“I won’t be but a tick.” He made his way through the crowd to the barman, where he had his own scotch replenished and secured a glass of wine for her. Turning, he was disappointed to see her carrying on a conversation with King’s younger brother. Deuced inconvenient that. He couldn’t very well plow his fist into his friend’s relation. But that didn’t mean he had to offer a warm greeting when he returned to her side. “Lawrence.”
The young man seemed surprised to discover that frost hadn’t actually formed on his face, but then he grinned cheerily. “Bishop. Is that for me?” He nodded toward the wine.
“No. It’s for Miss—” Damnation, he didn’t even know her last name. How had that come about? Because Marguerite had seemed sufficient, all that was needed.
“Townsend,” she said, taking the wine from him.
“It seems I’m intruding,” Lawrence said.
“You are,” Bishop responded curtly.
He lifted an eyebrow. “I’ll take my leave then.” But not before he lifted the lady’s gloved hand and placed a kiss against her knuckles. He could be as deuced vexing as his brother. “Another time, perhaps.”
With an irritatingly shrewd wink at Bishop, he finally wandered off, and Bishop knew Lawrence was going to relate this encounter to King, who would no doubt use it as means of torment at their next gathering.
“You were rather rude,” Marguerite said softly.
“He’d have expected no less. Feel free to traipse after him if he intrigued you.”
“Not after you went to such bother to obtain me some wine.” She took a sip, licked lips that he wanted to taste.
“You seem to know people here,” he said.
“I grew up among nobility and am no stranger to a few of them. Lawrence, for example.”
“Yet, you now work as a servant in my household.”
“I wanted to escape that life, and where better than someplace where few will recognize me? Even here, a good many of the members are commoners who have risen above their humble beginnings, and I feel at home among them. I like this club because we’re all supposed to keep secret those we see within these walls, aren’t we? Makes it a rather safe place for mingling about. One of the reasons I hadn’t expected to cross paths with you was because you have so many women visiting your residence. Why have you a need for more?”
Her tone contained the tiniest bit of censure. Hewanted to tell her the truth, but if she was what he suspected—
“I adore women and spending time in their company. Here they do not judge, unlike slander sheets.”
“The gossip ragshavebeen unkind to you of late.”
“You’ve read them, then.”
“It’s the best way to keep up with Society’s news. And scandal.”
He wouldn’t mind embarking on a scandal with her. “How long have you had your membership?”
“Are you striving to cleverly determine my age without actually asking my age?”
“Yes, I suppose I am.”
“You could simply ask Perkins.”
And suffer through the indignity of another one of his disapproving glowers?He thought not. “Where’s the fun in that? Besides, I’d rather ask you.”
Her lips curled up slightly, and it was disconcerting, how much he wanted her to bestow upon him a full smile. “I’ve had my membership for half a year now.”
She was still twenty-five then.
“Have you visited since your aunt brought you?”Have you had thatdamneddalliance, if not the first night, then perhaps another? Had he been worthy of you and your attentions?For some reason, it had never occurred to him that neophytes would come to this place to gain the experience that would relieve them of their novice status. He didn’t much like the thought that someone without the proper skills would introduce her to pleasure. Even as he suspected she didn’t have his best interests at heart, he couldn’t seem not to have hers.
“I haven’t, no. I was rather intimidated, but then this afternoon, I decided that I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to. I could set boundaries. I could enjoy a fellow’s conversation and ease myself along into enjoying more.”
He wondered how little, how more. Certainly, he’d been here numerous times without experiencing the more. Sometimes it was enough simply not to be alone. “Thus, your goal tonight is conversation?”
