Behind the Rake's Wicked Wager - By Sarah Mallory Page 0,24
but he had to admit it suited her, contrasting with the gleaming golden curls piled around her head. He tried to approach her at the interval, but she was at the centre of a crowd and not all Jasper’s considerable address could separate Miss Prentess from her friends and admirers. Instead he escorted Mrs Wilby out of the concert room in search of refreshment.
‘We have not seen you since the afternoon at Royal Crescent,’ she remarked, encouraged to speak by his silence.
‘No, I have been rather busy,’ he handed her a glass of wine. ‘I thought I saw Miss Prentess, however. Early this morning, heading out of Bath.’
If he had not been watching closely he would have missed the slight tremor of the widow’s hand as she held the wine to her lips. Her answer, when it came, was composed.
‘You are mistaken, my lord. That was merely our carriage, going off to collect provisions.’
‘You send your servants in your own carriage, ma’am? Is that not rather extravagant? How far do they have to travel?’ He added helpfully, ‘I saw it heading off on the Wells Road.’
The hunted look in the widow’s eyes convinced him he was on to something.
‘N-not far, but the vegetables are so much better, you know, from out of town.’ Her fan fluttered nervously. ‘We should be going back, my lord. The concert will be starting again soon and I do so dislike latecomers...’
He escorted her back to her seat and as soon as he moved away she had her head close to her niece and was talking animatedly. Jasper stood watching, until Susannah looked up and met his eyes. Her face was impassive but he was close enough to read a frown in her clear gaze. He smiled and inclined his head, but she immediately looked away, and when the concert ended she whisked her aunt out of the building before he could approach them.
* * *
‘If mine was a suspicious nature I should say Miss Prentess was avoiding me,’ he murmured, thinking back to that concert as he strode along High Street a few days later. It was Tuesday. Gerald was intent upon going to Royal Crescent that evening and Jasper could offer no good reason why he should not do so. ‘Well, I shall accompany Gerald this evening. She can hardly avoid me in her own drawing room.’
A familiar figure on the other side of the road caught his eye.
‘Charles!’ As the man stopped, Jasper crossed the road to greet him. ‘What the devil are you doing in Bath?’
‘I might ask you the same thing,’ retorted Charles Camerton, taking Jasper’s hand in a friendly grip.
‘Family matters,’ said Jasper vaguely. ‘Are you staying at the York or the Christopher?’
‘Devil a bit, they are too far above my touch,’ replied Charles. ‘I am at the White Hart. I have been visiting my godmother in Radstock. Doing the pretty, you know, in the hopes that she will die soon and leave me her fortune.’
Since Jasper knew Charles to be very fond of his godmother, he grinned at this.
‘Then what are you doing in Bath?’ he asked again.
‘She thinks that a treatment at the hot baths will do her good. I am here to seek out lodgings for her.’ He glanced up at the lowering sky. ‘Although I have persuaded her she should not attempt the journey for another month at least. We are barely out of February and it looks like snow is on the way.’
‘So you are here for a few days?’ Jasper said, an idea growing in his mind. ‘Will you dine with me this evening?’
‘With pleasure,’ returned Charles, promptly. ‘There is little else to do in a watering place populated by the old and the infirm.’
Jasper smiled. ‘Oh, I think I can find you some entertainment. You are fond of cards, I believe...’
* * *
‘Miss Prentess!’
Susannah gave her hand to Gerald and he raised it to his lips.
‘Welcome, sir.’ She looked behind him. ‘You are alone?’
‘Yes. I am sorry I missed your last party.’
She smiled at him as she gently withdrew her fingers from his grasp.
‘I do not expect you to attend us every week.’
‘But I like to come.’ He glanced around the drawing room and lowered his voice. ‘I like to help where I can, Susannah, which is why I was so pleased you allowed me to escort you to see Odesse the other day.’
‘I hope your mama will like the lace you ordered for her.’