Page 3 of The Risk of Rogues
Still, it reminded her to be cautious. Hart was Delia’s brother-in-law, and the last thing she wanted was to risk Delia’s friendship by being seen in a public argument with him.
She lowered her voice to a placating murmur. “Perhaps Papa didn’t want to offend a marquess’s son and figured that telling you I was too young would end the matter.”
A stormy expression crossed Hart’s features. “Then he ignored how passionately I expressed my wish to marry you. Otherwise, he would at least have had the courtesy to demand that I cease writing to you. Rather than confiscate my letters and never make me—or you—aware that—”
“It was not—isnot—proper for a gentleman to write a young lady without her parents’ permission.” Heat rose in her cheeks. “Youknowthat.”
He stepped closer, his eyes the soft green of freshly sprouted grass. “That didn’t seem to matter so much to you when I sent them through your maid,” he said in a decidedly intimate voice.
“Step back, sir!” she hissed. “We’re being watched, and I do not wish to be grist for the gossip mill.”
He set his shoulders. “I don’t care. And the Anne I used to know wouldn’t have cared, either.”
Her temper flared, and she forgot all about the people behind him. Sarcasm dripped from her voice. “The Anne you used to know wasn’t worldly and didn’t realize that a young man might need money. That he might crave a young lady for her fortune. That he might go about with her, make her promises, and then merrily troop off to join the army without so much as a fare-thee-well once her fortune was denied to him.”
She stared him down. “Meanwhile, aladyis always left to pick up the pieces, no matter what the circumstances. Even when she’s done nothing wrong except believe those promises.”
“What? Itriedto keep them! And I wasnotafter your fortune, damn it.”
“For pity’s sake, keep your voice down!” she whispered.
Glancing back at the crowd forming behind him, he grimaced. When he faced her again, he kept his tone low and even. “Only if you agree to meet me in the library in an hour’s time. Otherwise, I swear I will dog you everywhere until we can discuss this more thoroughly and I can get my answers. That ought to give the gossips something to talk about.”
“You... you...devil! I answered your questions!”
“You answeredone. You didn’t explain why, when I finally returned from India and went to Stilford in search of you, you were gone and no one knew where. Or why you—”
“Fine,” she said tightly.
Because she had questions, too. Like whether he really had gone in search of her. Why he was here. Why he acted as if he still cared about her.
That was theonlyreason she would meet him. Not because it was so verygoodto see him and talk to him again, and certainly not because she wanted to take up with him again after all these years.
Sadly, she could guess why he might renew his pursuit. But she would set him straight on that score, and then, when he abandoned his pursuit of her yet again, she would exorcise him from her heart forever.
“We’ll meet in the library in one hour,” she confirmed.
“Thank you,” he said.
His heated gaze alarmed her anew. “But only if you promise to behave.”
With the smile of a practiced seducer, he bowed. “Of course.”
“You know what I mean,” she said, painfully aware that although the onlookers probably couldn’t hear them from down the hall, she dared not take any chances and be more explicit.
“I will be a perfect gentleman,” he said blandly, though his eyes still held a certain wicked look she well remembered.
“Good.” She tossed her ruined coiffure over one shoulder. She had too many memories of furtive, heart-stopping kisses in country lanes when he would sneak away from Cambridge and ride down to Stilford to meet her. She was having no more of those. “Because the moment you misbehave, I will march out of the room and you willneverget your answers.”
That wiped the wickedness from his face. “I only want the truth.”
With a nod, she turned and hurried to the retiring room. She wanted the truth as well, and she meant to get it. But not by letting him lure her into his snare once more. Oh no. She would never do that.
Now, if only she could convince her battered heart to heed her warnings.
Two
AN HOUR HADN’Tgiven Hart much time. He couldn’t ask his friends or brother about Anne without having to explain things he didn’t have time to go into. Fortunately, Fulkham was here, and the spymaster knew how to be discreet. He also knew everything about anybody in society. So he had at least been able to explain why Anne was suddenlyLadyAnne.
