to embroil herself very thoroughly in a madcap plan which, even now, if it ever became known, would see her ostracized by those who mattered in the ton. She was a damned sight too innocent to see the outcome of her actions; either that, or too naive in her belief in her abilities to come about. She needed
a husband to keep a firm hand on her reins, to steer her clear of the perils her beauty and innocence would unquestionably lead her into. And, as he desperately wanted the foolish woman, and had every intention of fulfilling the role anyway, he might as well officially be it.
He squared his shoulders. No sense in putting off the evil moment any longer. He might as well speak
to Max.
He turned his steps toward Delmere House. Rounding a corner, some blocks from his destination, he
saw the impressive form of Lord Denbigh striding along on the opposite side of the street, headed in
the same direction. On impulse, Martin crossed the street.
"Hugo!"
Lord Denbigh halted in his purposeful stride and turned to see who had hailed him. Although a few
years separated them, he and Martin Rotherbridge had many interests in common and had been acquainted even before the advent of the Twinnings. His lordship's usual sleepy grin surfaced. "Hello, Martin. On your way home?"
Martin nodded and fell into step beside him. At sight of Hugo, his curiosity over Maria Pavlovska had returned. He experimented in his head with a number of suitable openings before settling for, "Dashed nuisances, the Twinning girls!"
"Very!" The curt tone in Hugo's deep voice was not very encouraging.
Nothing loath, Martin plunged on. "Waltz around, tying us all in knots. What exactly happened when Arabella masqueraded as that Polish countess?"
To his amazement, Hugo coloured. "Never you mind," he said, then, at the hopeful look in Martin's
eyes, relented. "If you must know, she behaved in a manner which…well, in short, it was difficult to
tell who was seducing whom."
Martin gave a burst of laughter, which he quickly controlled at Hugo's scowl. By way of returning the confidence, he said, "Well, I suppose I may as well tell you, as it's bound to be all over town all too
soon. I'm on my way to beg Max's permission to pay my addresses to Lizzie Twinning."
Hugo's mild eyes went to Martin's face in surprise. He murmured all the usual condolences, adding, "Didn't really think you'd be wanting to get leg-shackled just yet"
Martin shrugged. "Nothing else for it. Aside from making all else blessedly easy, it's only as her husband I'd have the authority to make certain she didn't get herself involved in any more hare-brained schemes."
"There is that," agreed Hugo ruminatively. They continued for a space in silence before Martin realized they were nearing Delmere House.
"Where are you headed?" he enquired of the giant by his side.
For the second time, Hugo coloured. Looking distinctly annoyed by this fact, he stopped. Martin,
puzzled, stopped by his side, but before he could frame any question, Hugo spoke. "I may as well confess, I suppose. I'm on my way to see Max, too."
Martin howled with laughter and this time made no effort to subdue it. When he could speak again,
he clapped Hugo on the back. "Welcome to the family!" As they turned and fell into step once more, Martin's eyes lifted. "And lord, what a family it's going to be! Unless I miss my guess, that's Darcy Hamilton's curricle."
Hugo looked up and saw, ahead of them, Lord Darcy's curricle drawn up outside Delmere House. Hamilton himself, elegantly attired, descended and turned to give instructions to his groom, before strolling towards the steps leading up to the door. He was joined by Martin and Hugo.
Martin grinned. "Do you want to see Max, too?"
Darcy Hamilton's face remained inscrutable. "As it happens, I do," he answered equably. As his glance flickered over the unusually precise picture both Martin and Hugo presented, he added, "Am I to take
it there's a queue?"
"Afraid so," confirmed Hugo, grinning in spite of himself. "Maybe we should draw lots?"
"Just a moment," said Martin, studying the carriage waiting by the pavement in front of Darcy's
curricle. "That's Max's travelling chaise. Is he going somewhere?
This question was addressed to Darcy Hamilton, who shook his head. "He's said nothing to me."
"Maybe the Twinnings have proved too much for him and he's going on a repairing lease?" suggested Hugo.
"Entirely understandable, but I don't somehow think that's it," mused Darcy. Uncertain, they stood on
the pavement, and gazed at the carriage. Behind them the door of Delmere House opened. Masterton hurried down the steps and climbed into the chaise. As soon as the door had shut, the coachman flicked his whip and the carriage pulled away. Almost immediately, the vacated position was filled with Max's curricle, the bays stamping and tossing their heads.
Martin's brows had risen. "Masterton and baggage," he said. "Now why?"
"Whatever the reason," said Darcy succinctly, "I suspect we'd better catch your brother now or he'll merrily leave us to our frustrations for a week or more."
The looks of horror which passed over the two faces before him brought a gleam of amusement to
his eyes.
"Lord, yes!" said Hugo.
Without further discussion, they turned en masse and started up the steps. At that moment, the door at the top opened and their prey emerged. They stopped.
Max, eyeing them as he paused to draw on his driving gloves, grinned. The breeze lifted the capes of
his greatcoat as he descended the steps.
"Max, we need to talk to you."
"Where are you going?"
"You can't leave yet."
With a laugh, Max held up his hand to stem the tide. When silence had fallen, he said, "I'm so glad to
see you all." His hand once more quelled the surge of explanation his drawling comment drew forth.
"No! I find I have neither the time nor the inclination to discuss the matters. My answers to your questions are yes, yes and yes. All right?"
Darcy Hamilton laughed. "Fine by me."
Hugo nodded bemusedly.
"Are you going away?" asked Martin.
Max nodded. "I need a rest. Somewhere tranquil."
His exhausted tone brought a grin to his brother's face. "With or without company?"
Max's wide grin showed fleetingly. "Never you mind, brother dear. Just channel your energies into keeping Lizzie from engaging in any further crusades to help the needy and I'll be satisfied." His gaze
took in the two curricles beside the pavement, the horses fretting impatiently. "In fact, I'll make life
easy for you. For all of you. I suggest we repair to Twyford House. I'll engage to remove Miss
Twinning. Aunt Augusta and Mrs. Alford rest all afternoon. And the house is a large one. If you can't manage to wrest agreement to your proposals from the Misses Twinning under such circumstances,
I wash my hands of you."
They all agreed very readily. Together, they set off immediately, Max and his brother in his curricle,
Lord Darcy and Hugo Denbigh following in Darcy's carriage.
The sound of male voices in the front hall drifted to Caroline's ears as she sat with her sisters in the
back parlour. With a sigh, she picked up her bonnet and bade the three despondent figures scattered through the room goodbye. They all looked distracted. She felt much the same. Worn out by her
difficult morning and from tossing and turning half the night, tormented by a longing she had tried valiantly to ignore, she had fallen asleep in the hammock under the cherry trees. Her sisters had found
her but had left her to recover, only waking her for a late lunch before her scheduled drive with their guardian.
As she walked down the corridor to the front hall, she was aware of the leaping excitement the prospect of seeing Max Rotherbridge always brought her. At the mere thought of being alone with him, albeit on the box seat of a curricle in broad daylight in the middle of fashionable London, she could feel that other Caroline Twinning taking over.