Page 22 of The Lady’s Great Escape

Kit nodded and smiled at Lady Harrington. “Thank you for your time. We’re sorry to have bothered you.”

“I assure you it is never a bother to me to have such fine-looking gentleman visit,” she said.

Kit and Gray stood and offered a bow. They were nearly to the door when she stopped them.

“I just realized, while I might not be able to tell you who the woman was, I might be able to determine whose invitation she used to gain entry.”

“Really?” Kit came closer.

“It will take a few days for me to puzzle it out, but you see I mark each invitation with a symbol for my own knowledge. As I said some of my patrons give their invitations to those they should not. I’m able to determine who I extended the invitation to originally and make sure they do not receive one in the future.”

“Very clever, my lady.” Gray winked at the woman who preened at his compliment.

“I’ll send word once I work out whose invitation she might have used. I know everyone else who was in attendance.”

“I appreciate your help,” Kit offered.

“I’ll surely think of some way you can repay my kindness.” Her gaze lowered over his body, stopping at a very specific body part.

“Come. There’s nothing else to be done until we hear back from Lady Harrington. Let’s seek other entertainments this evening.”

“I would rather stay at home.”

“You’ll have the rest of your life to stay at home. I only have a limited time before my final friend falls into wedded bliss and I’m left alone.”

“Very well… carry on.”

Kit could only hope their nights of debauchery would come to an end once he found Selene.

*

While her brotherand Kit missed breakfast and had stayed out all day doing God knew what, Celia had her first caller.

Lord Timmons arrived with a modest bouquet of blush roses and a dashing smile. Celia invited him into the drawing room and noticed the man looked a bit confused. Where else would she take him?

“I wished to thank you again for the honor of dancing with you last night. It was the highlight of the ball for me,” he said.

“As it was for me,” she answered honestly. No other men had asked her to dance. That was fine with her. She had been much too busy comparing every man to the likeness she kept in her mind of Lord Desire.

She’d dreamed of him again last night. If she didn’t find a distraction soon, she might have to visit Lady Harrington to see if the woman could tell her who he truly was.

But for now, a distraction had landed in her drawing room. And they had already fallen into an awkward silence.

“I shall ring for tea,” she offered, remembering her manners.

“That won’t be necessary,” he said.

She nodded in agreement, though she would have rather liked to break up the uncomfortable visit. Drinking tea would give her something to do with her hands.

“Might I be so bold as to make a suggestion?” he asked.

“Of course.” She relaxed slightly glad it wasn’t just her who had noticed the tension.

“Perhaps if you told your footman we were not to be disturbed and then locked the door we could make use of the settee?” He raised his brows.

Celia had seen her brother and Kit do something similar when they were talking about disreputable things and wanted a rise out of her. But this was no jest. Lord Simmons was propositioning her for…

She’d wanted to take a lover, and had even considered this man, but now…