"Attemptingto avoidleaving via the ballroom, I takeit, " he asked, watching with interestas shebusiedherselfin brushing off herhands onher once pristine skirts.
Sighing, the girl gave uptrying to remove the dirt on herhands, thenused them topush the dampmaneofhair off herface. She propped them on her hipsassheconsidered him."It seemed an easier alternative."
"Aye, "Daniel agreed. "If one can scalethisvast wall."
Hereyes flashed. "Do notmakefunofme. Icould climbthis damn thingifI just had mybreeches on and not these horrid skirts."
"Ah, but then you might bemistakenfor a man, " he teased.
When she merely glared at him, heturned to consider thewall, thenturned back."Whydid yourunclenot helpyouupthe wall ere leaving to" - hearched aneyebrow questioningly - "fetchthe carriage? "
"He did, " she snapped. At his doubtfulexpression, she rolled hereyes. "Well, do you think he expectedme tomanage it onmy own with all these bothersome skirts? "
"Then why, pray tell, are you down here instead of up there? "
Henoddedtowardthe topof the walland watchedwithsome interestas sheground her teethtogether.
"Iwas up therewhen he left."
"Then howdidyou get downhere? "
"How doyou think? " she askedscornfully."Ijumped down."
"Why? "
She rolled her eyes. "What isthis? An inquisition? "
When he merely archedhiseyebrows atherandleanedback against the wall, she sighed impatiently and returned to her task.
Grasping the top of the wall she leaped and strained to pull herselfupward. He watched in fascination forseveral moments, waiting for her to beg his assistance as most women would, before herealized quite suddenly that shewould not doit.
"Allyou needdo is ask, " he said atlast.She turned, asmall struggleon her face.Asking obviouslywasn't easy for her, he realized withsome wonder.Amazing. In hisexperience, females werealwaysasking for help. They were thought weakerand used that to their advantage. Pray, my lord, the basketis soooo heavy, if you could but carry it. Oh, my Lord, prithee, I couldn't possibly walk from here to there on myown, if you would but loanme your strong arm to lean on.
Butnot this one.She would most likely continue to struggle untildoomsdayereasking, Daniel realized. He felt himself soften.
Straightening, he caughther armand drew her away from the wall, then stepped in frontof her. Placinghis back to the wall, he droppedto his haunches, andheldout hisinterlocked hands."Up we go."
She considered his profferedhands suspiciously for a moment, then sighed. Positioningherself in front of him, Lady Ainsley reached over himto grasp the wall, then glanceddownto find his hands with her eyes.
"On three, " he murmured, considering the booted foot she placed in hishands. What odd dress, he thought. "One, two, three."
He pushed, butnottooeagerly. She pulled witha grunt, and she landed on her belly on the wall, her lower legs pressed against his face.Grinning, Thurborne slidout from between her andthe wall, then straightened and moved behind her, considering her voluminous skirts as she swung her right leg to the side and tried toheftit up onto the wallas well.
"Some more help perhaps? " he teased, watching her skirts swingbackand forth asshe struggled.
Hergrunt of rage wasmost entertaining. Stepping forward, he slidhis hands under her skirtsand caught her by her boots."Up or to the side? "
"Up, " shesnapped, and he slid his fingers lightlyup until he touched something other than leather, laughing at her abruptly cut-off yelp.
"To the side, to the side, " she roared, not sounding at all ladylike. Thurborne continued tochuckle as he graspedoneleg, lifting and swingingit totheside. A momentlater she had broken free from his hold and sat straddling thewall. Immediately, she pulled her other leg up beneath her as if not trusting him not to touch her again. Then she felt along the wall for something.
Whenshe didn't findit, she released another curse and turned to glare down athim. Even in thedarkness he could see that she was furious.
"IfI had my blade with meI'd - "
He nevergot to hearthe end of that threat, for at thatmoment thejangleof a carriage and the clip-clop of horses reached them both. Glancing over her shoulder, Lady Ainsley muttered somethingunder her breath.Then suddenly, she droppedoffthe wall, disappearing ontheotherside.
"What took youso bloody long? " he heard her snap on the other side of the wall.
"Long? " a man cried. "Why, I nearly ranthrough that there house, then hustledSkullystraight onoverhere. I only left you buta moment ago."
Her response tothatwas cut off and muffled by the slam of a carriage door; then Daniel heard the conveyance jangle away down the street.
He stayed where he was long after the carriage had rolled away, his mindreplayingthe incident and certain things that had been said.I could climb this damn thing ifI just hadmy breeches on and notthesehorrid skirts.
Ah, but then youmight be mistaken for aman.
Nay, he thoughtuncertainly.It couldnot be ... But she had been wearing bootsandsomething else beneath her skirts. And she had said mybreeches. Still, what did all this mean?
"Daniel!"
Recognizinghis mother's voice, Daniel peered back towardthe bushes he had walked through to reach the wall. He started quicklybackthroughthem, stepping out into the garden to see his mother standing on the balcony, glaring impatiently out intothe darkness.
"Oh, there youare, Daniel." She sighed as she spotted him.
"Lord Beechamsaid he saw you out here.Whatever were you doing in those bushes? The party isinside."
"Whichis perhaps why I am outside, "Daniel muttered, jogging up the lastfew stepsto join her.
"Oh, really, " she muttered with exasperation, turning her cheek up for his dutiful kiss.Once that was outof theway, shestepped back toeyehim."Did you see Master Whister today? "
"You knowI did, " he answered.
"And? "
"And what? Do nottry to pretend you did not know the codicil to Gran's will. She told you everything. No doubt you have known about it for some time."
The womanhad the grace notto denyit. Instead, sheasked, "I am arranging severalsmallsoireesinthenextlittle while. One for tomorrow night even. Is there anyone in particular you would like me to invite? "
He knew what that meant; Daniel, now that you know you have tomarrytoinherit your dear grand-mama's money, I am arranging a party to parade available femalesby you. Is there anyone youprefer?
"Nay."
His motherblinked. "Well, then, I shall just do my best."
Translation, he thought dryly: Every available female in England shallbe invited.
"Do not bother; I willbe unableto attend, " he began. Suddenly he paused. "On second thought, I do have someone I wish invited."
His mother's expression, which had begun toturn downwith displeasure, abruptlylightened."Yes, dear? "
"Lady Ainsley."
Her face fell with displeasure again. "Not that woman! Oh, Daniel, youcannot beinterestedinher! She is the talk of the ball.
My God, herface felloff in Lady Beecham's wine. Andher uncle is an absolute horror. Completely barbaric, from what I have heard. He - "
"She hadan unfortunate experience with some bad makeup, Mother.It wasnot her fault, and she was humiliated byit." He somehow doubtedthat the ladyin question had reallyfelt much more thana touch of embarrassment - amazing, considering that thesituation would havecrushed most young women attending a soiree - but his mother need notknowthat. "As to her uncle, she canhardlybe heldaccountableforhis behavior. If you wish me to attendyour party, you will invite Lady Ainsley. Otherwise I shall be quite unavailable. For the foreseeable future, I shall attend only balls that sheis attending."
His lady mother's mouth dropped open, her eyes wideas she gazed onhim. Then she fairly beamed at him. "Oh, Daniel! Of course, Ishall invite the dear girl then."
Chapter Five
"You were a success!"
Valoree paused halfway downthestairsto peer at One-Eye warily. He closed the frontdoor, waved a small pieceof paperat her, then snatched up a small stack of four or five more and hurried toward her.
"See! Invites, allof them. Soirees, balls, the lot, " he announced with glee, waving the invitations under her nose. "See, there weren't nothing to worry about. I knew ye'ddo just fine."
"Do just fineat what? " Henryasked, catchingthe tail end of One-Eye'scomment as he came down the stairs behind Valoree.
"At beingalady, " One-Eye explained, grinning widely as he flashed theinvitations atthe older man. "Invites. Five of them.
Shemusthavedone usproud last night. She's been invited to more ballsand such."
"Pity invitations, " Valoree muttered, pushing the papers he heldout of her facewith disgust and continuingpasthim down the stairs.
Quick to speak up, Henry followedher with One-Eye on his heels. "Oh, now, I don't think them nobles we met last night wouldsend invites totheir sworingsout of pity."
"Soirees, "Valoreecorrectedautomatically asshe crossedthe hall. "But aye. Mayhapyou are right. Mayhap they invited me for the entertainment value!"
"Entertainment? " One-Eye asked, moving to Henry's side as they followed her into the small morning room.
Valoree had refused to discuss the evening's debacle oncethey hadreturned home last night. She had simplystridden upstairs and straight to her room, rolling her eyes asshe'd heard Henry telling the others thatallhadgone "well enough." So much for the man's leading her to believe that they would give the sorry taskup.
Now she ignored One-Eye's questions to glare at Meg. The older woman was already seated at the table, and she looked pretty brightand chipper for someonewhohad drunk herself into unconsciousnessthenight before.Her aunt merely smiled blandly back.
Peteyentered thenwith a rack of fresh loavesof bread, still steaming, and Valoree's attention turned to herrumblingstomach.
Noddingto the dark-haired, solemn man, she moved toward him as he set the bread on the table.
"Oh, come now.It weren't that bad, " Henry soothed. "Yedid real finefor yer first night out."
"Realfine? " Forgetting food briefly, Valoree spunon himin fury. "Real fine? A great chunk of my face fell off into the hostess's glass! You call that fine? "
"What? " Meg gasped with horror.
"Her makeup, "Henryexplained quickly, thenglared at Petey.
"It dried, cracked, andfelloff her face. She left a trail of face flakes from one endof Beecham's ballroom to the other."
."What are you looking at me for? " Petey asked, eyes narrowing."Ihad nothing todo with it."
"Nothing to dowithit? " Henry sputtered. "You madethe muck up!"
"I didn't make nothing up!" Petey snapped back, drawing himself up proudly. "Whatdo youtake me for? I don't know how tomake that mucknoblewomen put ontheir face. I cook."
Henry scowled. "I sent One-Eye down to have you make something up for herto wear onher face."
"And I set asidethe cake I wasmaking and wentdown tothe docks to see if I could find someplace to buy some proper makeup, " the man snapped impatiently. "I wasted two hours searching for some, and when I come back, what do I find? You're gone, my cake batteris gone, my raspberries are gone - "
"Anna!" Valoree interrupted, turning to glare at both Henry and One-Eye. "Itold you it tasted sweet when you gotsome on my lips."
"Aye, that you did, " Henry muttered. He turned to glare at One-Eye. Theman raised his hands helplessly.
"How was I to know itwas cake batter? You said to go down andsee what Petey hadwhippedup to puton the captain'sface. I went down. Peteywasn'taround, andthere it was. Whitegooey stuff. Itlooked likeit could have been makeupto me."
"Let meget this straight, " Meginterrupted quietly from her place at the table. "You took LadyValoree toa soiree with cake batter on herface? "
"Andraspberries smooshed into my cheeks and on my lips, "
Valoreeaddedwithdisgust.
"Raspberries? "Meg stared at Henry with dismay. He shifted uncomfortably.
"Well, it worked. Her facewas white - "
"Until it fell off, " Valoree snapped.
Ignoringher, Henry continued."Andherlips and cheeks was redlike all the rest of them ladiesattheswarming."
"All the rest of the ladies at the soiree didn't have people picking raspberryseedsofftheir cheeksallnight long, " Valoree snapped.
"Oh, dear." Megsank back into her seat, her face dropping weakly into one open hand.
Valoree wasgratified bythis displayof horror untilshe noticed the way the other woman's shoulders were shaking. She was laughing! "It wasnot funny!" she said in asnarl.
"Nay, ofcourse not, " Meg said at once, though the words came out with afew chortles."Itis notfunny atall, " she agreed again, trying for solemnity andfailing desperatelyas a chuckle began to rumble from her belly upward. "Oh d-dear." She gasped apologetically, fightingvaliantly to keep thelaughter in, butthe moment she lookedatValoree, it exploded out of hermouthon a hiccupof sound that quickly grew into a full-blown laugh. "Oh m-my! C-cakebatter formakeup."
"And raspberry cheeks, "One-Eye addedwith a grin that died the moment Valoreeturnedher sour gaze on him. "Well, " hesaid unhappily, "it seemed like a goodidea at the time."
Grunting, Valoree glanced toward the steaming bread onthe table.Herstomachrumbled. Before shecould movetowardthe food, however, Meg suddenlysoberedandlooked questioningly at Pete. "Were you able tofindthemakeup in question? "