said. “Now please leave.”
He looked away for a moment, and then he returned his attention to her. “Call him to the drawing room. When he realizes that I and others have marked his wayward behavior, he will think twice before lying to you again.”
She had no intention of following his orders, and truthfully, Justin wasn’t at home, none of which she would tell the arrogant earl. Laura bobbed a curtsey. “Good day, Lord Bellingham,” she said in an obvious dismissal.
He set the flask on a side table. “I beg your pardon for interfering. Despite what you may think, it was meant kindly.”
She recollected Lady Atherton’s advice about him last night.
What he wants, he gets. Be sure it’s not you.
No, he’d definitely not intervened out of kindness.
Footsteps and voices sounded outside the drawing room. “Sir, allow me to inform her ladyship that you have come to call,” Reed said.
“I do not require an announcement and will see her now.”
Laura gasped as she recognized the voice. She snatched the flask and hid it behind the sofa cushion.
“What the devil?” Bellingham said.
She entreated him with her eyes. “It is Montclief, Justin’s guardian. Please, say nothing of Justin to him,” she said in a low tone.
“Why?”
“Please,” she said, aware that her voice shook. “I will do anything you ask, but I beg you not to betray me.”
He arched his brows. “Be careful what you promise.”
She would deal with Bellingham later. For now, she must gather her scattered wits and pretend to be perfectly at ease. Dear God, what would Montclief think when he saw her with a scoundrel in her drawing room? Somehow, she must concoct a story, but her frazzled mind refused to work properly.
Montclief entered with a thunderous expression, and then he stopped short upon seeing Bellingham.
Laura curtsied and noted her brother-in-law’s hair had thinned considerably since she’d last seen him at her husband’s funeral four years ago. She took a deep breath and said, “Montclief, what a delightful surprise. I just received your letter today, but had no idea you meant to visit. Obviously, you wish to see for yourself that all is well in London.” Heavens, she’d babbled like a fool.
Montclief narrowed his eyes. “Laura, you are obviously discomposed.” He turned toward Bellingham. “Will you not introduce me to your gentleman caller?”
Doubtless, Montclief had assumed the worst. He probably thought she’d brought Justin here on a pretext so that she could dally with her nonexistent lover. “Lord Bellingham, may I introduce Mr. Montclief? He is my stepson’s uncle and guardian.”
Montclief bowed. “My lord, of course I know your name from the papers.”
Drat. Montclief had probably seen the thinly veiled mentions of the Earl of B——ham in the scandal sheets. Oh, this was a disaster in the making.
“That criminal conversation case before Parliament must have been quite the sensation,” Montclief said.
“It was a dead bore,” Bellingham said
Laura frowned. “Criminal conversation?”
“Pardon me. It is an indelicate subject for a lady,” Montclief said.
A devilish expression lit Bellingham’s eyes. “It is a euphemism for
adultery
.”
She rolled her eyes. “How ridiculous. Why not call a spade a spade?”
“My sentiments, exactly,” Bellingham said.
No doubt, he’d participated in
criminal conversation
on any number of occasions. “Shall we be seated? I will ring for a tea tray. You must be thirsty after your journey, Montclief.”
“I wish to see my nephew,” he said in a stern tone. “Please send for him.”
“He is out,” she said. From the corners of her eyes, she saw Bellingham lift his brows in a skeptical manner, but she must not lose her focus. “His friend George took him in his curricle to Gunther’s for ices.” The explanation sounded innocent enough to her. In truth, Justin had slept past noon, and then George had arrived. When Laura asked where they
He looked away for a moment, and then he returned his attention to her. “Call him to the drawing room. When he realizes that I and others have marked his wayward behavior, he will think twice before lying to you again.”
She had no intention of following his orders, and truthfully, Justin wasn’t at home, none of which she would tell the arrogant earl. Laura bobbed a curtsey. “Good day, Lord Bellingham,” she said in an obvious dismissal.
He set the flask on a side table. “I beg your pardon for interfering. Despite what you may think, it was meant kindly.”
She recollected Lady Atherton’s advice about him last night.
What he wants, he gets. Be sure it’s not you.
No, he’d definitely not intervened out of kindness.
Footsteps and voices sounded outside the drawing room. “Sir, allow me to inform her ladyship that you have come to call,” Reed said.
“I do not require an announcement and will see her now.”
Laura gasped as she recognized the voice. She snatched the flask and hid it behind the sofa cushion.
“What the devil?” Bellingham said.
She entreated him with her eyes. “It is Montclief, Justin’s guardian. Please, say nothing of Justin to him,” she said in a low tone.
“Why?”
“Please,” she said, aware that her voice shook. “I will do anything you ask, but I beg you not to betray me.”
He arched his brows. “Be careful what you promise.”
She would deal with Bellingham later. For now, she must gather her scattered wits and pretend to be perfectly at ease. Dear God, what would Montclief think when he saw her with a scoundrel in her drawing room? Somehow, she must concoct a story, but her frazzled mind refused to work properly.
Montclief entered with a thunderous expression, and then he stopped short upon seeing Bellingham.
Laura curtsied and noted her brother-in-law’s hair had thinned considerably since she’d last seen him at her husband’s funeral four years ago. She took a deep breath and said, “Montclief, what a delightful surprise. I just received your letter today, but had no idea you meant to visit. Obviously, you wish to see for yourself that all is well in London.” Heavens, she’d babbled like a fool.
Montclief narrowed his eyes. “Laura, you are obviously discomposed.” He turned toward Bellingham. “Will you not introduce me to your gentleman caller?”
Doubtless, Montclief had assumed the worst. He probably thought she’d brought Justin here on a pretext so that she could dally with her nonexistent lover. “Lord Bellingham, may I introduce Mr. Montclief? He is my stepson’s uncle and guardian.”
Montclief bowed. “My lord, of course I know your name from the papers.”
Drat. Montclief had probably seen the thinly veiled mentions of the Earl of B——ham in the scandal sheets. Oh, this was a disaster in the making.
“That criminal conversation case before Parliament must have been quite the sensation,” Montclief said.
“It was a dead bore,” Bellingham said
Laura frowned. “Criminal conversation?”
“Pardon me. It is an indelicate subject for a lady,” Montclief said.
A devilish expression lit Bellingham’s eyes. “It is a euphemism for
adultery
.”
She rolled her eyes. “How ridiculous. Why not call a spade a spade?”
“My sentiments, exactly,” Bellingham said.
No doubt, he’d participated in
criminal conversation
on any number of occasions. “Shall we be seated? I will ring for a tea tray. You must be thirsty after your journey, Montclief.”
“I wish to see my nephew,” he said in a stern tone. “Please send for him.”
“He is out,” she said. From the corners of her eyes, she saw Bellingham lift his brows in a skeptical manner, but she must not lose her focus. “His friend George took him in his curricle to Gunther’s for ices.” The explanation sounded innocent enough to her. In truth, Justin had slept past noon, and then George had arrived. When Laura asked where they
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