Free London's Most Wanted Rake by Bronwyn Scott Page B

trust, not turning it away like he had last night.
    Channing knew how he wanted to do it. There was to be an egg hunt in celebration of the Easter holiday after breakfast that morning. Already, Lady Lionel was starting to circulate through the places where people lingered over morning coffee and tea with an urn full of names. Everyone was to draw for a partner. He would make sure he drew Alina’s name. If he was going to be successful with her, this would be a case of keeping one’s friends close and one’s enemies closer. Alina was somewhere in between.
    Channing put on his best smile and approached Lady Lionel with a light touch on her arm. He kept his voice low and private. ‘Might I have a quiet word with you?’ He drew her into the hall away from the other guests. She would not appreciate every male guest engineering their partners for the egg hunt. ‘I have a favour to ask. I would like to partner the Comtesse de Charentes, if I may? I am sure you could arrange it,’ he said, implying that she was a hostess of great skill.
    She blushed under the flattery. ‘I don’t know, it’s not how the game is supposed to work.’
    Channing nodded. ‘I understand, and while I would love to partner any of the ladies, a circumstance has arisen where I need to make amends with the comtesse .’ Lady Lionel looked interested now. She could smell a bit of gossip in the wind, a fair trade for his request. Channing pushed on. ‘I fear I may have offended her last evening after cards and I do not want her to feel uncomfortable for the rest of the house party.’ That was all true and a safe admission that would not show Alina in a poor light. As a member of the League, he was sworn to discretion even if Alina was not.
    She smiled. ‘I think we could make an exception in this case.’ She moved over to the console set against the wall and dumped slips of paper out with names carefully printed on them. Channing helped her sort through them, looking for Alina’s. ‘I don’t know the comtesse well,’ Lady Lionel began. ‘How is she enjoying her return to England?’
    The lady was fishing for more gossip and trying to determine just how well he knew the comtesse . Channing was too savvy of a player to fall for such a basic ploy for information. ‘I assume she is doing well—she is here, after all.’ Lady Lionel would hear the compliment in that. ‘Ah, I’ve found her name.’ Channing held up the slip of paper. ‘A thousand thanks, Lady Lionel.’ Now all he had to do was wait for Alina to come down.
    * * *
    She came down at the stroke of eleven and not a moment sooner. He’d not expected her to. Alina wasn’t a breakfast eater, nor was she an early riser. She would have chocolate and toast in her room and take her time with her toilette before showing her face to the world. It was always worth the wait. Today was no exception. She descended the stairs in a sea-foam walking ensemble with dyed-to-match kid boots that peeped from beneath her skirt. She carried a straw leghorn in her hand for protection against the sun, but for now her platinum hair was on display, carefully put up in what looked to be a casual up do, but what probably took Celeste the better part of the morning to fix. It was the kind of arrangement men’s fingers itched to take down.
    Lady Lionel was already calling for gentlemen to find their partners. Channing moved through the crowd of milling guests to her side before she could make her way towards Roland Seymour. Along with apologising, he was determined to figure out exactly what sort of business she hoped to conduct with him before it went any further.
    ‘ Comtesse, I believe we are partnered for the event.’ He swept her a gallant bow and she shot him a thunderous look.
    ‘You arranged it, I am sure,’ she replied frostily.
    Channing gave her a boyish smile. ‘Of course I did. You’re the best partner here and I want to win. The prize is jewellery of some worth. Other than that detail, Lady