Kissing Cousins by Joan Smith Page A

not approve of gambling? ” she asked, refusing to be the butt of his flirtation. “ No matter, we —”
    He allowed his gaze to roam over her face, settling on her lips. When he spoke, his voice had again that velvety sound of intimacy. “ Let us make it interesting and play for —”
    “ Edward! ”
    “ Shillings, ” he said, chewing a grin.
    “ I couldn ’ t possibly afford it. ”
    “ Then I shall just have to think of some forfeit, ” he said with a rakish grin.
    “ And to think, Miss Donaldson said I should be perfectly safe with you. She meant it as a compliment, I promise you, ” she added when he failed to appear pleased with this commendation.
    “ You are perfectly safe with me, Samantha. No lady ever died of flirtation. ”
    “ Unless perhaps of a broken heart when the cruel gentleman was using her only for practice. ” She raised her hands to her eyes and emitted a few loud, burlesque sniffs. Then she said, “ I am only funning, Cousin. I know I am as safe as if I were in church. Safer. Mr. Abercrombie pinched my bottom on the way out of church last month. ”
    “ I wager you didn ’ t let him off with it. ”
    “ Certainly not. I turned around and stepped hard on his toe. He knew I did it on purpose. You should have seen his face. He was scarlet with shame. And so he should have been. ”
    When they fell into a short silence, Edward thought over the various things Samantha had said during their adventure. He was appalled at the way she, and probably all the world away from Whitehall, saw him. A man of overweening ambition, a tame man with whom a lady was “ perfectly safe ” in a carriage, a man who frowned on a bit of innocent gambling. He used to be a wild and reckless buck — and better liked, by and large, than he was now. He had shoals of friends in those days. Now his “ friends ” were really political cohorts and relatives who approached him only when they wanted a favor.
    He sat for some minutes, reviewing his life. Surely he had done the right thing to abandon his licentious ways, to make a career for himself? Lady Louise would never have spared a second glance at the old Lord Salverton. Lord Salty, his friends used to call him. He had soon convinced himself this present mood of dissatisfaction would pass as soon as he found Darren and straightened out the business with Sir Geoffrey and Bow Street. This interval was merely a fling, a little interruption in his usually worthy life.
    Samantha was a charming and lovely girl, but a deep-dyed provincial when all was said and done. Not the sort of lady who would make a fitting prime minister ’ s wife, and the prime ministership was his ultimate goal.
    Samantha saw she had given him something to think about and didn ’ t disturb him. It was lunch-time when they reached London.
    “ Would you mind dropping me off at Upper Grosvenor Square? ” she said. “ Miss Donaldson will be on nettles to know what is happening. I can take a hansom cab back to your place after you ’ ve visited Lady Louise. ”
    “ Yes, certainly. I should pay my respects to Miss Donaldson. And I shall pick you up after. I don ’ t like to see you taking public conveyances. ”
    Samantha just shook her head. “ Trying to make a silk purse out of a sow ’ s ear, Cousin? You ’ ll catch cold at that. ”
    He didn ’ t argue or banter, but just repeated, “ I shall call for you, Samantha. ”
    “ Perhaps Darren will be home, and our adventure will be over, ” she said, hoping to please him.
    She was surprised when a frown creased his brow. Was it possible Edward was enjoying this escapade? Perhaps he was coming to realize there was more to life than work, and a marriage of convenience to a duke ’ s eldest daughter.
     

Chapter Ten
     
    Inthe flat on Upper Grosvenor Square, Miss Donaldson had been on vigil since dawn, waiting in vain for some sign of either Darren or his sister. She was vastly relieved when Salverton ’ s crested carriage came bowling