Amelia smiled radiantly, and Starling could see why the men of London fell at her feet. It was a pity it did nothing for him, though.
No, he only cared about soulful, olive-grey eyes, and making them widen with dazed delight.
“A most entertaining scandal. I assume you had a hand in it?”
Starling grimaced. “He deserved nothing less for what he did to Helen.”
Amelia gave him a searching look. “Helen, is it?”
“Yes,” answered Starling, crossing his arms in irritation. It seemed his charm had fled in the wake of losing the one thing he had never thought to find.
“I have also taken steps to ensure her reputation remains unblemished,” said Starling. “Viscount Seton himself has promised to vouch for her, and his sister, the countess of Windham, will soon extend an invitation to join her at society events,” he added. “If we can find her, that is.”
Starling sighed, glancing down as his hands clenched, forcing his fingers to relax.
He had done his best to stave off any hint of scandal attaching itself to Helen’s name, now he just needed Helen knew he had done it for her.
“Now, please, let me see her. We have unfinished business, and I intend to hold her to it.”
If he could only get her alone, he could convince her that he had never meant her harm, that there was something between them worth fighting for.
“My, what lofty company you keep,” smirked Amelia, apparently unimpressed, as Starling frowned with frustration.
“Very well, what manner of business?” she finally asked, pushing the cat off her lap and rising to her feet, walking towards him as he watched her warily.
The woman was more astute than he had given her credit for. Starling imagined that he was not the first, or the last, to underestimate the beauty.
Perhaps he could convince her to take his side, if he pleaded his case with enough fervour, she might be swayed to speak for him.
“We have a wager outstanding between us, and I intend to hold her to it. Besides, I…” Starling ground his teeth, unable to express what had seemed so blindingly obvious from the first moment he saw her.
Helen Montrose was simply the perfect woman for him.
Amelia’s eyes widened briefly, then she flashed him another bright smile. “Now, that sounds just like my Helen. I will tell her you were here. Leave your card in the foyer on your way out.”
With that, she dismissed him, the footman opening the door with a meaningful tilt of his head.
“Wait-”
Amelia held up one smooth pale hand, halting his speech. She shook her head gravely, her eyes serious for the first time. “No. It is up to Helen now. Good day, Captain Starling.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Helen knockedon the door of the address scripted on the card left by Captain Starling late in the evening. It appeared to be a bachelor’s type residence, near Leicester Square, and Helen drew the hood of her cloak to better shield her face from prying eyes.
She had instructed her carriage to wait for her at the end of the street, but still she felt nervous. Helen had never before visited a man at his address alone, yet here she was, with the possibility of an illicit rendezvous buzzing along her nerves.
She shifted awkwardly on her feet, the wait for the door to be answered giving her far too much time to reconsider this rash decision.
But, she was leaving for Bath in the morning, the bags were all packed and ready by the door, the furniture in her townhouse draped under dust cloths.
And yet, there was this last thing that held her back from making the departure, a move many years planned and looked forward to.
Amelia had told her about Captain Starling’s visit, and there had been something in the way she described his manner that seemed so out of place. Almost desperate.
The thought of such a man set off balance by her absence made Helen feel surprisingly powerful. She had never been pursued like this before, and the way he had spoken to her after that early morning lovemaking, almost tender… Well, it was enough to make a woman lose her head.Almost.
Certainly, Starling had gone out of his way to repair any damage her reputation might have suffered in the wake of Lord Holsen’s scandal. The surprising support of Viscount Seton, in fact, had the effect of bringing Helen almost into fashion.
