Page 19 of The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes
“Very good, General.” He saluted her. “We have our plan to assistme, but if you’re insisting on me honoring my end of the bargain—”
“I am,” she said, her tone even and firm.
“Where would you like to go on your first scandalous foray?”
“Vauxhall,” she replied at once.
“You cannot be serious.” He rolled his eyes. “Vauxhall is for tourists.”
She scowled as if annoyed, and a little stain of what appeared to be embarrassment colored her cheeks. “Then I want to go to a gaming hell.” When he didn’t answer right away, she tipped up her chin. “I’ve heard my father yelling at Dom because he goes to gaming hells. Now it’smyturn to visit one.”
“Very well,” he said gruffly. “I’ll send you word tomorrow evening as to where to meet me.”
Her eyes brightened excitedly. “I shall be properly disguised.”
“However,” he added, and her shoulders sagged. “If youareintent on going to London’s most notorious dens of iniquity, I require proof that you can hold your own amongst the profligates.”
“What sort of proof?” She tilted her head in curiosity.
“That’s for you to determine.” He spread his hands. “You desired a chance to live a little recklessly, now’s your opportunity to demonstrate just how far you’re willing to go. Here. Now.” He threw out the challenge, half in jest. Perhaps he could finally dissuade her from insisting he take her to the unruly parts of town, yet part of him ached with curiosity to see precisely what respectable Celeste Kilburn would do.
“This is a public place in the middle of the day,” she objected. When he merely smiled in response, she huffed out a resigned breath.
She glanced around the shop, as if calculating precisely what she could do. Observing the play ofthought and calculation across her face was more engrossing than any stage spectacle.
What was that strange voice in his head? Oh, God, was it... was it hisconscience?
He suppressed a shudder.
Unaware of his internal struggle, Celeste continued to scan Catton’s. The rise and fall of feminine conversation was punctuated by a higher shrill voice.
“This is unacceptable,” a woman said as she sat at a table with two other ladies. She had blond hair in a stylish coiffure, and her clothing was elegant, but her most notable accessory was the pinched look on her face. “I demand to speak with whoever manages this establishment.”
“My lady,” the mortified server said placatingly, “I will be most happy to replace your tea with something warmer.”
“It shouldn’t have come out cold in the first place,” the blond customer insisted.
“I didn’t think it was cold, Lady Carenford,” one of her companions ventured.
“It was as icy as the Serpentine in winter,” the complainer insisted. Glaring at the server, she spat, “Fetch me your superior at once.”
Face reddening with embarrassment and, Kieran suspected, anger, the server curtseyed before hurrying off to get the proprietor.
“Hell,” Kieran growled, “if this is polite, respectable society, I’m happy to consort with villains.”
“She deserves the blunt end of a teapot in the face,” Celeste muttered. “I’d settle for a pencil and paper, though.”
Reaching into his coat, he produced a slim notebook. He opened it, searching for a blank page, and didn’t miss how her gaze raked eagerly over the verses within, though it wasn’t possible for her to read precisely what he’d written.
And she wouldn’t read them. Not ever.
As soon as he found a page without writing on it, he tore it out of the notebook, and handed it and a small pencil to her. For a moment, she hesitated, and then bent over the table to write something on the paper. He tried to read it, but she folded the page up before he could make out the words.
“Excuse me for a moment,” she murmured, rising.
He recalled enough of his manners to stand as she stood, and then he lowered himself back to seating as, transfixed, he watched her wend her way toward Lady Carenford.
Interestingly, she did not directly approach Lady Carenford to give the woman a much-deserved set down. Instead, she seemed to purposefully bump against another table, causing a metal tray balanced on the edge to fall to the floor. The loud clanging clatter drew Lady Carenford’s notice as well as the interest of her two companions. As her attention was diverted, Celeste dropped the slip of paper onto the woman’s plate, and walked back to Kieran.
