Regan glanced at Vane. "You did warn me," she said lightly.

Sin was the first to embrace her. "Lady Regan. You clean up well, my girl." Not caring if they had an audience or not, he passed her on to Hunter.

"I hear no lady will have you," Regan teased when he kissed her hand.

"Perhaps I was waiting for you to grow up, imp," Hunter quipped, earning a snort from Frost. His Grace winked at her brother and nudged her toward Saint.

"It is good to see you again, Saint," Regan said, her eyes misting as she realized she had her family back. "I never had a chance to thank you for that lovely French soap that you sent me."

Saint pinched her chin playfully. "I was not certain you would use it."

Regan was aware that Nina and Thea were likely wide-eyed and speechless at the sheer number of handsome males that had invaded Lady Karmack's private box. Introductions were expected, and she would get to them as soon as she greeted her brother.

And Dare.

Neither gentleman had moved closer. Ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, Regan stepped away from Saint and approached her brother. He and Dare stood like watchful sentinels on either side of the closed curtains, waiting for her to come to them.

Regan was not fooled by their bland expressions. Halting in front of Frost, she curtsied. "Good evening, brother. You look well." Feeling like a brave mouse that was about to pull the hungry cat's whiskers, Regan leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

Her brother turned his head slightly, and she felt his warm lips brush against her cheek. "Regan," Frost drawled. "What are you about?"

Regan pulled back. "Did you not receive my letter?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"Meaning you have been planning this mischief for some time" was his dry reply, his turquoise-blue eyes staring into hers as if he could peer into her soul.

Since it appeared Frost was not prepared to embarrass her in public, Regan touched her brother lightly on the arm. "Brother, pray forgive me for my atrocious manners." She raised her arm in a gracious sweeping motion to include the two ladies behind her. "I have neglected to introduce you to my dear friends, Miss Tyne and Miss Bramwell. And, of course, I would be remiss in forgetting our gracious chaperone, Lady Karmack. You do remember our cousin, do you not?"

"Regan," Frost said, the growl in his voice alerting her that he was not oblivious to her mockery. "Why do we not leave the introductions to Vane since he seems to be enjoying himself?"

Regan looked over her shoulder to discover that Vane and the other Lords of Vice were chatting amiably with Thea and Nina under Lady Karmack's quiet scrutiny. Both of her friends appeared flustered by all the attention. Later, she would explain to them that her brother's friends were the sort of gentlemen Miss Swann had told them to avoid at all costs.

Every last one of them was a scoundrel.

Including Frost.

Of course, during her absence, two quick-witted ladies had managed to leg-shackle Sin and Reign. Frost had been rather sullen about the marriages. Nevertheless, Regan was looking forward to meeting the women. She hoped they would welcome her friendship once she made it clear that she was nothing like her brother.

Regan stepped away from Frost, only to find her wrist encircled by his fingers. She raised her hand to catch the viscountess's eye. "Lady Karmack, I shall return shortly. My brother wishes to continue our tender reunion on the other side of the curtain where we might not disturb the other patrons."

"Lady Regan, I do not believe-" Lady Karmack began as a frown creased her forehead.

"Indulge me, madam," Frost said, gifting the older woman with a guileless smile. "I have not seen my dear sister in many months, and I only wish to have a private word with her. She shall be returned to your custody in a few minutes."

Lady Karmack was baffled by her brother's announcement. "Oh. Then Lady Regan will not be taking up residence in your town house this season?"

Frost shot a silently furious look in Regan's direction. Her dazzling smile was beatific, even while she gripped the blades of her closed fan so tightly, the edge was cutting into her white kid gloves. Without a word, Frost escorted her through the opening in the curtains Dare had provided for them.

Neither Frost nor Regan had invited him to join them. However, Dare had glimpsed the fire in the depths of Frost's eyes. His friend's posture was far from welcoming, and he wagered Regan was about to feel the unpleasant sting of her brother's displeasure.

Frost released his sister the second the curtain closed. "You disobeyed me."

"I did nothing of the kind." Almost eight inches shorter than her brother, Regan did not appear to appreciate her precarious situation. "I wrote you a rather lengthy letter that explained my intention to join Lady Karmack and her family in London."

"And I wrote you a letter that explicitly ordered you to remain in the country," Frost said through clenched teeth.

"Well, that would have been rather lonely since the Karmacks were traveling to town," she said, crossing her arms over the front of her amber bodice.

The angry motion of defiance lowered Dare's gaze to Regan's breasts. The sloped satin neckline displayed a generous amount of flesh. The pressure from her arms plumped her breasts further, inching the enticing globes higher until Dare was concerned that the dear lady might pop out of her scandalous dress.

Not realizing he had been holding his breath until he saw black spots in his dimming vision, Dare dragged a ragged inhale into his empty lungs. It took all his inner fortitude to tear his gaze away from the front of Regan's bodice.

Frost spared him a brief questioning glance before he returned his attention to his sister. "So the Karmacks are unaware of your plans."

"Of course not," Regan said, sounding vaguely insulted by the suggestion. "Lady Karmack prides herself in being very thorough when preparing to travel. I have everything I need to enjoy London befitting my station."

Frost all but snarled at her.

"You have neglected one thing, dear sister. My approval."

To her credit, Regan did not flinch. Dare had witnessed seasoned gents who had crumbled under Frost's intense scrutiny.

Regan sighed. "I thought I had it, Frost. After all, you have paid my bills without protest. Nor did you even question why I would need an entirely new wardrobe-"

"For school!" Frost shouted at her, causing her to wince.

For the first time since the trio had entered the small anteroom, Regan shifted her gaze to Dare. His stomach muscles contracted as he felt the impact of her sober blue eyes. Was she asking for his support? Dare could sympathize with Regan's plight. Nonetheless, it was not his place to interfere. Frost would not thank him if he sided with Regan.

Nor was he confident that Regan should remain in Town. Her unexpected arrival was already stirring trouble.

Regan tapped the end of her collapsed fan to her chin. "I am finished with school."

"Finished?" Frost sputtered in disbelief.

"I can produce a letter from Miss Swann extolling my accomplishments. And Lady Karmack concurs," Regan said before her brother could challenge her claim as she slowly circled him. Over Frost's shoulder, she winked at Dare. As he had thought, the outrageous minx was enjoying herself. "She thinks that if you can resist interfering, I might be able to secure a match this season."

Both Frost and Dare scowled at her announcement.

"Marriage," Frost said, curling his upper lip at the word. "I do not recall sanctioning any such notion. Lady Karmack seems to be forgetting that I am your guardian."

"Then behave like it," Regan countered. The hint of impatience in her gentle voice was the first visible sign that she was not as calm as she wanted her brother to believe. "Lady Karmack is under the impression that you sent me away to polish my rough edges so I might make a solid match. Only you and I know that you had other reasons to send me away."

Dare straightened at Regan's accusation. Was she referring to the impulsive kiss they had shared almost five years ago? Whatever game Regan was playing with Frost, mentioning the kiss was not a strategic move Dare would have recommended since from all accounts her brother seemed to have forgotten about it.

"It is unlike you to be coy, little sister," Frost taunted as he stepped in front of the closed curtains to prevent her from leaving the anteroom. "Why do you think I sent you away?"

"Since my banishment has come to an end, the reasons no longer matter, now do they?" Regan inclined head. When Frost did not step aside, she lifted her right brow in a manner that reminded Dare of Frost. "Lady Karmack and my friends are awaiting my return."

Frost moved to the right and pulled the curtain open. "You and I are not finished with this business."

"Oh, I believe we are," Regan said, matching Frost's silky tones. "Whether I reside with the Karmacks or I return to the care of my loving brother, I will remain in London. There is nothing that you can do about it, short of hiring a press gang to cart me off to the other side of the world."

Regan took a step forward and then paused. "I would not recommend the latter. Think of the fuss and scandal."

Dare and Frost watched in silence as Regan rejoined her friends. Vane lowered his head and whispered something into Regan's ear that caused her to laugh. Annoyed, Dare wondered why Vane was courting danger by flirting with Regan. The gent knew Frost's sister was off limits. Frost would happily crack the skull of any gent who touched his sister.

Including him.

As the other Lords of Vice said their farewells to Regan and her friends, Dare murmured to Frost, "I would concede defeat, my friend. With all of us looking after her, Regan will be safe from bounders and fortune hunters."

Frost shot Dare an enigmatic side glance. "Then I am indeed fortunate that you are residing with me this season. I shall sleep the unburdened sleep of an innocent man, knowing that you are on hand to look after our dear girl."

Dare scowled at the growing realization that he would be residing under the same roof with Regan. Granted, Frost was Regan's guardian, and there were certainly enough servants meandering about the town house to ensure nothing untoward occurred. Still, his presence in the Bishops' household could be viewed as improper by the more prudish members of the ton.

"Perhaps I should seek other accommodations."

"Come now, Dare," Frost taunted, sensing his friend's concerns. "I thought you were made of sterner stuff than that. Besides, Regan will behave herself or face the consequences."

Unable to form a proper response to Frost's remark, Dare stared sullenly through the parted curtains at Regan. Sensing his regard, she turned her head and smiled at him.

In truth, it was not Regan's conduct that worried Dare. It was his own.

Chapter Five.

Seated beside Nina in Lady Karmack's coach, Regan studiously avoided meeting the viscountess's knowing gaze as the coachman drove them to Lord and Lady Quinton's ball. Instead Regan feigned interest in the activity that she glimpsed through the small window.

"Lord Chillingsworth seemed rather surprised by your presence this evening, Lady Regan."

She made a noncommittal sound in her throat and strived not to appear guilty. "It is a pity that the post is not more reliable. As I had feared, my letter has yet to reach Frost, my lady."

"A most regrettable predicament."

At eight and forty, Lady Karmack was a practical, astute woman who had raised five children, three of them daughters. Thea was the youngest of the Bramwell brood. The viscountess had little tolerance for dissembling or lies. Over the years, Regan had not been able to resist testing the older woman's patience.

"It is fortunate that Frost is very accommodating," she assured Lady Karmack with confidence. "By tomorrow afternoon, you will be able to relinquish your duties as my chaperone, and I shall be safely ensconced under my brother's roof once again."

Thea stirred as if she intended to speak. Even Lady Karmack was distracted by her daughter's subtle movements. However, one warning glance from Regan stilled her cousin's tongue. Thankfully, Nina also remained silent.

"Well, then," Lady Karmack said in her brisk, straightforward manner. "It appears that you and your brother have settled the matter during your private discourse."

"As best we could, madam," Regan said lightly.

Before the viscountess could respond to Regan's ambiguous comment, the small trapdoor near the roof of the coach slid open. The coachman announced that they were within walking distance of Lord and Lady Quinton's town house. Even so, the congestion of carriages and coaches had slowed their progress to a snail's pace.

Vane had told Regan and her friends that the Lords of Vice had plans to attend the Quintons' ball after the theater. He naturally extended an invitation for the ladies to join the merriment since Lord and Lady Quinton were unlikely to fuss over a few additional guests in what promised to be a spectacular affair. Without any prompting from Regan, Nina and Thea had begged Lady Karmack to accept Vane's gallant invitation.

With a speculative gleam in her eyes, Lady Karmack's gaze had shifted from her daughter's eager expression to the unmarried earl's handsome face. She had assured Vane that they would find their way to the Quintons' town house later in the evening.

"Perhaps we should consider disembarking and walking the short distance," Thea suggested, her eyes shining in anticipation.

Regan silently pondered her cousin's excitement with a small amount of concern. Was it Vane or the opportunity to attend a ball that had put those stars in Thea's eyes?

Perhaps it was a tad hypocritical, but Regan refused to examine too closely her own growing eagerness for the ball. This was not about Dare. She had won the first skirmish with Frost. That alone was cause for celebration.

It was a logical explanation.

Regan might even believe it, as long as she could avoid glancing at her reflection in Lady Quinton's gilt mirrors.

Dare nodded to Saint and Hunter as the two gentlemen headed for the Quintons' card room to join Frost. Sin was planning to join them later. For now, he was standing near the open doors with his wife and her two sisters. Vane was nowhere in sight. The second his name was announced, the young earl had been whisked away by his matchmaking mother. Vane was resisting his family's efforts to pair him with a respectable young lady, but Dare wagered his friend would be the next to marry. His love and loyalty to the Courtland family were as deep as Dare's ties to his own. It was a source of strength and weakness.

Dare was intimately acquainted with the latter.

Involuntarily, Dare's gaze searched the ballroom until he found his sister-in-law, Lady Pashley. Adorned in a shimmering light green gown that reminded him of sea foam, Allegra was holding court across the room, while Sin's half sister Lady Gredell had positioned herself in the opposing corner. Dare was not surprised that Allegra had decided to attend Lord and Lady Quinton's ball. He had ignored her at the theater this evening, and his dear sister-in-law did not like to be dismissed so easily.

If she had her way, Allegra would ruin his evening.

Perhaps he should tell the witch the reason for his distraction. Dare smiled faintly at the thought. The truth would likely ruin her evening.

"Lord Hugh."

Dare dismissed his sister-in-law from his mind as he bowed to the beautiful dark-haired woman in front of him. "Mrs. Randall. You honor me," he said, releasing her extended hand.

The twenty-eight-year-old widow's beauty overshadowed many of her younger rivals. Intelligent blue eyes met his as he admired the symmetry of her heart-shaped face. Her unblemished skin gleamed against her lavender ball gown. The wealth of black hair the lady possessed was braided and neatly coiled at the nape of her neck. She was a prize that most of the males of the ton had deemed unattainable.

Some accused her of being cold.

Others thought she was aspiring for a titled husband.

Dare wondered if the widow was still in mourning. After three years, loneliness rather than lust might have pushed Mrs. Randall to spend the season in London.

He had never been introduced to her husband. A lieutenant in the Royal Navy, the man had spent most of his marriage at sea. Although Mrs. Randall never spoke of her loss, Dare had made some inquiries and learned that the brig sloop the man was serving on had wrecked on the point of Mount Batten at the entrance of Catwater. Most of the crew had perished.

"Did you think I was merely teasing you, my lord?" she said, her blue eyes twinkling with undisguised amusement.

"Dare," he gently corrected, still not quite believing his good fortune. "You had mentioned that you might attend the Quintons' ball, and hoped that I would make an appearance. To assume anything else would have been presumptuous."

Mrs. Randall brought her gloved finger to her mouth, drawing attention to her full lips. "Such wonderful manners! Is it presumptuous of me to confess that I enjoyed our last discussion? So much so that I hope we may continue it?"

Flattered, Dare nodded. "Of course. Would you prefer to remain here or perhaps retire to the drawing room?"