dropped to her knees beside Paolo, pulled off his cravat, and wrapped it tightly around his bleeding leg.
He stared at her. “You have shot me, cara, and with my own gun. No one has ever shot me before. You should put down the gun before you shoot me again.”
Zoe lowered the weapon. “I didn’t mean to shoot you. Although I should have shot you! You wagered me at play.”
“I didn’t mean to wager you,” protested Paolo. “I’d taken too much to drink. Matters got out of hand. As I would have explained, had you not run away.”
“What do gentlemen find so alluring about drunkenness?” Zoe inquired. “Or gambling, for that matter? It quite blights one’s spirits to hear them talking about being on the rocks and bleeding very freely and threatening to blow out their brains. In case you don’t know it, Cesare tried many times to persuade me to be unfaithful. I refused.”
Cesare was fast recovering from his shock. He pounded his fist on his chest. “No one refuses Cesare Rizzoto!”
“ Cretino !” Zoe raised the pistol. “If you don’t go away, I will also shoot you.”
Mina rang for her servants. “Spoilsport,” muttered Mr. Eames. Nonetheless, he suggested it was time Mr. Rizzoto took his leave. Mr. Rizzoto disagreed. Samson and the footmen removed him, forcibly, from the premises.
Zoe and the Conte ignored these distractions. They were staring deep into each other’s eyes. “I have perhaps behaved a little badly,” Zoe admitted. “I was devastated to discover my true love is a toad.”
Paolo grasped her hand. “Am I?”
Zoe pouted prettily. “Only a toad would have lost me to Cesare.”
“ Si, si! Admittedly I am a toad. A cazzone. But, carissima , am I your true love?”
Zoe was encouraged by the way he clutched her. “I thought you were. But then—”
“Because,”Paolo interrupted, “I see now that you are mine. I realized it when you shot me. Naturalmente, I should have understood before–”
“But you are very spoiled!” cried Zoe. “I perfectly understand. And you were annoyed that I had run away.”
“No one has ever run away from me before,” agreed Paolo. “It angered me.”
Mina said, “Should we do something?”
Suggested George, “Shoot them both?”
“I have not truly been ruined,” admitted Zoe, with lowered lashes and a becoming blush. “I tried to be, but no one would oblige. It is for the best, because—” She awarded Paolo her most melting glance. “The person I truly wish to explore the baser side of my nature with is you.”
Paolo looked both intrigued and appalled. “ Caspita! One does not do that sort of thing with one’s wife.”
“If one’s wife is a Loversall, one does.” Zoe leaned closer, until mere inches separated them, and her soft breasts pressed against his arm, and her sweet perfume stirred his senses. She whispered a naughty suggestion. “ Per favore?”
Beau walked into the room then, to find his daughter embracing her estranged spouse, who wore a bloody cravat wrapped around his thigh. “ Now what the devil?” he wearily inquired.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Mina was alone in the morning room, save for Grace the cat, who crept out from beneath the sofa to curl up in her lap. Beau had departed, along with Zoe and her Conte. Mr. Eames had taken his leave also, and gone to share these latest developments with his Lady Anne.
Mina surveyed the bloodstained carpet, the ink-stained wall. She was staring blankly into space when Figg appeared in the doorway and announced, “Mr. Kincaid.”
Devon strolled into the room, carelessly elegant in riding coat, breeches, and top boots. A casual observer might not have noticed the weary lines around his hazel eyes.
Mina was not a casual observer. “Loversalls cannot help our bad behavior. It is in our blood.”
“Is that an apology?” He glanced cautiously around. “Has Zoe really gone?”
“She’s gone, but not with Beau. The Conte set out for London immediately upon
He stared at her. “You have shot me, cara, and with my own gun. No one has ever shot me before. You should put down the gun before you shoot me again.”
Zoe lowered the weapon. “I didn’t mean to shoot you. Although I should have shot you! You wagered me at play.”
“I didn’t mean to wager you,” protested Paolo. “I’d taken too much to drink. Matters got out of hand. As I would have explained, had you not run away.”
“What do gentlemen find so alluring about drunkenness?” Zoe inquired. “Or gambling, for that matter? It quite blights one’s spirits to hear them talking about being on the rocks and bleeding very freely and threatening to blow out their brains. In case you don’t know it, Cesare tried many times to persuade me to be unfaithful. I refused.”
Cesare was fast recovering from his shock. He pounded his fist on his chest. “No one refuses Cesare Rizzoto!”
“ Cretino !” Zoe raised the pistol. “If you don’t go away, I will also shoot you.”
Mina rang for her servants. “Spoilsport,” muttered Mr. Eames. Nonetheless, he suggested it was time Mr. Rizzoto took his leave. Mr. Rizzoto disagreed. Samson and the footmen removed him, forcibly, from the premises.
Zoe and the Conte ignored these distractions. They were staring deep into each other’s eyes. “I have perhaps behaved a little badly,” Zoe admitted. “I was devastated to discover my true love is a toad.”
Paolo grasped her hand. “Am I?”
Zoe pouted prettily. “Only a toad would have lost me to Cesare.”
“ Si, si! Admittedly I am a toad. A cazzone. But, carissima , am I your true love?”
Zoe was encouraged by the way he clutched her. “I thought you were. But then—”
“Because,”Paolo interrupted, “I see now that you are mine. I realized it when you shot me. Naturalmente, I should have understood before–”
“But you are very spoiled!” cried Zoe. “I perfectly understand. And you were annoyed that I had run away.”
“No one has ever run away from me before,” agreed Paolo. “It angered me.”
Mina said, “Should we do something?”
Suggested George, “Shoot them both?”
“I have not truly been ruined,” admitted Zoe, with lowered lashes and a becoming blush. “I tried to be, but no one would oblige. It is for the best, because—” She awarded Paolo her most melting glance. “The person I truly wish to explore the baser side of my nature with is you.”
Paolo looked both intrigued and appalled. “ Caspita! One does not do that sort of thing with one’s wife.”
“If one’s wife is a Loversall, one does.” Zoe leaned closer, until mere inches separated them, and her soft breasts pressed against his arm, and her sweet perfume stirred his senses. She whispered a naughty suggestion. “ Per favore?”
Beau walked into the room then, to find his daughter embracing her estranged spouse, who wore a bloody cravat wrapped around his thigh. “ Now what the devil?” he wearily inquired.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Mina was alone in the morning room, save for Grace the cat, who crept out from beneath the sofa to curl up in her lap. Beau had departed, along with Zoe and her Conte. Mr. Eames had taken his leave also, and gone to share these latest developments with his Lady Anne.
Mina surveyed the bloodstained carpet, the ink-stained wall. She was staring blankly into space when Figg appeared in the doorway and announced, “Mr. Kincaid.”
Devon strolled into the room, carelessly elegant in riding coat, breeches, and top boots. A casual observer might not have noticed the weary lines around his hazel eyes.
Mina was not a casual observer. “Loversalls cannot help our bad behavior. It is in our blood.”
“Is that an apology?” He glanced cautiously around. “Has Zoe really gone?”
“She’s gone, but not with Beau. The Conte set out for London immediately upon
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