Victoria Alexander - The Lady Travelers Guide To Scoundrels And Other Gentlemen

“I wasn’t serious.” Derek glared. “How am I to keep Miss Prendergast in Paris for a month?”

“Come now, Derek—it’s Paris.” Uncle Edward settled back in his chair and considered him thoughtfully. “You can’t have forgotten the charms of Paris. You’ve been there in recent years. I know. I paid for it.”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Aside from the fact that the entire world is flocking to the Paris Exposition, Paris itself has always had a certain charm—part utter elegance, part ancient history and part Bohemian decadence.”

“Decadence will not appeal to Miss Prendergast.”

“She’s a woman, isn’t she?”

“One would think.” Nonetheless it was hard to picture the very disapproving India Prendergast in Paris.

“And you are a man with a rather significant reputation when it comes to women.”

Derek started to deny it, but what was the point?

“Between your charms and those of the City of Light, I can’t imagine you can’t come up with dozens of ways to delay Miss Prendergast.”

“But an entire month in Paris...” Derek shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s possible.”

“It may not take a month for either of us to find Lady Heloise. I shall telegraph you to keep you apprised of my progress.” The earl chuckled. “I think it sounds like fun.”

“Fun?” Derek snorted. “You haven’t met Miss Prendergast.”

His uncle waved off the comment. “She’s simply an obstacle tossed in your way to make things more interesting.”

“Good God, Uncle Edward, this is not a game.”

“You’re right, of course.” Uncle Edward had the grace to look chagrined. “Why don’t we just call it a test?”

“A test?” Derek stared.

“Or would you rather make it a wager?” A wicked gleam shone in Uncle Edward’s eyes.

“A wager,” Derek said slowly. He’d always loved a good wager. Still, his uncle wanted him to mend his wild ways. As much as he wanted to agree, the thought occurred to him that perhaps this was the test. “I’m not sure that’s wise, Uncle.”

The earl snorted back a laugh. “Bloody hell, man, I never intended to break your spirit. An interesting wager between two honorable men is not objectionable.”

“Given what’s at stake, I’m not sure a wager is appropriate.”

“Perhaps.” His uncle shrugged. “Then we are back to a test. Succeed in keeping Miss Prendergast occupied while I use my resources to learn what happened to her cousin. And then avoid dragging your great-aunt’s name through the mud, as well as evade any legal problems that might arise from all this—” Uncle Edward was apparently even more perceptive than Derek realized “—and it will prove to me that you do indeed have what it takes to handle my affairs after I’m gone. Any idiot can inherit a title and a fortune, Derek, but managing property, finances and, more important, people takes experience, skill and instinct.”

“And if I pass this test of yours?”

“Then I shall withdraw the threat of leaving you penniless.” Uncle Edward grinned.

Derek stared at the older man. “I’m not quite sure I believe you.”

“Wise of you.” His uncle chuckled. “Show me that you can manage a situation as fraught with disaster as this one and you have my word. You will inherit everything you deserve.”

“Everything I deserve?” Derek was fairly certain his uncle’s phrasing left something to be desired. “Who decides what I deserve?”

Uncle Edward laughed. “Excellent catch, my boy.” He sobered. “But I am serious about this. If you pull this off, then you will have earned your inheritance as well as my respect. There’s nothing I can do about who inherits my title, but I’ll be damned if I’ll leave my money and property to a man I don’t respect. Prove to me you can be that man.”

“I shall try, sir.”

“Then I can ask nothing more. But regardless of how this turns out, I will still expect you to continue to tread the straight and narrower path you have been walking of late.” His grin widened if possible. “I just won’t be such an ass about it.”

“Oh well, that makes it all worthwhile then,” Derek said without thinking, then winced. He hadn’t meant to be quite so glib. Uncle Edward had never taken Derek’s quips particularly well, especially when they were aimed at him.

But Uncle Edward laughed, and Derek had the distinct impression they had just crossed some sort of threshold in their relationship. Helped, no doubt, by Derek’s embrace of his uncle’s edict about reforming his questionable behavior. For the first time, Derek felt like an adult in his uncle’s presence. A feeling strengthened by the look of respect in the older man’s eyes. As well as the laughter.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you, sir?”

“Why wouldn’t I enjoy seeing my heir live up to expectations?”

Derek blew a long breath. “I hope I can.”

“As do I. Indeed, you may well be on the way to becoming the man I always thought you could be. A man your father would be proud of.” The earl pinned him with a hard look. “Don’t muck it up.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

There are moments of tedium in the course of travel when one is confined to a train carriage or ship’s cabin that provide the perfect opportunity to study the places one is headed. The clever lady traveler will be prepared with books not only on the current state of one’s destination but on its history, as well. However, fictional tales of misadventure or mayhem are best avoided as they will serve only to make even the most stalwart lady traveler uneasy.

—The Lady Travelers Society Guide

INDIA STARED AT the ornate white ceiling embellished with entwined plaster swags and flowers and, for a moment, couldn’t determine exactly where she was. Of course. She was in Paris, where even the beds were decadent. Although apparently, when it came to blissful slumber, there was something to be said for a certain amount of decadence. She struggled to sit upright in spite of the soft, cushiony mattress that seemed determined to seduce her back to sleep under downy covers and the scent of fresh-washed linen. Pity she was made of sterner stuff.

She couldn’t remember ever having slept so soundly. Perhaps, when she returned to London, she’d look into replacing her firm, sensible mattress with something a bit more self-indulgent. Although her excellent night’s sleep probably had less to do with the bed and everything to do with her overwhelming fatigue. Who would have thought doing nothing more than sitting on trains and steamboats would be quite so exhausting? She’d done nothing of any merit all day yesterday save to change from train to boat and back to another train. Although travel was not without its perils. She had quickly learned Mrs. Greer had an unending reserve of completely inconsequential topics she delighted in expounding upon given the slightest opportunity. In that, she and her husband were well matched, although his chosen topics were of a more intellectual nature—the influence of classical thought on the architecture of the last century as opposed to his wife’s ponderings on whether the French would be relying more on feathers or silk flowers for the decoration of hats this year. India’s hats were sensible, practical creations and in no need of such frippery.

Never in her entire life had India imagined she would be going to Paris—that bastion of sin and debauchery. Whereas Heloise had gone on and on about the delights of Paris—the innovation, art, history and food—and couldn’t wait to sample it all for herself, India was perfectly happy with the impressive history, practical innovation, notable art and solid food of her native England. France held no particular lure for India, nor did the French. She’d never met a Frenchman but had heard they were uniformly rude and condescending. She was not fond of being condescended to by anyone.