Page 5 of A Rogue to Ensnare

The sound of whispers got his attention. Whoever the two were sounded like women. He neared a bush and peered past it to see a couple oblivious to how easy they were to spy. In a tight embrace, they kissed with wild abandon. But the giggle and whispers came from a tall wall of nearby bushes, and he leaned into it, to find two young women hidden among the branches and watching the lovers as they embraced. One of them wore a familiar, bright yellow dress.

“Penelope?” He reached in and yanked his sister by the arm. “What are you doing?”

His sister’s wide eyes moved from him to the couple, still unaware of their observers. They’d pulled apart and were now walking farther into the garden. Miles shuddered to think what his sister and accomplice would have witnessed if they’d followed the obviously enraptured couple.

He turned to address his sister’s accomplice. “Corrine, come out at once.” Miles cringed at his fatherly tone. “What are you doing? Look at you two. Your hair is askew, and gowns crumpled.”

Penelope reached up to push a dangling yellow bow from her hair and back into her dark curls. It flopped over her forehead, seeming to have given up any desire to function. Meanwhile, Corrine ran her hands frantically down her grass-stained skirts. “Mother will be most put out.”

“Well, it is clear that neither of you can return inside in this state,” Miles said, looking from one to the other.

His sister crossed her arms over her body; a second bow fell out of her hair to the ground. “I did not expect for these gowns and hairstyles to be so easy to ruin.”

Corrine joined her friend in a show of solidarity by crossing her arms as well. “I stumbled into the bush and Penelope tried to help me, only to fall in as well.”

“That is quite a dangerous bush it seems,” Miles replied in a flat tone. “Spying on the couple who was kissing had nothing to do with you remaining there?”

His sister frowned and tossed her head. “Brother, you should stop chastising us and help us return inside. We must find a powder room and repair what we can.”

“I will help you.” Siobhan suddenly appeared at his elbow. She’d materialized from somewhere in the garden. “We can take the back stairs to my bedchamber.” She motioned for the girls to follow as she turned to lead the way.

Miles caught up with the beauty and fell into step beside her. “You seem flushed, Miss Blair. Did you leave company to join us?”

She slid a glance up at him from the corners of her eyes. “If you must know, I was stargazing when an adventurous couple happened to decide the perfect place to…enjoy each other’s company was directly in my line of sight.” She blew out a breath. “I had to slip away before they noticed me. Or before I saw too much.”

Miles pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. “So you enjoy the stars, but not love?”

It was comical to see her look over her shoulder as if expecting the couple to appear. “What they were doing was not love.” She lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned closer. The scent of citrus blooms surrounded him. “It was lusting, my lord.”

Penelope hurried to catch up with them; apparently spying on trysts wasn’t the only thing she enjoyed. “What is ‘lusting’?”

He opened his mouth to tell her to never mind, but Siobhan saved him from having to play the protector of their virtue. It made him wonder how much of the acts of love—and lust—this particular young minx understood, herself. She might have been young, but was it possible she wasn’t inexperienced?

“Come. Hurry girls, lest we be spotted.” Siobhan took both girls by the hands, and he let them go as they hurried away toward the side of the house, disappearing from his sight into the darkness.

He returned to the ballroom, and as soon as he went in, his mother moved quickly toward him. “Have you seen your sister?” Her eyes were wide with worry. “She and Corrine seem to be missing.”

Miles nodded. “No worries, Mother. I found them in the garden. They were in a bush spying, on a couple who was kissing.”

“Oh my.” His mother covered her mouth with her hand.

He continued, “Siobhan Blair took the pair up to her bedchamber to repair their appearances.”

“Goodness,” his mother said, looking toward the interior of the room. He spotted Corrine’s mother making a beeline for them.

Blast. Miles took his mother’s arm and led her toward the woman. “The fact of the matter is, neither of them are ready to be out yet. I think this should be Penelope’s last ball for the season.”

“I agree. Hopefully your father will not notice her absence tonight.” She left his side to approach Corrine’s mother.

He left the women so they could discuss what had occurred and strolled to the door. He’d had enough of this event.

“Lord Miles, I do believe it is time for our dance.” Amelia blocked his exit.

He stopped a rude epithet from leaving his lips just in time. Instead, he screwed on a smile. He would make quick work of this and then depart. “Of course,” Miles replied, offering his arm.

Just before the dance ended, Siobhan and the two younger women made their reappearance. Penelope looked no worse for the wear, her hair perfectly coiffed. Corrine’s dress was pressed, and only because he’d been aware of its earlier state did he notice the grass stains.

Both his mother and Corrine’s hurried to them, his mother speaking to Siobhan, who smiled at whatever was said.