Then, “Would you repeat that, please?”
“The Earl of Marsh,” I said.
“Wonderful.” This time the sarcasm in his voice was like dripping acid. “That is truly wonderful. The Earl of Marsh, Miss Newbury, is one of the most dangerous and unscrupulous men in all of London. In fact, the only man I know who is probably more dangerous than Marsh is me.”
“The information Papa had collected on him was not pleasant,” I said in a small voice.
“Did you write to Marsh also and tell him that you had burned the papers pertaining to his cheating?”
“Yes,” I said in an even smaller voice than before.
He cursed. I winced. Then I put my chin in the air.
“I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill,” I said. “When time passes, and these men see that I am going to make no demand on them, then surely they will feel that they can rest easy.”
“Don’t you think that they will deduce that you are making demands on me?” he said. “As you yourself have pointed out, there is no sensible reason for your father to have appointed me as your guardian. Of course there is gossip about it—which is why I said that we should not go out together on the terrace last night. If there is any thought that you might possibly be my mistress, your reputation will be destroyed.”
I stared at him in horror. “Your mistress! Why should anyone think that I am your mistress?”
“Because that is the way people’s minds work,” he replied. “And because, to be perfectly honest with you, Miss Newbury, my own reputation is not quite spotless.”
He was staring ahead, directly between Isabelle’s ears as he spoke, and I looked at his hard, taut profile and thought that at that moment he looked more alone than any human being I had ever seen.
We arrived back at Grosvenor Square at eight-thirty, and by then I was starving. The dining room was still in a state of disarray from the evening before, however, and Lord Winterdale ordered food to be brought to the library. Almost as an afterthought, he invited me to join him.
A footman set up a sofa table for us in front of the fire and another footman carried in a tray of eggs and pork chops and muffins. There was also hot chocolate and coffee. I had chocolate and eggs and Lord Winterdale had two pork chops and coffee.
We ate in silence. Finally, as I was wiping my mouth with a napkin, I said ruefully. “I cannot believe how much food I have consumed these past two days. First the dinner, then all those lobster patties, and now these eggs. If I am not careful I will get as fat as a pig.”
As I am reed-slim, this was a blatant lure for a compliment. I didn’t get one.
“I believe it is more difficult for ladies to keep their figures in town than it is in the country,” he said. “Men have the options of exercising at Gentleman Jackson’s boxing saloon, or Angelo’s fencing establishment, but all ladies can do is shop.” He lifted an eyebrow at me. “And that you do very well.”
I gave up on the compliments. “Well, I will do my best to get myself off your hands as soon as I can, my lord. I did dance with quite a number of young men last night, and several of them asked if they might call upon me today.”
“I noticed that you were quite occupied,” he said. “Catherine, unfortunately, was not as successful in collecting admirers.”
I frowned. “Wasn’t she? I looked for her when I went into supper, and I couldn’t find her.”
“She spent a bit of time sitting with the chaperones,” Lord Winterdale said. His face was unreadable.
“Oh no, poor Catherine,” I said. “Lady Winterdale will be furious.”
“Yes, I rather believe she was.” He actually sounded pleased, and I glared at him.
“If Catherine wasn’t dancing, then why didn’t you introduce partners to her?” I demanded. “You certainly seemed to know everyone who was in that room. You could have made sure that Catherine always had someone to dance with her.”
“That was her
“The Earl of Marsh,” I said.
“Wonderful.” This time the sarcasm in his voice was like dripping acid. “That is truly wonderful. The Earl of Marsh, Miss Newbury, is one of the most dangerous and unscrupulous men in all of London. In fact, the only man I know who is probably more dangerous than Marsh is me.”
“The information Papa had collected on him was not pleasant,” I said in a small voice.
“Did you write to Marsh also and tell him that you had burned the papers pertaining to his cheating?”
“Yes,” I said in an even smaller voice than before.
He cursed. I winced. Then I put my chin in the air.
“I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill,” I said. “When time passes, and these men see that I am going to make no demand on them, then surely they will feel that they can rest easy.”
“Don’t you think that they will deduce that you are making demands on me?” he said. “As you yourself have pointed out, there is no sensible reason for your father to have appointed me as your guardian. Of course there is gossip about it—which is why I said that we should not go out together on the terrace last night. If there is any thought that you might possibly be my mistress, your reputation will be destroyed.”
I stared at him in horror. “Your mistress! Why should anyone think that I am your mistress?”
“Because that is the way people’s minds work,” he replied. “And because, to be perfectly honest with you, Miss Newbury, my own reputation is not quite spotless.”
He was staring ahead, directly between Isabelle’s ears as he spoke, and I looked at his hard, taut profile and thought that at that moment he looked more alone than any human being I had ever seen.
We arrived back at Grosvenor Square at eight-thirty, and by then I was starving. The dining room was still in a state of disarray from the evening before, however, and Lord Winterdale ordered food to be brought to the library. Almost as an afterthought, he invited me to join him.
A footman set up a sofa table for us in front of the fire and another footman carried in a tray of eggs and pork chops and muffins. There was also hot chocolate and coffee. I had chocolate and eggs and Lord Winterdale had two pork chops and coffee.
We ate in silence. Finally, as I was wiping my mouth with a napkin, I said ruefully. “I cannot believe how much food I have consumed these past two days. First the dinner, then all those lobster patties, and now these eggs. If I am not careful I will get as fat as a pig.”
As I am reed-slim, this was a blatant lure for a compliment. I didn’t get one.
“I believe it is more difficult for ladies to keep their figures in town than it is in the country,” he said. “Men have the options of exercising at Gentleman Jackson’s boxing saloon, or Angelo’s fencing establishment, but all ladies can do is shop.” He lifted an eyebrow at me. “And that you do very well.”
I gave up on the compliments. “Well, I will do my best to get myself off your hands as soon as I can, my lord. I did dance with quite a number of young men last night, and several of them asked if they might call upon me today.”
“I noticed that you were quite occupied,” he said. “Catherine, unfortunately, was not as successful in collecting admirers.”
I frowned. “Wasn’t she? I looked for her when I went into supper, and I couldn’t find her.”
“She spent a bit of time sitting with the chaperones,” Lord Winterdale said. His face was unreadable.
“Oh no, poor Catherine,” I said. “Lady Winterdale will be furious.”
“Yes, I rather believe she was.” He actually sounded pleased, and I glared at him.
“If Catherine wasn’t dancing, then why didn’t you introduce partners to her?” I demanded. “You certainly seemed to know everyone who was in that room. You could have made sure that Catherine always had someone to dance with her.”
“That was her
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