The Perfect Seduction Page 9

  Heat flooded Sera's cheeks. She clenched her teeth, knowing that if she retorted in anger, she'd only make matters worse. Honoria, despite her outward appearance and manner-and Carden Reeves's assurances-was no harmless bit of feminine fluff.

  "You haven't been out of Mayfair recently, have you, Honoria?" Carden asked coolly.

  Honoria blinked some more and in the lull Sera stepped in to make explanations for the sake of the girls' feelings.

  "It was an unavoidable situation, the specifics of which I won't bore you, Lady Lansdown. But rest assured that Mr. Reeves is taking us to the dressmaker's tomorrow. He intends for the girls to have entirely new wardrobes as soon as is humanly possible."

  "Oh really, Carden," Honoria gushed, waving her hand dismissively. "What would you know of selecting proper clothing for young ladies?"

  "And just how is it that you would know more?" he countered.

  "I was once a little girl myself. And although small details tend to slip my mind these days, my memories of childhood are quite intact and available for recall. As I'm sure you have much more productive ways in which to spend your time, I shall accompany Seraphina and the girls to the dressmaker's tomorrow."

  Sera's heart sank into her stomach. An entire day with Honoria, always watching for barbs, deflecting criticisms, having to ever be on their very best behavior ...

  "I think Miss Camille should choose in the pinks, don't you, Seraphina?"

  There had to be a way out of this. But until she found it, Sera dido't see any choice but to appear to be politely amenable. "Pink is always a good color for her. The darker shades being the best."

  "I agree. And light blues for Miss Beatrice. For Miss Amanda ... I see the palest, springiest greens."

  And never mind what the girls see or want for themselves, Sera angrily added.

  "And what do you see for Seraphina?" Carden asked from his seat at the end of the table.

  "Jewel tones, I should think," Honoria supplied, squinting at her. "Very deep 'and rich colors. She would be simply stunning in jades and sapphires."

  Carden slowly shook his head. Softly, he smiled and said, "Rubies."

  Barrett Stanbridge leaned forward in his chair to meet her gaze and say, "I think she's quite stunning just as she is at present."

  "Hardly," Sera protested, "but thank you nonetheless, Barrett You're most gallant." She turned to Honoria, determined to establish herself as an independent mind. "As for the matter of my wardrobe, I really don't think a new one is all that necessary. What I have-"

  "Nonsense, my dear," Honoria declared with another wave of her hand. "Carden can well afford it and every woman should, at least once in her life, have a wardrobe befitting her beauty."

  "Very true," he concurred. "All of it. And I insist on seeing that you have one."

  Seraphina opened her mouth to protest but Camille chose that moment to reach over and tug on her Uncle Carden's coat sleeve. He grinned and looked down at her.

  "Yes, Camille? What is it?"

  "Uncle Carden, would be it all right if Mrs. Miller has a new dress, too?"

  One corner of his mouth quirked up. "And who is Mrs. Miller?"

  "Her doll," Amanda supplied with a quick but openly defiant glance at Honoria. "Mrs. Miller, Miss Sera's mama, gave her to me a long time ago. When I outgrew such things, I gave her to Beatrice."

  "And I gave her to Camille," Beatrice added. "She has a china face and hands."

  "And jet-black hair," Amanda contributed. "Just like Miss Sera's mama had. That's why I named her as I did."

  Camille nodded earnestly and in childish awe whispered, "She's very beautiful, Uncle Carden."

  Sera watched, ,her heart melting, as Carden Reeves grinned at his youngest niece, chucked her chin, and said, "It certainly sounds as though she is, Camille. Of course Mrs. Miller can have a new wardrobe, too. Perhaps we could get her dresses to match your own. Would you like that?"

  "That would be lovely, Uncle Carden. Thank you."

  "It will be my pleasure, Camille. Just remember to take Mrs. Miller with you tomorrow. They'll need to take her measurements when they take yours."

  Camille nodded, adoration brimming in her dark eyes.

  And Sera watched as Carden Reeves drank from the well and let her take his heart prisoner. Smiling, Seraphina eased back into her chair, happier than she could ever remember being. Everything was going to be fine. Carden was well on his way to being the perfect uncle, the perfect hero. She couldn't have asked for more.

  "We've never been to a dressmaker's before," Beatrice blurted.

  "Never?" Honoria repeated, clearly stunned.

  Amanda nodded. "Mama always made-"

  "Oh, dear," Sera gasped, bolting forward in her chair, all too aware of where the sudden turn in conversation could take them. Any reference to their parents in the past tense would invite another of Honoria's rapid-fire inquisitions.

  "I had no idea it was so late," Sera quickly went on, tucking her napkin beneath the edge of her plate. "My darlings, I'm afraid we must put an end to our day. If we don't retire in the next few moments, we'll be too exhausted to properly enjoy our adventure tomorrow." She smiled and glanced around the table even as she began to rise. "If you all will accept our thanks for the excellent meal and the pleasant company, we will bid you a good evening."

  All three of the men politely bolted to their feet with murmured acceptances but it was Barrett Stanbridge who stepped to the back of her seat to assist her. John Aiden moved to assist Beatrice, and since Camille vaulted out of the chair on her own, Carden was left to help Amanda.

  "I won't accept," Honoria said flatly, firmly.

  Carden froze and stared down at his sister-in-law. "I beg your pardon?"

  "And with whom will I have after-dinner conversation and sherry if Seraphina retires with our delightful nieces?"

  Honoria asked imperiously. "Am I supposed to remain with you gentlemen for port and cigars?"

  Sera's stomach turned to lead. There was no polite way out of it; she had to stay. And she would have to formally atone for what had been a significant social gaffe. But humbling herself was all the sacrifice she was willing to make for social protocol and Honoria Reeves.

  "My sincere apologies for not having thought of that, Lady Lansdown," she said softly, easing herself back into her chair. "Of course I'll remain with you. But I must insist that the girls retire. Amanda is perfectly capable of seeing herself and her sisters tucked in for the night She's very grown-up."

  Amanda momentarily sagged with obvious relief and then predictably stiffened her back and squared her shoulders.

  "What about my stocking?" Beatrice whispered. "I'll need to wear it tomorrow."

  "I'll darn it before I retire for the night," Sera promised.

  "I'll see to it, Miss Sera," Amanda offered, taking Camille's hand in hers. "I'm very good with a needle."

  "You are, indeed. And sewing is only one of your many talents. Thank you, Amanda."

  Amanda beamed and Carden Reeves nodded, his smile appreciative. The girls then said their good-nights, graciously accepted the offered wishes for pleasant dreams, and departed. And when they were gone, Sera reached for her wine glass, knowing from Honoria's arched brow that she was going to need the fortification.

  CHAPTER 7

  Seraphina had a vague sense of moving her feet but that was all the conscious effort she could contribute to moving into the parlor with Honoria. She was so very tired and the wine, rather than strengthening her, had instead wrapped her in a wonderfully comfortable warmth that invited her to sit down, close her eyes, and drift off into dreamless sleep. And motionless sleep, she realized with a faint smile. It had been months since the bed under her hadn't rocked on the waves.

  Honoria settled herself on the settee and folded her hands in her lap with an expectant air. Sera paused in the center of the room, her mind stumbling along the course of trying to guess what the woman wanted.

  "Sherry, dear."

  “Thank
you, Lady Lansdown," Sera replied with a small shake of her head. The motion did little to revitalize her but it did provide a momentary clarity that allowed her to cross to the sideboard and pour them both a small glass of sweet sherry.

  Honoria accepted hers, saying breezily, "You really mustn't make a habit of complimenting children excessively, Seraphina. It's not good for them to think too highly of themselves. It makes it difficult to manage them."

  She was too tired to put up a truly spirited defense, too tired to work at evading a conflict. "I happen to think otherwise, Lady Lansdown," Sera countered quietly, settling into the opposite settee. "Children deserve to be praised for what they can do right and well. I believe recognition and respect serves to inspire them to not only do better, but to be better people."

  "Oh? And do Arthur and Mary subscribe to the same views of childrearing?"

  Of course they had. They'd been the ones to impart them to her. "Do you think they would have entrusted me with their children if they didn't?"

  "Actually," Honoria replied, pausing to sip her drink, "despite Carden's explanations, I think Arthur and Mary are dead."

  Sera caught her glass just in time. Her heart in her throat and racing, she arched a brow in what she hoped was a nonchalant fashion and said, "I beg your pardon?"

  "Despite your decidedly liberal views," Honoria said, examining the color of her sherry in the firelight, "I'm certain that you're reasonably capable of caring for my nieces, Sera. You have, after all, safely brought them home from halfway around the world. But unless Arthur has changed a great deal in the twelve years since I last saw him, it just isn't in his character to let another be responsible for the care of his prized possessions if he were able to do so himself. The only logical conclusion to be drawn is that Arthur didn't bring his children home himself because he cannot. And the only reason sufficiently dire to prevent him from doing so would be death."

  Sera said nothing and Honoria met her gaze squarely.

  "And their mother must have passed on, as well," the woman continued. "Arthur married after I last saw him and so I never met Mary. However, knowing Arthur as I did, I can be quite certain that she was possessed of qualities very much like his own. The same reasoning applies. If she didn't accompany her daughters home to England, then she must have also died."

  The woman's logic was flawless and astute. There was no attacking it in any equally reasonable way. Neither was it possible to simply dismiss it out of hand or to admit the truth of it. Sera saw only one real choice. ''Mr. Reeves has asked me to say nothing about this matter."

  "Oh, do let me guess," Honoria snapped. "Carden doesn't want anyone to know that Arthur has died so that he won't have to bear the crippling weight of being a peer."

  That was the essence of it, Sera knew. Carden Reeves had very legitimate reasons for being selfish but in the end...

  "I've known Carden since he was a boy," Honoria declared, obviously not needing Sera to confirm her suspicions. "And allow me to share with you the essential core of his hope to evade his responsibility. Carden does not want to grow up. He never has. He wants to play at whatever amuses him at the moment. Four years ago, it was being an officer in Her Majesty's Corps of Engineers. Apparently that didn't quite develop the way he envisioned.

  "I don't know the specific circumstances for his having resigned his commission, but I suspect that, as usual, it had something to do with the expectations being more than he was willing to meet. For the last year- since his return from the Transvaal- he's been dabbling at being an architect when he wasn't preoccupied with chaSing pretty skirts all over town day in and day out. The latter, it would appear, is his one and only truly consistent interest."

  Sera waited to see if the woman was simply pausing for a breath. When the silence stretched out to the point of becoming noticeable, she ventured. "You're painting a not very attractive picture of your brother-in-law."

  "Carden is a very intelligent and generous man, Sera. Considering the kind of woman his mother was and the appalling lack of supervision be had as a child, he's turned out to be a far better man than anyone-honestly expected. But having said that, I'd be remiss in not warning you about his less than sterling qualities. He's far too handsome for his own good and he can charm anyone if he sets his mind to it. Just be certain that you don't allow yourself to blindly fall under his spell."

  She knew about Carden Reeves's tendencies. She had in fact, surmised him to be a rake the moment he'd opened the door to her that morning. It rankled her pride that Honoria Reeves thought her too thick to have done so on her own. "r appreciate the concern that prompts you to warn me Lady Lansdown," Sera replied politely, "but I don't think that Mr. Reeves has any intention of charming me."

  "Oh, he fully intends to seduce you. Of that I'm certain," Honoria instantly, confidently countered. She laughed and quickly added "Don't look so put off, Seraphina. I'm old enough that I don't have to dance around delicate topics anymore. I've also seen enough in my years that biting my tongue seems selfish in the extreme.

  "Carden bas excellent taste in women even if he isn't at all exclusive with his favors. I can see the appraisal in his eyes whenever he looks at you. He's never been particularly good at biding his thoughts. you know. As transparent as window glass. He finds you exceedingly attractive and has decided to make you his next grand conquest."

  She'd surmised much of that on her own, as well, but was acutely uncomfortable with discussing such a very personal matter with someone who was virtually a stranger. A. stranger with a quick and apparently acid tongue. Sera took a sip of her sherry and thought to put an end to the subject. "Well. I can assure you that I have no intention of being seduced, Lady Lansdown. I am, legally, a married woman."

  Honoria rocked back slightly. "Oh? No one mentioned this earlier this evening. I distinctly recall that Carden introduced you as Miss. And where is Mr. Treadwell, if I might ask?"

  "Yes, I noted the change Mr. Reeves made in my marital status at the time of introductions, but didn't see a naturally appropriate place to make the correction. My apologies for allowing you to labor under the false impression."

  Not that my status is truly any of your concern or business, Sera tartly, silently added. "And Mr. Treadwell was the guide for Arthur and Mary on their last expedition. He hasn't returned."

  "So Arthur and Mary are dead, aren't they?" Honoria pressed. "Along with your husband."

  "I would prefer not to discuss it, if you don't mind," Sera announced firmly, politely, rising from the settee and moving to the sideboard. "Would you care for more sherry? I'd be glad to refresh your glass."

  "No, thank you. I'm fine. I don't much care for sherry, actually. Have you ever had an affair, Seraphina?"

  "What? Of course not!"

  "In the absence of your experience in this realm, let me share mine with you. Men are irresistibly drawn to lonely married women. First, there's the attractiveness of committing a sin-what with infidelity being the major transgression it's generally regarded to be. And then there's the likelihood of being caught in the affair itself. Danger always intensifies desire. Last, but certainly not least in their considerations, is the fact that one can't be forced to marry a woman who already has a husband. Thus, married women are the male's preferred choice for lovers. Danger, desire, risk-and all with no lasting consequences they have to bear."

  What was one supposed to say in such situations? It stood as the single most starkly frank presentation of such matters Sera had ever heard. And despite her shock at the bluntness of it all, she did have to admit that Honoria's logic was-as seemed usual-flawlessly sharp.

  "You are not only a lonely married woman, Seraphina, you're also very beautiful and quite at hand. Carden can't resist the combination. Not that it's ever occurred to him to make the effort, mind you."

  She was really much too tired to deal effectively with all of this. "I'm very capable of fending off his attentions," she asserted simply. "You're concerning yourself needlessly."

 
"Carden is nothing if not determined and persistent."

  "I believe I possess similar strengths of character."

  "I have no doubt that you do, my dear," Honoria replied.

  "Of course one must ask oneself if it's a wise decision to be so strong and virtuous. Despite his best efforts to evade his responsibilities, there will come a time when Carden has no choice but to accept them. When that day arrives-and arrive it will and sooner than he thinksCarden Reeves will be the seventh Earl of Lansdown.

  Earls are always a valuable prize worth capturing. The queue will be a long one. An intelligent woman would try to place herself to the front of it."

  Sera knitted her brows, disconcerted by the unexpected turn in the woman's thinking and wondering if perhaps she'd misunderstood. Hadn't they just been speaking of the wisdom in evading Carden's attentions? "Are you saying that I should let Carden seduce me in the hope of someday being asked to marry him?" she asked, unable to keep the incredulity from her voice.

  "Your husband is presumed dead," Honoria observed with a shrug. "I'm sure the Queen's courts would clear that unfortunate little obstacle out of your bridal path."

  Resisting the urge to rub the dull ache blooming between her brows, Sera shook her head and summoned patience. "I'm hardly the type of woman that a peer would marry. My father was a scientist of sorts, my mother the daughter of a Spanish ship's captain. I come from a family of neither wealth nor consequence."

  "Some women wouldn't let such a little detail prevent them from achieving a grand social coup," Honoria countered, thoroughly undeterred. "I can't tell you how many females I know who claim lineages whose authenticity can only be described as dubious at best."

  "I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to marry again, Lady Lansdown. Once was more than enough for me."

  "A lonely, unhappily married woman. Your appeal just soared another full ten degrees," she declared with a majestic wave of her hand. "If you truly intend to resist Carden's advances, you'd best keep that bit of information carefully tucked away. Not that he'd be incapable of ferreting it out anyway. The only time men seem able to read female minds with any clarity is when it comes to seducing them. Once that's accomplished, however, they become as thick as planks. I honestly think there should be some scientific study as to how that happens, don't you?"