The Irresistible Lady Behind the Mask Read online

  In the room, she sought to charm the Frenchman, and it worked. It wasn’t long before the man was snoring loudly in the chair. She summoned his coachman who wasn’t surprised at the state of his employer. It appeared to be a usual occurrence.

  Hudson had also deftly handled the English Lord. The man was smiling broadly, albeit drunkenly when Hudson led him out of the place. The look Hudson bestowed on her on their way out, sent warmth rippling through her body. She felt the sexual connotation of the gaze all the way to her toes.

  We have unfinished business, the gaze seemed to say.

  Tempest hastily turned away. While she was grateful that Hudson had stepped in to take control of the situation that had been about to spiral out of control, she had a dilemma on her hands.

  Due to her sprightly mouth and sudden temper and the way she had been summoned to handle the situation, her former childhood friend would no longer be in doubt as to her owning the establishment. Worse still, he would know the role she had played in breaking his promise of marriage to Valerie.

  Chapter 12

  Tempest let out a low groan when the butler announced Hudson into the drawing room. If she had had any inkling of Hudson coming to pay her a visit this morning, she would have called on Valerie and spent the whole day there. Even if the chit talked about marriage all day long, it would still be better than encountering Hudson.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected morning visit, Hudson?” she drawled, trying to take the sarcasm off her tone.

  ***

  She, however, failed because Hudson heard her reeking of it. A smile twitched at the corners of his lips. He had intentionally decided to call on her this morning. Knowing Tempest, well, from the past and a little of the present, she would make herself scarce to avoid him.

  Consequently, he had resolved to beat her at her own game. He might not be able to beat her at her establishment, but here, a neutral place, he held all the aces.

  Standing by the door, his appreciative eye took in her appearance. She was looking particularly fetching in a sky blue muslin gown that was a deep contrast with her hair. Possibly on someone else, it would have looked off, but on Tempest, it actually complemented her.

  “I’m overjoyed that you’re ecstatic to see me,” he replied coolly and stepped into the room.

  At least she had the decency to blush. She put away the book she was reading and cast wary eyes on him.

  “I’ll ring for tea,” she announced, turning to take the tiny bell from a side table.

  Hudson settled himself on an overstuffed chair and regarded her with intense eyes.

  “How are you this morning, Tempest?” he questioned lightly, trying to lead her into a false sense of security before he struck.

  “As well as can be,” she answered, avoiding his gaze.

  “You don’t seem to suffer the after effects of spending a late night at the club,” he pressed, placing one leg over the other.

  A wane smile turned her lips. “I guess I’m used to it.”

  “How long have you owned the club?” He decided he was tired of the trivialities.

  Before she could respond, a maid came in with a silver tray of tea. Silence descended between them as the maid served the tea. Hudson thanked her when she handed him a cup and shook his head when she offered him a plate of biscuits.

  Sipping his tea, he waited for her response.

  “Long enough.”

  Hudson, with a bright smile spanning his face, noted that she was trying to sound bored with the conversation. He allowed that he should just go straight to the point of his visit. But he didn’t want to do that. He desired to stretch her nerves taut. Tempest had intervened in what was none of her business, and she had to pay for it.

  He started talking about the weather. When he was done with that, he spoke about politics, the changes that had been made in Strombridge over the years, a friend who was a Bow Street runner. He was talking about the ton when Tempest’s temper thinned. She had apparently had enough of the trivialities.

  “Why are you here, Hudson?”

  Hudson rubbed his chin to hide his smile. Tempest looked like an avenging angel with her brown eyes blazing in shades of gold. Conceivably, he had gone too far in riling her, but it was worth the trouble. She needed to know that he could be very pesky when he wanted to be.

  Leaning back in the chair and placing his hands in a pyramid, he regarded her coolly. For the first time since he came into her presence, she was staring at him.

  “Tell me, Tempest, was it a warped sense of humour or blatant jealousy that made you stop my marriage to your cousin?”

  ***

  Tempest sighed at Hudson’s clipped words. She had known his ramblings all morning would lead to this. Now that he had finally asked the words that she dreaded, she still wasn’t prepared for it.

  There was no denying her identity or what she had done. It was either she owned up to it, or she feigned ignorance of it. The latter might get him riled, but it was no more than he deserved for wasting her morning talking gibberish.

  “I believe I asked a question,” he intoned coldly.

  This was a Hudson she had never seen before. She beheld the hardness of his face and tautness of his jaw and registered that he was sitting with barely restrained anger. The rigid way he held himself on the chair gave her a little cause for alarm.

  Her mouth went dry when her gaze went up to his eyes. The iciness in the blue depths sent shivers up her spine. Gone was the laughing boy she had known years ago and the teasing man of last night.

  Seated before her was a man with animal magnetism and a temper that could make him do the very worst to her if he chose to. Surmising that she had to tread carefully, she played for time by taking her teacup from the table and sipping from it slowly.

  Sudden anger which was characteristic of her flared inside her. Why should she be intimidated by Hudson? She had done the right thing in saving her cousin from a disastrous marriage. It was no fault of hers that he had grown to be a man of despicable character.

  Deciding that enough time had elapsed when she saw his eyes narrowing into slits, she shrugged.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Hudson,” she fibbed shamelessly. “You came with this same unfound accusation to the club last night. Don’t tell me that’s what you do for leisure these days; go about making false claims.”

  “Tempest,” he called ominously in a dangerously low voice. Her hand shook as she replaced the teacup on the stool, causing it to rattle against the saucer.

  “You try my patience,” he warned in a voice laced with iciness.

  Tempest was silent for a moment. She spread her dress, trying to come up with what to say to diffuse his anger. She didn’t think she liked him in this demeanour.

  She was better equipped to handle him when he was teasing and flirting with her. Then she would know he wasn’t serious and was just fooling around.

  No, that wasn’t true. Hudson was even more dangerous when he was at his rakish best. What he did to her senses at such times sent a trickle of awareness running through her body.

  “My patience is running thin, Tempest,” he snapped, jolting her from her thoughts. “Now, for the last time, why did you interfere with my engagement to Valerie? The truth if you please.”

  The truth? He wanted the fact? Oh, she would give it to him fair and square!

  Thrusting out her chin in defiance, she threw at him with a savage bite the truth.

  “Yes, I did mess up your marriage plans with my cousin!”

  Dropping his hands to the arms of the chair, he gave a rather theatrical sigh. “The truth, at last! Pray tell why you would do such a thing.”

  “Because of your reputation.

  His eyebrows cocked as he seemed taken aback by her response. “My reputation?”

  With glee, she told him all Valerie had told her about him in her own words.

  “You’re an absolute blackguard with a fleeting fortune and a wanderin
g eye! Rumour has it that you’re one step away from debtor’s prison.”

  Hudson looked as if he could be knocked over with a feather at that moment. The surprise on his face made her falter a little. But she continued, “I have it on good authority that you have squandered what little inheritance you had on gambling, and now, you’re looking for a rich bride to settle your debts; hence your decision to marry me without delay.”

  Even as she said those last words, Tempest realised that something wasn’t right. All the vices she just mentioned didn’t seem to fit the man she had come to know again in the past few days.

  According to the women she had sent to set him up in the private gaming parlour, Hudson had resisted their advances and strove to leave the room. At that time, she had thought he wasn’t in the mood, but now that she was thinking deeply about it, that wasn’t right. A libertine with wandering eyes wouldn’t hesitate to take what he was being offered by the women.

  Then there was the way he had helped diffuse the tension between the English Lord and the French Viscount. Without his chivalrous help, she didn’t know what would have happened. Perhaps Anthony and the other guards would have bodily had to carry the men out, which would have caused a scene.

  Another yet countering point was the fact that he wasn’t in debt like some of the other patrons in the club. If he was heavily indebted, then he wouldn’t have been able to afford to patronise the gaming parlour every night.

  And in terms of gambling, she had come to acknowledge that he wasn’t a compulsive gambler. He gambled within the set of his limit and pulled back when the wager or the stakes were too high.

  Most telling was the fact that he hadn’t revealed her deepest secret to anyone, which would ruin her socially; neither had he threatened her with it. She had been waiting for him to blackmail her with his knowledge, but he hadn’t even spoken anything of such.

  The horrible qualities did not fit the man in front of her who was glaring at her with something akin to suspicion. How could she have allowed herself to take in Valerie’s words without first finding out herself?

  It wasn’t in her nature to jump without looking first. She should have found out if the rumour about Hudson were true before acting on it. She wondered who must have told Valerie such terrible lies.

  Tempest wouldn’t be surprised if it were one of Valerie’s silly friends who told her such tales. Some young girls were known to be so very silly and envious. Once a friend made a good match when they hadn’t, they would find a way to discourage the said friend from agreeing to the union.

  She had witnessed such a shameful character from one of the debutantes during her disastrous season. The girl was so desperate to make a good match that she made a spectacle of herself going about it. Men began to avoid her, which spoilt her chances.

  When a close friend of hers made a lasting impression on a duke and offered for her, the girl was so filled with jealousy, she went about saying vile things about her friend in the wrong ears. The duke, hearing that the girl was a soiled dove, called off the arrangement; thereby ruining the girl.

  Not one to waste time mincing words, Tempest had verbally attacked the girl, unleashing a string of words when she heard that she had latched on to the duke like a baby at the mother’s breasts. The foolish duke, not heeding her words, married the chit. Rumour had it that he was miserable with her. Served him right!

  And now, Valerie, the silly girl, had most likely fallen for such jealous wiles and made her intervene to call off a splendid match.

  Oh, dear, not only had she wronged Hudson with her rash decision to come to her cousin’s rescue, but she had also spoilt Valerie’s chances of getting a good husband. Valerie could sometimes be trying, but she loved the girl and wanted the best for her.

  Fixing her gaze on her dress, Tempest pondered on what she would do now to salvage the unfortunate situation. Mayhaps, she should pay Valerie’s father a visit and explain her role in ruining the proposal. But Uncle Albert was as stubborn as a mule. Doubt filled her on him listening to her explanation.

  Dear God, what was she going to do? She worried her bottom lip, refusing to meet Hudson’s intense scrutiny. She understood his fury, but she wasn’t to be blamed. She had been deceived by whoever lied to Valerie. All they had to do now was to try to salvage the situation.

  Chapter 13

  “Why don’t you come out and say it exactly as it is, Tempest?”

  His voice was like a whiplash, slicing through her already torn emotions. Red colour suffused her cheeks because she didn’t want to admit to him that she was wrong.

  Hudson, from history, would be sure to take his pound of flesh off her. And what might be left of her would be bones after he was done with her.

  “What are you talking about now, Hudson? Surely you must know I’m not a mind reader. You keep coming up with insane accusations. What is it now? Is it as ridiculous as your last one?” Tempest knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t help it. It was to hide her discomfiture over the terrible error she had made. “Perhaps I should ring for more tea since we have done justice to the one the maid brought. Your earlier conversation on trivialities left me so thirsty I could have drunk a whole dam and still be yearning for more.”

  Not waiting for him to respond, and also evading his penetrating stare, she reached for the bell and shook it rather forcefully. Her attention was then focused on her dress.

  She wasn’t a coward by any means, but when one had made a blunder of this nature, one needed to tread cautiously. A small sigh of relief burst through her when a maid knocked politely, came into the drawing room, and curtsied.

  Smiling falsely, she said, “Lily, I’m afraid we need more tea. Could you please bring us a fresh pot?”

  “Very well, Miss Tempest,” the maid replied and walked into the room to retrieve the empty teapot.

  Tempest slowly put her teacup on the tray, trying to buy some time. She didn’t glance in Hudson’s direction when the maid reached for his.

  A thick blanket of silence enveloped the room when the maid left. Tempest wondered if it would be rude of her if she were to reach for the book she had been reading before her unwanted visitor came in to disturb her peace.

  “You really are going to keep silent about what truly motivated you into carrying out that devious plot, aren’t you?”

  Tempest sighed. So much for thinking they would continue to stay in the blissful but tense silence before Lily returned with more tea. Hudson had really always been a tenacious person.

  Reluctantly, she recalled some incidents with him when growing up. He wouldn’t let go of something until he got an answer or the reason for it.

  How did he get to know that she had made a mistake? Had Valerie laughed in his face about his supposed flaws? She wouldn’t put it past the young girl to do that. If he knew why she did it, then why was he still asking?

  Oh, for the pleasure of hearing her admit that she had erred? That she had caused him a bride because of her hasty approach in handling the matter? Of course, he would need to hear her say it for the sake of his trampled ego.

  Well, since she didn’t have a choice in the matter, she would just have to apologise to him. As for getting another bride, he could always do that. There were more than enough young women out there who were dying to be proposed to. He could have his pick of any.

  Mothers, most likely, saw him as an eligible bachelor and would fight to throw their daughters his way. All he had to do was grace a ball with his presence, and voila! He would be so swamped by debutantes; he would be spoilt for choice.