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Helen smiled, scheming a way to make her newfound rake see into her plans. She was sure that if he learned that her father was the Earl of Erbury, he would be interested in what she was about to tell him.
Lifting her chin in arrogance, she spoke, “My father is Lord Simon Jarvis, Earl of Erbury House. And I will make sure that your outrageous accusations will not go unpunished.”
The man laughed, a deep rumble that ignited a sudden desire in Helen’s veins. It echoed through the night air, the sound making her spine tingle. Then, his lips parted, and he smiled at her. Helen felt like her heart was about to give in to weariness.
“Earl of Erbury. Sounds familiar though I believe I have never met him. My steward said he owns quite the expanse of land in London.”
Surprise flitted across Helen’s features for a moment, and she stuttered when the words finally formed in her mouth. “S-Steward?”
“Of course. Do you think so lowly of me as not being able to afford a steward?”
“Perhaps,” Helen said, suddenly embarrassed. “But your grave accusations still attach themselves to me like mud to my gown. Perhaps you should not spew out your misguided thoughts to besmirch a lady.”
The man laughed again. “Accusations? Wandering the grounds without a chaperone is enough to ruin your reputation. Is that something you want?”
Helen felt anger bubbling in her gut. It shot through her veins like an arrow and mixed horribly with the current embarrassment she was feeling.
“I have been embarrassed enough for one night,” Helen snapped and turned to leave. “I would like to take my leave now.”
She never expected their conversation to go down the way it had. Not only did she feel humiliated, he accused her of stalking and being potentially scandalous. Helen was even angrier when she recalled that she never learned his name.
Strong hands covered her own and pulled her back into the dark comfort of the garden. “Wait. If you are clearly not smitten by me, why have you sought me out?”
“Have you not had enough fun embarrassing me for the night? I must retire for the evening,” Helen said, pushing down the delicious sensation crawling up her spine.
“I did not mean to embarrass you. I am just merely trying to convey the potential repercussions of your actions.”
“And what might they be? Seeing how you have already berated me tonight?” Helen asked.
“If we are caught together,” he stated, “you will bear the brunt of your actions alone. I will not be forced into marriage on any account. Also, an unchaperoned woman caught in the gardens with a man will definitely give way to a scandal.”
“A scandal?” Helen groaned. “I definitely have no intentions of becoming the talk of the Season.”
The man regarded her with a grin, one that made his eyes crinkle softly. “Guess I was right the first time. Since you know my intentions now, you must realize that I am not ready for marriage.”
Helen turned to face the man and smiled coquettishly. “No one wants a rake for a husband. In all honesty, a boring life in the fresh country air will bring me so much peace.”
“But you came here for something, did you not?” he asked and advanced toward her.
“Have you ever feasted your arrogant mind onSilent Dreams?” Helen asked quickly before she could lose her nerve.
“You sought me out to talk about literature? Some talk over tea and biscuits would have been better than this,” The man stared at her for a moment and laughed.
He continued shortly after. “But since you asked, it is a ghastly book indeed — not at all like the familiar literature of Byron and Shakespeare. Why would a well-mannered lady busy herself with such books that feed the mind with lust?”
“So, you are one of the people who decides what a woman reads and what she cannot?”
“Not at all. Do you find comfort in the book?”
Helen shifted her weight to her right foot, leaning on the small hedge of flowers. “Jack is a very good character and provides comfort and humor when I need it the most.”
“Then you must know that his affairs are not the purest. I hope your comfort is not one that should be shared in secrecy between husband and wife?”
Helen blushed furiously, and she held her fan to her face to cover her embarrassment. It felt like the man was staring into her soul, boring holes into her mind with his words.
“Is that why you sought me out?” he asked. “Because you liken me to Jack?”
She was starting to reconsider her position. Helen had hoped that the man in front of her would be someone who was not versed in literature. A part of her hoped that it would be easy, but now, she felt ashamed of herself.
