Her sister had met very few appealing men tonight. Once her wardrobe was completed and they entered society fully there would be plenty of handsome, suitable men vying for her sister’s affection. It stood to reason that the exposure to other young gentlemen would make the viscount less engaging.
Eleanor knew she couldn’t count on their father to protect Bianca—that job would fall to her. And she fully intended to remain vigilant. This was Bianca’s chance to make a good match and Eleanor would not allow it to be squandered. She was determined to do all that she could to ensure her sister achieved the happiness she so richly deserved.
A happiness that Eleanor was certain would not be found with a rogue like Lord Benton.
The crowds in Hyde Park were particularly large the following afternoon. Sebastian frowned as he gazed out at the sea of open carriages, horseback riders, and pedestrians clogging the footpath. The sunny day and pleasant temperatures had brought them out in droves and not a single person appeared to be in a hurry.
He cursed softly beneath his breath, knowing it might take hours to find Lady Bianca. If she was even in the park. His one consolation was that he had come on horseback, which allowed him to weave his way around the carriages, instead of walking among them.
Yet after twenty frustrating minutes of that, Sebastian remembered why he seldom went to the park at this fashionable hour. It was bedlam.
Life would be so much easier if he could simply call upon Bianca at home, but by doing so he would run the risk of encountering the earl. And that might very well put an end to the relationship before it even began, effectively thwarting Sebastian’s chance for revenge.
No, for the plan to have any chance of success, the courting needed to be conducted in a clever, calculating manner. He would meet the girl out in the open, in public places and at society events, never obviously stating his interest to anyone but her. This way, when the blow of her ruination was struck, the earl would be caught completely unawares.
“The sun must be blinding me, Dorothea,” a cheerful female voice declared. “I swear I see Lord Benton.”
“Benton? Impossible,” the beautiful woman beside her replied. “He never rides in the park.”
“Ladies.” Sebastian touched his whip to the brim of his hat in greeting and smiled at the trio of women walking directly in front of him. “‘Tis a rare treat to see all three Ellingham sisters together.”
The women gathered around his horse and gazed up at him, a variety of expressions on their lovely faces. Of the three, he knew the youngest of the sisters, Emma, the best. Dorothea, the middle sister, was the wife of his closest friend, the Marquess of Atwood, so he had often been in her company this past year. Gwendolyn, the eldest, was a more recent acquaintance. He found her to be a levelheaded female with good instincts and a sharp wit.
She was regarding him now with keen interest and he squirmed slightly under her scrutiny. Though she lacked the ravishing beauty of Dorothea and the fresh, animated demeanor that made Emma such a pretty girl, Gwendolyn was a handsome woman in her own right. And she clearly possessed other more salient characteristics since she was married to Jason Barrington. Sebastian had to admire a woman with the mettle to tame one of the most notorious rakes on the ton. Or rather, former rakes.
“Come now, Benton, you have not told us what you are doing here today,” Dorothea probed.
“I assume it would be obvious, Lady Dorothea. I am exercising my horse and taking the air.”
“Pish-posh, my lord, we are not so easily fooled. The crowds are so thick your horse can barely move along the path,” Gwendolyn said.
Emma clicked her tongue and gave him a saucy wink. “I agree, something must be afoot. Why else would Benton be here, immaculately attired, looking so handsome, so dashing, so virile?”
He looked down at Emma’s teasing expression and raised his eyebrows. “You wound me, Emma. As you very well know, that is my natural state.”
“Handsome, virile, and dashing?”
“Don’t forget immaculate,” Dorothea added.
“He is that too. Plus, sitting so tall and graceful in the saddle shows his well-muscled legs to the best advantage,” Emma commented, turning to her sisters. “Don’t you agree?”
They nodded and smiled.
“I might be sitting above you, ladies, but the sound of your dainty tones travels far. I can hear every word you are saying,” Sebastian said tartly.
The women laughed. Sebastian tried to hold a stern expression but failed. Their good-natured teasing was well-deserved, since he took every opportunity to return it in kind.
With a sigh of resignation, Sebastian swung off his horse. He shifted the reins into his left hand, then insinuated himself into the middle of the group. The women closed ranks around him and they began walking, Sebastian’s horse following sedately behind.
It was difficult traveling four abreast. A boisterous group of youngsters pushed their way forward, nearly knocking Lady Dorothea down. Sebastian’s arm shot out instinctively and he grabbed her around the waist to keep her from falling.
“Goodness! Dorothea, are you all right?” Gwendolyn exclaimed.
“I’m fine,” Dorothea replied, her voice breathless. “Thanks to Benton’s quick reflexes.”
“I am ever at the ready to take a stunning beauty into my arms,” Sebastian quipped as he steadied Lady Dorothea firmly back on her feet. “Though we need to find a path less crowded. Atwood will have my head if anything happens to you, especially in your delicate condition.”
A flush of red appeared on her cheeks. “You are not supposed to mention that in public.”
Sebastian smiled. “Why ever not? Your husband speaks constantly of his impending fatherhood to all his friends. ‘Tis as though he expects us to honor him with a round of applause or toss him a shilling as a reward for being such a clever fellow.”
“Carter is rather pleased at the news.” Dorothea lowered her head and blushed charmingly. Sebastian marveled at how her delicate blond features were enhanced by her pregnant condition. It seemed the old adage that a woman glowed while carrying a child was correct in Lady Dorothea’s case.
“Atwood is over the moon,” Sebastian clarified, linking his arm through hers. “Though I do believe his father is even more excited. I’ve never in all my life seen the duke so animated. I swear, he would do anything to please you, move heaven and earth if you merely hinted it would bring you happiness. My advice is expand your imagination and ask for something truly extraordinary. Like a private island. Or your own country. He can easily afford it.”
“Her own country?” Emma giggled.
Dorothea also laughed. “Such nonsense, my lord. I believe you are attempting to distract us and avoid answering our questions regarding your appearance in the park today. Indeed, I can think of no logical reason for it. Unless …” Her voice trailed off suggestively.
“Don’t tell me ‘tis a lady who has brought you out into the sunshine, my lord?” Gwendolyn asked, looking over at him with amazed eyes.
“Viscount Benton brought low by a mere female? I cannot believe it.” Emma pressed the back of her wrist to her forehead and sighed theatrically.
“I fear your normally keen minds have been affected by the sun,” he said with a grin, though inwardly he was worried at how close the women had come to the truth. He did not want his interest in the earl’s daughter to be known so quickly. Besides, it felt sordid to have these three women touched in any way by the scandal he intended to create.
Trying to elude their inquisitive