Page 25 of The Tempting of a Devilish Lord

It would be better to tell her. If she thoroughly disapproved of him it would make staying away from the female of the species much easier.

“My brothers and I decided we needed a break from Town.”

There. That wasn’t a lie.

“And it has nothing to do with the fact that many, many lovely women have decided to come to Langmere?”

He chuckled. That was a better excuse than he could have come up with. “Actually, I had little idea the place had become a haven for young women. It rather surprised me.”

“Is that why you looked so dour the first time I saw you?”

“I’m glad to know I am not so easily forgotten.”

“That is not what I meant!”

“Why did your mother bring you and Mary-Anne here?” he asked, enjoying the little spots of red on her cheeks, perhaps from exertion but more likely from her frustration with him. Teasing Lucy was fast becoming his favorite pastime, mostly because he had a growing suspicion the dull dresses and tightly wrapped fichus were some kind of disguise. Something else lay under the plain fabric. He just wasn’t certain what yet.

“Mama likes to do anything and everything for her health and several of her friends are here.”

“But you are all well?”

“My mother worries that one day we will not be, but we are all hale, thank you.”

“You certainly appear to be.”

She blushed anew, ducking her head but not before he saw the color. She enjoyed the flattery, of that he was certain. She might even enjoy their traded words. If she let herself, anyway. A large part of him wanted to grab her, pull away the fabric around her neck, loosen the laces of her gown and unleash whatever was beneath it. The girl that liked castles and knights and gory battles. She had to be there somewhere still.

“Oh.” She paused a few steps behind him, and he turned to find her gazing ahead, her lips parted.

He twisted and followed her gaze toward the ruin. Not much more than some gray, tumbled down walls, the castle offered only a hint of what it once was. The base of a tower rose the highest, up to the level of the first arrow slit. An arch led the way through to low walls, no higher than calf height, but revealed the spread of hills and mountains behind it. He knew the ruin intimately having played in it many a time as a boy, but he never really thought much of it.

It seemed Lucy felt differently. It seemed that young girl was not so deeply buried.

“It’s quite wonderful,” she said on a breath.

Alex shrugged. “I have seen more vast ruins.”

“So have I but what a setting this is. Can you imagine what it must have taken to haul the stone all the way up here?” She twisted a few times, taking in the surroundings. “And what a marvelous defense. The natural hills and gullies would make it virtually impossible for someone to have sacked it.”

“I do believe it was never taken by siege.”

She nodded. “I read as much.”

“So you do still read history books?”

Lucy straightened her shoulders. “That was a long time ago.”

“Why did you say you have no interest in it anymore then?”

“It is hardly proper for a lady to read of such matters, is it?”

“I wouldn’t know much about what is proper for a lady.”

“Yes, I doubt you do,” she said dryly.

“Now, Miss Evans, are you judging me on gossip?”

She fixed him with a look. “The mere fact there is gossip surrounding you tells me all I need to know.”

---