For Love Alone by Shirlee Busbee

the peerage I shall improve my position and hers, too.”
    â€œOh, good gad!” Sophy burst out, thoroughly revolted. “Of all the utter twaddle.” She glanced at Anne. “Do you particularly want to return to your aunt’s care?”
    â€œW-what do you mean? I have no choice, do I?”
    â€œIndeed you do!” Sophy replied spiritedly. “I would be most pleased to have you come and live with me.”
    Ives sat up, as if jabbed with a sword. The Butterfly was far too impetuous for her own good. “Shouldn’t you think about this a little more?” he said carefully. “Don’t you think that you are being rather hasty?”
    He suddenly found himself the object of two pairs of decidedly hostile eyes. Drawing herself up grandly, Sophy said stiffly, “I really do not see how it is any concern of yours, Lord Harrington. It is a perfect solution.” She glanced over at Anne. “Don’t you agree?”
    â€œOh, yes,” Anne breathed ecstatically.
    Sophy smiled warmly at her, the smile dying as she looked toward Ives. “Please have the driver change directions,” she commanded coolly, “and take us to Berkeley Square.”
    Ives shrugged, rapped on the panel behind his head, and gave the change in destination to the driver. Thoughtfully he stared across at Sophy as the carriage swayed and bounced upon its way. It seemed that in addition to being imprudent and impetuous, the lady also had a mind of her own. It was something he would do well to remember in the future when dealing with her. He grinned. He had always enjoyed a lively tussle and was rather certain that Lady Marlowe was going to provide him with one.
    Sophy glanced at him suspiciously. “Why are you smiling?”
    Ives looked as innocent as someone with his marauder’s features could. “At the happy ending of tonight’s events?” he offered angelically.
    Sophy stared hard at him. What was the man up to? Except for having swept her rather unwillingly down the Dark Walk, he had been all that was polite, and she had to admit that he had done nothing improper during their walk. He had even taken her side against Edward. Even now, he was behaving in an exemplary manner. So why didn’t she trust him?
    Â 
    Le Renard had watched Ives escort the two ladies away with a speculative eye. Did the dolt actually believe that he stood a chance with sweet Sophy? He smiled nastily.
    After being married to Simon, it was unlikely that Sophy would ever chance the hallowed state of marriage again. Certainly not with someone like Harrington, a former military man, whose air and manner gave clear evidence of a man well used to command. Sophy, he admitted with a great deal of ambivalence, was not a woman who took kindly to being ordered to do anything. And Harrington? He had been what? A nobody, a major in the cavalry who had been fortunate enough to exchange a military career for a title. Thinking of Ives’s inheritance, he chuckled suddenly. I wonder if the fellow is grateful to me? He should be. After all, he owes his sudden rise in the aristocracy to me.
    But he was not chuckling a few hours later when he had finally detached himself from the others and made his way home. It occurred to him that he had dismissed Harrington too swiftly. It was possible that the new viscount might bear watching. He had almost underestimated the Harringtons once before, and he was not about to do it again.
    He did not think there was any real danger from Harrington’s direction, but he was an extremely crafty, careful creature—one of the reasons he had not been caught all these years. Because of his success, he conceded reluctantly, he had perhaps grown too confident in his ability to throw pursuers off his trail.
    The brush with Adrian and Richard Harrington had changed all that. They had not been as close to discovering his identity as they had assumed, but just the fact that they had been