Page 44 of The Seduction of an English Scoundrel

“Then—”

“Sedgecroft.”

“Oh.” Jane’s gaze strayed across the lawn to the stunningly handsome figure striding toward her, every muscle moving with effortless grace. Her heart gave a leap as he looked at her. Oh, such a gorgeous monster. With regret she returned her focus to Cecily’s anxious face. “I don’t think you need to worry about me.”

“Sedgecroft, Jane. The consummate rake.”

“I am simply having breakfast with him. That’s all.”

“Sedgecroft doesn’t simply ‘have’ a meal with a woman,” Cecily said. “Not unless she is the main course.”

Breakfast and bed sport. Her own words echoed tauntingly in her mind.

“Nonsense,” she said firmly.

Cecily glanced around, aware she did not have her friend’s full attention. Her brows rose when she noticed the arresting marquess approaching. “Ah, speak of the devil,” she muttered. “Jane, please, please, listen to me. You are in a most vulnerable state. I know how deeply Nigel hurt you, but to link up with Sedgecroft. Well, isn’t it a little like walking blindfolded along the edge of a cliff?”

“Hello, Cecily,” Grayson said, gazing down at Jane as he positioned himself between the two women. “How is your father these days? I haven’t seen him at the club lately.”

Cecily subjected him to her coolest stare. As one of Chloe’s friends, she was all too aware of the lethal Boscastle charm and ever on guard against it. “He is well, thank you. And your family? They all looked hale in the chapel yesterday.”

“Hale and full of hell, if I may use the word.” He glanced from her to Jane, his eyes pinning her with a solicitous concern that she knew was all for show. “Would you like to dance, Jane?”

Cecily stared down pointedly at the hand he had brushed across Jane’s shoulder, her lips thinning in disapproval.

Jane shook her head. “Not now, thank you. I—”

“Shall we get some champagne then?” he asked, nudging her ever so subtly away from Cecily.

“Oh, champagne would be lovely,” Cecily said, deliberately refusing to take the hint. “Why don’t you run off and fetch us some, Sedgecroft?”

He gave her an ingenuous grin. “But that would mean leaving Jane alone again, and I couldn’t be so rude. Why don’t you be a dear and find a footman for us? A duchess should practice giving orders, don’t you think?”

Jane lowered her gaze, afraid she might burst into laughter, if not tears. Oh, the look of shock on Cecily’s face! And Sedgecroft was the very devil, provoking her poor friend this way.

Cecily’s smile was brittle. “That reminds me, Jane. Hudson and I are riding in the park Tuesday afternoon with his nieces and nephews. You will come with us?”

Grayson smiled back at her. “We’d love to, wouldn’t we, Jane?”

Cecily’s mouth dropped open. “I meant—”

“I haven’t spent time with Hudson since we went shooting in the Highlands,” he went on. “Perhaps the four of us could attend the opera later in the week.”

Cecily did not know what to make of this. Sedgecroft was as arrogant as they came, and the worst thing was, Hudson did like the marquess. He had mentioned on countless occasions that he enjoyed Sedgecroft, a real man’s man if ever there was one. But what were his intentions toward her friend? Was it possible he had an ounce of honor in him?

“On second thought, do you really think Jane should resume an active social life this soon after . . . well, after yesterday?” she asked in a strained voice.

He smiled blandly, turning Jane in the other direction as if to protect her. “I think I can take good care of Jane, although I admire your loyalty during these, let us say, awkward times. And now before we leave, the two of us will fetch that champagne for you, Cecily. You do look as if you could use some fortification.”

“Couldn’t we all?” Jane asked in an undertone, gazing over her shoulder at her dumbfounded friend.

A few minutes later they had made their farewells, located Simon, and Jane was whisked from the party by her handsome companion without another bite of food.

“Sedgecroft, your treatment of Cecily was so . . . so . . .”

“There’s no need to keep thanking me,” he murmured as he escorted her forcefully to his carriage. “Your gratitude is understood.”

“Is it, Sedgecroft? I cannot tell you what a relief that is to me.”