“Oh, you would not be so unkind!” Cicely’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “He’s just a boy.”
“He is a lad”—his frown deepened—“old enough to know better than fail in his duty to protect you.”
Eugénie’s jaw almost dropped. Cicely had done it again. Mr. Grayson was as much a captive to her charm as every other man. Except, however, Mr. Munford, who, for some reason Eugénie didn’t understand, had attached himself to her. Suddenly his smile was too broad and showed too many white teeth to bode well for poor Josh.
“I definitely think,” Mr. Munford said with a cheerfulness Eugénie didn’t trust, “the young man could use a lesson in not falling asleep on the job.”
Mon Dieu. Save her from protective males. “You will not hurt him. He was very brave to accompany us.”
“The lad may have been brave, my dear”—Mr. Munford moved behind her as he spoke—“but how safe would you have been if it had been two scoundrels that came upon an open door?”
Her whole back tingled with his nearness. She couldn’t stand this much longer. His hand hovered for a moment at the nape of her neck. Then he touched her curls. Sparks flew through her as his caress followed down her spine to the top of her derrière. What would the man have done if they were alone? Already he touched her as if she was his.Seigneur, she had to escape him.
Eugénie tried to step away from Munford, but he held her in place by gripping her waist. “I must replace the journal.” She wrenched herself from him and grabbed Cicely’s hand. “Come with me, please.”
Cicely glanced up in surprise. “Yes, of course.”
Eugénie pulled her into her papa’s office and closed the door. “I cannot be alone with him. The man is aloup.”
“A what?” Cicely asked, as Eugénie made her way to the cupboard by feel and replaced the journal.
“A . . . a, oh, I cannot think of the word. It is in ‘Le Petit Chaperon Rouge,’ a story my Maman told me. He is in lamb’s clothing.”
“A wolf?” Cicely asked doubtfully.
“Oui, oui, exactement.”Eugénie was so glad her friend understood. “He will devour me.” She drew a shuddering breath. “And I fear I will allow it.”
Cicely caught Eugénie in a hug. “No, you will not. I’ll protect you.”
“If only you could.” Perhaps after tonight she would never see him again. If he came to her home, she’d lock herself in her chambers. In fact, she would not leave her apartment until he left St. Thomas and returned to England. Surely the earl would want him back quickly.
Will watched as the two women entered the other office. “Did she tell you her name?”
“No.” Andrew grinned. “She’s much more intelligent than you’d think.”
That was hard to believe. “Is she, indeed?” Will picked up a stack of ledgers. “Be careful or you’ll find yourself caught in the parson’s mousetrap.”
His friend had a lopsided grin on his face. “The right woman is all that is needed to make the institution not only bearable, but enjoyable.”
“You must be jesting.” Love complicated everything. It turned a perfectly normal man into a fool. At least it had for all Will’s friends and his father.
The back of his neck prickled with awareness as Mrs. Villaret reentered the main off ice. At least the current object of his desire was not a woman he could ever consider marrying. She would no doubt come around quickly when she discovered he was a viscount. Until then, he’d enjoy the hunt.
After the women returned, Will studied the room until he was convinced nothing was out of order. When the four of them reached the outside door, he nudged the still sleeping servant with his foot. The boy turned over and mumbled something.
“Josh,” the English lady said in a harsh whisper. “Get up.”
The last bit was reinforced with a nudge of her foot to his ribs.
“Miss—” His eyes widened, and he glanced wildly around until the woman laid a hand on his arm.
“It turned out to be all right,” she said in a firm tone, cutting the lad off before he could reveal her name, “but it could just as well not have.”
Will almost felt sorry for Josh as the young man hung his head. Still, his failure to keep guard could have ended badly.
“Now go out and make sure there is no one around.”
“Yes, miss.”
