boasted of his popularity with
the ladies. I swore then and there that I would never give in to
temptation again and I aim to stick to that vow even if it kills
me,” she declared firmly.
Raven’s face twitched suspiciously. Aurora rolled
her eyes. “Go ahead and laugh. It is ridiculous, isn’t it?”
The actress did laugh but there was a certain bitter
quality to it. Glancing away, she said quietly, “It will not always
be that way. One day, the man will come along who will wake you,
teach you to live.”
Aurora stared at her companion. “Logic would agree
with you, I know. Why else would so many women willingly become
mistresses? Granted, there are some who are desperate, who would do
almost anything to avoid starvation, but I refuse to believe that
all women who enter the ranks of the fashionable impure do it only
for the money.”
“ Society does not operate on
logic, Miss Glendenning. Have you considered those women are just
evil?”
Eyes narrowing shrewdly, Aurora replied,
“You are not evil, Miss Emerson, no matter how much you believe you
are.”*****
*
Chapter Eight
As Raven left, the Duke of Derringer arrived.
The actress nodded pleasantly to the tall peer, not
even hesitating in her trek to the park gates. Derringer didn’t
spare her more than a cursory glance from atop his horse as they
passed each other.
He was well aware of her identity. Indeed, what kind
of underhanded rogue would he be if he was unaware of the best
actress since Sarah Siddons? Everyone knew of her.
Apparently, Aurora was cultivating an association
with the woman with little regard for her own reputation. Smirking,
Derringer acknowledged that he’d already gone a long way in ruining
that anyway.
The duke was cynical enough to realize Raven’s
interest in Aurora Glendenning could not be entirely innocent. If
his spies were to be believed—and Derringer trusted them as much as
he trusted any low-class street ruffian paid to spy on his
betters—Miss Raven Emerson was not as sane as she portrayed
herself. Rumor said she’d taken her dismissal very ill indeed.
He’d keep an eye on the hauntingly lovely Raven
Emerson. One never knew what a woman scorned was capable of.
Reining in next to Aurora’s perch on a park bench,
he offered a mocking smile. Instead of scowling or simply walking
away, Aurora smiled back. Derringer found himself a trifle
startled.
The Duke of Derringer was never startled.
“ Your grace,” she murmured, her
very expression revealing how uncomfortable she knew she’d
made him. “How are you enjoying this lovely weather?”
He slid from Satan’s back. Dropping the reins, he
told the horse to go away.
“ Did you just tell your mount to
go away?”
Derringer shrugged and lowered his lanky form onto
the bench beside her. “He is not being very cooperative today. He
needs some time to himself.”
“ Oh, of course,” she said, her
tone so disbelieving that Derringer felt actual mirth.
“ How are you faring since
Almack’s?”
“ I am faring quite well, my lord.
I am surprised you care to inquire, considering any discomforts I
experience were caused by you.”
He shrugged. “You broke the rules, Rory.”
“ What rules?”
He turned to meet her gaze, marveling at the color
of her eyes, wondering how he was going to broach the subject he
needed to without finding himself on the other end of Levi’s
dueling pistol.
Unknowingly adopting the same attitude Aurora had
just minutes before with Raven, he opted for blunt truth.
“ You realize I know far more than
just his name, do you not?”
She released a breath of annoyance, her back
stiffening until Derringer was sure she’d just bend right over
backward.
“ I fail to see why you concern
yourself in my affairs. You are the veriest busybody.”
He leaned in, meaning to intimidate, oddly impressed
when she refused to be intimidated. “You are my concern because
Levi Greville is my concern. You will destroy him with your lies
and
the ladies. I swore then and there that I would never give in to
temptation again and I aim to stick to that vow even if it kills
me,” she declared firmly.
Raven’s face twitched suspiciously. Aurora rolled
her eyes. “Go ahead and laugh. It is ridiculous, isn’t it?”
The actress did laugh but there was a certain bitter
quality to it. Glancing away, she said quietly, “It will not always
be that way. One day, the man will come along who will wake you,
teach you to live.”
Aurora stared at her companion. “Logic would agree
with you, I know. Why else would so many women willingly become
mistresses? Granted, there are some who are desperate, who would do
almost anything to avoid starvation, but I refuse to believe that
all women who enter the ranks of the fashionable impure do it only
for the money.”
“ Society does not operate on
logic, Miss Glendenning. Have you considered those women are just
evil?”
Eyes narrowing shrewdly, Aurora replied,
“You are not evil, Miss Emerson, no matter how much you believe you
are.”*****
*
Chapter Eight
As Raven left, the Duke of Derringer arrived.
The actress nodded pleasantly to the tall peer, not
even hesitating in her trek to the park gates. Derringer didn’t
spare her more than a cursory glance from atop his horse as they
passed each other.
He was well aware of her identity. Indeed, what kind
of underhanded rogue would he be if he was unaware of the best
actress since Sarah Siddons? Everyone knew of her.
Apparently, Aurora was cultivating an association
with the woman with little regard for her own reputation. Smirking,
Derringer acknowledged that he’d already gone a long way in ruining
that anyway.
The duke was cynical enough to realize Raven’s
interest in Aurora Glendenning could not be entirely innocent. If
his spies were to be believed—and Derringer trusted them as much as
he trusted any low-class street ruffian paid to spy on his
betters—Miss Raven Emerson was not as sane as she portrayed
herself. Rumor said she’d taken her dismissal very ill indeed.
He’d keep an eye on the hauntingly lovely Raven
Emerson. One never knew what a woman scorned was capable of.
Reining in next to Aurora’s perch on a park bench,
he offered a mocking smile. Instead of scowling or simply walking
away, Aurora smiled back. Derringer found himself a trifle
startled.
The Duke of Derringer was never startled.
“ Your grace,” she murmured, her
very expression revealing how uncomfortable she knew she’d
made him. “How are you enjoying this lovely weather?”
He slid from Satan’s back. Dropping the reins, he
told the horse to go away.
“ Did you just tell your mount to
go away?”
Derringer shrugged and lowered his lanky form onto
the bench beside her. “He is not being very cooperative today. He
needs some time to himself.”
“ Oh, of course,” she said, her
tone so disbelieving that Derringer felt actual mirth.
“ How are you faring since
Almack’s?”
“ I am faring quite well, my lord.
I am surprised you care to inquire, considering any discomforts I
experience were caused by you.”
He shrugged. “You broke the rules, Rory.”
“ What rules?”
He turned to meet her gaze, marveling at the color
of her eyes, wondering how he was going to broach the subject he
needed to without finding himself on the other end of Levi’s
dueling pistol.
Unknowingly adopting the same attitude Aurora had
just minutes before with Raven, he opted for blunt truth.
“ You realize I know far more than
just his name, do you not?”
She released a breath of annoyance, her back
stiffening until Derringer was sure she’d just bend right over
backward.
“ I fail to see why you concern
yourself in my affairs. You are the veriest busybody.”
He leaned in, meaning to intimidate, oddly impressed
when she refused to be intimidated. “You are my concern because
Levi Greville is my concern. You will destroy him with your lies
and
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