muscular legs in their skin-tight pantaloons. “In fact, I have paid the Parmenters’ debts a dozen times already. I give Judith an allowance, as I do all my purse-pinched brothers and sisters, and I pay for my nephews’ schooling.”
“Oh.” Jane was aware that her response to this revelation was inadequate, but she was trying to put on her second slipper unobtrusively. Without success—he watched her every move, his lips quirking.
“My other siblings, I am happy to say, manage to live within the means I provide,” he went on. “Unfortunately Judith, though merely the daughter of a younger son and married to a gentleman of modest means, aspires to live up to the glory of having an earl for a brother. Henry is swept along in her wake. If I continue to tow them out of the River Tick at every request, they will never attempt to curb their extravagances.”
“No, I expect you are right. But surely you would not let Mr. Parmenter be incarcerated in debtors’ prison!”
“I own I should be surprised to see the bailiffs on their doorstep. Judith is by far too calculating to allow things to come to such a pass. No, I believe she is prevaricating to induce me to frank her in advance, and I cannot abide deceit.”
“But if you are wrong?”
“If Henry were actually hauled off to the Marshalsea, I daresay I might gallop to the rescue, after a few days there had taught him a lesson.”
“I am not sure any lesson would enable him to stand up to his wife. He looks so spineless. Oh!” She clapped her hand to her mouth in horror at where the license she had granted her tongue had led her.
His crack of laughter reassured her—and took her breath away. Relaxed, his haughtily handsome face became devastatingly attractive. The ice in his grey eyes melted and they glinted with mirth. Jane gazed at him entranced, her heart performing a peculiar flip-flop. If only he were always like this!
And then, suddenly uneasy, she remembered that she ought not to be closeted alone with a gentleman. Gracie had impressed upon her that such behaviour was fast, and for a young lady to be considered fast was instant social death.
“Don’t look so worried, I shan’t clap you in irons for lèse majesté. Spineless, you say? I have always thought my brother-in-law closely resembles a boiled codfish.”
“Oh yes, not so much spineless as chinless.” She beamed at him. After all, she was not, at present, Lady Jane, daughter of the Marquis of Hornby. She was plain Miss Brooke, daughter of no one in particular, and Society would never know of her fast behaviour.
“Am I forgiven for leaving him and Judith to come about by their own efforts?”
“Certainly, but you might have told her in a more civil manner. She is your sister, not a street beggar.”
For a horrid moment she thought she had gone too far. His lips tightened and a touch of frost reappeared in his expression. Then he said dryly, “A library beggar, rather. But it is most improper in me to be discussing my family’s intimate affairs. What were you reading, Miss Brooke, that sent you to sleep?”
They talked for a few minutes about James Boswell and Samuel Johnson, until they were interrupted by a timid tapping at the door. Lord Wintringham pulled out his watch.
“Three o’clock—my cousin Neville. I am sorry to disturb you. Miss Brooke, but when I arranged to interview my relatives in my library, I had not expected it to become a place of common resort.”
“You wish to speak privately with Miss Neville?”
“I do. I promise I shall not bully her.”
Jane laughed, levering herself out of the deep armchair. “Then I shall go and see if I can visit Lady Fitzgerald and the baby.”
He took her hand and gazed down at her with warmth in his grey eyes. “I have not thanked you yet for your invaluable service to Lady Fitzgerald last night.”
“We were glad to be able to help,” she said, blushing.
As the library door closed behind her, she put her hand to her
“Oh.” Jane was aware that her response to this revelation was inadequate, but she was trying to put on her second slipper unobtrusively. Without success—he watched her every move, his lips quirking.
“My other siblings, I am happy to say, manage to live within the means I provide,” he went on. “Unfortunately Judith, though merely the daughter of a younger son and married to a gentleman of modest means, aspires to live up to the glory of having an earl for a brother. Henry is swept along in her wake. If I continue to tow them out of the River Tick at every request, they will never attempt to curb their extravagances.”
“No, I expect you are right. But surely you would not let Mr. Parmenter be incarcerated in debtors’ prison!”
“I own I should be surprised to see the bailiffs on their doorstep. Judith is by far too calculating to allow things to come to such a pass. No, I believe she is prevaricating to induce me to frank her in advance, and I cannot abide deceit.”
“But if you are wrong?”
“If Henry were actually hauled off to the Marshalsea, I daresay I might gallop to the rescue, after a few days there had taught him a lesson.”
“I am not sure any lesson would enable him to stand up to his wife. He looks so spineless. Oh!” She clapped her hand to her mouth in horror at where the license she had granted her tongue had led her.
His crack of laughter reassured her—and took her breath away. Relaxed, his haughtily handsome face became devastatingly attractive. The ice in his grey eyes melted and they glinted with mirth. Jane gazed at him entranced, her heart performing a peculiar flip-flop. If only he were always like this!
And then, suddenly uneasy, she remembered that she ought not to be closeted alone with a gentleman. Gracie had impressed upon her that such behaviour was fast, and for a young lady to be considered fast was instant social death.
“Don’t look so worried, I shan’t clap you in irons for lèse majesté. Spineless, you say? I have always thought my brother-in-law closely resembles a boiled codfish.”
“Oh yes, not so much spineless as chinless.” She beamed at him. After all, she was not, at present, Lady Jane, daughter of the Marquis of Hornby. She was plain Miss Brooke, daughter of no one in particular, and Society would never know of her fast behaviour.
“Am I forgiven for leaving him and Judith to come about by their own efforts?”
“Certainly, but you might have told her in a more civil manner. She is your sister, not a street beggar.”
For a horrid moment she thought she had gone too far. His lips tightened and a touch of frost reappeared in his expression. Then he said dryly, “A library beggar, rather. But it is most improper in me to be discussing my family’s intimate affairs. What were you reading, Miss Brooke, that sent you to sleep?”
They talked for a few minutes about James Boswell and Samuel Johnson, until they were interrupted by a timid tapping at the door. Lord Wintringham pulled out his watch.
“Three o’clock—my cousin Neville. I am sorry to disturb you. Miss Brooke, but when I arranged to interview my relatives in my library, I had not expected it to become a place of common resort.”
“You wish to speak privately with Miss Neville?”
“I do. I promise I shall not bully her.”
Jane laughed, levering herself out of the deep armchair. “Then I shall go and see if I can visit Lady Fitzgerald and the baby.”
He took her hand and gazed down at her with warmth in his grey eyes. “I have not thanked you yet for your invaluable service to Lady Fitzgerald last night.”
“We were glad to be able to help,” she said, blushing.
As the library door closed behind her, she put her hand to her
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