Augusta shot her a withering look, then bit her lip.
The earl remained silent as he accepted his curly brimmed beaver hat and walking stick from the butler, who was appeared to be staring at his disheveled locks and creased cravat with great interest. Then he cleared his throat with some awkwardness. “I shall return at four, to take you out for a drive in the Park.”
“I’m afraid that may not be convenient?—”
“At four, Lady Augusta.” The tone of his voice left little doubt as to whether it was a request or a command.
“Oh, very well.”
As soon asMarcus was gone, Augusta took her sister by the arm and drew her none too gently into the drawing room. For yet another time that morning, a door was pulled firmly shut.
“I vow, I shall strangle you if you ever mention a word to anyone—including me—about what you just witnessed,” she said through gritted teeth. “It wasnotwhat it seemed. As usual, we started to argue over, er, a certain matter, and I’m afraid Lord Dunham became rather furious with me!”
Marianne arched one delicate brow. “I’m not sure I would have described the earl’s emotional state as furious, Gus.”
“You don’t understand how things are between us,” muttered. Augusta. “Trust me, what was happening back there?—”
“It’s called kissing, Gus.” There was a twinkle in Marianne’s eyes. “And it looked like Lord Dunham was doing it very well, indeed.”
“If he’s very good at it, I imagine it’s because he has had a great deal of practice.” She let out a ragged sigh. “His kiss did not mean, well … what kisses usually mean. As I was saying, what happened back there had nothing to do with whether the earl feels any attraction for me, but rather with. …” Her voice trailed off in some confusion.
“Lust?” suggested Marianne.
Augusta tried to appear shocked, but the twitch of her lips gave her away. “Really, Marianne, it’s all very well for me, who has no wish to be part of the Marriage Mart, to voice ideas of which no proper young miss should be aware. But you, who have such great prospects, must have a care what you say, even in private, lest you let such words slip out in public.”
Marianne’s chin took on a defiant tilt. “As if I should want to be leg-shackled to a gentleman who wouldn’t want to know what I truly think,” she said under her breath. Her expression lightened a bit. “But you are trying to change the subject, and that won’t fadge. We were discussing Lord Dunham’s skill at kissing?—”
“We were not discussing any such thing,” interrupted Augusta. “What I started to say was, the earl and I were having a difference of opinion over … philosophical ideas. Why, you heard him yourself. He was here to borrow a book.”
“Ah, no doubt one from Minerva Press, judging by the sort of debate you two were engaged in.”
Augusta set her hands on her hips.
“Oh, very well, I shall stop teasing you. But for someone who is wont to be very observant, Gus, I think you are missing a good deal of what is right in front of your nose. Literally, that is.”
Augusta chose to ignore what her sister might mean by that remark. “I have been trying to keep Lord Dunham from becoming too involved in my investigation, but …” She paused and pulled a face. “But it looks as if I shall be forced to let him do as he pleases, now that he can hold the threat of blackmail over my head.”
Marianne frowned. “Because you have written some opinions for Mr. Pritchard?”
“You might say that,” muttered Augusta under her breath.
“Well, Lord Dunham does not strike me as such a narrow-minded gentleman?—”
“Ha!”
“—as to think that a female cannot have an independent thought,” finished her sister. “Er, how did he know of your writings?”
“Because a certain someone saw fit to allow him to enter my private study and have free rein among my personal things.”
Marianne swallowed hard and looked somewhat abashed. “You cannot deny that he has proven a considerable help so far. I should think you would welcome his help. After all, a short while ago, you were lamenting that the sort of information we needed was most easily obtained by a man.” A pause. “And Lord Dunham is most definitely that.”
Augusta’s eyes narrowed, but her sister kept her features schooled in an expression of great innocence. “Hmph,” she finally said. “I suppose he may prove of some use.” Tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear, she turned a moody gaze upon the blazing fire. “I had better go check on why Mama wanted to see me. Then, perhaps I might be allowed some peace and quiet to get some work done before I must dress to go driving with the earl.”
“Be sure to wear your new sprigged moss-green driving dress, along with the matching chip straw bonnet.”
Augusta looked up, utterly nonplussed. “What?”
“Naturally you’ll want to look your best for Lord Dunham, won’t you?” With that, Marianne ducked out of the room, before one of the Staffordshire figurines adorning the mantel came hurtling at her head.
