Page 33 of The Tempting of a Devilish Lord

He waved a dismissive hand. “I got distracted.”

“For all your travelling, you have never been one to neglect your correspondence.”

Alex narrowed his gaze. “This is not neglect.”

“You are distracted,” his brother pointed out.

“Well, maybe that is because my brother is in my study, talking needlessly about nothing.”

“Or maybe it’s because of this Miss Evans.” Adam peered at his fingernails and buffed them against his jacket.

“What of Miss Lucinda Evans?”

“I saw how you looked at her in the armory. And in town.” Adam shrugged, his expression far too smug for Alex’s liking. “Not to mention the fact you both turned up drenched a few days ago. Mrs. Jones said you’d fallen in a well...?”

“It seems Mrs. Jones is not spying for our mother but for you.”

“She only mentioned it in passing, and why would she not? What the devil were you doing falling in a well?”

“I hardly did it on purpose, did I?” Alex snapped. “Besides, I thought you were here to talk of Leo.”

“That doesn’t seem quite so pertinent now.” Adam’s lips curved. “You are frightfully defensive over the lovely Miss Evans.”

Alex fisted a hand.Lovely. Merely a descriptive word. It didn’t mean anything. Yet he did not like the tone Adam used. He stood abruptly.

“Where are you off to?”

“I think I’m done here.”

Adam lifted a brow. “It doesn’t look like it.”

“I’m done,” he said firmly.

“Well, what shall we do about Leo?”

“We’ll speak with him tonight. If he is seeing a woman, we must urge him to cease or at least be more discrete.”

“Oh yes, we can only have one brother breaking our mother’s rules.”

“It was a mere kiss.”

Adam stilled and held up a finger. “Wait. You kissed Miss Evans?”

Cursing under his breath, Alex rounded the table and closed the gap between them. “You are not to say a word to anyone.”

His brother pressed a hand to his heart. “Upon my honor. But if I’m to live this dull life as a country gent, at least tell me all.”

“There is nothing to tell. She muttered something about ruination and fled.”

“She fears she’s ruined?”

Alex nodded. “And the damned woman will not see me so I cannot assure her that her reputation is still intact.” He shook his head. “I was careless, though.”

“Why would she think she’s ruined?”

“Mrs. Jones...interrupted.”

“So one woman in your employ saw? Hardly likely to turn into a huge scandal, is it?”

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