Page 62 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
Graham waited. Sure enough the innkeeper, a pudgy man that Graham vaguely remembered the name of. “What can I do for you, Lordship?”
“I was wondering if Lord Stanhope was still staying here.” Graham eyed the couple expectantly.
The innkeeper bobbed his head. “Yes, Sir. He said he would be leaving today. Seemed rather put out if you ask me.”
Graham had not been asking, but the idea that Lord Stanhope was inconvenienced gave Graham hope that Amanda had not yet found him. “Thank you. Do you know by any chance where he would be?”
The innkeeper’s wife said, “Oh, he was muttering about going to the carriage house.”
Graham nodded his thanks before leaving. He did not want to risk the two of them getting wind of a scandal. He went out of the building and sighed up at the driver. “Is Tilson’s Livery still running that carriage house?”
“I believe so, Sir,” the driver said with a nod. “That where we are headed?”
Graham nodded as he got in. He leaned back in the seat and prayed that when he got there, he would find only Lord Stanhope. He looked out of the window of the carriage as they rode through the town. How long had it been since he had been there?
People stopped and looked at the carriage as he passed. Some he recognised, some he did not. Graham hit the top of the carriage as he spied a familiar form crossing the street. The carriage pulled to a stop and Graham was out before the driver could ask why.
“Wait here for me,” Graham instructed as he pulled on his jacket to straighten it. He turned away from the carriage and headed to where he had seen Lord Stanhope.
When he caught up with the man, he was looking over some fruit at a vendor. “Lord Stanhope,” Graham said when he got close enough for the man to hear him. It was unseemly to yell and Graham did not want to make any more of a scene than he had to.
Lord Stanhope looked around at him, surprise streaked across his face. “Lord Easterly,” he said with a forced smile.
Graham noticed the way the man tensed. Was he hiding Amanda somewhere? “I was wondering if I could speak to you?” Graham waved his hand to indicate that perhaps they should walk.
Lord Stanhope looked around at the vendor and nodded. As they walked further down the road, away from the gawking vendors, Lord Stanhope whispered, “There is less privacy here than in London. I do not know how you stand it.”
“I thought you wanted to marry my sister and inherit lands, which would put you out here,” Graham said with a measure of amusement.
Lord Stanhope sneered. “I thought you had already hedged against me.”
“Make no mistake that I will never give approval to you to marry my sister.” Graham met the man’s eyes. He held nothing back from his gaze and let him see his full disapproval.
Lord Stanhope shook his head. “I was deep in my drink. I have sobered and see the error of my ways. Is there nothing I can do to earn your good graces?”
Graham was sure now that Lord Stanhope had not seen Amanda. He could tell by the way the man was talking that he had no idea that Amanda was still willing to marry him. “My good graces are not the ones you need to be seeking.”
“Is your sister very cross with me? I swear, I never meant for her to be hurt,” Lord Stanhope said with such earnestness that Graham almost believed him. Almost.
Graham listened to the rocks crunching under their boots and made the man wait for an answer. “I was not referring to my sister, Lord Stanhope.” Lord Stanhope gave Graham a confused look. “Miss Browne came to call right after you left.”
The look on Lord Stanhope’s face was priceless. Graham had not intended to call him on his behaviour towards Miss Browne, but now he was glad he had done so. Lord Stanhope’s mouth opened and closed.
“Cannot find the words?” Graham asked helpfully. “Let me tell you that Miss Browne is under my protection, as much as my sister. I will not stand for her being abused in any manner.”
Lord Stanhope raised his hands as if to ward off an attack, although Graham was perfectly calm. “You have to hear me out. You would believe her over your own peer?”
“We are not peers,” Graham said vehemently. “We are nothing alike.”
Lord Stanhope’s face fell into a smirk. “You above anyone should understand that I am just a man like you. After all, you and Miss Browne already have got to know each other quite well.”
Graham barely stopped himself from reacting. Instead, he growled out, “Nothing happened between me and Miss Browne. The only person at fault that night was a bored innkeeper’s wife with too little to talk about.”
“And nothing happened between Miss Browne and me,” Lord Stanhope countered. “I told her of my affections, that is true, but I never accosted the girl.”
Graham stopped talking and turned toward the man. Miss Browne had not actually mentioned Lord Stanhope hurting her. “She never mentioned that. Odd that you chose to, Lord Stanhope.”
“Well, of course, she did not! That is because nothing happened!” Lord Stanhope was flustered, and Graham saw right through him. He had done something to Miss Browne.
