An Unexpected Gift by Katherine Grey Page B

regret, Olivia. For if you do, I’ll not lend my good name to help you. Not when you refuse to listen to my advice.”
    Taken aback, Olivia could only stare at the man she’d once dreamed of spending her life with.
    He gave her a mocking bow and walked away.
    “Don’t let him upset you,” Lazarus said. “He’s a jackass, and no advice from him would be worth taking.”
    “He’s a marquess. He could have you sent to gaol before the night is over.”
    Will smiled and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. “Would you worry over me?”
    “I would have to come to see you, and I’d rather not. I’m told Newgate is a horrible place.”
    Looking down at her, he sobered. “That it is,” he murmured. He didn’t want her anywhere near Newgate. She’d already seen more than a lady should, thanks to her brother. He stopped in mid-stride, bringing her to a halt. “If I am ever in Newgate, promise you won’t come.”
    “Have you done something that would warrant your being sent there?”
    He knew she was asking about more than his confrontation with Huntley. How could he tell her he’d done more than assault a lord? Much more and worse. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. It felt as silky as it looked.
    “Promise me you won’t come,” he repeated, tracing the rim of her ear and down the side of her neck. Damn she smelled good. He leaned closer, inhaling the scent of lavender and something else he couldn’t quite identify.
    Olivia’s eyes drifted closed, and she tilted her head, allowing him better access. “I can’t,” she said, her voice a low whisper.
    His fingers followed the line of her collarbone. The modest neckline of her pale green gown taunted him. “Why?” He allowed his hand to glide over the exposed slopes of her breasts. He shouldn’t be touching her like this. She was too high in the instep for the likes of him. But he couldn’t stop.
    She opened her eyes, stared at him for a long moment, then took a step back out of his reach. He saw the desire in her eyes and wanted nothing more than to make Huntley’s remark a reality. The image of her lying on the crisp linen sheets of his bed, her hair unbound tempted him. He turned away, angry with himself. She was a means to an end, nothing more.
    He stiffened at the touch of her hand on his arm. “Do you still want to know why I would have to come and see you?” she asked, her voice husky with the remnants of desire.
    “Why?”
    “To get Rachel’s direction.” She looked up at him from under her lashes, a smile playing about her lips. “After all, you know the lengths I will go to check up on my patients.”
    Will laughed. The sound echoed off the walls, and he found the tension that had tied him in knots fading away.
    A few minutes later, they walked through the entrance to the ballroom. A quick scan of the room gave no sign of Sandhurst. Had his information been false? He’d been told Sandhurst never missed an event given by any of the premier hostesses of the Ton . And even he knew Lady Bingham fell into that category.
    Will looked at Olivia. The chandeliers overhead caught the highlights in her hair and set them aglow. She stood quietly by his side, her hand still resting on his arm. She was like no other woman he’d ever met. It felt good just to stand beside her. She glanced up at him and smiled, before turning at the sound of her name.
    “Have you heard?” Lady Riverton rushed to Olivia’s side, her cheeks flushed with excitement over the latest bit of gossip.
    “What should I have heard?” Olivia asked, amusement in her voice.
    “Lord Willoughby was found beaten behind his home.” Lady Riverton lowered her voice. “They say his face is nearly unrecognizable.”
    At the mention of Willoughby, Will edged closer.
    “Amanda, are you certain?” Olivia asked. “You know how gossip tends to rely a great deal on embellishment.”
    “It’s true. Riverton has seen him. He says the