Page 76 of Three Weeks with a Princess
“I told Sir Nathan exactly that,” Lia said in a triumphant tone. “But he refused to believe me.”
“Do you believe it now, Prudhoe?” Jack asked.
The baronet gave another angry nod. “Now are we finished?”
“Yes, you can go.”
When he tried to brush by him, Jack grabbed his arm. “And leave Amy Baxter alone as well. My protection extends to her, too.”
Prudhoe yanked his arm away. “I wouldn’t touch that whore if you gave me a purse full of gold coins.” He stormed away, knocking over a planter as he rounded the corner and disappeared. His pounding footsteps faded, then the door to the orangery slammed shut. A quivering silence settled over the room, broken only by the splash of water falling from the cherub’s jug into the fountain.
When Jack turned to face Lia, she regarded him with narrow-eyed disapproval. “Now what’s wrong?” he asked.
She jumped to her feet and stalked over. “Aside from the fact that I’m thoroughly sick of men in general?”
“Yes, besides that.”
“You let that awful brute off much too lightly.”
“In other circumstances, I would agree. But in addition to the fact that Miss Baxter wishes to avoid the notoriety from such a scene, you do realize I’m trying to protect you, do you not?”
She batted that aside with an impatient gesture. “Thank you, but I don’t need protecting.”
He felt torn between wanting to shake some sense into her and snatching her into his arms and never letting go. “I suppose you didn’t need any protection when Prudhoe was molesting you?”
Her shoulders climbed up around her ears. “He wasn’t actually molesting me. He was just trying to . . . um . . .”
He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted an eyebrow.
“Oh, blast,” she muttered. She absently tugged on her bodice, trying to pull it up. It didn’t help. Her breasts were still spilling over the gauzy trim of the absurd costume.
“I’ll grant you that he wastryingto molest me,” she said, “but I’m fairly confident I would have been able to fight him off.”
“Oh my God,” he said, shaking his head.
“But I’m very grateful you appeared when you did.” Then she paused to peer at him with a puzzled frown. “What are you doing here anyway? I was expecting Mr. Sinclair to come to our aid, not you.”
“About that; how did he knowyouwere here?” He propped his hands on his hips. “And do not tell me you arranged to meet him at a Cyprians’ ball. If you did, I’ll have to murder him.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Jack. It was merely an unfortunate happenstance that I ran into him. He recognized me behind the mask, which was quite unnerving.” She gave him a rueful smile. “You’ll be happy to know that he was very perturbed to see me. In fact, he was quite insistent that I leave and return home.”
“Clearly, you didn’t listen to him.” He took her by the wrist and started hauling her with him along the path.
“Wait one moment, please,” she said, tugging back.
Although just as delectable as any pale London beauty, Lia was a sturdy country girl and she was strong enough to slow him down.
“First, tell me how you knew I was here,” she said, digging in. She impatiently slapped away a vine trailing down from a hanging pot, which had caught on her filmy sleeve. “More importantly, who else knows?”
The anxiety in her voice was certainly understandable. Her family would fall into fits over this escapade—except for Gillian, who would view it as a corking adventure.
“The Levertons invited me to the opera tonight.”
“Along with Sir Dominic and my aunt.” She looked disappointed. “You were going to scheme about me, weren’t you?”
“Has it slipped your mind that you were to attend the opera as well? Charles thought this might be an acceptable way to introduce me back into your circle of friends without causing too much gossip.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Sorry. I didn’t know that was the plan.”
