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Randall shrugged.
‘I demand only two things, Miss Endacott, unquestioning obedience and loyalty.’
She shook her head at him.
‘Loyalty I can understand, but unquestioning obedience? I do not think I could give anyone that.’ She gave a little shrug and smiled at him. ‘Nevertheless, I have to congratulate you on your success, sir. To take such unpromising material and turn them into a crack artillery troop is no mean feat.’
‘A man’s background is nothing to me, as long as he can fight.’
‘But how does one control such men?’ she asked him.
‘Iron discipline. The lash and the rope. When a man joins the Rogues he knows it is his last chance.’
He saw the disapproval in her eyes.
‘That is a brutal way to go on, my lord.’
‘It is necessary. In war a man must know he can rely on his comrades.’
‘I would there were no wars and no need for armies.’
‘That is a dream of all reasonable beings, madam.’
He leaned back, watching the changing emotions flicker across her countenance.
She said a little wistfully, ‘My father was a great supporter of the revolution in France, and of Bonaparte, at first. Papa thought he would uphold democracy, until he proclaimed himself emperor and began to overrun Europe.’
‘Thus, until the world is at peace we shall always need soldiers, Miss Endacott.’
‘We shall indeed. But this is dismal talk, Lord Randall, surely there must be a more entertaining topic?’
‘Yes, you,’ he said, surprising himself, but it was worth it to see the becoming blush spread over her cheeks.
‘No, no, I am not entertaining at all.’
‘Will you not let me be the judge of that?’ She shook her head and looked as if she might leave him, so he said quickly, ‘Very well, what would you like to discuss? Let us agree that I shall allow you to choose the first topic for discussion. You must then allow me my choice.’
She leaned back against the arm of the sofa and regarded him, a faint smile playing at the edges of her mouth.
‘Very well. I would like to know what persuaded the great Earl Randall to attend the party tonight.’
‘That is simple: my sister asked me.’
‘Even though you clearly do not approve of us?’
‘Even so. I am only here for one week and did not wish to spend an evening apart from Harriett.’
‘Hattie always said you were the best of the Latymors.’ She observed his surprise and her smile grew. ‘You must remember I have been Hattie’s friend since our schooldays, Lord Randall. I am aware that your mother, the countess, was outraged when Harriett returned from school with her head full of independent ideas. Our intentions were very much the same, you see. We both wished to make our own way in the world and declared we would never marry. It must have been a relief when Hattie fell head over heels in love with Theophilus three years ago.’
‘It was. Graveney had a comfortable independence and my mother was too relieved to see her daughter respectably married to protest at her new son-in-law’s rather unconventional views.’
Randall was surprised that he should talk so freely. It was not his habit to discuss his family with anyone, but there was an elusive charm about this woman that put him at his ease.
‘Quite...’ she nodded ‘...and they have lived happily in Sussex ever since, unconcerned that Harriett’s family disapprove of the match.’
‘I do not disapprove,’ said Randall mildly. ‘For my part I have no objection to Graveney. He is a decade older than I am and we have little in common, but I like the fact that he has made no effort to ingratiate himself with the family and he is not afraid to speak his mind.’
‘You do not object to that?’ she asked, her brows raised.
