Chapter Five
To his relief, he spottedher standing quite innocently in the domed salon, apparently doing nothing more than admiring the room, especially the impressive ceiling.
Good, he thought, turning heel before Miss Talbot spotted him spying on her. He didn’t want her to think he had designs upon her personally. Returning the way he’d come, this time he took a few moments to admire the exotic grandeur of the Chinese gallery as many were already calling it.
Natural light flooded in through clerestory windows and skylights. Thus, even at that time of evening, the last rays of the sun were augmenting the bright, oriental-style lanterns hanging from fierce red and black metal stands lining the pinkish-hued walls and towering overhead.
Setting one knee upon a bamboo chair, or so he supposed it to be, James leaned closer to the wall to examine the detail of painted trees, rocks, and birds, which he at first took to be wallpaper.
“Hm!”That must have taken some time.
Glancing back, still no Miss Talbot reemerged from the far room, so he continued past the cast iron “bamboo” and carefully placed mirrors to rejoin the party. If he had to guess what Nash and Prinny were aiming for, James would say the effect reminded him of a bamboo grove. Frankly, odd though it was at the English seaside, it made him smile.
But would an entire palace decorated thusly be a good idea?It wasn’t for him to say. And then his smile died. He couldn’t imagine the items he’d brought from Paris being welcome, at least not if the entire Pavilion was to resemble the Chinese gallery.
Spying an acquaintance, Lord Staunton emerging from the music room, they nodded at one another.
“You look fierce,” the man said. “Is Nash’s gallery so very ugly?”
“No, it’s not that. See for yourself,” James invited the man, gesturing behind him while not bothering to stay and chat. They weren’t friends, and Staunton notoriously voted in Parliament for his own interests over the good of anyone, either the country or even his own county.
James hoped he could still claim the exquisite Cyprian’s attention. She had a witty remark for nearly every topic and every person he mentioned. In fact, he had started to gain the impression she’d actually been tupped by everyone they were discussing, too, but that only indicated an extremely proficient level of skill.
Alas, the woman in question had already entranced someone else, no doubt with the intent of making a tidy profit that night, so James approached a group of men over whom Payton was holding court. Since Napoleon boarded theHMS Bellerophonoff the southern French coastal port of Rochefort earlier in the month, the topic of war had given way to that of grain tariffs.
For a few minutes, he listened while men spouted off irrespective of how ill-informed they seemed about Lord Liverpool’s Corn Laws. Payton appeared to take each one’s opinion seriously before disabusing them of their belief with his good-natured mild manner. His friend ought to be a foreign diplomat instead of one of the prince’s councilors, buried in Brighton.
“We need Staunton’s voice on this,” one of the others said. “After all, his estate in Norfolk was practically under siege last time Parliament brought up the issue, so angry were the farmers.”
Staunton?At once, it occurred to James how the man had brushed past him minutes ago. And then he thought of Miss Talbot, touring the Pavilion. Staunton was married but had a wandering eye, not to mention hands.
With a sinking sensation that he’d allowed a baby duck to swim into the deepest lake, he excused himself and dashed back the way he’d come. When he reached the domed salon where he’d last seen her, there was no one there. The house was one long structure with a wing at either end sticking out to the west, so she could not have circled through rooms and come past him. Although, they could have gone outside. He pressed on in his quest.
The sight that met his eyes in the dining room made his blood boil instantly. Staunton’s back was to him blocking the female, but he recognized Miss Talbot’s gown and the feathers rising above Staunton’s bowed head. The cad had her backed against the gold and red wall and was kissing her mercilessly. If she’d already screamed for help, no one had heard her.
“Hoy!”James called out, as this situation was beyond the polite interruption of mere whistling. “Let her alone.”
Not as fast as James would have liked, Staunton turned around wearing a sappy pleased expression that needed to be wiped off his face. Realizing he’d clenched his fists to do exactly that with a punch to the man’s nose, James slowed his steps. And then he saw Miss Talbot’s face.
She peeked around from behind her assaulter, looking flushed. But she didn’t appear upset or as if she had been taken off-guard.
What was she playing at?
“We’re a little busy, Hargrove,” Staunton said.
“I can see that, but Payton mentioned you in passing and others are starting to wonder where you are.”
