“You accepted Mrs. Lake’s invitation to tea because you wished to discover whether or not she had become as skilled in the practice of mesmerism as yourself,” she said quietly. “That is what this is all about, is it not? You had to know if, after all these years, she presented a challenge to your own great talents or if she had somehow learned more than you have discovered.”
Howard stiffened ever so slightly. The slight physical reaction confirmed her conclusions. He turned toward her with startling speed and she found herself plunging into the fathomless depths of his eyes.
He said nothing. But she felt as if she were frozen in her seat. She did not think she could have moved even if the carriage had burst into flames. Panic swept through her. He could not possibly know about her plans, she thought frantically. There was no way he could have uncovered her scheme. She had been very, very careful.
Howard smiled, breaking the small spell. The mesmerizing intensity of his gaze faded.
“I congratulate you, my dear,” he said. “You are, as always, most insightful. Do you know, I had not fully comprehended my own curiosity about Lavinia until I saw her today for the first time after all these years. It was only then that I realized I had, indeed, been driven to discover whether or not she had fulfilled her potential as a mesmerist. She had such an incredible natural gift for the art, you see. I recognized it years ago when she was but a young girl. I was certain that all she required was time and practice to perfect her skills.”
Celeste breathed deeply and recovered her nerve. “Did you perhaps wonder if she had surpassed even your skills, Howard?”
He hesitated. “Perhaps.”
“That would be an impossibility.” She spoke with absolute, unfeigned conviction. “There is no one more adept. Even the great Mesmer himself must be in awe of your talents.”
Howard chuckled. “I thank you for the sentiments, my dear, but under the circumstances, I fear that we are highly unlikely to discover the truth of Mr. Mesmer’s degree of admiration for my skills.”
“It is unfortunate that he died a few years ago and was never able to see you work. But I assure you that he would have been impressed. No, more likely extremely envious of you, sir. And as for Mrs. Lake, you need not concern yourself with her. She presents absolutely no challenge to you whatsoever. She has obviously chosen to ignore whatever natural aptitude she may have had in favor of another career.”
“So it would seem.” He patted her gloved hand. “You never fail to lift my spirits, my dear. I vow, I do not know what I would do without you.”
She smiled and allowed herself to relax slightly. But she dared not let down her guard entirely. The business that lay ahead of her was too important to be handled carelessly. She had taken risks before, but this affair was far and away the most dangerous scheme upon which she had ever embarked.
It would be worth it, she assured herself. If all went as planned, the profits from the venture would enable her to alter her destiny yet again. She would be in a position to move into Society and at last obtain everything that she had craved so long.
The only obstacle in her path was Howard. She must not underestimate him, she thought.
Chapter Three
“This has certainly been my day to come face-to-face with persons from my past,” Lavinia said. “First my encounter in Pall Mall, and then the visit with Howard Hudson. I hasten to assure you that the two men occupy entirely different positions in my esteem.”
They sat together on the stone bench in the artful and quite artificial Gothic ruin that Tobias had discovered years ago. The architect had no doubt intended the graceful structure, with its elegant pillars and charmingly decayed walls, to be used as a place of quiet contemplation. But he had made the mistake of situating it deep in a remote, overgrown section of the large park, and as a result, the public had never taken an interest in it. The fashionable world, after all, came to the park to see and be seen. They did not come in search of privacy and seclusion.
Tobias had come across the ruin in the course of a long walk and had adopted it as his own private retreat. Lavinia knew that she was the only other person he had ever brought here to share it with him.
He had made love to her here. The memory swept through her, stirring a volatile brew of emotions that she had never even dreamed she was capable of experiencing until she met Tobias. Nothing about her association with him was simple or straightforward, she thought. On the one hand, he was the most infuriating man she knew. He was also the most exciting gentleman of her acquaintance. Just the act of sitting here close to him sent little whispers of intense awareness through her.
She did not know yet what to make of their unusual association, with its complicated mix of business and passion. But she did know that life would never again be the same now that she had formed a connection with Tobias March.
“Who was he?” Tobias asked.
She fussed for a moment with the skirts of her gown, purchasing some time to pull her thoughts together.
“It is a long story,” she said eventually.
“I am in no hurry.”
There was no delicate place to begin. And she knew Tobias well enough by now to realize that he would not give up until he had his answers. In addition to being the most infuriating and most exciting man she had ever met, he was also the most single-minded, persistent, and stubborn.
She may as well get on with the explanations. It was the only way either of them would get home before dark.
“You may recall that I mentioned an unfortunate incident in the North.”
“Yes.”
“The gentleman I glimpsed in Pall Mall this morning is connected to the incident. His name is Oscar Pelling. The reason I was late arriving home was that I was somewhat rattled by the sight of that dreadful man. I stopped in a tea shop to fortify myself and settle my nerves.”
“Tell me about this Oscar Pelling.”
“The long and the short of it is that he accused me of being responsible for his wife’s death.” She paused. “He may well be correct.”
There was a short silence while Tobias dealt with that blunt statement. He leaned forward, rested his forearms on his thighs, and loosely clasped his big hands together between his knees. He studied the tall weeds that formed a green screen around the ruin.
“He blamed your mesmeric treatments?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Ah.”
She stiffened. “Pray, what does that comment signify, sir?”
“It tells me why you gave up the profession two years ago and turned to a variety of other careers to support yourself and Emeline. You feared that you might have wrought some harm with your art.”
There was another silence. A lengthier spell this time.
Lavinia exhaled deeply. “It is no wonder you embarked upon a career in the private-inquiry business, sir. You have a distinct talent for deductive logic.”
“Tell me the whole tale,” he said.
“Oscar Pelling’s wife, Jessica, was one of my clients for a short time. She came to me for treatment of a nervous disorder.” She hesitated. “Jessica seemed a very pleasant woman. Pretty. Somewhat taller than average. Elegant. Wealthy, refined ladies of her station frequently possess very sensitive nerves. They are prone to attacks of the vapors and mild bouts of female hysteria.”
He nodded. “I’ve heard that.”
“But it was obvious at once that Jessica’s condition was much worse than I would have expected. She was, however, very reluctant to allow me to put her into a trance.”
“Why did she come to you for treatments if she did not wish to undergo a trance?”
“Perhaps because she felt that she had nowhere else to turn. She came to me only three times. On each of those occasions she was extremely agitated. In the course of the first two visits she questioned me quite closely on the precise nature of a mesmeric trance.”