A Kiss for Lady Mary by Ella Quinn Page B

faint. His tone was soft, but menace and heat lurked in his voice.
    She focused on his words. Husband? She drew a shallow breath. Consequences? Oh, Lord. What would happen to her now?
    Remember your breeding .
    She tried to smile, forcing the corners of her lips up. “Yes, of course. If only you had given me some notice, I would have been prepared.”
    His body blocked Eunice and Doust from seeing her reaction. Try as she might to remain calm, Mary could not stop herself from trembling. Fear of what Mr. Featherton might do to her warred with anger at her grandmother. Grandmamma must have known whose house this was. Mary raised her chin. If she wouldn’t let Gawain trap her into marriage, she would not allow her grandmother to, either.
    Yet perhaps Grandmamma wasn’t aware Mr. Perfect was here. After all, he should be in London letting the ton fawn all over him, not at Rose Hill threatening her.
    She slid a quick look at him. This was a scandal waiting to happen. Being caught by him ended her hope that no one would ever find out what she had done. Still, there had to be some way out of this situation. Surely Mr. Perfect didn’t wish to be trapped into marriage with her, a woman he couldn’t even bear to dance with, on the other hand, he was quite capable of ruining her.
    He glanced over his shoulder and addressed the others. “If you could leave us alone for a while?”
    “I shall show Mr. Doust out, but I shall not be far. You have only to call if you need me,” Eunice said, casting a meaningful look at Mary.
    Every nerve in Mary wanted to scream, No! Don’t leave me with him , yet that would cause a scene, something she must not do if she were to escape this mess with her reputation intact. She must remain composed. Giving in to the vapors would not help. Now that he was no longer looking at her she found herself able to take a deeper breath. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a mistake, as she caught his scent. No perfume at all, just pure male musk and leather. His buttery-yellow buckskin breeches were cut to show off his muscular thighs. No padding there. No wonder women vied for his attention.
    “Mr. Doust, if you would tell Simons we might want tea, or perhaps something stronger,” Mr. Featherton said.
    The words were phrased as a suggestion, but the tone made them a command. Oh Lord, what had she got herself into, all because she had given in to her grandmother?
    He slid his arm possessively around her shoulders, and led her to the small sofa in the center of the room. “Sit here and breathe. You must not faint, it would give a bad impression.” He grinned wryly, although the humor did not touch his eyes. “Even worse than the one the townspeople and servants already have of me. Are you responsible for that, or was it merely my absence?”
    He was furious, but her heart was thudding so hard that she could not even respond. After the first few weeks at Rose Hill, she’d not thought about what would occur if the rightful owner appeared. She’d felt safe for the first time in years. Oh Lord. They were properly in the suds now.
    “The property looks to be in much better skin than when last I saw it.” His voice was hard, but at least he wasn’t shouting. “I understand I have you to thank for the improvement.”
    Hardly surprising, considering it had been years since he’d visited. She opened her mouth, intending to tell him just that, but he continued.
    “No need to speak now. My arrival must be quite a shock. Once tea is served, we’ll discuss why you are here.”
    Fortunately Simons arrived quickly. He placed the tea tray on the low table in front of the sofa and gave Mr. Featherton a look, then turned to Mary. “My lady, please call out or ring if you require anything else.”
    “Thank you, Simons, I shall.” Her voice resembled a croak, but at least she had produced words.
    Once Simons left and closed the door behind him, Mary started to pick up the pot, but her hands shook so badly that she