Page 65 of The Bridal Quest

Of course, Teresa could have acted simply out of spite, letting her venom spew out over the nearest target. But why, even out of spite, would she have made up such a story? The words she said she had heard Gideon say to his great-aunt had a ring of truth to them. And surely Teresa could not have settled on the name by coincidence or accident. Dora was indeed the name that Gideon had flung at her father years ago, warning him never to try to touch her again. Gideon had told her that he attacked her father because he was protecting one of his faro dealers, but had not the very heat of his fury indicated some deeper feeling than that?

It would explain, as well, his lack of interest in finding a wife whom he could love. If the love of his life was a woman whom he could not marry, given his suddenly acquired position in life, he could very well plan to marry for duty and keep a mistress in the city for love.

Irene swallowed, feeling a little queasy. Had he kissed her as he had, all the time knowing that he was in love with another woman? She had known that he did not love her, that all that lay between them was desire, but ... she hated the thought that his desire could have had so little in it of caring, that in his embrace there had been nothing but carnal lust.

Irene glanced around. All eyes were on the center of the floor, where Gideon and the others were dancing. No one was looking at her, and no one would notice if she left, least of all Gideon.

She turned and slipped out of the room. Outside in the hallway, she hesitated. She had thought to go up to her bedchamber, but she was too restless, she realized. Instead, she turned and hurried down the corridor and out the rear door onto the terrace. She stood for a moment, drawing a calming breath.

Finally she started down the steps to the garden. It was a trifle cool, but the evening air felt good against her overheated cheeks, and she did not want to go back for a wrap. In any case, she would not stay long, as the partial moon did not provide enough light for her to venture farther back into the gardens, where trees and hedges created deeply dark spaces. She strolled along the central path to where it split around the fountain and stood for a moment, gazing down at the cheerily splashing water.

"Irene."

She whirled around, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest. Gideon stood a few feet behind her. The noise of the fountain must have covered his steps. She straightened, lifting her chin a little. She must not let him think that she was mooning over him.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "I saw you leave the room."

"I stepped out for a breath of air," she told him nonchalantly. "It had grown rather warm in the music room."

Her statement would have sounded better, she knew, if she had not involuntarily shivered right afterward as the night breeze touched the bare skin of her arms.

"But now you are cold." He shrugged out of his jacket and came forward, laying it about her shoulders.

The jacket was still warm from his body, and his scent lingered on it. Irene clutched the edges together, feeling suddenly as if she might burst into tears. Whatever was the matter with her? He had rudely ignored her all evening, and now a tender gesture from him was enough to make her cry? She was not, she reminded herself sternly, one of those females.

It did not matter that she wanted to lean against him, to rest her head against his hard chest. It did not matter that his nearness was intoxicating to her, that the heat emanating from his body drew her, that the unique scent of him set up a fluttering deep in her loins. She would not be weak.

Irene swallowed and said, "You seemed to be enjoying the dance."

He made a face and said, "I would rather—"

He broke off as a voice from the terrace called, "Gideon!"

They turned and looked up to see Gideon's uncle approaching rapidly.

"Oh, excuse me, Lady Irene," Jasper said. "I did not see you standing there."

"It is perfectly all right. I left the music room and Gi— Lord Radbourne came after me to make sure that I was not ill."

"Are you all right?" Jasper asked, trotting down the steps to join them.

"Perfectly." Irene forced a smile onto her face, hoping that it looked more natural than it felt. "I just came out for a stroll, and then I found it a trifle too cool."

"I wanted to talk to you, Gideon. I had not been able to catch you alone this evening," Jasper told his nephew.

"Pray excuse me," Irene said quickly. "I will leave you gentlemen so that you may talk."

"No, please, my lady, I did not mean to be rude," Jasper said quickly, looking embarrassed. "You are welcome to stay. Indeed, I already spoke to you on this subject the other day."

"Oh." Irene knew that he was referring to the afternoon two days before, when she and Francesca had inadvertently overheard Jasper's argument with his mother. "About Lady Selene?"

"Yes."

Beside her, Gideon stiffened, and Irene suspected that he was searching for a way out of the conversation.

"Please stay," Jasper said, addressing both of them. "It is important. I want both of you to hear. I fear you have been misled about your mother, Gideon."

"Yes, I know. My father pretended that she had been kidnapped."