a roué when younger, he wasn’t known to force himself on a woman and was relatively harmless now.
Daniel’s gaze slid to the other couples on the dance floor then. He had noted Christiana dancing with Harburt when he’d brought Suzette back in, and had then spotted Richard standing on the sidelines watching grimly. Now the woman was in another man’s arms and he suspected she was happily accepting requests to dance to avoid the man she thought was her husband. Richard was still merely watching grimly from the crowd around the dance floor. It seemed obvious he was in no state of mind to talk to people and find out anything useful. But then, Daniel supposed he wasn’t likely to learn much about what George had been up to this last year. People were hardly going to gossip to him about himself. It was obviously up to Daniel to find out what he could.
“So,” he said, turning his attention abruptly to Jamieson again. “Tell me everything you’ve heard this last year regarding Richard.”
Jamieson immediately launched into the telling, happy to reveal what he’d heard and Daniel listened silently. He needed to learn all he could. He was really beginning to believe that the smartest thing Richard could do at this point was remove George’s body and step back into his life as if he’d never left it. Truly, the more Daniel thought on it, the more he began to think it was the only way to guarantee Richard did get his name and title back. It meant remaining married to Christiana though, which didn’t seem that bad a deal. She was an attractive enough woman if a little thin, and from his talk with Suzette and the things she’d said, Christiana seemed a nice enough gel. She certainly didn’t deserve the scandal that would ensue if George’s actions came to light, nor did Suzette and Lisa. And Richard could do worse when it came to wives. Of course, in the end it was Richard’s decision . . . and he was going to find out all he could to help him make that decision.
Chapter Three
“I swear he was dead, Chrissy. He was growing cold when we left tonight.”
Lisa’s words made Suzette glance swiftly around the entry of the Fairgrave townhouse as she pulled the door closed. It wouldn’t do to be overheard by servants on the subject that had obsessed them all since leaving the Landons’ ball. They had left the ball earlier than intended. Christiana had suggested perhaps they should stay longer to give her a chance to consider more men, but Suzette hadn’t wanted to. She was tired after the long journey to London and the day’s many and varied events. Besides, the ball had no longer seemed all that exciting by that point.
While the beginning of the night had been disheartening with all the poor choices she’d been faced with as prospects, the night had seemed to pick up and become much more exciting and hopeful with Daniel’s arrival. He had certainly seemed a far more pleasant prospect for a husband. She still tingled in spots when she recalled his kisses.
As if his arrival were some sort of happy harbinger, there had been a couple more pleasant prospects afterward. Lord Garrison had certainly been handsome and charming, but she still found Daniel more attractive, perhaps because of those kisses. There had been at least two more men after him who had been—if not handsome—at least passable and pleasant. Any one of the three would do as a substitute if Daniel chose not to marry her. But they would be second best and Suzette was too anxious about his eventual response to enjoy the chore of weeding out further men.
Besides, the sparkle had seemed to go out of the night after she’d spotted Dicky and Daniel leaving the ball, and Suzette had decided she’d just rather go back to the townhouse and crawl into bed. The sooner she was asleep, the sooner the next day would come with her answer from Daniel. At this time the next night she might even be on her way to Gretna Green with him.
If that wasn’t the
Daniel’s gaze slid to the other couples on the dance floor then. He had noted Christiana dancing with Harburt when he’d brought Suzette back in, and had then spotted Richard standing on the sidelines watching grimly. Now the woman was in another man’s arms and he suspected she was happily accepting requests to dance to avoid the man she thought was her husband. Richard was still merely watching grimly from the crowd around the dance floor. It seemed obvious he was in no state of mind to talk to people and find out anything useful. But then, Daniel supposed he wasn’t likely to learn much about what George had been up to this last year. People were hardly going to gossip to him about himself. It was obviously up to Daniel to find out what he could.
“So,” he said, turning his attention abruptly to Jamieson again. “Tell me everything you’ve heard this last year regarding Richard.”
Jamieson immediately launched into the telling, happy to reveal what he’d heard and Daniel listened silently. He needed to learn all he could. He was really beginning to believe that the smartest thing Richard could do at this point was remove George’s body and step back into his life as if he’d never left it. Truly, the more Daniel thought on it, the more he began to think it was the only way to guarantee Richard did get his name and title back. It meant remaining married to Christiana though, which didn’t seem that bad a deal. She was an attractive enough woman if a little thin, and from his talk with Suzette and the things she’d said, Christiana seemed a nice enough gel. She certainly didn’t deserve the scandal that would ensue if George’s actions came to light, nor did Suzette and Lisa. And Richard could do worse when it came to wives. Of course, in the end it was Richard’s decision . . . and he was going to find out all he could to help him make that decision.
Chapter Three
“I swear he was dead, Chrissy. He was growing cold when we left tonight.”
Lisa’s words made Suzette glance swiftly around the entry of the Fairgrave townhouse as she pulled the door closed. It wouldn’t do to be overheard by servants on the subject that had obsessed them all since leaving the Landons’ ball. They had left the ball earlier than intended. Christiana had suggested perhaps they should stay longer to give her a chance to consider more men, but Suzette hadn’t wanted to. She was tired after the long journey to London and the day’s many and varied events. Besides, the ball had no longer seemed all that exciting by that point.
While the beginning of the night had been disheartening with all the poor choices she’d been faced with as prospects, the night had seemed to pick up and become much more exciting and hopeful with Daniel’s arrival. He had certainly seemed a far more pleasant prospect for a husband. She still tingled in spots when she recalled his kisses.
As if his arrival were some sort of happy harbinger, there had been a couple more pleasant prospects afterward. Lord Garrison had certainly been handsome and charming, but she still found Daniel more attractive, perhaps because of those kisses. There had been at least two more men after him who had been—if not handsome—at least passable and pleasant. Any one of the three would do as a substitute if Daniel chose not to marry her. But they would be second best and Suzette was too anxious about his eventual response to enjoy the chore of weeding out further men.
Besides, the sparkle had seemed to go out of the night after she’d spotted Dicky and Daniel leaving the ball, and Suzette had decided she’d just rather go back to the townhouse and crawl into bed. The sooner she was asleep, the sooner the next day would come with her answer from Daniel. At this time the next night she might even be on her way to Gretna Green with him.
If that wasn’t the
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