Page 26 of Reckless Desire

He winged an arm toward her. She wanted to refuse, to tell him to go straight to the devil, but those were the low manners of a country girl who didn’t know better. Kenna kept her expression neutral and slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.

He angled his head toward the girls. “Ladies.” Without another word, he led her away.

***

Out of earshot of the young ladies, Bryson said to Miss Ramsay, “You are angry with me.”

“What would give you that idea?” she said in a too-sweet voice.

“Wilshire does not have honorable intentions when it comes to any lady.”

She looked up at him. “Really?”

There was that too-sweet voice again.

“You know he is a man not to be trusted?” he asked. Before she could answer, he added, “Then why were you alone with him in the parlor?”

Her eyes narrowed. “It is really none of your concern what I was doing with Lord Wilshire.”

“If you care for your reputation—”

“I do not think you are in a position to lecture me on how to care for my reputation.”

Two gentlemen glanced their way, and her cheeks pinked. Bryson directed her away from the men, past three ladies seated at a card table, toward the table where refreshments awaited in the corner of the room.

They reached the table and privacy. “You would be wise to stay away from Lord Wilshire.”

“I believe you are truly daft.”

He paused in reaching for a crystal punch glass and looked at her. “I beg your pardon?”

“If you are looking for a girl to thrill with your domineering attitude, then look no further. With the slightest encouragement, Miss Davenport and her friends would worship at your feet.”

He stiffened.

“The grand ladies here in Town clearly are enthralled with your handsome face, broad shoulders and deep voice. But I dinnae like being ordered around by any man.”

“You forgot my money,” he said.

She frowned. “What?”

“You forgot my money. Ladies are enthralled with my money. I am very rich.”

Her expression darkened. “Forgive me. How could I overlook your best quality?” She whirled and stormed away.

Bryson stared until she disappeared beyond the open balcony doors. He sighed and set down the cup he’d picked up. This falling in love thing wasn’t going to be easy.

Chapter Eight

An hour later, Kenna seethed over Lord Newhall’s tyrannical attitude. What made the man think he had the right to give her orders? In truth, it wasn’t his commanding tone that truly bothered her, but his judgement of her. She shouldn’t care. She didn’t care. He was just so maddening.

She strolled alongside Mister Davis on the garden path. The rest of the group walked ahead of them, no doubt whispering about her earlier encounter with that man, and now her walking with Mister Davis.

It had been too much to hope that Lord Wilshire would attend the luncheon. Aside from him being the perfect candidate for her plan to embroil herself in a scandal, she burned to prove to that man that she didn’t need his advice. Unfortunately, she had no idea when, or even if, she would ever see Lord Wilshire again. She simply couldn’t wait for a time she might run into him.

Mister Davis was a sweet young man who would easily fall into her trap. A slight pang of conscience struck. Would he be hurt when he realized that she’d only led him on? Nae, she was being silly. He wouldn’t fall in love with her. The next beautiful woman who crossed his path would make him forget her. All she had to do was get him to take a walk with her in the arboretum. They would be caught kissing, and the scandal would be enough to induce Lady Chastity and Sir Stirling to send her home. She half wished Lord Newhall would be the one to discover her in a compromising situation with the young man. That would teach him a lesson.

Good Lord, she was the one who had gone daft.