Page 5 of No Match for Love (Regency Love Stories)

Lucas stared down his younger brother before facing the woman.

Charlie was forever getting into quandaries, much to the dismay of their mother.

Though an accident such as this might not seem so terrible to most, it was just one more tally on Charlie’s long list of mistakes made.

She was turned away from them and seemed to be shuffling in the other direction.

Exhaustion filled him at the thought of cleaning up one of Charlie’s messes when all he wished to do was get the evening over with.

Actually, he wished to go a few rounds of boxing, but his mother would not appreciate his missing the ball altogether.

He cleared his throat again.

She froze, but then, slowly, she pivoted back.

The front of her dress was covered with a dark stain from her bodice down to her skirt, but there was something far more interesting about her that arrested his attention.

Lucas took in her light hair and wide eyes with a jolt of recognition.

This was the woman from the street. The one who’d seen him in his disguise where no one was ever meant to see him.

His guard rose. Would she recognize him? He tried not to shift underneath her regard. Her eyes narrowed then darted away. He breathed an internal sigh of relief when she said nothing and turned back to Charlie.

His brother was not looking nearly as repentant as he ought.

No wonder too—the woman was beautiful and young and just the type that Charlie would pursue.

Though usually the boy’s romancing did not involve drenching the woman in punch.

Could his brother not manage an evening without getting into some sort of trouble?

“Well, this is rather awkward, is it not?” the woman said with a light, forced laugh. “I apologize... I only wanted to leave the ball without making a fool of myself. It seems I was not particularly successful.”

Lucas looked at her without meeting her eye.

He itched to leave the situation, but his honor compelled him to remain.

He could not allow this young woman to traverse his home with only Charlie as company.

But he needed to help them quickly—the less time in the woman’s company, the better.

Who knew when she might suddenly recognize him as the pugilist from the wrong part of town rather than the heir to a marquessate that he was meant to be.

“No, it is I who should apologize for detaining you. Come, I will accompany you both.” If he stayed behind them, he could see them out without her seeing much of him.

Charlie pushed up from the table he’d been leaning against. “There is no need. I have the situation well in hand.”

Lucas looked at his brother, his gaze brooking no argument. Whether Charlie truly had it in hand or not, Lucas could not leave them. It would be ungentlemanly at the least.

Charlie opened his mouth to argue, if his furrowed brows were any indication, but another voice from the room Lucas had just vacated cut him off.

“Lucas? Are you in here?”

It was their mother. That was inconvenient.

Charlie’s furrowed brows sprang apart, his eyes turning pleading.

“Blast. I promised I wouldn’t cause any problems tonight.

” He glanced over at the young lady, who still seemed frozen to her spot.

Interestingly, she was watching him, not Charlie, for direction.

“Will you distract her so I can get Miss— You know, I don’t even know your—never mind.

” He met Lucas’s eye. “Distract Mother, would you?”

Lucas thought for half a second then shook his head. He wasn’t allowing Charlie to run off with this woman.

“Lucas?” Her voice was coming closer.

Charlie’s eyes grew round. Lucas jerked his head to another door. “Go. I will take the young lady to Mother. She will help.” He already knew he’d regret this.

“And you won’t—”

“I won’t tell her what you’ve done.”

Charlie pressed his eyes closed. “I owe you.” Then he darted off with only a fleeting wave for the woman, who watched him go with wide eyes.

“Your mother ?” she hissed, stepping toward Lucas.

He tried to give her a reassuring look without actually meeting her gaze, but according to his friends, his expressions ranged from stoic to more stoic regardless of the scenario, so he was probably not successful.

She took a steadying breath, and it was as if he could feel her nerves from several feet away.

Dash it all. He was meant to be helping her, not adding to her difficulties.

That went against everything he strove to do in life.

“Do not worry,” he said, attempting a lighter tone more like his brother’s or Henry’s.

“It has been at least a week since she breathed fire. She will help you.” His power over conversation had clearly grown rusty.

Perhaps comparing his mother to a dragon was a bit too far.

The woman gave a startled laugh, however, and then after half a breath, she gave a brief nod. “If you are certain she will not eat me.”

And not a moment too soon. Mother appeared in the doorway, all glittering poise save for her furrowed brow. “Lucas. There you are. You do not intend to stay hidden away for the entirety of the ball, do you? I had hoped—oh. Hello.” Mother looked between the two of them, expression expectant.

Lucas took a step forward. “Mother, this is Miss...”

“Faraday.” But it was not the young lady who had answered. It was his mother. “Lord Tarrington’s new ward, yes?”

The woman nodded.

“I see you have helped me find my son. He is always disappearing at these events.” Her voice was light, welcoming, but Lucas noticed the hint of confusion that wove its way through the words. And the hint of suspicion.

The woman beside him nodded but seemed at a loss for words.

Mother continued, sending Lucas a small smile, though it was clearly guarded. “It would seem he prefers the company of draperies and shelves to that of—well, nearly the entire upper ten thousand.” Mother watched the woman—Miss Faraday—expectantly.

Miss Faraday looked between him and his mother, her gaze finally choosing the latter. “I suppose I cannot blame him. It is a beautiful ball, but there are a great number of people. I admit to seeking a bit of respite myself.”

Something entered his mother’s eye, but just as quickly, it vanished. “Is that how you found each other?”

Lucas made to enter the conversation, planning to take the blame so neither Charlie nor Miss Faraday would suffer any ill consequences, but he did not get the chance.

“In a way, yes, though only just barely. I managed to spill punch all down my front and was trying to get to my carriage without... well, without ruining my Season before it has hardly begun. I do apologize for making my way this far from the rooms set aside for the ball. Your son found me moments ago and was going to escort me to the entrance hall. Though if you will point me in the correct direction, I will gladly be out of your way.”

Lucas could only stare. Truly? Just like that, she was going to take the blame and not even find an excuse to stay?

Any young lady would pounce at the chance of an increased relationship with the Marchioness of Cheltenham, to say nothing of wheedling into the good graces of one of her two unmarried sons.

Mother had turned completely to her now, blocking Lucas from the conversation almost entirely.

He should have been offended, but he was relieved to be spared conversing.

“I am terribly sorry to hear about your dress. Of course you would want to leave unnoticed. I remember just such a situation when I was a debutante myself.” She laughed lightly to herself.

“Tell your maid to put a bit of... Oh, what was it?”

“Vinegar?” Miss Faraday supplied. Mother’s eyes lit up.

“Yes, exactly. A bit of vinegar will take the stain out.”

Lucas began backing away. Clearly, the women had the situation well in hand. He would just return to his paper in the other room and hide himself away for the remainder of the evening.

But his mother suddenly stepped aside. “Well, I will leave you to it. I hope you will not judge all our balls by this first, Miss Faraday. We shall have you for another, and I intend to see you enjoy that one far more.”

“Oh, I did enjoy it immensely. I am simply unaccustomed to the heat of this many persons. Though I suppose the cool punch has helped with that.”

Mother smiled at the jest. “It is rather overwhelming, is it not?” Mother stepped back to the door, impeding Lucas’s retreat. She met his eye. “My son will see you out. Good evening, Miss Faraday.”

Lucas had long gained control over his every expression, but a look of surprise threatened to break through nonetheless. She was leaving them? Alone?

“Good evening, Lady Cheltenham,” Miss Faraday returned.

And Mother left, head high and expression content, as if she were not leaving Lucas to fend for himself. What was that she always preached? That family was more important than anything? She was no dragon, it would seem. She was a turncoat.

“You need not show me out.” Miss Faraday stepped around his frozen form into the sitting room beyond. Thus far, she’d shown no indication of recognition. “If you will just point the way?”

“No.” He pulled himself together. “I will show you.”

“Oh. Very well, then. Could I also prevail upon you to send a servant for my guardian? He will be wondering where I am.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

He led her through the sitting room that no longer felt like the small sanctuary it had been a quarter of an hour before.

They traversed the remainder of his family’s home in silence, only the sound of their muted footsteps on the plush carpets to accompany them.

He vaguely felt as if he should be giving her a commentary on each room they passed.

Here is the sitting room—it does not serve as the best of hiding spots, it would seem.

And this is the library. I should have hidden here, and then I might have avoided this entire situation.

Perhaps he could have exercised better manners by speaking with her, but the whole scenario sat uneasily with him.

He didn’t have a grasp on this woman’s character nor her knowledge of him or his family, and thus he felt out of control in the situation.

He had no wish to prolong it. Not much, at least.

He chanced a glance at her. Her head hardly reached his shoulder, and her golden hair framed her face prettily. Even the way she held her shoulders back despite biting her lip in clear discomfort drew him in. She was even more striking when not at the side of a darkened road.

He put an immediate stop to those thoughts. This woman could ruin everything if she recognized him. The last thing he needed was an unsanctioned attraction to her.

They reached the entrance hall, which was blessedly empty of partygoers, and Lucas sent one footman to find Lord Tarrington and another for their carriage.

“Do you need anything else?” he asked Miss Faraday, barely refraining from stepping away, back to safety.

“Only a better excuse than my own clumsiness to give my guardian.”

“Pardon?”

She shook her head with a smile. “Nothing. Thank you for your help.”

He nodded, hesitating. Would her guardian be upset with her? Should he remain to take the blame as she had for Charlie? Marietta would have remained. She always went out of her way to be kind. His heart ached at the brief thought of her.

The part of him that constantly strove to do not only the right thing but the best thing warred with the part that knew this guardian could leverage the situation to try to increase his own standing.

Perhaps even pushing for an engagement between the two.

And Lucas could not let that happen. When he married, the match would be within his control. Unlike this current circumstance.

“If you are certain.”

“Entirely. Only . . .”

He paused his retreat.

Her brows were furrowed and her head cocked. Noise from the ongoing ball was muted here, but it still reminded him of where else his duty lay. At least a brief appearance at his mother’s ball would be required. The idea made discomfort climb up his spine.

“Have we met?” she asked. “You look terribly familiar.”

His entire being froze. “Not that I am aware of.”

“Hmm. Well, thank you again.”

He gave the woman another crisp nod and fled.