marry into a fine family like the Wokinghams, don’t you think? Marry and be tucked safely away
from harm—from harmful tongues.”
Wokingham shook his head and made a smacking sound with his lips. “Sad what some girls have to go through. Gossip can be such
a destructive thing. Can finish ’em, can’t it? But my Pom wants her regardless, don’t you, Pom?”
Pomeroy raised his brows in assent.
Keeping his steps measured, Struan went to the fireplace and pulled the cord to summon Crabley. The only offense in this matter
would be solid defense, and that defense would consist of the denial of any rumor these insects attempted to introduce.
“No need to bother the flunky,” Wokingham said. “We’ll see ourselves out. Take the ring, Pom. You can give it to her yourself
and enjoy her gratitude.” His giggle wrung out Struan’s stomach.
“I’ll look forward to that moment,” Pomeroy said. “It’s a pity you did not see fit to simplify this transaction, my lord.”
“We will not speak of this again,” Struan said. Wokingham and his appalling son approached the door. “My Pom wants her,” Wokingham
said, his eyes red slits. “What Pom wants, he gets. I always make certain of that. You have nothing to fear. Our discretion
is assured. But we will stay in touch.”
“I don’t think so,” Struan said as Crabley appeared.
Pomeroy bowed slightly and said, “You may depend upon it.”
Chapter Four
“I have no stomach for this.” Saber stepped deeper into the shadows of the gallery above the Eagle-tons’ great hall.
Devlin North rested a hip on the carved stone balustrade. “You wish to be here. You do not wish to be here,” he said in the
damnable neutral tones he affected whenever he delivered particularly irritating announcements. “You wish to reenter society
at last. You do not wish to reenter society at all—ever. You wish to see her. You do not—”
“I do not wish to listen to your goading twaddle, North. I asked you to accompany me here in case I decide to carry out a
certain mission. Nothing more.”
Devlin turned his handsome face away and crossed his arms. “And for this I got out of a charmingly warm bed—and certain other
charmingly warm places.”
“I have always detested London in the Season,” Saber said darkly, refusing to discuss Devlin’s latest dalliances. “I detest
the games one is supposed to play.”
“Seems to me you’ve managed to avoid London in almost all seasons, old chap. We both know you wouldn’t be here now if you
could stay away from—”
“Margot said she’d been invited.”
Devlin laughed shortly. “Determined not to confess the truth, are we? Very well. Yes, Margot was invited. A relative of hers
was acquainted with the Earl of Eagleton’s father.”
“She probably won’t come.”
“Probably not,” Devlin agreed. “I’m not particularly enjoyin’ the evenin’ myself, old chap. Lookin’ down on the festivities
has never been my idea of a scintillatin’ experience. Prefer to be in the thick of it, so t’speak.”
Saber didn’t bother to disguise his disdain. “In the thick of a gaggle of warbling mamas and their twittering, downy chicks,
you mean? To say nothing of rubbing shoulders with the chicks’ bored papas, and an assortment of posturing, so-called eligible
males.”
“I think it is you who posture,” Devlin said softly.
There was no answer to that, none that would please Saber. Devlin looked downward past a ring of rich banners swaying gently
above the colorful scene in the hall below. “You came because you want to see her,” he told Saber. “We don’t have need to
speak her name aloud, do we? And there must be some other reason that has compelled you here, but which you are not telling
me. No matter. You may hold your little secrets.”
His little secrets? His entire life was a secret now, a sick, fearsome secret. It must remain so. But Ella had spoken of his
promise
from harm—from harmful tongues.”
Wokingham shook his head and made a smacking sound with his lips. “Sad what some girls have to go through. Gossip can be such
a destructive thing. Can finish ’em, can’t it? But my Pom wants her regardless, don’t you, Pom?”
Pomeroy raised his brows in assent.
Keeping his steps measured, Struan went to the fireplace and pulled the cord to summon Crabley. The only offense in this matter
would be solid defense, and that defense would consist of the denial of any rumor these insects attempted to introduce.
“No need to bother the flunky,” Wokingham said. “We’ll see ourselves out. Take the ring, Pom. You can give it to her yourself
and enjoy her gratitude.” His giggle wrung out Struan’s stomach.
“I’ll look forward to that moment,” Pomeroy said. “It’s a pity you did not see fit to simplify this transaction, my lord.”
“We will not speak of this again,” Struan said. Wokingham and his appalling son approached the door. “My Pom wants her,” Wokingham
said, his eyes red slits. “What Pom wants, he gets. I always make certain of that. You have nothing to fear. Our discretion
is assured. But we will stay in touch.”
“I don’t think so,” Struan said as Crabley appeared.
Pomeroy bowed slightly and said, “You may depend upon it.”
Chapter Four
“I have no stomach for this.” Saber stepped deeper into the shadows of the gallery above the Eagle-tons’ great hall.
Devlin North rested a hip on the carved stone balustrade. “You wish to be here. You do not wish to be here,” he said in the
damnable neutral tones he affected whenever he delivered particularly irritating announcements. “You wish to reenter society
at last. You do not wish to reenter society at all—ever. You wish to see her. You do not—”
“I do not wish to listen to your goading twaddle, North. I asked you to accompany me here in case I decide to carry out a
certain mission. Nothing more.”
Devlin turned his handsome face away and crossed his arms. “And for this I got out of a charmingly warm bed—and certain other
charmingly warm places.”
“I have always detested London in the Season,” Saber said darkly, refusing to discuss Devlin’s latest dalliances. “I detest
the games one is supposed to play.”
“Seems to me you’ve managed to avoid London in almost all seasons, old chap. We both know you wouldn’t be here now if you
could stay away from—”
“Margot said she’d been invited.”
Devlin laughed shortly. “Determined not to confess the truth, are we? Very well. Yes, Margot was invited. A relative of hers
was acquainted with the Earl of Eagleton’s father.”
“She probably won’t come.”
“Probably not,” Devlin agreed. “I’m not particularly enjoyin’ the evenin’ myself, old chap. Lookin’ down on the festivities
has never been my idea of a scintillatin’ experience. Prefer to be in the thick of it, so t’speak.”
Saber didn’t bother to disguise his disdain. “In the thick of a gaggle of warbling mamas and their twittering, downy chicks,
you mean? To say nothing of rubbing shoulders with the chicks’ bored papas, and an assortment of posturing, so-called eligible
males.”
“I think it is you who posture,” Devlin said softly.
There was no answer to that, none that would please Saber. Devlin looked downward past a ring of rich banners swaying gently
above the colorful scene in the hall below. “You came because you want to see her,” he told Saber. “We don’t have need to
speak her name aloud, do we? And there must be some other reason that has compelled you here, but which you are not telling
me. No matter. You may hold your little secrets.”
His little secrets? His entire life was a secret now, a sick, fearsome secret. It must remain so. But Ella had spoken of his
promise
Similar Books
