things to discuss. One of which is your neck,’ he snapped impatiently, ‘Let me look at it.’
Sophie hesitated, wondering at the sense of anything other than retreat considering he had just admitted that his intentions were still far from honorable. Cautiously, she took a step forward. He studied the bruising, vivid against the whiteness of her skin and she heard him let out a long breath. ‘There are times,’ he observed softly, ‘when I am not fit to be around. I hurt you and for that I am deeply sorry.’
‘At least you stopped before you did any real damage.’ She hadn’t expected an apology. Nor had she expected herself to defend him. After all, he had behaved like a brute.
‘If that’s the best that can be said of me, then I am damned. I have a hell of a temper.’ He was silent for a moment, staring up at her. ‘You say that Alice is your cousin?’
‘Yes Sir.’
‘I have met Felicia Gaskell. I regret to tell you she is not good ton.’
Sophie’s face darkened. ‘My aunt is the best of women! She invited me up to London to share in Alice’s Season and she has behaved with the utmost generosity towards me.’
‘Why shouldn’t she? All women blessed with a beautiful daughter like to have a less attractive one at her side to show them off to their best advantage,’ he observed cynically, ‘But the actual connection; it is Edward Gaskell that is your relative, is it not?’
‘Well, yes.’ Sophie admitted, ‘The connection is on my mother’s side. My name is actually Hartwell. But Alice is no less my cousin because of it.’
‘Hartwell?’ He sat up a little at this, ‘As in, the Cumberland Hartwells?’
‘Well… yes.’
He swore with such fluency that Sophie pursed her lips disapprovingly. ‘I might have known you’d be swimming in respectability!’
‘You should do your research a little more thoroughly before you abduct somebody next time,’ she returned frostily, ‘Just to ensure their family connections are not likely to cause you difficulties afterwards.’
‘I didn’t abduct you.’ He pointed out, ‘You came with me willingly.’
It was quite true but never the less, Sophie was annoyed. ‘You know what I mean.’
‘I suppose I do.’ He was silent a moment, regarding her and she shifted uncomfortably, aware that her being in his presence was unwise. Not only unwise, but also scandalous. She dreaded to think what would happen if her mama ever discovered this night’s work. Never before had Sophie been so pleased that Cumberland was such a distance away. It seemed that his lordship’s thoughts had been heading in more or less the same direction.
‘Was this mad scheme of yours really something you and Alice cooked up between you?’
Sophie hesitated. It was one thing to lie in the heat of the moment, quite another to continue on when things had calmed down. And truthfully, could he think any less of her? ‘No. It was entirely my idea. Alice doesn’t know that I’m here.’ No-one does , she thought bleakly.
‘You did it to protect her.’ It wasn’t a question.
‘I did it because she thinks you mean to marry her. My cousin is not… the cleverest girl when it comes to other people’s motives. I daresay she believed your promises.’
‘I never once promised to marry Alice,’ Roxburghe objected, ‘Far from it, I said that I intended to take her away to some place that we could be quite alone together. I also told her that I intended to make love to her.’
Sophie flushed, the words elevating her heightened senses even more. Really, Roxburghe was far too good-looking a man for her to deal with after all that had happened. ‘She undoubtedly misunderstood your intentions.’
‘She undoubtedly thought to hoodwink me into a pair of shackles!’ he retorted. ‘Give me your hand.’
‘Why?’ she demanded suspiciously.
‘I want to see if the sparks still fly when I touch you.’ He replied, voice soft.
There seemed to be a subtle shift in the
Sophie hesitated, wondering at the sense of anything other than retreat considering he had just admitted that his intentions were still far from honorable. Cautiously, she took a step forward. He studied the bruising, vivid against the whiteness of her skin and she heard him let out a long breath. ‘There are times,’ he observed softly, ‘when I am not fit to be around. I hurt you and for that I am deeply sorry.’
‘At least you stopped before you did any real damage.’ She hadn’t expected an apology. Nor had she expected herself to defend him. After all, he had behaved like a brute.
‘If that’s the best that can be said of me, then I am damned. I have a hell of a temper.’ He was silent for a moment, staring up at her. ‘You say that Alice is your cousin?’
‘Yes Sir.’
‘I have met Felicia Gaskell. I regret to tell you she is not good ton.’
Sophie’s face darkened. ‘My aunt is the best of women! She invited me up to London to share in Alice’s Season and she has behaved with the utmost generosity towards me.’
‘Why shouldn’t she? All women blessed with a beautiful daughter like to have a less attractive one at her side to show them off to their best advantage,’ he observed cynically, ‘But the actual connection; it is Edward Gaskell that is your relative, is it not?’
‘Well, yes.’ Sophie admitted, ‘The connection is on my mother’s side. My name is actually Hartwell. But Alice is no less my cousin because of it.’
‘Hartwell?’ He sat up a little at this, ‘As in, the Cumberland Hartwells?’
‘Well… yes.’
He swore with such fluency that Sophie pursed her lips disapprovingly. ‘I might have known you’d be swimming in respectability!’
‘You should do your research a little more thoroughly before you abduct somebody next time,’ she returned frostily, ‘Just to ensure their family connections are not likely to cause you difficulties afterwards.’
‘I didn’t abduct you.’ He pointed out, ‘You came with me willingly.’
It was quite true but never the less, Sophie was annoyed. ‘You know what I mean.’
‘I suppose I do.’ He was silent a moment, regarding her and she shifted uncomfortably, aware that her being in his presence was unwise. Not only unwise, but also scandalous. She dreaded to think what would happen if her mama ever discovered this night’s work. Never before had Sophie been so pleased that Cumberland was such a distance away. It seemed that his lordship’s thoughts had been heading in more or less the same direction.
‘Was this mad scheme of yours really something you and Alice cooked up between you?’
Sophie hesitated. It was one thing to lie in the heat of the moment, quite another to continue on when things had calmed down. And truthfully, could he think any less of her? ‘No. It was entirely my idea. Alice doesn’t know that I’m here.’ No-one does , she thought bleakly.
‘You did it to protect her.’ It wasn’t a question.
‘I did it because she thinks you mean to marry her. My cousin is not… the cleverest girl when it comes to other people’s motives. I daresay she believed your promises.’
‘I never once promised to marry Alice,’ Roxburghe objected, ‘Far from it, I said that I intended to take her away to some place that we could be quite alone together. I also told her that I intended to make love to her.’
Sophie flushed, the words elevating her heightened senses even more. Really, Roxburghe was far too good-looking a man for her to deal with after all that had happened. ‘She undoubtedly misunderstood your intentions.’
‘She undoubtedly thought to hoodwink me into a pair of shackles!’ he retorted. ‘Give me your hand.’
‘Why?’ she demanded suspiciously.
‘I want to see if the sparks still fly when I touch you.’ He replied, voice soft.
There seemed to be a subtle shift in the
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