Page 16 of A Rake's Redemption
She doubted water would wash away what she’d heard, but she turned and walked out of the parlor, not heeding his call for her to wait.
…
“Leave the decanter,” Brice told the waiter at White’s that evening after he’d poured cognacs for Alex and Brice. “We may need it.”
“Very well, sir.”
“Well, Inis was bound to hear of it,” Brice said after the waiter had moved out of earshot. “I suggest getting drunk.”
“Which will leave me with a hangover when I face Inis tomorrow,” Alex said.
Brice eyed him. “You did not say anything at all to her before you came here?”
Alex shook his head. “She went to her chamber and stayed there. I thought she might join the staff for dinner in the kitchens, but the cook said Inis had taken some bread and cheese to her room.”
“The longer you wait, the longer she will have to come to some not-so-good conclusions,” Brice said.
Alex scowled at him. “You do not think I know that? Christ, why did Caroline have to keep blethering on? Especially that nonsense about a club.”
Brice cocked an eyebrow. “It is not exactly nonsense.”
“What?” Alex took a healthy swallow of cognac. “You cannot be serious.”
“I overheard Lady Compton talking about it at the dinner.”
“And you believe everything the queen ofon-ditssays?”
“No, but one of your conquests confirmed it. There is a lot of discussion over who will be the first to get you into her bed a second time.”
“I do not do second times. There is no point.”
Brice shrugged. “Apparently, the ladies are wagering over it.”
“Good God.” At any other time, Alex might have been flattered at such idiocy, but it was not what he wanted Inis hearing about. “That is ridiculous.”
“Tell that to them.” Brice grinned. “Although I think if you do, you will only spur the furor on.”
Alex finished his drink. “Hell. I thought Caroline was making that up.”
“Nope. From what I overheard, Lady Compton was quite miffed that she has not received a negligee.”
“And she will not.”
Brice swirled the cognac in his snifter. “The negligees probably were not one of your better ideas. You just stoked competition.”
“That was not my primary intent.” Hisprimaryintent had been that when the lady in question wore it—especially in the presence of the husband—she would remember the pleasure Alex had given her in their one-time coupling. He’d toyed with the ironic idea of using pure white silk, but married women wouldn’t purchase white negligees for themselves, which might cause their husbands to question them. He’d settled on a deep ivory instead, the tainted color being more appropriate after all.
“Whether it was your primary intent or not, that is what has happened,” Brice said and poured both of them more brandy. “Half the women of theton,the half you have not compromised yet, want one.”
“I am not planning to take every woman of thetonto bed,” Alex answered and tossed back the drink. “Just the wives of George’s friends.”
“Even the ones who are faithful to their husbands?”
“The ones who are faithful aren’t interested in assignations, and I respect that.” He set his glass down. “But for the others…it is only a game to them. Only a game.”
…
Alex walked toward the stables the next morning after finishing breakfast. He needed to talk to Inis, but he was dreading the conversation. He wanted reassurance that she would still go along with his plan, although she had no reason not to since he’d offered to pay her well.
