trying to bring you to ruin to introduce us.”
“Trying, perhaps, but I can assure you that he won’t succeed. Is there—”
“Actually, that’s why I’m here.” He glanced beyond her, to the grassy park where she could still hear giggling and whispering. “Is there somewhere we could chat?” he asked.
“Men aren’t allowed on Academy grounds, my lord. And unfortunately, I’m quite busy at the mo—”
“Just five minutes,” the viscount interrupted, favoring her with an engaging smile. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Under normal circumstances she would have refused. Nothing about the past two days, though, had been normal. And if Lord Dare could give her some insight into Wycliffe’s character, that could only be beneficial.
“Five minutes,” she said, pulling the gate key from her pocket. Tobias only manned the gate when she was out in the cart or on Pimpernel, so she wouldn’t have to climb down to open it. Most of the time, the gate simply remained locked against the outside world.
Emma slipped through the heavy iron and closed it again behind her. “How may I assist you then, my lord?” she asked, leading him towardthe walking path which meandered in a wide circle around the Academy.
He fell into step beside her, tugging on his horse’s reins to lead it along behind them. “I’ve come to offer you my assistance.”
“Your assistance in what?”
“In winning the wager.”
She stopped, surprised. “Why?”
Lord Dare shrugged. “General contrariness.”
It was tempting to accept, but considering Wycliffe’s confidence in his imminent victory, it also seemed far too convenient. “I appreciate the offer, my lord, but I’m sure you understand if I don’t quite…trust its sincerity.”
He gave a brief grin. “Zooks, you make me feel like Iago or Lady Macbeth or something. Not that I blame you, of course. You have to realize, though, that we have something in common.”
“And what might that be?”
“We both want to see the Duke of Wycliffe lose.”
Emma frowned. “But I thought you were his friend.”
“I am. That doesn’t keep me from finding him completely insufferable, sometimes. I’ve decided this will be good for him.”
Hope touched Emma as she studied the expression in his light blue eyes, less amused than she expected. To have a landed lord assisting her would more than even the odds. “His Grace offered his own expertise to me, so I can’t think how accepting yours could possibly be cheating,” she said slowly.
“It wouldn’t be cheating. It would be brilliant.”
It would certainly serve Wycliffe right. She drew a breath. “Shall we go for a walk then, my lord? I have a few questions for you.”
Lord Dare nodded. “I am at your service, my lady.”
Chapter 7
G rey looked down at his guard. “Your headmistress sent you to escort me?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Elizabeth Newcombe shook her head, gesturing at sharp-elbowed Miss Perchase behind them. “I thought Miss Perchase might wish the company.” The infant leaned closer and cupped a hand to her mouth, whispering, “She has the vapors.”
“Ah.” Leaving Cornwall with the troll, he fell into step beside the little chit as Tobias swung the gate closed and headed back to wherever he went when he wasn’t guarding the fortress. “And where is Miss Emma?”
The Latin instructor cleared her throat. “Miss Emma is otherwise occupied.”
“Otherwise occupied with what?”
“With studying estate management,” Lizzy supplied.
Grey glanced toward the stairs as they entered the main building. “She’s in her office, then? I did require a word with her this morning.”
“Oh, no. She drove out to Haverly with that other gentleman.”
A few things that had been bothering him since yesterday clicked into place. “Lord Dare, you mean?”
“Yes. He gave me a shilling.”
“Elizabeth,” Miss Perchase remonstrated, too late to quell the chit’s tongue.
That explained why the
“Trying, perhaps, but I can assure you that he won’t succeed. Is there—”
“Actually, that’s why I’m here.” He glanced beyond her, to the grassy park where she could still hear giggling and whispering. “Is there somewhere we could chat?” he asked.
“Men aren’t allowed on Academy grounds, my lord. And unfortunately, I’m quite busy at the mo—”
“Just five minutes,” the viscount interrupted, favoring her with an engaging smile. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Under normal circumstances she would have refused. Nothing about the past two days, though, had been normal. And if Lord Dare could give her some insight into Wycliffe’s character, that could only be beneficial.
“Five minutes,” she said, pulling the gate key from her pocket. Tobias only manned the gate when she was out in the cart or on Pimpernel, so she wouldn’t have to climb down to open it. Most of the time, the gate simply remained locked against the outside world.
Emma slipped through the heavy iron and closed it again behind her. “How may I assist you then, my lord?” she asked, leading him towardthe walking path which meandered in a wide circle around the Academy.
He fell into step beside her, tugging on his horse’s reins to lead it along behind them. “I’ve come to offer you my assistance.”
“Your assistance in what?”
“In winning the wager.”
She stopped, surprised. “Why?”
Lord Dare shrugged. “General contrariness.”
It was tempting to accept, but considering Wycliffe’s confidence in his imminent victory, it also seemed far too convenient. “I appreciate the offer, my lord, but I’m sure you understand if I don’t quite…trust its sincerity.”
He gave a brief grin. “Zooks, you make me feel like Iago or Lady Macbeth or something. Not that I blame you, of course. You have to realize, though, that we have something in common.”
“And what might that be?”
“We both want to see the Duke of Wycliffe lose.”
Emma frowned. “But I thought you were his friend.”
“I am. That doesn’t keep me from finding him completely insufferable, sometimes. I’ve decided this will be good for him.”
Hope touched Emma as she studied the expression in his light blue eyes, less amused than she expected. To have a landed lord assisting her would more than even the odds. “His Grace offered his own expertise to me, so I can’t think how accepting yours could possibly be cheating,” she said slowly.
“It wouldn’t be cheating. It would be brilliant.”
It would certainly serve Wycliffe right. She drew a breath. “Shall we go for a walk then, my lord? I have a few questions for you.”
Lord Dare nodded. “I am at your service, my lady.”
Chapter 7
G rey looked down at his guard. “Your headmistress sent you to escort me?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Elizabeth Newcombe shook her head, gesturing at sharp-elbowed Miss Perchase behind them. “I thought Miss Perchase might wish the company.” The infant leaned closer and cupped a hand to her mouth, whispering, “She has the vapors.”
“Ah.” Leaving Cornwall with the troll, he fell into step beside the little chit as Tobias swung the gate closed and headed back to wherever he went when he wasn’t guarding the fortress. “And where is Miss Emma?”
The Latin instructor cleared her throat. “Miss Emma is otherwise occupied.”
“Otherwise occupied with what?”
“With studying estate management,” Lizzy supplied.
Grey glanced toward the stairs as they entered the main building. “She’s in her office, then? I did require a word with her this morning.”
“Oh, no. She drove out to Haverly with that other gentleman.”
A few things that had been bothering him since yesterday clicked into place. “Lord Dare, you mean?”
“Yes. He gave me a shilling.”
“Elizabeth,” Miss Perchase remonstrated, too late to quell the chit’s tongue.
That explained why the
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