Lily blushed as she thought of all the unjust thoughts she’d had about the man—that he was condescending and could not tolerate being bested by a female. All that rancor over cards—it had all been so petty! She’d bristled over his comment of trickery, though in her heart she knew her peculiar skillwassome kind of trickery. At least, it would seem so to others.
When her life had hung in the balance, he’d acted bravely and swiftly.Shemight be better at cards, buthehad been able to decisively plan an escape. He’d got her away, and then he’d told her exactly what she needed to do to protect herself.
While he might have been honor-bound to rescue her, he’d no responsibility to save her reputation. Considering how curt she had often been with him, and considering how she’d got them both into that dangerous circumstance to begin with, she had to admit that she had misjudged him. She’d thought him an arrogant and conceited man, and perhaps he was a bit of both of those things—what eldest son of a duke could escape it after being petted and fawned over all one’s life? Yet, he was also of strong character and resolute courage.
It felt both strange and right to revise her opinion of him.
And then, she could not help but think of his strong arms, into which she had landed more than once. The arms that had carried her to safety. The finger that had laid upon her lips to quiet her when Mr. Shine came out of doors to dismiss her carriage. The hands that had laid themselves upon hers in the carriage. The intensity of his eyes as he urged her to act her part.
Pips interrupted her thoughts, unceremoniously charging through the door without a knock, but with a look of murder on her features. She would be tired from her late-night excursion to collect her at Lady Carradine’s club. Her murderous expression softened somewhat when she noted that Lily had dressed herself and would not require assistance. Pips turned and left in a huff and Lily thought she could expect many more huffs from the lady’s maid before her visit came to an end.
Now, though, it was time to go down and see her aunt.
Chapter Eleven
Hayes sat inthe breakfast room, once more alarming his servants by taking only coffee. His thoughts were too full of the events of the previous evening to attend to the plate in front of him.
Having seen Miss Farnsworth into her house, Hayes had allowed himself to relax, at least for a moment. Somehow, he had gotten them both out.
He’d have to decide what to do—Mr. Shine must be dispensed with, perhaps Lady Carradine too, though at the same time Miss Farnsworth’s reputation must be protected.
How brave the lady had been! It had been no easy feat to escape their captor and he’d feared she would lose her nerve, but she had not. She had only hesitated a moment at that first drop, and not once did she cry out. He could think of a dozen ladies who nearly swooned over a bee buzzing their bonnets. Miss Farnsworth had faced a high likelihood of death with nary a whimper. He knew she’d been terrified, but she’d gone forward anyway. Was that not a mark of a good soldier? To cast aside very real fears and carry on?
He pushed away the image of her stockinged legs poised above him, the thought being ungentlemanly. The only man who should see Miss Farnsworth’s legs was her husband. Still, it was a picture that did keep drifting back. That, along with the feel of her soft little hands and how light she’d been to carry. Her worried expression and her wonderful hair, disheveled from their adventure. She had always been rather marvelous in appearance and the intensity of their adventure had only made her more so.
As pleasant as it was to consider Miss Farnsworth’s charms, he forced himself to put his mind to the situation at hand. There was much he did not know, but as Mr. Shine had been bold enough to wave a pistol at him and lock him up in an attic, he must be careful. Before he’d retired the night before, he’d ordered Cobb to hire men to guard both his house and Mrs. Hemming’s house. He’d taken the further step to set a watch on Lady Carradine’s house. He wished to know who came and went, and he wished to know if the gambling establishment would dare open its doors again. He also needed to know more about Lady Carradine and if she were in league with Mr. Shine. He suspected she must be, as she had conveniently absented herself from the previous night’s activities.
He would wait for a report from the men watching Lady Carradine’s establishment. At some point, he would see Dalton and put out the word that the club was now to be avoided. But before that, he would visit Mrs. Hemming’s house and speak to the lady. It had always seemed to him that she was a particular friend of Lady Carradine and she might be able to shed light on the lady’s relationship to Mr. Shine. He doubted now that they were cousins, but he was undecided on the exact nature of the connection. If he were mistaken in his guesses at her involvement, might she somehow be under his power?
If she were under his power, it would account for her failing to escort Miss Farnsworth to her carriage. If she were under his power, might not she need rescue herself?
There was much to be discovered, principally—would Mr. Shine take flight, or somehow attempt to stand his ground?
The idea that he would soon see Miss Farnsworth again poked at him like a sharp pin and presented various images, some to do with her legs. He dismissed them all.
Of course, he had softened toward the lady. It was only natural after going through such an ordeal. It was only natural after seeing her act so bravely. But it was no more than that.
*
Lily had takenher aunt into the drawing room and waited for Ranier to close the door behind him. She’d taken her aunt’s hands in her own and related all of the events of the previous evening.
To say Mrs. Hemming was shocked was an understatement. She’d paled to an alarming degree.
“Dear Lily,” she said, “it is my fault. I should never have left you there. What was I thinking? But then, it all seemed so reasonable in the moment. I would have trusted Lady Carradine with my life and so why not my niece? My God, what would I have said to my brother if something had happened to you? It is too awful to think about!”
“But I am well,” Lily said. “So, there is no need to tell anybody anything. It is best that way, Aunt. I would be ruined if people knew that I had been alone with Lord Ashworth behind a locked door.”
“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Hemming said. “Quite ruined. I presume he was a gentleman, under the circumstance?”
“Most circumspect,” Lily answered, thinking she need not go into how often she’d found herself in the lord’s arms.
“Of course he would be. I know you do not like him, he can have that way about him that the high and mighty often do. For all that, though, he’s always struck me as every inch a gentleman.”
Lily hardly knew how to explain that her feelings had undergone no little transformation. As her aunt did not look for a response, she gave none.
“But what can have happened to Lady Carradine?” Mrs. Hemming asked. “I cannot understand it at all. I have known the lady these past five years, Lady Edith and I were some of her first members to the club. She is a friend, I cannot conceive that she would do anything to harm you.”
“That, I cannot say—”
