In the Garden of Seduction Read online

  IN THE GARDEN OF SEDUCTION

  by

  Cynthia Wicklund

  SMASHWORDS EDITION

  *****

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Cynthia Wicklund on Smashwords

  In the Garden of Seduction

  Copyright 2010 by Cynthia Wicklund

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  Books written by Cynthia Wicklund can be obtained either through the author’s

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  PROLOGUE

  West Sussex, England, 1809—Spring

  Jonathan Peters galloped into the courtyard of a sprawling country residence, kicking dust and small pebbles in all directions. In his haste his foot slipped from the stirrup as he dismounted. He stumbled awkwardly away from his horse, yet did not pause so intent was he on completing his mission. Instead, he tossed the reins at a nearby groom and ran to the front entrance of the fine old Tudor mansion.

  He rang the chime and, when there was no immediate response, he pounded on the door in an impatient attempt to attract someone’s attention. His efforts were rewarded at last as the bolt was thrown from within, and the door eased back on its iron hinges to reveal a butler with a frosty expression.

  “Mr. Peters,” the servant began, “is there something I can do for you?”

  Jonathan pushed past the butler into the entry hall. “I need to see your master.”

  Bridges stiffened, his manner turning cooler. “Lord Whittingham is working on his correspondence and is not to be disturbed.”

  “I have news for your master. I promise you will regret delaying me. Now tell him I am here.”

  For just a moment it seemed Bridges intended to rebel, but something in the visitor’s attitude plainly caused him to hesitate. He swung around without speaking and left the entry hall. The butler returned almost at once and, casting a look of dislike in Mr. Peter’s direction, said Lord Whittingham would receive the caller.

  Jonathan entered the library as Bridges announced him, and his eyes immediately sought out the man sitting behind the desk. As always, he was impressed by Lord Whittingham’s imposing figure.

  Richard Lamberton, Earl Whittingham, was a striking man, tall and vigorously built. Ruddy-skinned, he had a full head of white hair, though great bushy brows gave him a fierce countenance. He placed his lordship’s age at somewhere around seventy years, but Jonathan was only guessing.

  Lord Whittingham leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers over his still trim middle. He observed his uninvited guest through a cool blue, nearly transparent gaze, and Jonathan began to squirm under the glare of those penetrating eyes.

  “Come in, Mr. Peters. I understand you have significant information to share. Do I dare hope it is what I have been waiting to hear for more than two decades?”

  Jonathan didn’t want to imagine his fate if he disappointed his employer. He did, much to his relief, have the very information Lord Whittingham was seeking.

  “We’ve found her, my lord!” he announced on a dramatic flourish, unable to hide the eagerness in his voice.

  Lord Whittingham did not move, nor did his expression change as he appeared to assess the validity of this claim. His lordship had been disillusioned in the past, and Jonathan sensed he would not enter the celebration without caution.

  The earl eased forward. “Explain,” he said.

  All at once, Jonathan was nervous. He was as sure of his facts as one could be, yet his lordship had the power to make even the hardiest soul uncertain. He cleared his throat.

  “It’s the picture, my lord.”

  Lord Whittingham frowned. “The picture? What the hell are you talking about?”

  Jonathan’s gaze turned to the portrait that hung over the mantle of the stone fireplace. “She is a near-mirror image of your late wife. I tell you, it’s uncanny, my lord.”

  He watched as Lord Whittingham’s attention was drawn to the life-size painting, fully six feet in height and four feet across, a tribute to the grace and beauty of the earl’s deceased wife Elizabeth. The canvas depicted a lovely redhead with deep blue eyes and smooth, translucent skin.

  The earl’s regard shifted to Jonathan. “How did you find her?”

  “I would like to say it was all deduction and clever detective work, but that would be untrue,” Jonathan admitted. “Indeed, my lord, it was the greatest good fortune that all came about as it did. I don’t mind telling you, I began to believe the deed could not be done.”

  “Mr. Peters, I am not a patient man. Please answer my question. How did you find her?”

  Jonathan swallowed. “Do you remember a Sir Alistair Warrick?” When his employer nodded, he continued. “He paid us a visit a few weeks ago because of a young woman he had met at a literary party. She closely resembled a portrait of the wife of a nobleman to whom he had recently spoken. He thought there might be a connection.”

  “Warrick did stay here late last year,” the earl said slowly, a spark of interest igniting his gaze.

  “You must have told him a great deal because he seemed to know the whole of it. Even knew to come to us.”

  “What has that to say to anything?” Lord Whittingham barked suddenly, his frustration visible. “This evidence is tenuous. Nature often produces duplicates, and they certainly need not be related. I will require more than this flimsy proof.”

  “You can’t believe we pursued the matter no further, my lord,” Jonathan said, unable to control the smug note that entered his words. “In all these years this is the most likely candidate we’ve had to investigate and, I assure you, we did just that.”

  “Go on.”

  “It seems the young lady in question has been living in the London household as the only daughter of a Quintin James and his wife—she’s the only child, actually. James is a merchant and quite wealthy.”

  “Perhaps she is their child.”

  “I suppose that’s a possibility, although she does not look remotely like either parent. I know, I know,” he said, raising his hands when the earl began to protest. “Blood does not guarantee a child will resemble his parents anymore than duplicates must be related. But there is more.

  “Try as we might, and I can promise we have tried, we cannot locate a record of the daughter’s birth, although she observes her birthday on the very day of the very year of your grandchild. And when we delved deeper, we discovered Louise, the merchant’s wife, brought a girl child of two years to her marriage. Unless James fathered her child out of wedlock, and that appears unlikely, he cannot be the sire. Louise is now deceased, by the way.”

  “There’s nothing irrefutable in all this, yet I must admit I find your words encouraging.” Lord Whittingham’s voice had taken on a thoughtful note. “Still, this does not prove Louise is not the mother.”

  “True, my lord,” Jonathan conceded as he paused theatrically before providing the most conclusive detail of all.

  “We traced Louise’s whereabouts prior to her marriage. Two years before she wed, she spent six weeks as the personal servant to a young widow who was known only as Miss Mary—no surname, just Miss Mary. Miss Mary was increasing and apparently near her time. She died a few days after a daughter was born. And consider this, m
y lord—all efforts to locate Mary’s baby have been fruitless. The child has vanished.”

  An arrested expression settled over the earl’s features. “Trevor’s wife was called Mary.”

  “As you say, my lord. What we’ve known all along seems to coincide perfectly with this new information. So I will tell you again—we have found her.”

  *****

  CHAPTER 1

  London, 1809—Early Summer

  Simon Fitzgerald, Marquess of Sutherfield, walked aimlessly through the first floor rooms of Mrs. Witherspoon’s modest town house, nodding at acquaintances and strangers alike. He felt uncommonly warm from the press of so many bodies in so small a space. Under his coat his linen shirt stuck to his back between his shoulder blades, enhancing his discomfort.

  He hadn’t wanted to attend tonight, for these literary gatherings were usually a dead bore, welcoming every individual in London with scholarly pretensions, whether highborn or lowborn. But his old schoolmate Harry Stiles had nagged him into coming. This was an opportunity to meet Ethan Plimpton, the author currently taking London by storm, his friend had said. And then Harry, the bugger, had failed to show.

  Though somewhat contemptuous of most of the guests, Simon admitted to himself that he had enjoyed his brief discussion with Mr. Plimpton. The author had strong convictions and wrote unusual stories containing a political twist. Simon was fascinated by the man’s views. Not in agreement, necessarily, but fascinated nonetheless.

  At that moment, a waiter passed by carrying a tray laden with glasses of champagne, and Simon reached out, grabbing one. He downed the beverage in a single gulp. At least the wine flows freely, he thought, following after the waiter. His lips twitched wryly as the man glanced at him in question.

  “Fortification,” he explained, setting his empty glass on the tray with his left hand while taking another full one with his right.

  “Yes, my lord.” The servant cast Simon a knowing look, then melted into the throng.

  Simon tossed off the glass of champagne, one more in a series of glasses. The liquid left a warm trail to the pit of his stomach and his head buzzed pleasantly. Sending a jaded gaze over the motley assemblage, he decided it was time for him to depart. A quick stop at the convenience and he would be on his way.

  The water closet was situated at the back of the house, and he found it easily, humming to himself all the while. His business complete, he returned to the corridor where a draft of air caught his attention. The door directly across the hall from him was slightly ajar, a cool breeze escaping from the crack. He stepped closer, inspecting a small engraved brass plate nailed to the door. The Chinese Parlor, it read.

  Simon chuckled. Completely in character, Mrs. Witherspoon. This is the exact variety of room one would expect to find in the home of an unconventional woman who catered to the literary crowd. Curious, he entered the chamber.

  His first impression was of a tiny space overflowing with Asian artifacts. Every available surface, including the mantle of the fireplace, sported Chinese figurines and pottery. Several candles were lit but rather than illuminating the room, the flames cast eerie shadows across the walls and ceiling, adding to the exotic atmosphere. The odd, musky odor of incense filled the air.

  He shook his head in disbelief and turned to exit the apartment when a movement behind an oriental screen next to the window caught his attention. He could just see the outline of a female figure through the fine material of the partition. At least, he thought it was female. Intrigued, he paused only a moment before advancing farther into the room, the thick woolen carpet muffling his footsteps.

  This explained where the air was coming from, he thought, for the shutters had been thrown open to the night. Perhaps the person standing in front of the window had felt the need to escape the heat just as he had. Reaching the screen, he peered around the corner.

  His lungs contracted.

  Corinna! Beautiful, wild Corinna. Had she returned from France? Simon was astounded, for he’d never thought to see her again, and here of all places.

  She stood with her profile turned away from him, head thrown back, her lovely throat exposed to the moonlight. Having loosened the ribbon at the bodice of her gown, she had pulled the neck wide, apparently taking advantage of the cool breeze. Her hair, a deeper red than he remembered, was piled high on her head as dainty tendrils blew gently about the side of her face and along her jaw. Had she taken to using henna? He smiled to himself. Corinna had always been vain.

  On impulse—an action probably inspired by that last glass of champagne—Simon edged silently behind his former lover. Now at her back, he placed his hands to her waist and drew her tightly against his chest.

  “Corinna,” he whispered hotly into her ear, “I’m delighted to see you. You are the very thing I need to end my boredom.”

  Simon felt her stiffen and could not resist the desire to place his mouth to the delicate curve of her neck, tasting the sweet, satiny skin. She smelled wonderfully of a scent, light and floral, unlike the heavy cologne of his memory.

  She did not move and embolden by her acquiescence, he ran his palms over her hips and around to her middle, splaying his fingers over her flat stomach. She had lost weight. Her figure seemed firmer—younger? So caught up was he in his sensuous exploration, Simon ignored a subtle alarm. Instead, he continued his search, enjoying the feel of her body as he sent his caress up her rib cage.

  Only when he took hold of her breasts did he realize his mistake. He heard her sharp gasp at the same moment Simon knew he held the wrong person.

  “I am not Corinna, sir. Please, unhand me.”

  At the sound of the injured words, Simon fell away from her as though he were clutching nettles. No, that definitely was not Corinna’s husky French speech.

  “I beg your pardon—” he began, shaken by his unbelievably awkward blunder.

  “Just go, I beg you,” the lady interrupted in a strained voice thick with emotion. She turned further away from him as she gripped the top of her gown.

  She didn’t want him to see her face that was clear, and the gentlemanly thing would be to leave her alone.

  “Please forgive me. I meant no harm,” he said, moving quickly to the other side of the screen.

  He left the room and walked down the hall, his mind working furiously. Surprisingly, he wasn’t the least bit disappointed that the redhead in the Chinese parlor was not Corinna. Corinna was a part of his past and should undoubtedly remain there. But then why had this woman hesitated until he had thoroughly insulted her before informing him of his error?

  Simon knew he ought to leave now, as he had meant to do after he finished in the water closet. However, he was no longer bored—he wanted to find out who the young lady was. He wished he had seen her face, but with her distinctive red hair she shouldn’t be hard to locate.

  Having made this decision, Simon went looking for Mrs. Witherspoon.

  *****

  Cassandra waited until she heard the door close before she found the strength to move. How could such a mortifying thing have happened? With trembling hands she pulled the ribbon at the neck of her gown but, try as she might, could not make her shaky fingers tie a presentable bow.

  All she had wanted was a breath of fresh air. The heat was oppressive and her head had felt light. Mrs. Witherspoon had directed her to this small parlor, saying the ventilation was much better at the back of the house.

  The room was unoccupied, and Cassandra had believed herself safe behind the Chinese screen. She had loosened her bodice, basking in the night air that flowed through the open window.

  She had not heard anyone enter the parlor. And more unnerving, she hadn’t been aware of the man’s presence until he grabbed her from behind. She should have screamed or offered some resistance, but she’d been too startled to react quickly. Cassandra wondered if the man was still on the premises. Would he recognize her? She felt almost positive he had not seen her face.

  She drew in a deep breath, filling her lu
ngs with the spicy air in the room. Nothing for it, she thought morosely. She had no choice but to return to the party. Sophy would be looking for her. Taking her courage in hand, she came around the screen, walked to the door and stepped into the hallway.

  “Where have you been?” Sophy Willis greeted her as Cassandra entered the main drawing room. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  “I told you I was warm and needed some fresh air,” Cassandra snapped. At the look of reproach on Sophy’s plain face, she tempered her words. “I’m sorry. I have been gone a long time. The heat made me feel unwell.” She wanted to tell her friend about her frightening experience with the unknown man but could not bring herself to recount the humiliating episode.

  Sophy, ever forgiving, smiled. “Do you feel better now?”

  Cassandra dipped her head, her thoughts elsewhere, unable to dispel the self-conscious mood that now gripped her. She scanned the crowded room warily, searching for the wolf that lurked among the sheep.

  “What have you been doing while I’ve been gone?” she asked absently.

  “Watching people. I’ve never seen so many of the quality in one place before.”

  “Yes. I understand the ton has taken quite a fancy to Mr. Plimpton.”

  “Someone said the Duke of Ambrose attended this evening for that very reason. Can you imagine?”

  “What did he look like?” Despite herself Cassandra was intrigued.

  “I can’t say—never saw him. But I wish I had, for I’ve never seen a duke before,” Sophy said breathlessly. “I suppose I’ll have to be satisfied with knowing he and I were in the very same room, quite possibly at the very same time. Won’t our friends be impressed?”

  Cassandra laughed. “Sophy, I wager a duke looks fairly much like everyone else except perhaps for his nose rising above the crowd.”