The Lady In Question by Victoria Alexander Page B

and began sorting the accounts due into stacks of those regarding household expense, those of a personal nature and those that didn’t fit into either category. She watched him with a sense of satisfaction. In a year in which she’d made no end of foolish decisions, hiring Gordon may well have been the only intelligent thing she’d done. In spite of his age, the bit of confusion he displayed and his obvious vanity when it came to his appearance, he certainly understood the art of organizing finances. Beyond that, he was a good sort if a bit odd. Still, she had no doubt they’d get on famously. And if indeed she felt a need for a compassionate confidant, she would not hesitate to turn to him.
    At the moment, he was the only untarnished spot in her life.
    He was a cad. A beast. The vilest sort of creature.
    Lady Wilmont’s head bowed over the papers before her, and she was intent upon the work at hand just as she had been since they had started this chore three nights ago. The lamplight caught the strands of hair that tenaciously escaped a rather untidy, but utterly charming, coiffure. She did indeed look angelic at the moment.
    Tony, however, was a villain, a fiend, the devil incarnate.
    His self-loathing was emphasized by the thunder outside and the sound of the rain striking against the window, the violence of nature in stark contrast to the warmth of the scene in Wilmont’s library. Lady Wilmont was vulnerable and alone, with no one to turn to. From what he’d overheard, even visits from her sister would be rare and, indeed, since they’d begun their work sorting Wilmont’s finances, had that insensitive twin appeared even once? There had been a note or two but nothing else. For that matter, had anyone from her family paid so much as a single visit? Certainly she had been the center of scandal, but that had been months ago. The woman had also lost her husband, and one would think that alone would be cause for her family to forgive and unite around her. Obviously, each and every Effington in existence was inconsiderate and thoughtless.
    And was he any better? Wasn’t he taking advantage of her plight for his own miserable purposes, no matter how legitimate they may be?
    Oh, he was indeed a scoundrel, a bounder, a nasty piece of work to be sure. The Effingtons had nothing on him.
    He never imagined his opinion of her could change so dramatically and so quickly, never imagined he could have been so wrong and never dreamed he’d feel so wretched about deceiving her. In the days that Tony and Lady Wilmont had worked side by side sorting her husband’s papers, Tony had gained a much clearer picture of this woman his friend had married. She wasn’t at all as he’d thought, although she was substantially less willing to share confidences with him than he’d expected. Indeed, she was fairly reserved and prone to long stretches of silence when he was certain her thoughts turned to Wilmont. Blast the man anyway. It was now obvious to Tony that Wilmont had gone too far in his courtship and had probably seduced the woman. There was no other reason he could see for their marriage, although Wilmont had certainly never before wed a woman he’d seduced, and their numbers were legion. Still, if nothing else, Tony had learned a great deal about Lady Wilmont’s character. She was unfailingly kind and pleasant. As she considered him an elderly servant who was well meaning but not as sharp as he once was, a perception he turned to his advantage, her behavior displayed a good heart and a caring nature.
    Damnation, the woman was bloody nice. And surprisingly intelligent, which meant her involvement with Wilmont made absolutely no sense at all. She was not the type to run off impetuously with any man, let alone a rake like Wilmont. She certainly did not deserve whatever game he had played with her. Was Tony any better?
    “That’s it, then, isn’t it?” She slapped the pencil down on the desk firmly and leaned back in her