“About the party tonight,” Gabrielle said. “I have one dress that would be appropriate, but I’m going to need to visit a seamstress tomorrow. I’ve brought the funds with me for a wardrobe for the Season, so I really should get started on that right away.”

“I agree, and you needn’t wait until tomorrow. I’ll send for mine today. She’s very good at producing miracles on short notice.”

“That would be wonderful,” Gabrielle allowed. “I’ll just need to know how many ball gowns I should order. Can you hazard a guess?”

“A half dozen at least.”

Gabrielle blinked and gasped out, “That many this late in the Season?”

“Oh, yes,” Georgina said with a roll of her eyes. “It’s due to the competition among the ladies who typically host these gatherings. If one of them outdoes another who’s already given her ball, then she simplymust give yet another ball to get back in the lead of who’s ball was the best of the Season. It’s all quite silly in my opinion, but it’s why we get deluged with so many invitations near the end of summer. By the by, whydid you wait so long to come to London? There are only a few weeks left of the bigger gatherings. You do realize that many of the best eligible bachelors will already have made their choices and be committed?”

Gabrielle nodded and added, “I’d be surprised if the pickings weren’t thin. The timing wasn’t by choice, it was merely my father suddenly realizing that I’m long overdue in getting this done and sending me off posthaste.”

Georgina chuckled. “Getting this done? That’s a rather unique way of looking at it.” Gabrielle grinned. “Well, to be honest, coming here wasn’t my idea. I would have preferred to find a husband at home in the islands. But I’m rather excited about this now that I’m here. I just hope that I can persuade whomever I do marry to at least take me back to the Caribbean occasionally. I know I’m going to miss my father dreadfully if I only see him rarely like before.”

“Before?”

“I missed out on his presence while growing up. I lived here with my mother; he works out of the West Indies. It was very rare that he came to visit us.”

“Ah, that explains it, why your diction is so cultured. So you actually grew up here in England?”

“Yes, near Brighton. My mother would have seen to my being launched into society. She knew all the right people. But she died when I was seventeen, so I went to live with my father. He didn’t explain this in the letter?”

“No, he didn’t mention your background at all.”

“Good grief, you’ve taken me in without even knowing that my credentials are up to snuff? You’re too kind, Lady Malory.”

Georgina laughed. “No, I’m an American. We don’t put much stock in titles where I come from, so please don’t use the one my husband saddled me with. If I could get rid of it without getting rid of him, you can be sure I would.”

Gabrielle wasn’t surprised. She’d met enough Americans in the Caribbean to know that they preferred to stand on their own merits, not those of their ancestors. But in England people took bloodlines much more seriously, at least the nobility did, especially when it came to marriage.

Before she could reassure the lady, Margery glanced up from her unpacking to volunteer, “She’s got a couple earls she can dig out of the pantry.”

Gabrielle blushed to hear it put that way, but felt it prudent to add, “Several generations removed, so I have no title. But then I’m not looking for a title either.”

“But you wouldn’t turn one down if it comes to that?”

“No, of course not.”

Georgina grinned. “I only asked becauseI would have.”

“But you didn’t.”

“Only because I was already married before I found out James has a title!” Gabrielle didn’t know whether to commiserate with Georgina or congratulate her, but Miss Carla saved her from remarking on it when Margery moved her cage off of the next trunk she was about to open, and the bird squawked, “Lemme out, lemme out!”

Georgina gasped and said, “Is that what I think it is?” Gabrielle decided to uncover the cage so the lady could see for herself. It was better to be forewarned anyway, because the parrot could be quite loud, and she didn’t want anyone breaking down her door to find out what the racket was. But the oddest thing about parrots was that women found it hard to resist talking to them, and Georgina Malory was no different. She came over to the cage to examine Miss

Carla and immediately started saying hello to her.

“Dumb bird,” the parrot replied.

Gabrielle’s cheeks went up in flames, but Georgina burst out laughing and said, “That was amazing.

Does it say anything else?”

“Too much,” Gabrielle mumbled. “She belonged to my father. He gave her to me after I got attached to her, but he’d already taught her some outlandish phrases, all of which are too embarrassing to mention.” Georgina raised a brow. “Too vulgar for young ears?”

“I would say very much so.”

The lady sighed. “Well, that’s too bad. I would have suggested you bring her downstairs occasionally to amuse my family, but my oldest daughter is only seven and too impressionable. She already hears more than she should from the men in this family.”

“I’ll try to keep her quiet.”

Georgina chuckled. “And I’ll try to keep Jack from investigating.”

“Jack?”

“My daughter Jacqueline.”

“Ah, I see.”

“No, you don’t, but then nobody understands my husband’s propensity to give the females he’s fondest of unusual nicknames.”

“Not unusual, George,” James said from the open doorway. “Just names that no one else would consider. Now come along and let the girl get settled. She’ll want to rest before you drag her off to Regan’s tonight.”

“Regan?”

“Another one of those names, this one for his favorite niece, Regina,” Georgina explained, then added with a frown, “Do you need to rest?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Good, then expect the seamstress within the hour. I’ll send for her now.”

Chapter 11

GABRIELLE WENT DOWNSTAIRS AT THE APPROPRIATE HOUR.Her powder-blue tulle dress, which nearly matched her eyes, was too thin for an English evening. Unfortunately, the only coat she had was her sturdy wool traveling one, which wasn’t at all appropriate to wear to a party.

Her new clothes would start arriving tomorrow, though, the seamstress had assured her, and would continue to be delivered over the next week, so she wasn’t going to worry about being a little chilly this one evening. And her hair was done up nicely. She was rather good at arranging artful coiffures for herself, which was fortunate, since Margery wasn’t really a maid. She was merely acting in that capacity for the time being.

It appeared she was the first to arrive downstairs, so she moved into the parlor to wait for the Malorys to join her. She thought she was alone until she saw two small heads poke up over the back of the sofa.

One was golden haired; the other was golden, too, but streaked with bright copper. She could say quite honestly that she’d never seen more beautiful children.

“I’m Jack,” the golden-haired girl said to her. “This is my cousin Judy. You must be the pirate’s daughter.”

Gabrielle didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or amused at the child’s candor. Good grief, did everyone in the household know about her father’s occupation?

“I suppose that would be me, yes,” she said.

“Are you a pirate, too?” the other girl asked.

She managed not to laugh. “No, but I’ve dabbled in treasure hunting.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun!” both girls said nearly at once.

Gabrielle grinned. “It is indeed.”

“And I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it, but not tonight,” James Malory said from the doorway. “Run along, younguns, your dinner awaits.”

The girls filed out of the room with only a few mumbles of protest. Gabrielle had been relaxed before Malory arrived, but now she tensed up, which made her wonder if she would ever be at ease in his presence.

“George will be down shortly,” James informed her nonchalantly. “She’s browbeating her brothers into joining you this evening.”

“You” instead of “us” meanthe wasn’t going. Her relief was instant. “Then you aren’t going?”

“Good God, no. I adore my niece and wouldn’t miss one of her family dinners, but that’s not what this party is. Doesn’t bother me a bit to fess up that I abhor social gatherings of this sort, so I will be doing my utmost to avoid all the events my wife has on the agenda for you.”

“Which means I’ll get stuck as…your…” A deep, masculine voice trailed off. The man who lost his tongue stood next to Malory, staring at her incredulously. Her own expression probably mirrored his.

Good grief, him? The blond giant from the wharf whom she’d been so rude to? Recalling her behavior that day brought a rush of color to her cheeks. Blast it, she’d known she would be mortified if she ever ran into him again, and here he was, in the house she was going to be living in for the next several weeks.

She was most definitely mortified.

“I take it you two have met?” James said dryly, glancing from one to the other. “Or dare I guess I’m

witnessing love at first sight?”

Drew recalled himself first and snorted. “Love? Not a chance. I merely rescued her from a nasty fall on the docks yesterday when she was clumsy enough to nearly tumble at my feet.” Fortunately, he managed to remove all signs of embarrassment from Gabrielle’s cheeks with that remark.

Or perhaps her swiftly rising ire did that.

“Clumsy?” she shot back. “It wasn’t my fault that a cart nearly bowled me over. But you were a brute about your so-called rescue.”

“Brute?” James said with interest. “Now that doesn’t surprise me. Heis an American, after all.”

“Don’t start in on me, Malory,” Drew almost growled. “Now isn’t a good time.”

“Beg to differ, dear boy,” James replied. “Anytime is a good time to mention how barbaric you—”

“James Malory, don’t you dare.” His wife arrived to interrupt him as she pushed her way between the two men. “I swear, can’t I leave you two alone in the same room for five minutes?”

“’Course you can, m’dear,” James replied. “He’s still standing, isn’t he?” The large blond man and Georgina both made a rude sound in reply. Gabrielle didn’t know what to make of their bickering and James Malory’s implied threat. It sounded serious, and yet none of them looked serious.

In fact, Georgina leaned up to kiss James and tell him, “We’ll probably be late, so don’t wait up.”

“I’ll wait.”

His expression turned sensual and his arm went around her waist, pulling her closer to him. The handsome giant rolled his eyes at them. Georgina just chuckled and pushed away from her husband.

“Come along, Gabby,” she said, taking her arm. “I can’t wait to introduce you to Regina. She’s an incorrigible matchmaker, you know. I don’t doubt she’ll find you a husband in no time.” But then she glanced back at her husband to warn him, “I almost forgot. Boyd begged off from joining us, so do try to avoid him. He said something about his voyage having been longer than expected and that he wouldn’t be fit for proper socializing without at least three nights of carousing.”

“What rubbish,” James and the giant said almost in the same breath.

“Yes, that’s what I said, but his head was still pounding from his first night of overindulgence, so I didn’t press the matter.”

“Only because you’d already roped me in for the chore,” the giant complained, though he kept his tone light.

Gabrielle realized he must be Georgina’s brother Drew, whom she had mentioned earlier. And from the sound of it, he wasn’t very pleased about being their escort tonight either. He just hadn’t been able to come up with an excuse to bow out as his brother Boyd had. She would have felt bad about that if she wasn’t still smarting over his remark about her being clumsy.

Georgina quickly got them under way. The ride to Park Lane was very short, which allowed for little conversation in the coach. That was fortunate. Gabrielle was having a hard enough time dealing with the knowledge that the man she’d been so attracted to on the docks who had made an utter fool of her was not only sitting next to her now, but was staying in the same house she was, and that she was probably going to see far too much of him in the coming weeks.

She wondered if she should adjust her attitude and try to make amends for her rudeness that day. But explaining her uncharacteristic behavior was out of the question, since it required revealing how attractive she found him. May be she could come up with a plausible excuse for it.

She recalled his charming smile and how it had affected her. He’d turned rude only after she did. Was that the only reason he was still surly? Or did hereally object to escorting her and his sister?

As soon as they entered the large townhouse that belonged to Nicholas and Regina Eden, Georgina moved off to find Regina, leaving her temporarily alone with the giant. He steered them into the parlor, which was quite crowded, and hailed someone he knew, but he didn’t leave her side.