‘Well, Major, do I pass muster?’
Her spirits lifted a little when she saw a flicker of admiration in his face: she had seen that look too often to be mistaken.
‘I have never questioned your beauty, my lady.’
‘Only my morals!’ she flashed.
He put up one hand.
‘Shall we call a truce, ma’am? We will need to work together if we are to succeed this evening.’
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘We have no idea who is writing these letters, but you may be sure that they will be watching you tonight. We must make everyone believe that I am there purely as your escort, to be easily dropped while you slip off to…where is it?’
‘The Druid’s Walk.’
‘Yes, the Druid’s Walk for your assignation.’
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
‘Do you really think you can act the role of a mooncalf, Major?’
He grinned back at her.
‘Oh, I think I can manage that, madam.’ He held out his arm. ‘Shall we go?’
The journey to Vauxhall was accomplished much more quickly than they had anticipated, the traffic over the bridge being very light, and they were soon part of the line of carriages making their way to the gardens. Despite her anxiety, Eloise enjoyed Major Clifton’s company far more than she had anticipated. He said nothing contentious, and treated her with such courtesy and consideration that she soon relaxed.
Jack, too, was surprised. He had heard enough of the Glorious Allyngham to expect her to be a witty and entertaining companion but he was taken off guard by the generous, unaffected nature that shone through her conversation: she was as happy to discuss the government or the plight of the poor as she was Edmund Kean’s latest performance. She had little interest in gossip and confessed that she was happier living quietly at Allyngham than being ogled in the ballrooms of London. Intrigued, Jack regarded her across the dim carriage.
‘This is a very different picture of you, my lady. You are not at all the Wanton Widow you are named.’
‘She does not exist.’
‘That is not what I have heard.’
She shrugged.
‘The ton must gossip about someone. It may as well be me.’
‘And do they not have good reason to talk of you? You have captivated every gentleman in town, and in so doing you have made every lady jealous.’
‘They have no need to be jealous of me: their menfolk may lust after me, they may talk of laying siege to the Glorious Allyngham—you see, Major, I know what is said of me!—but I have no interest in any of them.’
‘If that is so, then why did you come to town?’
‘Oh, for company. For the concerts, and the society.’ She added pointedly, ‘It is possible to enjoy a man’s conversation without wanting to take him for a lover, Major.’ She glanced out of the window. ‘Goodness, we are at the entrance already. How fast time flies when one is talking.’
She turned to smile at him and Jack’s senses reeled. The flames from the blazing torchères illuminated the interior of the carriage, glinting off the lady’s lustrous curls and lighting up her countenance, giving her the appearance of a golden goddess. Desire wrenched at his gut. He wanted to reach out and pull the pins from her hair, to watch those curls tumble down her back in a glorious golden stream. He wanted to take her in his arms and lose himself
‘Major? We must alight: we are holding up the traffic.’
There was a laugh in her soft voice. He snapped out of his reverie and jumped down. Damnation, he must be careful: he was enjoying her company but he had no intention of falling victim to her charms. Jack handed her out of the carriage and waited silently while she adjusted her domino, resisting the temptation to help, knowing if he did so his hands would linger on her shoulders. What was is she had said? It is possible to enjoy a man’s conversation without wanting to take him for a lover. Perhaps that was true: all he knew was that he wanted nothing to mar the easy camaraderie that was growing between them.
‘We have an hour to spare before supper,’ he told her as they walked through the Grove, the sounds of the orchestra drifting through the air towards them. ‘Shall we take a stroll about the gardens?’
‘Yes, if you please. Perhaps we should find the Druid’s Walk, so I know where I am to go later.’
Eloise was happy to accompany Major Clifton through the tree-lined avenues illuminated by thousands of twinkling lamps. At one intersection they spotted Perkins and Jack’s man, Robert, but they exchanged no more than a glance. Until that moment Eloise had been able to forget the purpose of their visit to the gardens. Now the fear came flooding back and she stole anxious glances at each person they passed.
‘It is very unnerving to think that any one of these people might be our villain,’ she muttered.
‘We will know soon enough. Until then let us try to pass the time without worrying. Perhaps you could tell me something of your history.’
She looked up at him, surprised.
‘It is not very interesting. I have done little, and travelled less.’
‘I understand there was some opposition to your marriage to Lord Allyngham?’
‘Strong opposition,’ she told him. ‘My parents died when I was a baby and I was sent to Allyngham to be brought up with the family. Lady Allyngham had no daughter, you see, and she brought me up with the intention that I would be something in the nature of a companion to her.’
‘Did they treat you well?’
‘Yes, very well. Tony and I grew up together—and Alex, of course, who lived on the neighbouring estate. We were all close friends, inseparable until the boys went away to school, and even then we were always together when they came home for the holidays.’
‘If that was the case then the Allynghams might have expected Tony to fall in love with you.’
She sighed. ‘I do not believe the thought occurred to them. He was their second son and it was expected that he would make an advantageous match. It is not surprising that they were mortified when he decided to marry me, a penniless orphan.’
‘That must have been very unpleasant for you.’
‘It was, a little. Oh, they did nothing so very bad; they loved Tony far too much to disinherit him or anything of that nature, but there was always a certain—coolness. It lasted until they died five years ago.’
‘If you had given Allyngham an heir…’
She flinched a little at that.
‘Perhaps that might have helped, but it was not to be.’
He glanced down at her, concerned, and she gave him a strained little smile.
‘You are not to be thinking my life is empty, Major. I have plenty to occupy me, looking after the Allyngham estates.’
‘That must be a heavy burden for you.’
‘Not really, I enjoy it. I took charge initially because Tony was away in the army. He trusted me to look after everything for him and we have an excellent steward, too. And Alex is always there to advise me.’
‘Ah, Mortimer.’ She heard the harsh note creep into his voice. ‘And was he also always