A Wayward Woman: Diamonds, Deception and the Debutante / Fugitive Countess

‘I don’t think so—although the lad does seem somewhat familiar.’ Without more ado he snatched the hat from Belle’s head, drawing a shocked gasp of furious indignation from her. Rowland uttered a soft whistle when her hair cascaded about her shoulders. His exclamation was one of disbelief and he chuckled softly. ‘Why, ‘tis no lad I see before me.’

The guests let out a collective gasp, and a few giggles came from the maids of the house, who had stopped in their tracks to gawp at the youth who had a definite feminine air about him, only to be shooed away by an irate butler.

‘Leave it, Rowland,’ Lance uttered through his teeth.

Rowland wasn’t going to let it drop. With Belle’s identity revealed, he turned his incredulous look on Lance and back to the slender, black garbed figure. ‘Good Lord! If it isn’t Miss Ainsley!’

Belle felt physically ill and glanced towards Lord Bingham’s guests. She recognised several of them as being elite members of the ton. The expressions on their faces ranged from amusement to icy condemnation. Knowing there was no help for it but to brazen it out, in a defiant gesture she thrust out her chin and squared her shoulders.

‘As you see, sir,’ she replied coolly. ‘Please don’t ask me to explain what I am doing here dressed like this. You would not believe it.’

Smiling broadly, Rowland laughed. ‘I might. I shall certainly enjoy hearing it.’

‘Miss Ainsley took the opportunity of me being otherwise engaged to steal into my house to retrieve the necklace I took from her last night,’ Lance told him, careful to keep his voice low. It was bad enough that his guests had witnessed Belle coming down his stairs with him attired as she was, without providing them with her reason for being in his house.

Comprehension dawned in Rowland’s eyes, quickly followed by astonishment. ‘Ah, she did?’

‘Indeed. My disguise didn’t deceive this clever young lady and she must be complimented on her success. She was about to walk off with the necklace when I returned home unexpectedly and took it back.’

‘Did she, now? Then she is to be congratulated, but I’m sorry you got it back. I would have been in order to demand my money back, for I would have considered I’d won the bet.’

Belle frowned, but what Sir Rowland was implying didn’t sink in immediately. Until she saw Lance cringe.

‘Take no notice of what Rowland says, Belle.’

But as if he hadn’t spoken, she said, ‘A bet? Am I to understand last night, when you posed as a highwayman and put me through hell, was all about a bet?’

‘It wasn’t like that.’

‘It wasn’t?’

‘No,’ Lance assured her. ‘I told you, I was simply retrieving my own property.’

‘That’s what you told me,’ she flared. ‘But now I am not inclined to believe you.’

‘It’s true. Believe me.’

‘And the bet?’

‘Was merely a reaction to Rowland’s scepticism.’

Belle glanced at Sir Rowland to see him somewhat shamefaced now. ‘You mean he didn’t believe you would succeed?’

‘I didn’t,’ Rowland said. ‘Not for a minute.’

Belle didn’t reply immediately. All she could think of was Lord Bingham and his friend laughing together at her when they’d made their bet. As the colour mounted high in her cheeks and warmed her ears, the people crowding in the doorway became a blur.

‘Well, I’m glad you had some fun at my expense—enjoying yourselves enormously, I don’t doubt.’ The look she turned on Lance was murderous. ‘You accost me in the early hours—at gunpoint, I might add—you steal my grandmother’s necklace, scare me half out of my wits by threatening to shoot me—and all because you had money riding on it.’ Moving to stand before him, she thrust her face close to his. ‘My God! My breaking into your house was nothing compared to that, you—you animal. I hope you enjoy your winnings.’

Turning on her heel, she strode past him, past a stupefied butler, who was standing with his mouth agape, her only thought being to get out and away from her tormentor and his astonished guests as quickly as she could.

‘Belle, wait. Your grandmother?’

She spun round. ‘What about her?’

‘She will have to be told.’

‘I don’t think so—you see, there is nothing to tell.’

‘Wait.’

‘Go to hell,’ she bit back, whirling round and hurrying to the door, unable to say more because she couldn’t get any more words past the lump in her throat.

Lance followed, but she rushed out of the door before he could stop her. With her coach waiting down the street, she was inside and on her way home within moments.

Lance stood in the doorway, watching her coach disappear.

After ushering the guests who had watched the whole scene back into the dining room and closing the door, Rowland came to stand beside him and casually remarked, ‘I take it she didn’t know about the bet?’

‘Of course not.’ Lance spun round. ‘Do you see stupid idiot written on my face, Rowland?’

He shrugged. ‘Why should it matter to her if we made a bet? You won, don’t forget—and besides, Miss Ainsley’s intrusion into your house was not the action of a respectably reared young lady, now, was it?’

‘She came here for all the right reasons.’

‘Well, I think you’ve come out of it pretty well. You have the necklace and two hundred pounds.’

Frowning, Lance closed the door. Something puzzled him—Belle’s parting remark about her grandmother. She had nothing to tell her, she had said. Why would she say that—unless …?

Lance looked at Rowland. ‘Wait here.’

‘Lance—what.?’

‘Wait.’

Rowland watched his friend bound up the stairs two at a time. Not a minute passed and he was back.

‘Well?’ Rowland asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

‘She’s taken them.’

‘Taken what?’

‘The diamonds.’

Rowland smiled, his face almost comical in its disbelief. ‘Do you mean to tell me that the delectable Miss Isabelle Ainsley has outwitted you?’

‘This time, Rowland—and it will be the last. When I get my hands on that green-eyed witch, I’ll.’