now, before my parents are up and about.”
The young girl they chose to be Moira’s maid had potential despite her shyness and youth, Jack thought as Spence explained what was required of her.
“A lady’s maid, milord?” young Jilly Scranton asked when informed of her temporary employment with Sir Jack Graystoke. “I’m to care for a lady recovering from injuries she got in a carriage accident? I ain’t never been a lady’s maid.” A comely girl of sixteen, Jilly was a sweet-faced blonde with guileless blue eyes and an engaging smile. And she was as innocent a girl as Jack had ever seen.
“You’ll learn, Jilly,” Spence said confidently. “You must tell no one about this temporary employment. I’ll arrange it through the housekeeper so that no questions will be askedwhen you return. I’ll see that you’re paid a bit extra out of my next quarterly.”
“Are you certain you can clear it with the housekeeper?” Jack wondered.
Spence sent him a confident smile. “The old bird has a soft spot for me. If I butter her up a bit, she’ll agree to anything.” He turned to Jilly. “Go along with Sir Jack, Jilly. It will be all right.”
Jilly sent Jack a skeptical glance. She’d heard about the scandalous Black Jack Graystoke. Who hadn’t? She wondered if she was doing the right thing, but only for a moment. Anything was better than scrubbing pots and pans from morn to night and getting cuffed by Cook for not doing it fast enough. Well, almost anything. At the first hint of impropriety on Black Jack’s part, she’d be out of there faster than you could shake a stick.
“Come along, child,” Jack said, annoyed at the way Jilly was staring at him. “I won’t eat you. I prefer more worldly women. I have grave doubts about all this, but you seem intelligent enough to learn what’s expected of you.”
“Oh, yes, sir. I catch on fast, I do. I’ll gather my things and be back before you know it.”
“You’ve been a great help, Spence. I hope this works out like we planned. Moira isn’t exactly your meek miss. I made a terrible blunder when I brought Victoria home last night.”
Spence swallowed a grin. “I would have liked to see that. What happened? Did your—er—ward catch you in a compromising situation?”
“Something like that,” Jack said dryly, recalling the pure temptation of Moira’s sweet mouth and soft flesh. “But that’s neither here nor there. I just hope I can placate Victoria enough to convince her to marry me.”
“I doubt she’ll need much convincing,” Spence said blandly. “By the way, did you hear the latest gossip?”
“What gossip? Rumors abound in London Town.”
“This rumor is genuine. It involves Lord Roger Mayhew, the old Earl of Montclair’s heir.”
“What did Mayhew do now? Nothing would surprise me where that scoundrel is concerned. Did you know that he’s a member of the Hellfire Club? He and his friends tried to get me to join, you know.”
“Thank God you resisted. ’Tis rumored he bought passage to the Continent in the dead of night,” Spence confided. “It was all very mysterious. His friends denied prior knowledge of his departure. Seems he left a score or more gambling debts behind. His parents are furious.”
“Good riddance,” Jack said succinctly.
Chapter Four
Jack arrived back at Graystoke Manor just as Moira was finishing breakfast. Eating was rather awkward without the use of her right arm, but she managed to get enough food to her mouth to satisfy her hunger. She was grateful for the interruption when Jack knocked, then entered the room with Jilly in tow. Lying about in bed was beginning to bore her.
“Good morning,” Jack greeted her gruffly. Recalling the sweet temptation of Moira’s pouting nipple in his mouth, Jack found it difficult not to stare at the steady rise and fall of her breasts beneath the sheet. “This is Jilly,” he said, bringing the girl forward. “Your new maid.”
Round-eyed, Jilly stared at
The young girl they chose to be Moira’s maid had potential despite her shyness and youth, Jack thought as Spence explained what was required of her.
“A lady’s maid, milord?” young Jilly Scranton asked when informed of her temporary employment with Sir Jack Graystoke. “I’m to care for a lady recovering from injuries she got in a carriage accident? I ain’t never been a lady’s maid.” A comely girl of sixteen, Jilly was a sweet-faced blonde with guileless blue eyes and an engaging smile. And she was as innocent a girl as Jack had ever seen.
“You’ll learn, Jilly,” Spence said confidently. “You must tell no one about this temporary employment. I’ll arrange it through the housekeeper so that no questions will be askedwhen you return. I’ll see that you’re paid a bit extra out of my next quarterly.”
“Are you certain you can clear it with the housekeeper?” Jack wondered.
Spence sent him a confident smile. “The old bird has a soft spot for me. If I butter her up a bit, she’ll agree to anything.” He turned to Jilly. “Go along with Sir Jack, Jilly. It will be all right.”
Jilly sent Jack a skeptical glance. She’d heard about the scandalous Black Jack Graystoke. Who hadn’t? She wondered if she was doing the right thing, but only for a moment. Anything was better than scrubbing pots and pans from morn to night and getting cuffed by Cook for not doing it fast enough. Well, almost anything. At the first hint of impropriety on Black Jack’s part, she’d be out of there faster than you could shake a stick.
“Come along, child,” Jack said, annoyed at the way Jilly was staring at him. “I won’t eat you. I prefer more worldly women. I have grave doubts about all this, but you seem intelligent enough to learn what’s expected of you.”
“Oh, yes, sir. I catch on fast, I do. I’ll gather my things and be back before you know it.”
“You’ve been a great help, Spence. I hope this works out like we planned. Moira isn’t exactly your meek miss. I made a terrible blunder when I brought Victoria home last night.”
Spence swallowed a grin. “I would have liked to see that. What happened? Did your—er—ward catch you in a compromising situation?”
“Something like that,” Jack said dryly, recalling the pure temptation of Moira’s sweet mouth and soft flesh. “But that’s neither here nor there. I just hope I can placate Victoria enough to convince her to marry me.”
“I doubt she’ll need much convincing,” Spence said blandly. “By the way, did you hear the latest gossip?”
“What gossip? Rumors abound in London Town.”
“This rumor is genuine. It involves Lord Roger Mayhew, the old Earl of Montclair’s heir.”
“What did Mayhew do now? Nothing would surprise me where that scoundrel is concerned. Did you know that he’s a member of the Hellfire Club? He and his friends tried to get me to join, you know.”
“Thank God you resisted. ’Tis rumored he bought passage to the Continent in the dead of night,” Spence confided. “It was all very mysterious. His friends denied prior knowledge of his departure. Seems he left a score or more gambling debts behind. His parents are furious.”
“Good riddance,” Jack said succinctly.
Chapter Four
Jack arrived back at Graystoke Manor just as Moira was finishing breakfast. Eating was rather awkward without the use of her right arm, but she managed to get enough food to her mouth to satisfy her hunger. She was grateful for the interruption when Jack knocked, then entered the room with Jilly in tow. Lying about in bed was beginning to bore her.
“Good morning,” Jack greeted her gruffly. Recalling the sweet temptation of Moira’s pouting nipple in his mouth, Jack found it difficult not to stare at the steady rise and fall of her breasts beneath the sheet. “This is Jilly,” he said, bringing the girl forward. “Your new maid.”
Round-eyed, Jilly stared at
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