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"A young woman whose dress clearly indicates she is Quality? 'Twould be much too risky! I'll have trouble enough persuading my groom to accompany me."
She shrugged. "All the more reason for me to go. I don't require persuasion, and if need be, I can wield a whip or a pistol better than your groom. Once I change into one of the plain gowns I wore on campaign, I will be in no more danger than the females who reside there."
"Which is quite peril enough!"
"Come now, Captain, I've been in the stews of Bombay and the hovels of the Peninsula, outridden bandits and a contingent of pursuing French cavalry. I'm not afraid of what I might find on any London street. Besides, if I am to decide what sort of funding will be required, I must review the situation myself.
A lady's eye is likely to see needs a man would never notice."
"That may be true," he admitted. "Mayhap I should bring a female servant along."
"And should the necessity arise, a female servant would be better able to protect herself than I am?"
He had to concede her that point. "Probably not."
"Most assuredly not!" she corrected. "I have more experience fighting off ambush than anyone you could enlist, save another soldier."
"That may be so, but I still cannot permit it."
She glared. "Do you want my assistance or not?"
He stared at her, torn between the desire to help the unfortunates and the need to protect her. When her implacable gaze did not waver, finally he said, "If your assistance comes at the risk of your person, then no, I no longer request it. I'd best get you home now."
Belligerence fading, she lifted pleading eyes to his. "Please, my lord! I...I've felt so useless since leaving Brussels. This is important, Tony. Please let me help."
Whether it was empathy for a fellow survivor of war now searching for some purpose in life-or the sweet sound of his name on her lips, he found himself weakening. "How could I live with myself if something happened to you?"
Her brilliant smile told him she knew she'd won. "Nothing will. And besides, you shall be right there to protect me. If you refuse to take me, being now aware of the situation, I might have to canvass the city on my own."
"Good Lord, Jenna," he cried, his stomach clenching at the thought, "promise me you will do nothing of the sort!"
"I think I shall send for Evers-Papa's batman, you'll remember-to conduct the search. Besides," she said, wrinkling her brow as she set her horse in motion, "though providing food and clothing is a beginning, these people need more than a temporary helping hand. They need homes and jobs. Should not Parliament do something about it?"
Tony set his horse to match her mare's pace. "When the issue was brought up before Parliament, I understand, the Tories vociferously denounced the very notion of awarding pensions or provisions to veterans."
"Could you not stand up and argue for them?"
'"Tis my father who holds a seat, not I-one I don't believe he's ever occupied." He laughed shortly. "I doubt he could find his way to Parliament, unless the building also shelters either a gaming house or a brothel."
She cast him a thoughtful glance, no doubt hearing the bitterness in his words. "Then we must do all we can. Thank goodness it's barely noon! We should be able to get dinner cooked and delivered before dark."
"So you are set upon going with me?"
"With you or-" her eyes took on a wicked gleam "-without you. The 'going' is not open to question."
"If anything untoward happens to either of us," he said, torn between admiration and exasperation, "I shall never forgive you!"
She gave him an upward look through her lashes that was almost-provocative. "Then I suppose we shall just have to stay very close and keep each other safe, won't we?"
Staying very close-now that was a directive he'd have no trouble obeying. "While dinner is being prepared, I'll summon the sergeant and some of his mates to provide an escort for when we return with the provisions."
"Famous," she said, nodding. "I begin to believe that we might get on well together after all."
Spirits soaring at the idea of being able to help the soldiers-and keep Jenna near him, he couldn't help giving her a wicked grin. "Oh, I certainly hope so."
"Rogue!" she admonished without heat. His spirits rose higher. Perhaps he might earn her esteem after all.
As they neared the park gates, Tony spied two figures on horseback emerging from Rotten Row.
Apparently spotting them as well, the couple halted. The gentleman leaned close to the lady, as if conferring with her-or trying to steal a kiss-and then rode off in the opposite direction, while the lady proceeded toward them.
The ton didn't ride in the park until much later. Had they stumbled upon a tryst? Tony wondered with a smile.
They reached the gate at the same time as the lady. Perhaps Jenna hadn't seen her, for it seemed as if she would continue through without acknowledging the woman.
"Why, it's Lady Fairchild, isn't it?" the rider called, guiding her horse to block Jenna's path.
Not until the lady turned in the saddle toward Tony did he recognize her: Lucinda Blaine, Countess of Doone.
*CHAPTER ELEVEN*
"Lord Nelthorpe! How nice to see you," the lady cooed.
"A pleasure to see you again, too, Countess." Out of the alcoholic fog of the past, Tony recalled having followed his friends in pursuing the "Lovely Lucinda" after her marriage to a very rich earl. Apparently the thrill of snaring the old man's money and title hadn't charmed the Beauty for long, for as a bride of several months, she'd already been willing to offer him kisses-and the promise of more, though he'd had to flee London before he'd been able to try his luck redeeming them.
Lady Doone waved a graceful hand. "How formal you've become! You used to call me 'Lucinda.'" She fluttered her lashes at him, an intimation of intimacy thick in the air.
Though Tony found it annoying that she'd make so blatant a gesture in front of Jenna, he also knew that Lucinda Blaine, acclaimed as one of the Diamonds of the ton since her debut season, was unable to resist trying to entice any gentleman she encountered. Probably because she'd married an old dried stick a generation her senior.
Though he had no desire to add his name to the list of cisebos she kept dangling, he didn't mind flirting with this undeniably beautiful woman-especially if it showed Jenna that some women still found him attractive.
"Countess, I should not dare be so familiar with a lady of such high rank, even if she were an...old friend."
She laughed, evidently pleased with the flattery. "But one never forgets one's friends. One's dearest, most intimate friends. Do you not agree, Lady Fairchild?"
"I'm sure you have much more experience in that than I," Jenna replied, her voice decidedly frosty.
Given that before her marriage to the earl, the countess had been engaged to Garrett Fairchild, Tony could understand Jenna's reserve. In fact, he recalled, when Tony had joined the Fighting Fifth in Spain, Garrett had still been pining over Lucinda's defection.
"Oh, Lady Fairchild, I expect we have more shared... experience than you would like to think," Lady Doone said. "Tony, I'd heard you'd finally returned from Brussels. In company with Lady Fairchild, perhaps?"
After Lady Doone's sly jab at Jenna, whatever mild inclination Tony had to bandy words with her evaporated. And since Lucinda Blaine was not only a hopeless flirt, but the worst of gossips, he'd better squelch the potential rumor of her second comment before it could begin.
"Alas, no...unfortunately for me. I didn't meet her again until the memorial service for Colonel Fairchild."
"Poor, dear Garrett!" The countess sighed. "To have lost him just one battle away from having him return to us for good! We held each other in the tenderest of regards."
"So tender, you broke your understanding with him to marry the earl," Jenna observed.
"But Garrett understood the necessity of it-my father's debts so great and the earl promising to be so generous. Besides, in the end-" she smiled at Jenna "-he forgave me most graciously."
Observing the grim set of Jenna's lips, Garrett decided she'd endured enough of Lucinda Blaine's baiting.
"We mustn't detain you further, my lady," he began.
"Indeed, I'm sure your husband must be wondering what has become of you," Jenna inserted.
Suppressing a grin, Tony continued, "Your devoted servant, Countess. Lady Fairchild, shall we depart?" With a brief bow to Lucinda, Tony kicked his horse into motion, Jenna immediately following.
Behind them, the Beauty sat in openmouthed astonishment that Tony had dared to ride away-before she dismissed him. He'd likely made an enemy there.
But getting Jenna away from Lucinda had seemed more important. He glanced over at her, noting that the color that had warmed her cheeks after their gallop had now vanished, leaving her looking pale and drained.
Perhaps it had been too soon after her accident to have urged her to ride. "Are you fatigued?" he asked with concern. "We could stop at Gunter's for some ices."
"No. I want to go home."
Anger and frustration swelled his chest as he realized that their interlude with Lucinda Blaine had effectively chilled the air of camaraderie that had warmed him during their ride. He cast about for some way to retrieve it.
