She pursed her lips. "I suppose it would be best if he knew."
Devonsgate nodded miserably.
"Very well, then. If his lordship should ask, pray inform him that I have gone out."
The butler blinked. "Just...out, madam?"
She smiled. "Actually, inform him that I have gonecarousing. "
The butler choked. "My lady, did you say...carousing?"
"Yes. I am going out just as his lordship does only I shall seek out male companions."
The butler"s eyes could not open wider.
"Yes," she continued, warming to her subject as she tugged on her gloves. "I shall seek out the most unsuitable, most lecherous men in London. I will also gamble and drink and-" What else did one do while carousing? She supposed there were wild horse races in the dead of night and such, but she was not dressed for that. "I suppose that"s it."
"I should hope so!" Devonsgate burst out.
Fiona raised her brows.
The butler colored. "My lady,please. This cannot be safe. Let me send a note to his lordship-"
"You know where he is?"
"No, my lady. There are several places he likes to visit, most of themquite unsuitable for a lady of quality."
Excellent. Then that was where she would begin. "Does the coachman know these places?"
Devonsgate nodded miserably. "My lady, surely you do not mean to do this. Perhaps you would prefer a nice cup of tea or a-"
"No, thank you. I"m going to discover the late-night attractions of London, either with his lordship or without him. But feel free to inform him of what I am doing." She smiled. "And tell him that I expect to have an exciting time."
With a wave of her fingers, Fiona swept out of the house, down the steps, and into the waiting carriage.
"Are you playing, Kincaid, or sleeping?"
Jack looked up from his cards at the man across the table. "d.a.m.n you, de Laughsley. I"m playing."
"Then place your wager. You are holding up the game."
Lord Cane looked into his empty gla.s.s with an expression of profound disappointment, then sighed.
"This place has wretched service. Why do I come here when there are better establishments-"
"Place your wager, Kincaid," Lord Carlyse interrupted. His forehead glistened in the lamplight with the stress of play.
Jack noted the man"s pasty demeanor. Carlyse had been losing steadily for the past several hours and seemed more desperate by the moment.
Jack placed a card on the table. "I"m still playing." He met Carlyse"s gaze. "Are you?"
The man"s swallow was audible, but he nodded jerkily. "Of course."
"Then play!" Cane said, holding his gla.s.s aloft and hoping a footman would catch sight of his dilemma.
"Is this chair open?"
Jack looked up to see one of Fiona"s brothers standing beside Carlyse"s chair. "What are you doing here, Gregor?"
"Dougal and I came to see what mischief you might be in."
"How did you know where to find me?"
Dougal wandered from the crowd behind Gregor, and leaned an arm against the back of Cane"s chair.
"Hamish told us where you were."
"Do you mean to have me followed wherever I go?"
Gregor nodded. "That"s about it."
Dougal caught sight of Cane"s empty gla.s.s. "Brandy?"
Cane blinked in surprise. "Why, yes."
"I shall find a footman to bring us some. I"d fancy a gla.s.s myself."
"Good man!" De Laughsley pushed his empty gla.s.s forward as well.
Dougal looked across the room to find a footman. "There"s one." He cupped his hands about his mouth."Yaw!" The room went silent.
Jack winced.
Dougal plucked Cane"s empty gla.s.s from the older man"s hand and waved it toward the footman, who
stood, mouth agape, staring at Dougal. "Brandy!"
The footman gulped, bowed, and rushed forward. Talk resumed immediately.
"Well!" Cane said, brightening at his filled gla.s.s. "Thank you." He looked at Dougal with raised brows.
"Wh.o.a.re you?"
Dougal pulled an empty chair from a neighboring table and straddled it, crossing his arms over the chair
back. "Kincaid, why don"t you introduce us?" "Aye." Gregor bent down to Carlyse and said in a soft voice, "I believe you are done, my friend." Carlyse looked astonished. "Here! How can you say that?" Gregor flicked a careless finger at Carlyse"s cards. "You"ve no face cards at all, and only one eight. I"d say you were done for."
Carlyse choked. "You cannot just read my cards aloud like that!"
Gregor bent down until his face was even with Carlyse"s. "Why not?"
The lord blinked, then stood so quickly he knocked a small stack of coins to the floor. "Gentlemen, I
fear this gentleman may be right. I am finished. I should have stopped playing hours ago." He bowed.
"Good night." He turned on his heel and left the room. Gregor took Carlyse"s empty chair. "Perhaps I should introduce myself and my brother. I am Gregor MacLean and this is Dougal. We are Kincaid"s in-laws."
"And greatest pains in the a.s.s," Jack added, throwing his cards to the table.
Lord Cane chuckled. "I know what you mean. My wife"s brothers are forever haunting my house,
asking for loans, eating me out of house and home."
De Laughsley nodded. "It"s the worst part of marriage."
Jack agreed. As Gregor picked up the tossed cards and began to shuffle them, Jack said, "Gentlemen, I
believe I have spent long enough at this table."
"Oh?" Gregor"s gaze narrowed. "Going home, then?"
"Where you belong?" Dougal added. "With yourwife ?"
Cane and de Laughsley exchanged glances, then Cane cleared his throat. "Perhapswe should move to
another table?" One of Jack"s footmen came up to the table. "Lord Kincaid? You have a message from Devonsgate. He said to tell you it is urgent, my lord."
Jack took the note: My lord, Lady Kincaid announced she would be out this evening. When I asked where, she said she was going "carousing." That is a direct quote. Please advise. Devonsgate.
Jack stood, his chair hitting the floor.
How dare she?he fumed.G.o.d, what if something happens to her? What if- "Where are you going?" Gregor said, pushing back his own chair.
"To find my wife."
"Findher?" Dougal stood as well. "Where is she?"
"I don"t know," Jack said grimly. "But when I find her, I shall turn her over my knee and remind her whyI am the one who-"
Gregor"s brows snapped low. "You are the one who what?"
"None of your business." Jack pushed past his brother-in-law and headed for the door, his stride long and purposeful.
By G.o.d, he"d make certain Fiona never went "carousing" again.
Chapter Twelve.
"Tis a horrid thing, to possess a power greater than you are. This is the curse of the MacLeans, to be out of control when their emotions run high and their blood runs hot. "Tis a wicked curse, yet a smart one, for all that.
OLDWOMANNORA OFLOCHLOMOND.
TO HER THREE WEE GRANDDAUGHTERS ONE COLD NIGHT.
Fiona entered the Harringtons" house with antic.i.p.ation. Odd, she"d thought a gaming h.e.l.l would be more decadent. Situated in one of the best parts of town, the house was large and well appointed. The windows were large, the gla.s.s mullioned. The rugs were beautiful, thick, and of rich designs. Everything sparkled and gleamed.
People glanced her way, but no one seemed to think her out of place. A bit breathless at the taste of freedom, she walked into the main salon and brazenly met the gazes of several men who lounged about the doorway.
Jack would not look away from a beautiful woman, so why should she look away from a handsome man? If any of them approached her, she"d have someone to talk to, and who knew? She might even make a friend or two. She soon found herself speaking to several rather flirtatious but polite gentlemen, a gla.s.s of lovely wine pressed into one of her hands, with music playing softly in the background as she talked and laughed.
Fiona clutched her fan a bit tighter. The rooms were very crowded, but all in all, gaming h.e.l.ls were far less intimidating than she"d imagined.
She noted the tables scattered here and there, the sounds of cards and dice, voices and laughter. She should watch a game or two to learn how to play before joining in. After a half hour, she felt confident enough to play. To her delight, she soon had a small pile of winnings.
Her partners were three very different gentlemen. The first was Mr. Grantham, a pretentious braggart; only the amused contempt of her other partners made his presence bearable. The other two players were obviously gentlemen: Count d"Orsay, quite the handsomest man she"d ever met, and Lord Chessup, the youngest son of the earl of Stanwick.
After a while, Fiona tired of playing. She collected her winnings and made her excuses to her partners, who all begged her to stay that they might recoup their money. But the room had gotten hotter over the last hour, and she wished to stand by a window for some fresh, cool air.
A small orchestra had begun to play somewhere else in the house, and Fiona tapped her foot unconsciously as the orchestra played a lively Scottish reel.
A warm hand wrapped around her elbow, and Fiona turned to find a stranger holding her arm. He was tall, with black hair and vivid blue eyes. They weren"t as bright as Jack"s, or as deep in color, but the contrast with his hair was startling.
Fiona didn"t think him precisely handsome, though he was certainly striking and had presence.
"I"m sorry," she said, removing her elbow from his grasp. "Do I know you?"
Her companion smiled ruefully, his relaxed manner setting her instantly at ease. "I was going to say something witty, but I can see you don"t even remember me." He bowed. "My name is Alan Campbell. I know your brothers and your husband."