Page 46 of Desire and Discipline
Aware she was feeling far more frantic than she would for any other patient who had ever been under her care, Diana gulped in air as she swung around, heading back to the bed. It was not until she was more than halfway there that she realized the Marquess was no longer palely fallen back against her pillow, clutching his chest.
No, he was propped up on one arm, another of her pillows pulled over his lap to hide his manhood while leaving no doubt that he was completely naked. A smirk played on his face under his tousled, bed-rumpled hair. He did not appear to be a man in dire straits. No, he was clearly, happily, a man who had just scared the life out of her for his own reasons.
“What is wrong with you?” she shouted in extreme aggravation, stomping her foot. The excess of emotions built up inside her needed somewhere to go. It was a good thing she was standing in the middle of her room with nothing around her, or she might have reached for something to throw at the most exasperating man she’d ever met. “Why would you?—”
“What is going on?” The question, uttered in aghast shock, made Diana whirl around. It was not a doctor standing at the door, or even Sylvie… no, it was the Marquess’ niece, Evie, standing there. Behind her stood her husband, Captain Anthony Browne, with a confused frown on his normally impassive face, his gaze glancing over everything in the room, taking in the entire scene.
Even then, Diana did not realize what the Marquess had wrought.
“Good morning, Evie, Anthony. Oh, dear, I’m afraid you have caught us completelydishabille.I have impugned Miss Rutherford’s honor, but not to worry, my lady, I will make things right immediately.” The Marquess’ cheerful tone did not contain any regret.
Evie pinched the bridge of her nose as her husband covered up a guffaw behind a cough. Whirling back to face the Marquess, Diana found that her palm was itching. For something to throw, yes, but also for a flogger. A knotted one. Possibly with some metal worked into the falls. Clearly, she had not beaten him hard enough last night.
“You willwhat?” She had not known her voice could hit that high a pitch, yet she could not contain it.
“Make things right immediately.” His grin widened. “I’ll procure the special license, and we’ll be married as soon as possible. No harm to your reputation done.”
“We willnot.” There. That was better. Much less shrill, much firmer.
“Of course, we will. You would hardly allow me to be so dishonored as to ruin you andnotmarry you.”
“I am not ruined.” Technically, she was, but she knew Anthony and Evie could keep their mouths shut. There was no reason for them to tell anyone. “No one needs to know about this. You have the most tight-lipped household in theton. The only way my reputation will be ruined is if you want it to be.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, maybe I do.”
“Uncle—” Evie started to say before the Marquess interrupted her.
“Stay out of this, Evie.”
“You brought me into it,” Evie replied sternly. “At least, I am assuming all the commotion was due to you.”
Since it was, he could hardly gainsay her and stayed silent in the momentary pause before she spoke again.
“This is hardly the way to propose to a lady.”
“It is when the lady in question is planning on leaving the house in the middle of the night without giving me a chance to properly ask her.” He raised his eyebrow at Diana, as if it were her fault!
She glared back at him.
“You are leaving?” Evie’s voice was a little higher, the question directed at Diana.
Taking a deep breath, Diana turned around to face her again. Blast. That was another reason it would have been easier to go. Evie was now looking at her with a forlorn expression on her face.
She had to know that Diana was no longer needed, yet she did not want her to go.
“The Marquess is fully recovered, and my services are no longer needed. Yes, I was going to move on to new employment.”
“In the middle of the night? What on earth happened last night?” Evie’s brows drew together in a frown, obviously trying to put the pieces together and failing. Without knowing that both her uncle and Diana had attended the Society of Sin masquerade, she was hardly going to be able to come to the correct conclusion.
“Can we discuss this after I have gotten dressed?” Diana did her best to rein in her temper.
A quick departure was clearly out of the question. She was going to need to speak with Evie at the very least. Probably the Marquess, too, though the last thing she wanted to do was talk to him. On the other hand, the things she now wanted to do to him were exactly what had gotten her into this position in the first place. Blast the man.
“Yes, of course.” Evie paused. “Come on, Uncle Oliver. I think we need to have a word. In the meantime, Miss Rutherford promises not to leave until after she’s spoken to us.” Evie spoke over the beginning of her uncle’s protest.
Diana sighed.
“I promise.”
