Her sister made a number of sympathetic sounds as she patted Augusta’s hand. ‘Well, that wasn’t very gentlemanly of him, but I’m sure he will make a handsome apology?—”
“No, he won’t. I’ve said enough dreadful things to him that he willneverforgive me.”
Augusta was forced to stop, in order to blink back another wave of tears that was threatening to spill. “Why am I so awkward and outspoken? I … I wish I could be more like you—you find it so easy to be charming, to make people smile and feel at ease.” She turned a watery glance at Marianne’s lovely profile. “No doubt Marcus would have much preferred driving out withyou instead of me. He … mentioned that he found your company quite pleasant last night. “ A sniff. “Unlike mine.”
Her sister avoided any comment on the use of the earl’s given name. But her expression darkened on listening to the last little confession. “Gus, now you are beginning to sound like one of the widget-headed heroines in those ridiculous books. Never say you wish to be like anyone else. I may be fortunate to be endowed with looks that gentlemen seem to find attractive, but that is hardly a credit to any of my own accomplishments. You, on the other hand, have had the wits and the courage to form your own character. You are not awkward and outspoken, but rather a unique individual with a style all your own and the strength to stand up for your convictions.”
Augusta was rendered momentarily speechless by her sister’s passionate words.
“And furthermore, as to the earl enjoying my company, I’ll have you know what he wanted to talk about wasyou.”
“Me! Whatever for?”
Marianne thought for a moment, torn between not wanting to lie and not wanting to ruin the plan to keep her sister out of danger. “Ah, he was inquiring as to whether I thought you might be convinced to act with a little … less rashly in regard to your investigation.”
No doubt the earl had been referring to more than that, thought Augusta as she pulled a face. “Well, unfortunately I seem unable to curb my rash behavior, no matter what the situation.” She bit her lip and her fingers began to fiddle with the pen on her desk.”I shall try very hard in the future to stop and think before I act—or speak.”
Her sister didn’t miss the note of wistful regret in her voice. “Are you sure you don’t wish to tell me exactly what caused the unpleasantness between you and Lord Dunham this afternoon.?”
She drew the nib of the pen across a sheet of blank paper, leaving nothing but a thin scar across the surface. “It’s rather … complicated.
“Then I won’t press you, if you truly don’t wish to speak of it.” Marianne brushed an errant curl from her cheek. “But as I said, I imagine you are exaggerating any disagreements with His Lordship. I’d be willing to wager that when you see him tonight at the Yarmouth’s ball, the two of you will manage to straighten things out.”
Augusta shook her head. “I mean to cry off from going. I simply don’t feel up to facing an evening of festivities at the moment.”
Marianne fixed her with a look that mingled concern with a certain suspicion. “Gus, I trust you are not contemplating anything, well, rash?”
“Don’t worry. Do go along and dress, for I know you have been looking forward to the evening. I promise I am not contemplating anything stupid.”
Though that, of course, was a matter open to interpretation.
Marcus was already regrettinghis harsh words as he took up his perch and guided his team back toward his townhouse. She had not deserved such a stinging set-down. It wasn’t her fault that a simmering desire had left his feelings so raw and vulnerable … just as it wasn’t her fault that she obviously felt no such heated emotions towards him.
Arrogant coxcomb, he berated himself, to imagine that simply because he wished it, she would fall willing into his arms, like the legion of ladies before her.
Worse than that, he was a fool, for he had let his damnable temper cause him to lose his best friend. He hadn’t failed to see how hurt she was by his cruel words and how she couldn’t even bear to look at him after such ungentlemanly behavior. So while she might have held some admiration and regard for the person she knew on paper, no doubt she now felt only scorn and disgust for the flesh and blood fellow he turned out to be.
Could he blame her?
From the very beginning it was, as she had said, like flint striking steel every time they met. Sparks flew, and alas, they usually lit up his worst qualities.Odious. Arrogant. Overbearing.He had been all those things and more whenever they met—and ended up arguing. No wonder she didn’t welcome his embraces.
Would he ever be able to win the same trust and honesty in real life that his pen had garnered with the scratch of its nib?
Marcus drew in a shaky breath. And what did it matter? He had told himself that he was helping the feisty Lady Augusta out of regard for her late brother, but it was becoming increasingly clear that the reason was not nearly so simple as that. Up to now, he had studiously avoided probing into his true feelings, perhaps because he feared what he would find.
Tired of a superficial life, devoid of all challenge or meaning, he had sought to commit himself wholly to something that mattered. The correspondence with Firebrand had only sparked his determination to find a new direction for his considerable energies. What he hadn’t anticipated was that more than his intellect would be kindled into a white-hot intensity. And he wasn’t sure he was ready to make that sort of commitment.
Lady Augusta. She was sharp-tongued, opinioned and possibly more stubborn than he was. She was hardly the type of female to send heat coursing through his veins. Yet he also knew she was much more than that. She was intelligent, perceptiveand capable of great compassion and courage, as she had shown on paper as well as in her determined quest for justice. He found himself unable to describe the feeling she elicited from him, no doubt because he had never met anyone like her before.
Stifling an oath, he drew to a halt in front of his steps and turned the team over to his tiger. It appeared that not only did he need to solve Lady Augusta’s mystery but the conundrum of his own heart in the bargain.
“Er, she is not here, sir.”At the look of exasperation that crossed the earl’s features, Marianne hastened to add, ”She was feeling a bit fatigued and decided to spend a quiet night at home instead of accompanying me to this evening’s ball.”
His brows drew together.
“Shedidpromise she would not do anything stupid. In fact, those were her exact words.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” he growled. “Not one bit. It’s just the sort of thing she would say when she—” His words cut off sharply as a liveried footman approached.
