chuckled softly.
“I’ll tell you what I think of you, madam. I think you turned down every other man who made an offer to you because you’re a lying opportunist using Bella’s murder as an excuse to snare one of the wealthiest titles in all of Britain!”
Miles started. He had never heard Carny speak that way to a woman before. Anger began to worm up from within his belly. His hand went to the shrub, about to push it aside so he might confront his friend. To his surprise he heard Varya chuckle, and he paused.
“Snare him? Oh, my lord, I’d like to believe you might find me smarter than that. What man of Miles’s rank would ever lower himself to marry a mere musician?” She laughed.
“I remember the generous offer you made me several weeks ago, Lord Carnover, and I remember that marriage was not on the list of what you wanted from me. Tell me, are you speaking out of concern for your friend, or are you simply trying to find an excuse for my apparent preference for Miles over you?”
Now this was an interesting turn of events. Carny had said nothing about Varya refusing an offer from him.
The silence that followed her question betrayed Carny’s guilt.
“Lord Carnover, I did not choose Miles as my protector.” Varya’s voice was calmer now, soothing even. “If he told you that the rumor was started because we were investigating Bella’s death, then he told you the truth. If we had not been caught together in Lord Pennington’s study I would be carrying on as I always have.”
Miles had to press his ear against the foliage to hear Carny’s softly spoken disbelief.
“You mean to tell me that Miles hasn’t wooed you?”
“Yes. You needn’t take it as an affront to yourself oras a danger to your friend. My relationship with Miles is purely platonic, I assure you.”
Miles made a face. Even though he had told Carny that there was nothing between them, it irked him that Varya found him so easy to resist.
“It seems I have made quite an ass of myself,” Carny remarked.
Yes, you have , Miles agreed.
“It is something I have learned to expect from your sex, my lord.” There was laughter but no censure in Varya’s voice.
“You’re too kind,” Carny replied with a dry chuckle. “May I escort you back inside?”
“No, thank you,” she replied lightly. “I don’t think my reputation could survive an association with both you and the Marquess of Wynter. I’ll return in a few moments.”
“As you wish.”
Miles waited until Carny’s retreating footfalls died away before stepping from his hiding spot.
“You handled that quite graciously.”
He had the pleasure of watching her jump and whirl around, indignation flashing in her sapphire eyes.
“Sinking to eavesdropping, my lord? How petty.”
Still angry, was she? Miles smiled. “Not so petty as you if the charges Carny laid were true.”
She frowned. “You know very well that they are not.”
“Do I?” He paused to smell a white rose that blossomed on the trellis. “You sought me out—and in a very attention-grabbing manner, I might add.” Heraised a questioning brow. “Perhaps it is not Bella’s murderer you wished to catch, but her former lover?”
He just barely managed to grab her wrist before she could strike him, but wasn’t quite quick enough to escape her foot. It connected with his shin with bone-jarring force.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all evening!” She glared at him, her eyes dark with indignant rage.
“That’s quite a temper you have, madam,” he ground out, resisting the urge to rub the spot where she had connected. He held fast to her wrist.
“’Tis only you who brings it out of me, my lord.”
She tried to free herself from his grip, going so far as to pry at his fingers with her free hand.
“You insufferable man! Let go of me!”
He smiled at her exertions, but had no intention of letting her go just yet. The throbbing in his shin was worth the knowledge that, if nothing else, she was
“I’ll tell you what I think of you, madam. I think you turned down every other man who made an offer to you because you’re a lying opportunist using Bella’s murder as an excuse to snare one of the wealthiest titles in all of Britain!”
Miles started. He had never heard Carny speak that way to a woman before. Anger began to worm up from within his belly. His hand went to the shrub, about to push it aside so he might confront his friend. To his surprise he heard Varya chuckle, and he paused.
“Snare him? Oh, my lord, I’d like to believe you might find me smarter than that. What man of Miles’s rank would ever lower himself to marry a mere musician?” She laughed.
“I remember the generous offer you made me several weeks ago, Lord Carnover, and I remember that marriage was not on the list of what you wanted from me. Tell me, are you speaking out of concern for your friend, or are you simply trying to find an excuse for my apparent preference for Miles over you?”
Now this was an interesting turn of events. Carny had said nothing about Varya refusing an offer from him.
The silence that followed her question betrayed Carny’s guilt.
“Lord Carnover, I did not choose Miles as my protector.” Varya’s voice was calmer now, soothing even. “If he told you that the rumor was started because we were investigating Bella’s death, then he told you the truth. If we had not been caught together in Lord Pennington’s study I would be carrying on as I always have.”
Miles had to press his ear against the foliage to hear Carny’s softly spoken disbelief.
“You mean to tell me that Miles hasn’t wooed you?”
“Yes. You needn’t take it as an affront to yourself oras a danger to your friend. My relationship with Miles is purely platonic, I assure you.”
Miles made a face. Even though he had told Carny that there was nothing between them, it irked him that Varya found him so easy to resist.
“It seems I have made quite an ass of myself,” Carny remarked.
Yes, you have , Miles agreed.
“It is something I have learned to expect from your sex, my lord.” There was laughter but no censure in Varya’s voice.
“You’re too kind,” Carny replied with a dry chuckle. “May I escort you back inside?”
“No, thank you,” she replied lightly. “I don’t think my reputation could survive an association with both you and the Marquess of Wynter. I’ll return in a few moments.”
“As you wish.”
Miles waited until Carny’s retreating footfalls died away before stepping from his hiding spot.
“You handled that quite graciously.”
He had the pleasure of watching her jump and whirl around, indignation flashing in her sapphire eyes.
“Sinking to eavesdropping, my lord? How petty.”
Still angry, was she? Miles smiled. “Not so petty as you if the charges Carny laid were true.”
She frowned. “You know very well that they are not.”
“Do I?” He paused to smell a white rose that blossomed on the trellis. “You sought me out—and in a very attention-grabbing manner, I might add.” Heraised a questioning brow. “Perhaps it is not Bella’s murderer you wished to catch, but her former lover?”
He just barely managed to grab her wrist before she could strike him, but wasn’t quite quick enough to escape her foot. It connected with his shin with bone-jarring force.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all evening!” She glared at him, her eyes dark with indignant rage.
“That’s quite a temper you have, madam,” he ground out, resisting the urge to rub the spot where she had connected. He held fast to her wrist.
“’Tis only you who brings it out of me, my lord.”
She tried to free herself from his grip, going so far as to pry at his fingers with her free hand.
“You insufferable man! Let go of me!”
He smiled at her exertions, but had no intention of letting her go just yet. The throbbing in his shin was worth the knowledge that, if nothing else, she was
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