Page 49 of Lords, Ladies and Love

“You weren’t lying.” He eyed her for a few moments. “Very well, can you—”

Miss Hastings held up a hand. “Can you just take my word for it? I hate to be treated like some sort of circus oddity.”

“Forgive me, you’re right. Shall we return to work?”

She nodded and flipped open another book. Seth stole a sideways look at her. A fascinating woman was hidden under the plain hairstyle and simple clothes, and he’d be damned if he didn’t want to find out more.

Chapter Five

Glancing at the scrap of paper in her hand, Prudence grimaced. She had not realized the address she had been given was Hartfield House.

She should have known, really. There were no other big houses with excellent libraries on this road. Still, it would be worth it if it really did have such an excellent collection of legal documents like her father’s friend Mr. Marsden suggested. He also said she would be very welcome and Mr. Russell would not mind her calling upon him at all but now she was not so certain she should be doing this. Mr. Russell’s son had rather a reputation.

Prudence shook her head to herself. This was silly. She had every right to go anywhere she wished as a widowed woman, and if Mr. Russell senior welcomed those who wished to look at his collection of documents, then what did it matter if his son might be home?

She would not tell Seth about her visit, however. After all, he had declared that they should take today to rest.

An unbidden smile curved her lips as she approached the house and she clamped down on it. The last thing she needed was to turn up on this respectable man’s doorstep with a foolish smile on her face all because Seth now insisted she drop his title. It also meant she was no longer ‘Miss Hastings’ and fibbing to Seth, which she preferred, though despite having spent a wholeweek and a half in his company at the library, she had yet to tell him about her circumstances.

It was better that way. She pushed open the wrought iron gate, which moved back with ease. Their relationship was not one of confiding in each other—it was purely professional. No doubt Seth was using this time to take up one of his…other relationships today, hence his suggestion of time away from the library. She imagined his lover or lovers were feeling quite neglected.

Well, he might need the time away from studying but she could quite happily go without rest. The sooner they figured out how to prevent him from having to marry, the better. Then she could go back to her medieval research and he could return to whatever it was rakes did.

Lots of flirting and goodness knew what, she supposed. Things even a once-married woman would not want to think of.

“Pru?”

She whirled at the sound of her name and that all-too-familiar voice, the bass of it coiling down into her stomach and wrapping some strange band around it.

“Seth? Whatever are you doing here?” She paused halfway down the path as he marched toward her, a thunderous look upon his handsome face.

Handsome.Oh dear, she didn’t like the way she’d uttered that in her mind. She’d been able to understand, logically, that he was a handsome man. He personified everything a modern woman might want in a man—a well-cut jaw, clear eyes, kissable lips, and hair that looked soft to touch and was styled just so. His body too added to that image. Broad shoulders and muscles that pulled against his shirt when he removed his jacket.

In a purely scientific manner, she understood he was handsome.

But after close to two weeks together, thehandsomepart had changed. Now when she uttered it to herself it sounded wistful.

She did not need to feel wistful about Lord Seth Templeton at all. Goodness no. She would not be amongst the fellow members of her sex and fall for such superficial charms. She liked minds, not looks.

Except he seemed to have quite a good mind. He kept it tucked away under his charisma for the most part but she had seen evidence of it as they had researched together.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, sounding as though he’d been forced to repeat the question.

Pru blinked. He might well have repeated it. She had been utterly lost in most unwelcome thoughts. “I believe I asked you the same.”

“I was in my curricle.” He indicated to the vehicle parked on the road. The bright yellow, sporty-looking carriage gleamed in the sun.

She rolled her eyes. No doubt he was on his way to collect some lady and show off his driving skills. “That does not explain why you stopped to demand such a question of me.”

He went to take her arm and she shirked away. Who knew why he was acting all strange, but she did think much of his overbearing manner.

“You should not be here alone,” he hissed. “Mr. Russell has quite the reputation. Your own reputation could be ruined.”

“No more than being with you…” she muttered.

“Come with me, I shall escort you home.”

A laugh escaped her. If he thought driving home in his open curricle for all to see would be better for her reputation, he was being ridiculous. She did not much mind being with him behind the closed doors of a library but, even as a widow, if she wasseen with him, rumors would circle that she was the latest of his lovers.

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