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Blood would tell, Mad Sally had always said. Should she somehow become an honorable man's wife—Adam's wife—how could she subject them both to the horror of watching a child grow up to become what her father had been?
She would deny herself passion—and love —a thousand times over before she would allow that to happen.
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In addition, her experience since arriving in London had demonstrated how unprepared she was to become the wife of any man from Adam's world—unless he wanted to abandon Society for as wild and isolated a place as Lambarth Castle. Both Adam's home here in London and his country estate at Claygate required a mistress capable of directing a large household and a hostess skilled at entertaining.
Adam had promised to protect Helena. Should she not return the favor? If she had to endure seeing him wed another, it seemed only right to try to insure he had at least a chance for happiness.
Helena wasn't sure that Miss Standish, despite her other qualifications, possessed the sweetness of character to promise him that.
As soon as she entered her friend's chamber, Charis dismissed her maid and came over to seize Helena in an embrace. After mutual apologies and a few tears from Charis, her friend poured them each some chocolate and invited Helena to sit while she finished her toilette.
"You still look radiant!" Helena said. "The dinner with Lord Blanchard's parents was a success?"
"Yes, they gave us their heartfelt blessing."
"Then they are most perceptive," Helena said with a smile. "I cannot help but notice, though, that Adam does not seem nearly as excited about his upcoming nuptials as you and Lord Blanchard did yesterday. Or perhaps he is not given to demonstrations of affection?"
Charis sighed and set down her hairbrush. "No, 296THE UNTAMED HEIRESS
Adam is usually quite affectionate. I must admit, I had hope d his inclination might lead in a different direction—but before that could happen, he offered for Priscilla. I expressed my reservations to him when he first informed me of the match. He replied that he had a high regard for Miss Standish that would deepen over time.
Which is what continues to trouble me."
"In what way?" Helena asked.
"I've not warmed to her—how could I, when she takes every opportunity to snipe at you? But more important, after watching them carefully on many occasions, I can detect no evidence of increasing warmth between them. I know she must care for Adam, but I worry that so reserved and critical a girl will never make him happy."
Secretly glad Charis shared her opinion of Adam's fiancée, Helena said, "If affection has not developed as he'd hoped, why not admit he made a mistake and break the engagement? It seems idiotish to me to go forward with a marriage that shows so few signs of suc ceeding."
"You don't understand. The engagement has been publicly feted at any number of balls and routs. Should Adam terminate it, Miss Standish would be humiliated, her chances of contracting
another alliance severely damaged. 'Twould also be a stain on Adam's honor to break his word. Were she twice as shrewish and cold, he would not do it."
"Even if she will make his life a misery?" Helena asked, aghast to find Society's rules so inflexible.
Charis sighed again. "Since nothing can be done 297
now to free him, I can only hope that once he gets her away from the influence of her insufferable mother and that friend of hers, Lady Cordelia, Priscilla will display more of the character that first attracted him."
"You're certain nothing can be done?" Helena asked. Now that Charis had confirmed her suspicions, everything within her rebelled at the idea of abandoning Adam to the emotional desert of a marriage to Priscilla.
"Not unless Miss Standish changes her mind. To jilt a gentleman, though frowned upon, is forgivable. But let us not speak any more of Adam being unhappy, which is far too distressing! I trust a merciful Provi dence will find some way to make things right. Come, shall we go down?"
Deeply disturbed, after arranging instead to meet the ladies once she'd changed out of her habit, Helena went to her room. It appeared, she mused as Nell helped her into a morning gown, she would have to abandon her vague plan for using the attraction between them to try to induce Adam to break his engagement.
Though she couldn't imagine a man like her father expending a moment's thought about humiliat ing Miss Standish or staining his own honor, the Adam Darnell she loved would do neither.
If, at least at the moment, she could think of no honorable way to prevent the match, she would have to try to tolerate Miss Standish with as good a grace as possible. Despite the girl's continued hostility.
A resolution which, she suddenly realized, she would have to put into practice immediately. Yester-298 THE UNTAMED HEIRESS
day's tumult had made her forget until this moment that she would encounter Miss Standish on two occasions today.
The first meeting had been scheduled two days ago, when the Darnell ladies called on Princess Esterhazy and found Miss Standish and her mother also present. To Helena's surprise, Miss Standish had made her way through a knot of Helena's admirers to her side.
Entering the conversation during a pause in the entreaties of the gentlemen trying to extract Helena's agreement to race her black against them, Miss Standish said, "I've heard so much about your horse, Miss Lambarth! What a pity he is so unsteady you cannot ride him during the promenade hour, so we might all admire your skill."
"I believe Pegasus could be induced to behave himself even then," Helena replied, keeping her tone cordial with an effort.
"But I prefer a gallop to the slow pace one must maintain in the park in the afternoon."
"I agree! Schooling a horse to a walk is much more difficult than giving him his head," Miss Standish replied.
Though Adam's fiancée was entitled to her views, Helena couldn't help but think her remarks were more an attempt to disparage Helena than a statement of opinion.
Before she could reply, one of the gentlemen hooted and said,
"Well, Miss Lambarth, that sounded like a challenge! Why not ride Pegasus in the park and show just how well you can manage him?"
"Miss Lambarth, if you think it possible, I would be 299
delighted if you could ride with my cousin Francis when Darnell next drives me to the park. With you disdaining so many social events, I haven't had much opportunity to get to know you better. Darnell speaks so highly of you."
Seeing no polite wa y out of it, she'd reluctantly agreed, and the outing had been set for this afternoon, prior to the Darnells'
dinner at the Standish mansion— another event Helena did not anticipate with much enthusiasm.
At least Mr. Dixon had promised to lend his presence to the first excursion. Since at the most recent musicale she'd attended, she'd been compelled to rake her nails over the hand Francis Standish had placed on her derriere, she was glad of any company that spared her having to give her full attention to Miss Standish's odious cousin.
So that afternoon, gowned in her favorite scarlet habit, Helena met Mr. Dixon and proceeded to Hyde Park a bit in advance of the fashionable hour, that they might run the horses before she would have to confine Pegasus—and herself—to the boredom of a walk. They'd completed one full circuit of the park before she
spied their party.
Sighing, Helena put on a smile and slowed Pegasus to the pace of the Standish landau.
During the general greetings, she could not keep herself from looking at Adam—or feeling the rush of awareness his presence always triggered, deepened now by an intense swell of affection.
He smiled back, his eyes warming, until Miss Standish, glancing in the
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direction of his gaze, tapped his sleeve to reclaim his attention.
Affection changed to an ache as she watched them, trying to stifle again the sadness that his handsome countenance and sterling character were to be bestowed on Priscilla Standish. A sharp, venomous irritation Helena feared must be jealousy deepened her regret.
So distracted was she by this tangle of emotions that when Mr.
Dixon excused himself to ride on and speak with a friend and Francis Standish suggested they dismount and walk apace with the carriage, she absently agreed.
"Well, Miss Lambarth, I must admit I'm impressed," Priscilla said, reluctance in her tone. "Your Pegasus appears better behaved than I was led to believe. Or did you have a gallop around the park to tire him first?"
More amused than annoyed now by the girl's continual attempts to behttle her, Helena said evenly, "We cantered one circuit around the park, but he is still vigorous."
"I'm sure he is," Francis said, leaning close to Helena as he stroked Pegasus's neck. "We gentlemen do so appreciate a passionate creature," he murmured, so near she felt the warmth of his breath against her ear.
While Helena stepped away, wishing she might remount and catch up to Mr. Dixon, Adam sent Priscilla's cousin a warning look, to which he smiled bl andly.
"Won't you both join us in the carriage?" Priscilla 301
asked. "You can tie your horses behind. We could converse more easily—don't you agree, Adam?" she said, making a show of tucking her hand under his.
The cozy familiarity of that gesture made Helena want to snatch Adam's arm away. Under no circumstances did she wish to sit opposite the couple while Priscilla demonstrated her ownership of Adam—if such were her intent. Neither did Helena trust her restive mount to behave if tied close to another horse with no rider in control.
