Regency - Chapter 8

The pleading in Beth's voice stopped Alec from pouring out all he had discovered about Tufton's dark past. She would have to be told eventually, but seeing how sad the possibility of her dear friend going so far astray made her, Alec decided he needed to very slowly disillusion her.

For now, he would have to make do with remaining near her side and having Tufton watched. With any luck, Tufton would expose himself as the blackguard he was before Alec had to do it for him.

About halfway through their walk, something Alec had been dreading finally happened. He noticed Arella and Tufton had come to a stop ahead. When he and Beth caught up, they found Arella standing on one foot, holding tightly to Tufton's arm.

"The silliest thing," she said lightly. "I seem to have turned my ankle. Dear Alex has offered to walk me home, but I thought that you might enjoy a chance to chat with him, Beth. You've hardly had a chance to talk with him since he came to London, and I'm sure you are dying to catch up. It's been years since you two saw each other, after all."

"Certainly," Beth said with a pleasant smile. Alec wondered if Arella could see the strain lying just under the surface of her sister's cheerful facade. He could certainly feel the tension in the arm tucked through his.

"Would you be a dear and escort me home, my lord?" Arella asked, batting her thick eyelashes and shooting him a flirtatious smile. Alec looked up and found Tufton surveying him with a frown.

Unfortunately, Arella had maneuvered him into a corner. Alec couldn't refuse without sounding like a cad. "I would be happy to," he answered, placing one of his hands over Beth's hand on his arm and giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go and holding his arm out to Arella.

Arella shot him a grateful smile, but he could see the cold calculation in her eyes. He kept his demeanor polite, even when she pressed against him much closer than was polite or appropriate.

As they walked, he moved away and managed to keep distance between them. She settled for squeezing his arm and smiling up at him, batting her long lashes. "So you're from Ireland? You don't really sound Irish."

"I was educated in England," he explained.

"Oh wow. I bet it must be so exciting, to find out that you're an Earl."

Alec laughed. "I would have been quite happy to never get the title. I was satisfied with my quiet life. I'm a simple, country man, my lady. I much prefer the peace of the country to the bustle of London."

Her smile fell for a moment, but quickly returned. "Perhaps you just haven't experienced the right parts of city life yet. Have you been to the Pantheon Masquerade?"

Alec blinked in surprise. Did this foolish young woman realize that she had just brought up a very questionable activity in front of an eligible parti? He was sure her mother would be horrified to know that Arella even knew of the Pantheon masquerade.

She must have sensed his distaste, for Arella quickly added in a quiet voice, "One of my friends told me it was where all the most interesting people are. You know, the rakes and the dashing ladies and all. I thought it sounded so exciting! I cannot go, of course, but you could. No one questions when men do such amusing things." She formed her lips into a pretty pout and looked up at him through her thick lashes.

Alec couldn't stop himself. He laughed. Arella's eyes briefly flashed with anger, but before she could say anything, Alec said the only thing he knew that would soothe her ruffled temper.

"Minx. You wield your beauty like a weapon. With great efficacy too, I might add." He spoke in a light, flirtatious tone. Her smile returned and she changed the subject to the latest on-dits (naturally). Alec kept up his end of the conversation and wondered how anyone could still find the latest gossip interesting when everyone had heard it so many times.

By the time Alec dropped Arella off back at her home, he was satisfied that he had flattered her enough to hopefully remove himself as a challenge, but not so much as to place a target on himself. He made good time back to the park, hoping to see Beth again.

What he did not expect was to find her and Tufton hiding in a small copse of trees off the path. It took him ten minutes of careful searching to find them and even then he wouldn't have succeeded if he hadn't heard male laughter as he passed by and gone to investigate.

He found Tufton leaning against a tree, holding Beth's hands in his. "I forgot about that," Tufton said, smiling.

Beth's back was to Alec, so he couldn't be sure what she was feeling. He considered leaving them alone, but he couldn't do it. He knew enough about Tufton's reputation to worry that, even if his interest in Arella was sincere, he could still get distracted by the lovely Beth. And Alec knew very well that Beth was open to advances from her dear friend after their interlude in the library at the ball.

The thought of Tufton kissing Beth was enough to push him out of hiding. He burst through the trees with a bit more speed and noise than planned, drawing the immediate attention of Tufton and Beth.

"Alec!" Beth called in surprise, her worried frown changing to a welcoming smile.

Tufton turned a startled frown on Beth. "Alec?" he asked in a tone of censure. "Is that not rather overly familiar?"

Beth's worried frown returned as she turned her gaze back to Tufton. Alec could see the blush lighting her cheeks. She glanced at him and her eyes seemed to be begging him to do. . . something.

"Do you often reach such intimate terms with men so quickly?" Tufton continued before Alec could intervene, his surprise turning to anger. "Have you no concern for your good name? Have you even considered how such carrying on will damage your poor, innocent sister's reputation? Dash it all Beth! I thought you were better than this! You-"

"Enough!" Alec called in a forceful voice. He would not listen to Tufton so demeaning the lovely, innocent Beth.