The Rogue's Disgraced Lady

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She drew herself up to her full diminutive height.

‘Lord St Claire—’

‘Yes…?’ His expression was innocently enquiring.

This man was incorrigible, Juliet decided in total frustration. Absolutely impossible! ‘I have no wish to go on a carriage ride—or indeed anything else—with you!’

He raised dark brows. ‘You would rather that we spend the morning together here instead?’

Juliet blinked. By ‘here’ did he mean in her bedchamber? Or was he merely referring to Banford Park?

Whatever his meaning, Juliet was not agreeable to either suggestion. ‘I have no desire to spend the morning in your company at all, My Lord.’

‘Then it is your intention to depart today, as planned?’

‘You must know that it is not.’ She snapped her impatience, sure that he could not have helped overhearing her conversation with Dolly Bancroft the evening before. She’d certainly intended that he hear the remarks she’d meant for him!

‘Must I?’

‘My Lord—’

‘Could you not call me Sebastian when we are alone? I assure you I already think of you as simply Juliet,’ he murmured huskily.

‘I repeat, I have not given you permission—What are you doing?’ Juliet gasped as he took a step that brought him within touching distance, her eyes widening in alarm as she stared up at him.

Sebastian scowled as he once again saw that look of wariness in her face. The same emotion he had recognised in her yesterday evening. An emotion that had kept him awake for some time after he had retired to bed.

He knew that Juliet’s husband had been a much admired and respected member of the House, and an invaluable advisor to the War Cabinet during England’s years of war against Napoleon. He also knew the Earl of Crestwood had been a casual acquaintance of his eldest brother, Hawk. There had never, to Sebastian’s knowledge, been even a whisper of scandal attached to the Earl’s name.

Until after his death.

Even then it had been his wife’s name that had been whispered by the closed ranks of the ton.

But if not Edward Boyd, then who could have put that look of fear into Juliet’s eyes? Whoever or whatever it had been, Sebastian had no intention of adding to it—but he couldn’t give up his pursuit of her now. ‘Juliet, would you please do me the honour of accompanying me on a carriage ride this morning?’ He gave her an encouraging smile.

Juliet was momentarily disconcerted by the sweetness of his smile. ‘It is no more acceptable for the two of us to be alone in a carriage than it is for us to be alone here,’ she declared.

‘It is acceptable to me, Juliet,’ he assured her. ‘And to you, too, I hope?’

This man disturbed her. Disturbed, as well as confused her.

Two very good reasons why she should not allow herself to be persuaded by the beguiling boyishness of his smile! ‘I think not, Lord St Claire.’ She used his title deliberately.

Those whisky-coloured eyes looked directly into hers. ‘You have such an intense interest in Norman churches?’

‘I am not interested in them in the least,’ she admitted. ‘And you do not appear to have any interest in your own good name,’ she added waspishly. ‘To pay marked attention to me once is to risk your reputation,’ she explained at his raised dark brows. ‘To do so twice may mean you lose it completely!’

His mouth quirked. ‘I believe I am the only one who needs be concerned with that unlikely occurrence.’

‘My Lord, you have far more to lose by this association than I—’

‘Juliet, will you please stop arguing and just say yes to my suggestion of a carriage ride?’ he interrupted.

Juliet was torn. On the one hand it would be nice to get away from the curious and censorious gaze of the other guests at Banford Park. But accepting St Claire’s invitation would surely only expose them both to further speculation and gossip.

It would also put her in the position of being completely alone with him in his carriage…

‘You have hesitated long enough, Juliet.’ Sebastian decided to take matters into his own hands. ‘I will collect my hat and gloves and meet you downstairs no longer than ten minutes hence.’ He strode purposefully towards the door.

‘Sebastian!’

A satisfied smile curved his lips at her use of his given name and he turned slowly to look at her.

She closed her eyes briefly. ‘Could you…? Would it be to much to ask that you return to your own room in the same way that you arrived?’ She frowned. ‘It would not do for someone to see you leaving my bedchamber at this hour,’ she explained ruefully.

Sebastian chuckled softly as he inclined his dark head in acknowledgement of her point. ‘Ten minutes, Juliet. Or I will be forced to come looking for you.’

It was impossible for her to miss the threat behind his words. Just as it had been ultimately impossible for her to resist the beguiling nature of his smile. A smile that could charm the birds out of the trees if he so wished. A smile that had certainly charmed Juliet into behaving less than sensibly…

‘…the Black Widow—’

‘I wish you would not call her by that disgusting name!’ Sebastian exclaimed as he and Gray stood talking together in the cavernous entrance hall of Banford Park whilst Sebastian waited for Juliet to join him. ‘Address her as either Lady Boyd or the Countess of Crestwood.’

Gray grimaced. ‘I noticed your marked interest yesterday evening, and was merely enquiring as to whether her presence here could possibly be the reason for our attendance at this house party?’

‘Perhaps,’ Sebastian said coolly. ‘You have some objection to make?’ he added challengingly.

‘I would not dare to, old chap,’ Gray retorted. ‘You may like to give the impression that you live a life of idle pleasure, but I am well aware of how often you spar in the ring, and the many hours a week you spend honing your skill with the sword! If it’s any consolation, Seb, I am in complete sympathy with your interest in the widow. I had forgotten how beautiful she was until I saw her again yesterday evening.’

Sebastian appreciated this observation even less than he had his friend’s earlier remarks. ‘I hope it is not your intention to practise your own charm upon her, Gray?’

Gray opened wide, innocent eyes. ‘I make a point of never incurring the displeasure of a man who can fight and handle a sword better than I!’

The tension in Sebastian’s shoulders relaxed slightly as he finally saw the teasing humour in the other man’s gaze. ‘Tell me, Gray, what do you know of Edward Boyd?’

‘The husband?’ His friend gave a shrug. ‘Would your brother Hawk not be the best man to ask such a question?’

‘Unfortunately, Hawk is not here.’ Sebastian’s eldest brother might give the impression that he was too aristocratically top-lofty to even notice lesser beings than himself—which included just about everyone!—but that indifference was a façade; Hawk’s intelligence was formidable, and if he chose he could be the most astute of men. Certainly Hawk’s opinion of Edward Boyd would be worth hearing.

‘Most people seem to have held Crestwood in high esteem,’ Gray observed with a slight frown. ‘He was a hero at Trafalgar, don’t you know?’

Of course Sebastian knew of the Earl of Crestwood’s war record. He might have been still at school when the famous sea battle had occurred, but as a fifteen-year-old youth he had of course been very interested in it, and had read about the heroes of that battle.

His interest in the Earl’s wife had come much later, when he had happened to see Juliet during a ball at which he’d been forced by Hawk into acting as escort to their young sister Arabella during her first Season.

Tiny, almost ethereal, the Countess had nevertheless possessed a presence, an otherworldly beauty, that had instantly captured Sebastian’s interest.

He realised now that perhaps he should have paid more attention to Crestwood that night as he’d stood so arrogantly at Juliet’s side. That he should have observed more closely the relationship that existed between the married couple…

‘Our host is probably the chap you need to speak to if you want to know more about Crestwood,’ Gray suggested.

‘Bancroft?’

Gray nodded. ‘Both members of the House of Lords. Both were advisers to the War Cabinet during the war against Napoleon. Bancroft is sure to know something of the other man.’

‘Never mind that for now, Gray…’ Sebastian’s interest was swiftly distracted as he spotted Juliet, moving gracefully down the wide staircase to where he stood waiting.

A silk beribboned bonnet of the same peach colour as her high-waisted gown covered the darkness of Juliet’s curls, and she carried a lacy parasol to keep the worst of the sun’s rays from burning the pale delicacy of her complexion.

Everything about Juliet Boyd was delicate, Sebastian acknowledged with a sudden frown. From the top of her dark curls down to her tiny slippered feet.

Juliet’s gaze became wary as she looked up and saw the fierce expression on Sebastian’s face as she joined him. ‘Am I interrupting…?’ She voiced her uncertainty.

‘Not in the least, Lady Boyd,’ Sebastian’s companion assured her warmly. It was a fashionably dressed dark-haired, grey-eyed gentleman that Juliet vaguely recalled as being seated some way down the dinner table from her yesterday evening. ‘Lord Gideon Grayson,’ he introduced himself smoothly as he gave a courtly bow.

Juliet curtseyed, at the same time raising her hand.

‘I am pleased to meet you, Lord—’

‘If it’s all the same to you, Gray, the Countess and I are in something of a hurry,’ Sebastian cut in, before the other man could take her hand. Instead he placed that gloved hand on his own arm and held it there by placing his hand firmly on top of it. ‘Enjoy your morning, Gray,’ he added mockingly.

With her fingers firmly tucked in the crook of his arm, Juliet had little choice but to follow as Sebastian strode arrogantly across the hallway and out through the front door to where one of the grooms stood waiting beside a gleaming black curricle drawn by two matching greys.

Juliet did not need to be told that the vehicle belonged to Sebastian St Claire; the rakish style of the carriage matched its owner perfectly!

‘Were you not a little rude to Lord Grayson just now?’ Juliet ventured, once Sebastian had aided her ascent into the carriage before dismissing the groom to step in beside her and take up the reins.

‘Was I?’ he said evasively, his expression unreadable beneath the brim of his hat as he flicked the greys into an elegant trot.

Juliet fell silent as she pretended an interest in the countryside that surrounded Banford Park. Pretended, because after that scene in the hall her thoughts were all inward!

She knew she should be used to the cuts and snubs of the ton after being the subject of them so recently. And she was. It was just that after his earlier contempt for such behaviour she had expected more of Sebastian St Claire. The fact that he had not even wanted to introduce her to a man who was obviously his friend showed Juliet how naïve had been that expectation.

No doubt it was all well and good for St Claire to accost her on the privacy of her balcony or in her bedchamber. To whisk her away from curious eyes in his curricle. But to have him actually introduce her to one of his friends was obviously too much to ask.

For all Juliet knew she could be the subject of some sort of wager between St Claire and his friends. It was common practice, she believed, for gentlemen to make such wagers at their London clubs. In this case perhaps the first man to bed the Black Widow was to become the winner of this wager.

‘Juliet…?’

Her eyes flashed with anger. ‘I have changed my mind, My Lord,’ she snapped, her back rigid. ‘I wish for you to take me back to Banford Park immediately!’

Sebastian glanced down at her searchingly. Whatever thoughts had been going through her head the last few minutes they had not been pleasant ones—as the anger in those deep green eyes testified.

He shook his head. ‘Not until you tell me what I have done to upset you.’

‘I am not upset,’ she denied.

‘No?’ Sebastian rasped, patently not amused.

She drew in a ragged breath. ‘Would you please turn your curricle around and return me to Banford Park?’

‘No.’

‘No…?’ she echoed uncertainly.

They were some distance from Banford Park now, but instead of continuing on the road as he had intended, Sebastian turned the greys down a rutted track, entering a grove of trees before pulling his horses to a halt.

Before Juliet could so much as voice a word of protest he had jumped lithely down from the curricle to come round and offer her his hand, so that she might join him on the ground.

She made no effort to do so, but instead raised her chin in challenge. ‘I should warn you, Lord St Claire, that I have no intention of allowing you to seduce me!’

Sebastian found himself grinning at the fierceness of her expression. ‘I assure you, my dear, that my preference is for the comfort of a bed, or perhaps even a well-upholstered sofa, when my thoughts turn to seduction!’

She blinked her surprise. ‘Then why have you brought me here?’

‘To take a stroll in the sunshine, perhaps? To breathe in the fresh, clean air? To appreciate the beauty that surrounds us?’

It was a pretty spot, Juliet acknowledged frowningly, with the dappled sun shining through the trees overhead upon wild flowers in bloom in pinks and yellows and purples.

Except Sebastian had been looking at Juliet and not the flowers or the trees when he’d made that last remark…

Warmth coloured her cheeks as he continued to look at her with unconcealed admiration. ‘I can as easily appreciate all of those things from my balcony at Banford Park.’

The humour left his gaze. ‘I believe we can talk more privately here, Juliet.’

Juliet didn’t care for the sudden and probing intensity of that whisky-coloured gaze. ‘Concerning what subject, sir?’

‘If you join me I will tell you.’ He held out his hand for a second time.

Juliet continued to eye him warily, at the same time impatiently dismissing her feelings of alarm. She was a woman of thirty years. Had been married and widowed. She ran the house, and the smaller estate she had moved to after Edward’s death, with a competency that surprised even her. So why should a man younger than herself, whose reputation was that of a rake and an incorrigible flirt, give her reason to feel in the least uncertain of herself?

He should not!

‘You really are behaving most childishly, My Lord,’ she told him frostily, but she moved to place her gloved hand on his so that she might descend from the curricle.

Sebastian’s face hardened as he ignored that hand and instead reached up to place both his hands about her waist, before lifting her aloft and swinging her out of the carriage.

For several seconds, as he lifted her, Juliet found their gazes on a level, and her body was perilously close to Sebastian’s as she stared into the golden depths of his eyes and saw—