A Question of Impropriety by Michelle Styles

of sensual delights, if only she’d accept. As if she were some naïve débutante to be led astray during a visit to Vauxhall Gardens.
    Diana shook her head. She’d never forget. She knew him for what he was—a leader of the Jehu club, the prince of rakes. Such men spelt trouble for the unwary woman. They were only interested in their own pleasure, and took rather than gave. But a tiny piece of her wanted to believe that he was different.
    â€˜Ignorance is bliss, as some say.’
    â€˜But I thought you enjoyed being educated, Miss Clare. A denizen of the circulating library?’
    Diana struggled to contain her temper. He de lighted in provoking her.
    â€˜I was unaware that you were familiar with Lord Coltonby, Miss Clare. That you were intimate friends.’ Miss Bolt’s voice held an edge to it and her tiny mouth turneddown, giving her the appearance of having swallowed a particularly sour plum.
    She elbowed her way so she was standing between Diana and Lord Coltonby. The feathers on Miranda’s bonnet tickled Diana’s nose and she fought against the urge to sneeze. She stepped to one side.
    â€˜Intimate? Are we?’ Lord Coltonby raised an eyebrow, regarded her with a faintly sardonic look. ‘You must inform me of the Northumbrian definition of intimate, Miss Clare. I wish to see if it coincides with mine. As you know, I never like to disappoint a lady.’
    â€˜She hasn’t said anything. She simply let me make a fool out of myself,’ Miss Bolt cried. ‘She has been keeping secrets!’
    â€˜Miss Bolt, Lord Coltonby and I were acquainted in London,’ Diana replied, swallowing hard, scarcely able to believe it was her own voice. ‘Lord Coltonby was good enough to call on me the other day as he happened to be in the neighbourhood and we renewed our acquaintance. He seeks to tease. It is his way. You must ignore him.’
    â€˜I always like to renew acquaintances where I can.’ A bright light appeared in Lord Coltonby’s eyes. ‘Particularly when they are as charming as Miss Clare. It was one of the bonuses of coming to reside in this neighbourhood, to be able to renew an acquaintance that was cruelly cut short.’
    Diana tilted her head and peered at him from under her lashes. This time his face, save his dancing eyes, was a mask of sincerity. No one would guess that it was an act. Her heart thudded in her ears. She played with the button of her glove, wishing she knew why he seemed determined to play this game.
    â€˜Lord Coltonby seeks to flatter, but one must never believe insincere flattery.’
    â€˜You sought Miss Diana Clare out? Deliberately?’ MissBolt gave a little stamp of her foot. Diana noted her face did not appear nearly as angelic. ‘You went to visit her? But I always under stood her time in London to have been a complete and utter disaster.’
    â€˜You were misinformed, Miss Bolt.’ Lord Coltonby made a deep bow. ‘She was one of the high lights of the Season that year. Unfortunately, duty called her home and the capital became a little greyer, a little less pleasant.’
    â€˜Duty…yes, I suppose.’ Miss Bolt tapped a finger against her folded arms. ‘Poor Mr Clare’s wife died, leaving him that…that boy. I had never considered. It makes a great deal of sense now that I think of it. Dear Miss Clare was truly selfless.’
    â€˜Every time I have encountered Miss Clare, I have noted her quality. It is only in creased if she also manages an impossible child.’
    â€˜Robert is far from being impossible,’ Diana pro tested. ‘He’s lovely, if a little high spirited. I am very proud of my nephew.’
    â€˜High spirited? He put beetles in your sugar bowl and frightened poor Mama half out of her wits.’
    â€˜He had thought the bowl empty.’ Diana stifled a smile as she remembered the incident from earlier that summer. Robert had sworn that