Jeanette gritted her teeth. She hadseen the look on Lady Witherstone’s face many times. Bracing herself forthe inevitable, she turned.
“Mother,dear, there youare.” Sutton’s deep baritone resounded like a thunderclap. Thecur! How dare he call her mother! She despised the words from her ownchildren’s mouths. Jeanette wondered if it would be bad form to poisonSutton during the house party.
Sutton Reynolds bore down on her, morehandsome than any bastard should be. He bowed low, kissing her hand. Theresemblance to his father, Robert, was so strong, for a moment Jeanette waspropelled back in time. Robert, the handsome, rich, Marquess who courtedher during her first Season. Jeanette had been envied by every unmarriedwoman in London, a deciding factor in marrying Robert besides his outrageouswealth. At parties she watched her reflection as she and Robert walked bymirrors, entranced by the portrait they created. She looked simplydivineon Robert’s arm. Robert was the perfect setting for thejewelofher beauty. Pity he had turned into such a bore.
“Sutton, there you are.” The wordsspilled from her lips smoothly, without a hint of the dislike she felt for herstepson. She turned to Lord and Lady Witherstone. “May I presentLord Reynolds, Marquess of Cambourne.”
Lady Witherstone gave a girlish gigglebut shied from Sutton, as if he would fall on her like a mad dog. LordWitherstone clutched her arm in a possessive manner obviously afraid thedepraved Satan Reynolds would abscond with Lady Witherstone. The couplenodded politely and hastily walked away. Lady Witherstone peereddiscreetly over her shoulder at Sutton as her husband led her away.
Jeanette stifled a laugh. She hatedSutton but the thought of him pouncing on the horse-faced Lady Witherstone wastruly laughable.
“I see you are as charming as ever,aren’t you darling?” She threw him an icy glance. “Why poor LadyWitherstone nearly burst a Bible from her reticule to ward off theevilSatanReynolds.”
Sutton’s body tensed.
Jeanette smoothed her gown and pretendedinnocence. The nickname started as a tool to humiliate Sutton. Archie thoughtthat cultivating a distasteful reputation for Sutton could prove wise. Itwas a dreadful miscalculation. The nickname gave Sutton’s persona a darkpatina but did not destroy him.
Sutton lifted one black brow, the greeneyes, so like Robert’s, filled with dislike. “How you love calling me that,Jeanette. One would think you coined the nickname yourself.”
Jeanette smoothed her hair. Herbeloved Archie spewed out a continuous stream of venom against Sutton while herstepson had resided at Eton. Jeanette whispered about Sutton’s scandalous birthin London. Her plan, naïve in retrospect, was to use the scandalsurrounding Sutton’s birth as a means to threaten Robert when Jeanette bore ason. The entire plan worked to perfection, especially after Suttonseduced the wife of the headmaster at Eton. Sutton returned to London,tail between his legs. It had been pure coincidence that Sutton witnessed herand Archie ‘playing’. Easy enough to convince her stepson that she waspregnant at the time with Robert’s heir. If Sutton told Robert what he’dseen, the entire Reynolds family, including Miranda and the darling infantElizabeth, would suffer. Robert would blame Sutton.
“Ah, what a delight to see the mind ofthe black widow working through her next scheme. And on herbirthday! Well, it goes to show,” Sutton whispered low, “that wickednessdoes not take a holiday.”
Jeanette grimaced. Her plan worked– for a time. Sutton disappeared into the jungles of Macao.Unfortunately, he carved out an even more infamous and alluring reputation withthat nickname. It became her stepson’s calling card. Now men feared andrespected Satan Reynolds. Women threw themselves at him in a moreappalling manner than before. The whole of it sometimes made her weep infrustration. “You are the authority on wickedness. I’m afraid Idon’t have time for your silly accusations. Guests are arriving, and I amthe belle of the ball.”
“So the bills I continue to receive fromyour modiste, the florist, and a variety of tradesmen I can’t even name, tellme. I wonder how you shall afford such extravagance in the future.”
Jeanette ignored his blatantthreat. Eventually, she would hire an assassin that could actually killher troublesome stepson. Sutton’s survival skills, honed in his time awayfrom London, were greater than she’d originally suspected. Thank goodnessArchie was back to assist her. “Where is that half-wit sister ofyours? I finally resorted to having her maid take her books from her soshe would get ready for this evening. It’s bad enough Elizabeth is missingmy birthday celebration.”
“If I have my way, you will never seeElizabeth again.” Sutton smiled, conscious that the room filled withguests watched their conversation. His eyes, like green shards of glass,sliced into her.
Jeanette’s face froze. Her mindwhispered that the man before her was no longer the motherless child she hadonce abused. Ignoring the trickle of alarm that ran down her spine, she liftedher chin.
“It will be no great disservice to me ifI don’t see the little twit again, you can be sure. Elizabeth is evenduller than Miranda – if that is to be believed. Your father madesuch a fuss over what was only a misunderstanding.”
Sutton sucked in his breath.
Her stepson could besopredictable. He wished to strangle her. She simply adored rippingout his emotions and waving them in front of his face like a matador’s capewith an angry bull. If Sutton had proof of Archie’s abuse of Elizabeth, hercousin would be dead. Nor could he possibly suspect she was behind theattempts to have him killed. Besides, Sutton likely still worshipped her, as hehad when he was a small boy. How could he not?
She pretended to smooth down his cravat.“And I don’t think I shall ever forgive you for refusing Percy Dobson’s suitfor Miranda. Your sister is a bluestocking and only passablyattractive. She chatters incessantly. What other man will offer forher?”
Sutton relaxed. He didn’t pull awayfrom her touch. Instead, his mouth curved into a smile that did not reachthe green glass of his eyes.
Jeanette much preferred his anger.This simply would not do. “She is a –“
“Shut up.” He said it quietly. Hisface shone with manufactured affection.
Jeanette frowned before she could stopherself. The guests would remark on howlovingSutton was.Intolerable!
“Mother, dear! Frowning will giveyou wrinkles. And at your age you can ill afford them.” His lipsstill held an affectionate bent, but his words bit through her. “Youcededallresponsibility for your daughters. All. You aredependent on my charity. You will learn to behave,Mother, or Iwill have you banished to the Continent. Never to return.”
Sutton lied. The boy who longed forher love was still in the man before her. She knew it. She could stillmanipulate him. She smiled warmly. “Tsk, Sutton, you would never send meaway. I am your mother, the only mother you have ever known.” Sheplaced her hand on his sleeve.
“Then you had better find a more skilledassassin.”
Jeanette blinked. So he knew.Bastard. She changed tactics to something more proven. “Did I evertell you that I knew your mother? The exalted Madeline?”
A muscle in his cheek twitched. Hismouth became a grim line.
