Brushed by Scandal by Gail Whitiker Page A

family, twenty other guests including Lord and Lady Bessmel and Lady Lydia Winston. Knowing the company would be very smart, Anna decided to wear one of her newest gowns, an elegant creation in pale gold silk, a colour that was exceedingly flattering to her fair complexion. Her hair was arranged in a loose cluster of curls with a few wisps hanging free to frame her face. Elbow-length gloves, her mother’s pearls and a light sweep of colour across her cheeks were all that were required to complete the ensemble.
    Half an hour later, she stepped out of the carriage in front of Julia’s house, with her father and Edward close behind. Both looked very elegant in their black-and-white evening attire, her father especially so. Peregrine, who was still reluctant to show his face in society, had decided to remain at home.
    ‘Good thing, too,’ Edward said in the disparaging tone he always used when Peregrine’s name came up. ‘No point the boy thinking he’s entitled to move in good society when it’sobvious he belongs in the country.’ He plucked a strand of hair from the sleeve of his jacket. ‘Besides, he’d likely just embarrass us in front of the baroness. He does, after all, have an eye for older women.’
    ‘That was unkind,’ Anna said flatly. ‘You are as much to blame for Peregrine’s fall from grace as he is.’
    ‘I don’t see how. I wasn’t the one who jumped into bed with Lady Yew.’
    ‘Don’t be coarse, Edward, and please keep your voice down,’ Anna said in a fierce whisper. ‘You shouldn’t have told him about the state of their marriage.’
    ‘My dear Anna, there isn’t a soul in London who doesn’t know the state of the Yews’ marriage,’ Edward said blandly. ‘Why should I have left Rand in ignorance? He would have found out sooner or later. And just because I told him Lady Yew was open to lovers didn’t mean he had to go sniffing after her as though she were a bitch in season. And you needn’t look at me like that,’ he said when she turned a chilling glance on him. ‘You’re too old to pretend an ignorance of what goes on between a man and a woman. I know how besotted you were over Anthony Colder.’
    Anna winced, the mere sound of the man’s name causing her pain. ‘I would thank you not to mention him in my presence again.’
    ‘Why not? Surely you’re not still pining over the fellow. He wasn’t worth it, you know. The stories I could tell—’
    ‘This conversation is over,’ Anna said coldly. ‘Please keep your opinions to yourself and refrain from making damaging comments about Peregrine in public, lest you find yourself defending rumours about your own less than sterling behaviour.’
    ‘My
behaviour?’ Her brother’s eyes widened in a credible imitation of innocence. ‘What possible concern could you have about that?’
    ‘I see no need to explain myself. We are both aware of your reputation with women.’
    He slowly began to smile, clearly enjoying himself. ‘And what have you heard about my reputation, pray tell?’
    ‘Amongst other things, that you are fickle and heartless,’ Anna said, boldly meeting his gaze. ‘We’ve gone through three maids in the last year and I suspect your unwelcome attentions towards them had much to do with the reasons they all left. If you must indulge yourself, kindly do so in a manner that does not disrupt the household or result in frightened young girls being sent back to the country in tears.’
    His eyes narrowed and for a long moment he stared at her in silence. ‘Well, well, so the pretty bird has sharp talons,’ he murmured finally. ‘Who would have guessed?’
    ‘Guessed what?’ their father asked, joining them.
    ‘Nothing.’ Anna turned her back on Edward, shutting out his obnoxious comments and his condescending gaze. She knew he enjoyed goading her and most of the time she was able to rise above his petty teasing, to treat his remarks with the chilly disdain they deserved. But tonight he’d touched a