly."

"You can hardly blame me if someone else recognizes Miss Connor and relates the gossip."

"On the contrary, I won't hesitate to blame you. Not for a moment. I'm sure you can persuade your wife of the wisdom of not spreading gossip over tea." Adam glanced at the tall clock. "You have five minutes to collect her and de-part this house"

Dazed, Ivybridge staggered to the door, jerked it open and rushed out into the hall.

A short silence fell upon the small group left in the library.

Milly shattered it by whipping open her fan. She gave Adam an approving smile.

"That was the most entertaining sight that I have seen in ages, sir," she said. "Thank you for rounding off a most enjoyable evening with such a pleasant farce."

Emma took a step forward and halted. "Do you really have damaging information concerning Ivybridge's investment in a brothel?"

It was Wilson who answered. He chuckled. "You may depend upon it, madam. Adam knows everyone's secrets in Society."

"I certainly don't regret cutting him off our guest list," Richard said. He took Julia's arm and went toward the door. "He was on it only because his father and mine were old acquaintances. But as it happens, both of those gentle-men are dead. I see no need to pursue the connection, do you, my dear?"

"Not at all," Julia said.

"Come, we must return to our guests." Richard paused at the door and grinned at Adam. "By the way, allow me to wish you good luck with your wedding plans, Hardesty. About time you tied the knot. You're not getting any younger, you know."

Adam inclined his head. "Thank you for pointing out my advancing years, Southwood."

"Think nothing of it. Felt it was my responsibility as your brother-in-law." He whisked a laughing Julia out the door.

"Let me echo Southwood's sentiments on the subject of your marriage plans, Adam." Wilson gave Caroline a gratified smile. "Excellent choice of bride, I might add. She'll fit right into the family."

Milly fanned herself happily. "This is so romantic"

Emma's brows came together in a severe line. "Are you serious in your intentions toward my niece, Mr. Hardesty? Or was the subject of marriage mentioned solely to intimidate Ivybridge?"

"Of course he is serious." Wilson took Emma's arm in one hand, grasped Milly's in the other and headed toward the door. "Adam has rules when it comes to dealing with a lady. Trust me, he would not have mentioned the subject of marriage unless he was very serious indeed"

The threesome disappeared through the doorway. Adam found himself alone with Caroline.

"Adam."

She ran to him and threw herself into his arms, holding him so tightly that he hoped she would never let go. He put his arms around her, savoring the vibrant, feminine warmth and feel of her.

"I cannot believe what you and your family just did," she whispered.

He smiled into her hair. She did not know the half of it,

he thought. The mild threats that had sent Ivybridge running from the room were the least of it. Over the course of the next few months the real justice would be delivered. Ivybridge would slowly but surely discover that he was no longer on the guest lists of some of Society's most important hostesses. He would be left out of certain private in-vestment consortiums. He would no longer be welcome in certain clubs. In the end he would pay, and pay dearly, for what he had done to Caroline. But there was no need to burden her with the details.

"It was little enough, given what he put you through," he said aloud.

"I appreciate your feelings." She raised her head and stepped back reluctantly. "Unfortunately, in your desire to quell Ivybridge, I fear that you took matters a step too far."

"Damn. I find it so annoying when that happens."