Free Dangerous to Love by Rexanne Becnel Page A

she’d been lured into the middle of a war she did not begin to understand. If she were wise, she would run straight back to whatever country hamlet she’d come from. If she were not wise, then she would soon learn a bitter lesson. For Ivan Thornton did not abide by her society’s rules. He was not of her society nor did he intend ever to be. For now it pleased him to play the role given him as the only offspring of the late unlamented earl. But it was merely a role, donned for a purpose, to be abandoned once that purpose was achieved.
    Meanwhile, he had the strangest urge to go dancing.
    Lucy saw the dowager countess stiffen, and at once she knew why. Blast, blast, and double blast! she swore to herself. He’d returned!
    She swung Valerie around so that she could see her adversary. Valerie had been staring down at her feet, counting her steps under her breath. Lucy’s move caught her unawares and after stumbling a bit she raised a frowning face to Lucy. “Was that the place we were supposed to turn? I thought you said …”
    She trailed off when Lucy did not respond with so much as a glance. That was because Lucy was working so hard to maintain her own composure. Ivan Thornton was here and her battle for Valerie was about to begin. Heaven help her if the girl found him half so attractive as she herself did!
    “Good evening, madam.” He bowed smartly to the old woman and gave her a beautiful, if utterly false, smile. “Had I known you were entertaining this evening, I would have sent word ahead that I was returning.”
    He turned that dark, seductive smile on Lucy and Valerie, who still stood in their dancers’ embrace. “How nice to see you again, Miss Drysdale.” He paused, then went on when she did not respond. “Will you introduce me to your charming dance partner?”
    Lucy gritted her teeth. If she was to teach Valerie how to behave in society, she could not very well do so by responding rudely to the man. Especially when he seemed set on behaving politely—for a change. He’d not behaved so well the night they’d met, she fumed. But she could not very well bring that up now.
    With an effort she released Valerie and forced herself to give him the barest smile. “Good evening, my lord. I had not realized you’d never before met your cousin. Lady Valerie, this is Ivan Thornton, Earl of Westcott.”
    Lucy could see from Valerie’s widening eyes that though she’d never met Ivan before, she most assuredly knew all about him. And she could see in Ivan’s face that he was not pleased with the lackluster introduction he’d been given. Good, Lucy thought. She continued. “My Lord Westcott, may I introduce the Lady Valerie Stanwich. Lady Valerie is from Arundel in Sussex. Her father is Carl Stanwich, Earl of Hareten.”
    “He knows all that,” Lady Westcott interrupted. She’d risen from the piano bench, and now she approached the trio of young people. “He knows who you are, Lady Valerie. And be forewarned, child, that he is very likely the most charming and insincere fellow you are likely to meet the entire duration of your stay in town.” Though the countess kept her words light, she was not as successful with her expression.
    Following Lady Westcott’s lead, Lucy hooked Valerie’s arm with her own and forced herself to smile. “Listen to your godmother, Lady Valerie, for she knows whereof she speaks. Your cousin has far too successful a reputation with the ladies to be deemed suitable for so young a person as you,” she finished, trying to maintain a lighthearted tone.
    Ivan gave her a potent smile. “Why, Miss Drysdale. What an un-Christian attitude toward someone you’ve only just met. And here I thought I’d been more than charitable, offering to answer any questions you might have about life in town.”
    He was deliberately taunting her about what she’d seen that night, and about his insulting offer to answer her questions about the goings-on between him and that … that