confided as much to him, in hopes Gray could convince Archer to return the lady’s property. But Archer never welcomed conversation about his newly won fortune, and Gray hadn’t wanted to broach the subject. “I just do.” He shrugged.
“Madeline should mind her own affairs.”
Perfect. Now he’d gotten Wes’ bride into trouble, and he hadn’t even divulged her name. Perhaps he could smooth over his lapse. “Poor girl is married to my brother. Worrying about others keeps her mind off her own troubles. You can’t blame her for that, can you?”
So much for smoothing over his lapse. Her anguished expression almost made Gray feel guilty for bringing up the subject in the first place. But then he remembered that he was in Bath at her command. Well, hers and his mother’s. He should be at home, taking care of business dealings with Wes.
Gray watched her face as her mouth opened and closed. She obviously wanted to say something. But her lips clamped shut and she regally lifted her nose in the air.
“It must be hard keeping all that righteous indignation in check, my lady,” he said. “Do you ever just want to explode with it? To scream to the heavens?”
“I’ve never wanted to do any such thing,” she huffed, looking affronted at the very thought of behaving in such an outrageous fashion.
“Why did you come in here tonight, Lady Sophia?” he asked softly. He wanted to like the lady. He really did. Madeline thought highly of her. And he thought highly of Madeline.
“I heard Miss Mayeux leave her room, and I wanted to make certain she was safe.”
“She was.” He heard the bark in his own voice and tried to soften his tone. “She was safe,” he confirmed.
“But how much of that is because of your honor and how much of it is because I walked into the kitchen?” She shook her head as though disgusted with the sight of him. “The girl was in her nightrail, for heaven’s sake.”
“Good God, you say that like she was naked,” Gray grumbled.
“She may as well have been for all the scandal it would cause for her,” she said sharply. “Had someone else discovered the two of you…” She let her voice trail off. “You’d be married to the girl before you knew what hit you.” She laid a hand on Gray’s arm and looked up at him with enough seriousness in her eyes that he was slightly taken aback.
“Neither of you wants that. Don’t ruin the girl’s prospects, Grayson,” she whispered. “You wouldn’t want her to end up in a predicament like mine. Forced into a life she never would have picked for herself in order to survive.”
Then before he could reply, she quit the room, her dressing gown billowing around her legs in her haste to escape.
He almost followed her, but his feet were still slightly unwieldy, and he wasn’t sure what he’d say if he caught her. Gray swiped a hand down his face. He’d had way too much to drink. It would be the last time he ever let Archer bully him into drinking gin, god-awful stuff that it was.
***
Livi listened intently outside the door until it was suddenly flung open and Lady Sophia cannoned down the corridor. Livi backed into shadows and waited until her tutor had passed. She tried to digest what she’d heard. Of course, Lady Sophia had warned Mr. Hadley away from her. That much she’d expected. But she hadn’t expected to hear so much about Lady Sophia’s circumstances. Circumstances beyond her control.
It obviously had something to do with money. Lady Sophia’s father’s money, if she’d heard correctly. Why did Radbourne have her father’s money? And a cottage?
Livi tapped her chin as she stood there in the shadows. She’d have to give this a lot of thought so she could find a…
A cough broke her from her musings.
“It’s quite impolite to listen to people’s private conversations.”
“It’s equally impolite to stalk people in the corridors.” She tried to make herself sound as haughty as Lady Sophia did. However, she
“Madeline should mind her own affairs.”
Perfect. Now he’d gotten Wes’ bride into trouble, and he hadn’t even divulged her name. Perhaps he could smooth over his lapse. “Poor girl is married to my brother. Worrying about others keeps her mind off her own troubles. You can’t blame her for that, can you?”
So much for smoothing over his lapse. Her anguished expression almost made Gray feel guilty for bringing up the subject in the first place. But then he remembered that he was in Bath at her command. Well, hers and his mother’s. He should be at home, taking care of business dealings with Wes.
Gray watched her face as her mouth opened and closed. She obviously wanted to say something. But her lips clamped shut and she regally lifted her nose in the air.
“It must be hard keeping all that righteous indignation in check, my lady,” he said. “Do you ever just want to explode with it? To scream to the heavens?”
“I’ve never wanted to do any such thing,” she huffed, looking affronted at the very thought of behaving in such an outrageous fashion.
“Why did you come in here tonight, Lady Sophia?” he asked softly. He wanted to like the lady. He really did. Madeline thought highly of her. And he thought highly of Madeline.
“I heard Miss Mayeux leave her room, and I wanted to make certain she was safe.”
“She was.” He heard the bark in his own voice and tried to soften his tone. “She was safe,” he confirmed.
“But how much of that is because of your honor and how much of it is because I walked into the kitchen?” She shook her head as though disgusted with the sight of him. “The girl was in her nightrail, for heaven’s sake.”
“Good God, you say that like she was naked,” Gray grumbled.
“She may as well have been for all the scandal it would cause for her,” she said sharply. “Had someone else discovered the two of you…” She let her voice trail off. “You’d be married to the girl before you knew what hit you.” She laid a hand on Gray’s arm and looked up at him with enough seriousness in her eyes that he was slightly taken aback.
“Neither of you wants that. Don’t ruin the girl’s prospects, Grayson,” she whispered. “You wouldn’t want her to end up in a predicament like mine. Forced into a life she never would have picked for herself in order to survive.”
Then before he could reply, she quit the room, her dressing gown billowing around her legs in her haste to escape.
He almost followed her, but his feet were still slightly unwieldy, and he wasn’t sure what he’d say if he caught her. Gray swiped a hand down his face. He’d had way too much to drink. It would be the last time he ever let Archer bully him into drinking gin, god-awful stuff that it was.
***
Livi listened intently outside the door until it was suddenly flung open and Lady Sophia cannoned down the corridor. Livi backed into shadows and waited until her tutor had passed. She tried to digest what she’d heard. Of course, Lady Sophia had warned Mr. Hadley away from her. That much she’d expected. But she hadn’t expected to hear so much about Lady Sophia’s circumstances. Circumstances beyond her control.
It obviously had something to do with money. Lady Sophia’s father’s money, if she’d heard correctly. Why did Radbourne have her father’s money? And a cottage?
Livi tapped her chin as she stood there in the shadows. She’d have to give this a lot of thought so she could find a…
A cough broke her from her musings.
“It’s quite impolite to listen to people’s private conversations.”
“It’s equally impolite to stalk people in the corridors.” She tried to make herself sound as haughty as Lady Sophia did. However, she
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