Page 28 of Love and the Shameless Lady

“I’d prefer breakfast,” he said, and Ellie giggled again.

Daisy blew out a breath. She should have known she couldn’t get rid of him so easily.

“I’m fair famished,” he added. “I didn’t care to inconvenience Mr. Bennett’s cook, and one rock bun at the Diving Duck isn’t enough for a man my size.”

“Mrs. Kent will be that put out that she’s not here to prepare it for you, Miss Daisy. But we wasn’t expecting you, so she went to see her sister.”

“Just give us whatever you have,” Daisy said. “Bring tea and ale as well.”

“Coming right up,” Ellie said. “I does eggs just fine. And there’s fresh bread and cheese, and the last of a ham.”

“That sounds perfect, Ellie.” Sir Julian gave her his charming smile, and the maid dimpled and blushed. Daisy barely refrained from rolling her eyes.

“We’ll eat in the breakfast parlor.” Grudgingly, Daisy led Sir Julian there. The windows overlooked the drive, so she and her guest were plainly visible to the stables. Good, because she mustn’t give the servants any reason to think she had reverted to her wanton ways. They would gossip, and the gossip would spread, and . . .

She shouldn’t care. She’d already been ruined, and soon her name would be even more muddied by the revelation that she wrote scandalous novels. Even now it might be on the tongue of every gossipmonger in the ton, so her scruples about breakfasting alone with Sir Julian were frankly ridiculous.

Sir Julian set her bags down by the door. She huffed. “Why didn’t you just leave them for one of the footmen?”

“Because I didn’t see a footman. Is there one, by the way? Or is he on leave of absence, too?”

“The movements of my brother’s servants are none of your business. After breakfast, you must leave.”

Ellie came in with a tankard of ale and deposited it before Sir Julian. “I’ll be back straightaway with the tea, and after that I’ll bring the ham and eggs.”

“You shouldn’t have to do all the work, Ellie,” Sir Julian said. “Is there no footman to serve us?”

“Aye, we’ve two, but one’s gone to see his granny for a fortnight, and the other’s in Preston fetching the post.” She grinned. “I don’t mind, sir, truly I don’t.” She tripped away to the kitchen.

“One footman, and he’s not even here,” Sir Julian said. “Are there any other male servants in the house?”

“The butler,” she said.

“Let me guess. He’s a strapping young fellow, capable with both guns and knives, entirely able to protect an entire household. Am I correct?”

Since the butler was sixty years old and slower than a turtle, she didn’t dignify this question with an answer.

“Shall I carry the bags to your chamber? I expect it’s suitably distant from the servants’ quarters.”

If only she were a man and could plant him a facer.

“So distant, in fact, that no one will hear you if you call for help.”

“There’s a bell pull,” she snarled, and clamped her mouth shut as Ellie arrived with the tea. Once the maid had left again, she said, “I repeat, after breakfast, you must leave.”

“When,” he asked gently, “does your brother return?”