Page 36 of The Bachelor
She stood, and Joshua came up beside her to offer her his arm. She didn’t take it. Their recent argument was still too fresh in her mind. Nonetheless, she needed to make sure of one thing. “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell Thorn about this.”
“I wasn’t planning to,” he said as they walked toward the door.
That took her by surprise. “Why not?”
“Because first I want to see how Malet learned where to look for you. It might give me a hint to where he’s hiding himself in London, and I could then tell your brother so he could handle the fellow himself.”
Blast him for being so good at his job as bodyguard. “Oh. That makes sense.”
“Why don’t youwantme to tell him?”
“Thorn will insist upon following me around, too, and then I’ll have two watchdogs instead of one. It will make it a jot difficult to have suitors.”
“I don’t know what you’re worried about,” he said testily. “Everywhere you go you make another conquest. First Malet and now the groom. And you haven’t even had your debut yet.”
“I notice you don’t include yourself in that number of conquests. Apparently, I’m very bad at using my feminine wiles. You saw right through them.”
“Gwyn,” he said, “I didn’t mean to—”
She didn’t stay to hear whatever feeble apology he offered,ifhe offered one. She was rapidly learning why Beatrice had a contentious relationship with her brother.
Because despite his laudable bodyguard skills, Joshua could be a real arse sometimes.
Chapter Ten
The next day at Armitage House, Joshua came down for breakfast late, which never happened in the country. He had expected the constant racket in the street to keep him awake, but somehow it was doing the reverse. That made no sense to him.
He was still musing over it when he entered the morning room to find Thornstock there reading the paper. Normally, that would be odd—the duke had his own town house, after all—but today Thornstock was accompanying Gwyn and Lady Hornsby to Gwyn’s presentation at court. In fact, nearly the whole family would be converging on Armitage House soon, because Greycourt was to accompany Beatrice, and Aunt Lydia wanted to see everyone’s court regalia before they headed off without her.
Some years ago, Queen Charlotte had laid down the law regarding proper attire for presentations at court. Men had to wear powdered wigs and breeches, and ladies had to wear ridiculous dresses with trains and enormous hoops, not to mention as many tall feathers in their coiffures as they could manage. The unmarried ladies had to wear white. The wives of peers being presented for the first time could wear whatever color they pleased. But both were expected to adorn themselves with a great deal of their most expensive jewelry.
Or so Joshua had read. He hadn’t seen Gwyn or Beatrice in their gowns yet, but Thornstock certainly looked uncomfortable in his wig.
“Wolfe!” Thornstock said as Joshua sat down with his plate of toast and sausages. “Didn’t you hear me? I’m done with theTimesif you want it.”
“Sorry,” Joshua said. “I was distracted by that enormous sheep on your head.”
The man chuckled as he handed Joshua the paper, then picked up a gazette. “I shall have to remember that one. Perhaps your witticism will get back to Her Majesty, and she’ll realize that wigs went out of fashion a decade ago. I don’t even make my footmen and coachman wear them anymore, for God’s sake.”
Thornstock carefully inserted one finger under the wig. “I forgot that they itch, too. Or perhaps that’s the powder. I can’t believe we used to wear the bloody things all the time.”
Joshua ate some toast. “You do look very important in it.”
Thornstock gave a mirthless laugh. “If you say so. Just be glad you don’t have to be at court today.”
“One more advantage to not being a peer.”
He used to see nothingbutadvantages to that. But last night’s wildly erotic dreams about Gwyn had made him rethink his opinion. Over and over, he’d taken Gwyn to bed—in every way a lover could.
Or a husband. One who would have a better chance with her if he were a peer.
Bloody hell, what was wrong with him? She was destined for greater things, something she obviously realized in her more rational moments, when she wasn’t letting him—
He had to stop thinking of that.
Thornstock poured himself some coffee, then held up the pot with a questioning glance.
Joshua shoved a cup toward him. “Thank you.”
