Marcus gazed at Lady Pettigrew as though he had suddenly discovered that she were a rather curious archaeological object herself. " Temple of Vesta?"
"Surely you are acquainted with the style, my lord," Iphiginia murmured helpfully. "There is a very fine example in Tivoli. It is a lovely circular structure. The Vestal Virgins are said to have tended the sacred flame there."
"Virgins," Marcus said, "have never been a subject that was of much interest to me."
CHAPTER FIVE
I WILL SEE MRS. BRIGHT HOME," MARCUS SAID AS HE escorted Iphiginia, Zoe, and Amelia outside the premises of Hornby and Smith. "She and I have one or two matters to discuss in private."
Zoe and Amelia glanced at each other and then looked at Iphiginia.
"Do not concern yourselves," Iphiginia said quickly. "Take my carriage. I shall see you both later."
"You're quite certain?" Amelia gave Marcus a stony stare.
"Yes, Amelia." Iphiginia did not care for the rough edge in Marcus's voice any more than Amelia or Zoe did. She thought it best, however, not to make an issue out of it right there in the middle of Pall Mall.
"Very well." Zoe gave Marcus one last uneasy look and then nodded at Amelia. "Let us be off."
Marcus watched Amelia and Zoe walk toward Iphiginia's small, delicate white carriage. The airy, graceful equipage was trimmed with gilt and horsed with two white mares. The animals' braided manes were adorned with white plumes. The gleaming harness sparkled in the spring sun. The coachman wore white livery trimmed with gold buttons.
"Your carriage, I presume?" Marcus said to Iphiginia. "How did you guess?"
"It looks like something out of a bloody fairy tale." "I thought it appropriate. From the description I was given of your equipage, I understood it to look like something a wicked troll might drive. I wanted to provide a counterpoint.»
"A wicked troll, eh? What does that make you, my dear Mrs. Bright? A fairy princess?"
"I assure you, I am no fairy princess." "Thank God for that much." Marcus tightened his grasp on Iphiginia's arm. He started to stride swiftly along the broad promenade of the fashionable shopping street. "I have enough problems at the moment."
Iphiginia dug in the heels of her white kid half boots. "If you wish to discuss your problems with me, which I presume is your intention, you'll have to slow your pace, my lord. I do not intend to gallop the length of Pall Mall with you."
Marcus scowled, but he shortened his stride. "Enough of this nonsense. Who are you and what the devil do you think you're about?"
"I beg your pardon?" Iphiginia busied herself with the act of unfurling her lacy white parasol. "I do not comprehend your tone or your meaning, my lord. I explained everything to you last night."
"Last night," Marcus said, "I believed you to be playing some clever game in order to make a place for yourself in Society."
"Yes, I know you did." "This morning it was forcibly brought to my attention that you are involved in something other than an amusing masquerade. I wish to know precisely what it is you are about.»
Iphiginia tried to be patient. "I told you, sir. I am attempting to discover the person who is blackmailing my aunt. Nothing has changed. What has overset you so this morning?"
"I am not overset. You make it sound as though I were having the vapors. I am bloody furious."
"Oh."
He shot her a frozen look. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?"
Iphiginia thought about it. "If it would not he too much trouble, my lord, I would like to know what it is that has, ah, outraged you."
He hesitated, as though debating how much to tell her. "I have just learned that a close friend of mine is being blackmailed."
Iphiginia stared at him, astonished. "Good heavens. Someone other than my aunt is also being blackmailed after all? This is very interesting news, indeed, my lord."
"Is it not?"
"Sir, I do not understand your sarcasm. I should think you would he alarmed to learn that the tale I told you may well he true and that a friend of yours is also a blackmailer's victim. Why are you angry with me?"
"I suggest that you construct a reasonable hypothesis to explain my irritation."
"I beg your pardon?"
"A guess, Mrs. Bright. Make a guess."
Iphiginia's mouth dropped open. Now he was being more than sarcastic. He was becoming impossibly rude. She swiftly composed her expression when she noticed three lounging dandies gazing raptly at her. She blocked their view with her parasol.
"This is ridiculous, Masters. Why are you annoyed with me?"
"Because I have come to the obvious conclusion that you are very likely the blackmailer."
"What on earth?" Iphiginia came to a complete halt. She yanked her arm free and whirled about to confront Marcus. "You go too far, sir. What do you think I am?"
"A clever, scheming little adventuress who has gone one step beyond the pale." Marcus's voice was soft, but it was weighted with steel. "Last night I found your silly masquerade amusing."
"My lord, please-" "I was even going to go along with the charade for a whites I will admit that you are far and away the most interesting female who has crossed my path in some time. However, this morning when I learned the truth, I decided that you were no longer nearly so amusing, madam."
"No longer amusing? Of all the stupid, idiotic, offensive things to say. You clearly do not know what you are talking about. I will not stand here and listen to your accusations, sir." Iphiginia turned on her heel. She could bear the tittering laughs of the lounging dandies.
Marcus put out a hand and caught her arm. "Not so fast. I have one or two questions to put to you, Iphiginia'»
"I have better things to do than answer your insulting questions."
"Such as?" "Such as find the blackmailer," Iphiginia hissed. "Let me go, my lord, or I promise you, I shall scream."
"They'd take it, we are not in Drury Lane. Kindly cease the theatrics." Marcus brought her forcibly around so that she was once again obliged to face him. "Unless, of course, you want news of this little scene to be all over Town this evening?"
"Why should that concern me? Everyone in Town is already talking about us, my lord."
"You must believe me when I tell you that the gossip can get a great deal worse than it already is. If you persist in quarreling with me in the middle of a public thoroughfare, I promise you that it will."
Iphiginia flushed. "Is that a threat, Masters?" "It is. If you do not maintain at least the pretense of being a lady, I am not going to continue acting the gentleman. I swear, if you try to walk away from me, I shall put you over my shoulder and carry you off to someplace where we can continue this discussion without an audience.
Iphiginia was seething. "You would not dare." "Would you care to place a wager on that, Iphiginia?" he asked much too softly. "It was one thing for me to carry a swooning lady out of the Fenwicks' ballroom last night. It will be quite another if I haul you off as though you were a sack of coal this afternoon."
Iphiginia contemplated her options for a few seconds. She was acutely aware of the growing number of stares aimed in her direction. More than one head had turned. More than one ear was discreetly cocked in an attempt to overhear the fascinating exchange that was taking place between Masters and his new paramour.
It was obvious from the ruthless set of his jaw and the unyielding line of his mouth that Marcus was in a dangerous mood. He was apparently willing to stage a humiliating quarrel for the entertainment of the fashionable shoppers in Pall Mall if Iphiginia did not accede to his wishes.