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My heart was threatening to beat right out of my chest. For a moment, I thought of turning around and running right back to my room, but I would surely be discovered. No, there was no getting out of this.
Lord help me.
I stepped into the room, feeling the warmth of the candlelight on my face.
“Amelia Allen?” The Lord said, eyeing me with considerable surprise.
He was lounged across a leather chair, his shirt untucked. The top few buttons were undone, giving me a clear view of his tanned chest. I swallowed, trying to concentrate on his face.
That didn’t help much.
The Lord looked me up and down, and then raised his eyebrows.
“And in your dressing gown, no less.”
I felt my cheeks color instantly. I had forgotten that I wasn’t fully dressed. How embarrassing.
“I’m sorry, my Lord, I couldn’t sleep and I heard a noise, and I-”
“Oh please, it’s fine. You think I’ve never seen a lady in her dressing gown? Hardly shocking. Sit.” He commanded, interrupting my nervous stammering.
He had nodded towards another chair beside his own. I saw that there were several bottles of liquor on the table, and a pile of fallen books on the ground beside it. That was likely the crashing noise I heard.
“Thank you, my Lord, but I couldn’t possibly stay, I have to get back to my roo-”
“Really, Amelia?” He said, using my given name without hesitation. “I think you can stay. In fact, I command it.”
I knew that my face was beet red. I stared at him for a moment, but I knew there was no use in arguing. He hadcommandedme. Who was I, a poor nobody, to refuse?
Had I been a lady of somewhat more social standing, he might not have spoken to me so brashly. I felt a low anger simmering inside me, but I bit it back. I took a seat on the chair opposite him, wrapping my shawl around my shoulders in a pathetic attempt at modesty.
“Care for a drink?” He asked, taking a swig from one of the bottles.
I eyed him reproachfully. It appeared that he had found the spirits that were so lacking at dinner.
“I normally wouldn’t offer spirits to a girl such as yourself,” he continued, his blue eyes sparkling in my direction. “But you’ve already surprised me twice, Amelia Allen. First, at the Lord Turley’s party, and then on Gracechurch Street… it is not often one finds a respectable lady at such a place.”
Respectable lady? He was willing to address me by my first name, command me to stay here, in my dressing gown, as if I was nothing more than a village girl… and then refer to me as arespectable lady?
The gall. I was suddenly annoyed.
“Sure, I’ll have a drink.” I said in a challenging tone, surprising even myself. I held out my hand, waiting for him to hand it to me.
Lord Marsden looked surprised for a moment, as if he had (reasonably) expected me to refuse. For heaven’s sakes,Ihad expected myself to refuse. I had never evenhadliquor before. In all of my nineteen years, I’d only ever had port or sherry. Every bit of logic I had was screaming at me that this was a disastrous idea.
But it was too late now.
I took a deep swig of the bottle, feeling the liquid burn my throat. It felt like I was swallowing fire, and I did not enjoy it one bit. I found myself coughing, tears watering in my eyes.
“Dear lord, Amelia, have you never had gin before?”
I shook my head, trying to get the harsh taste out of my mouth.
He sighed.
“Of course. Well, I’m sorry your first time has to be this sorry lot. I found it in the cellar. It’s certainly not as refined as the ratafia they serve at Almacks. That sickly sweet drink is all the rage amongst the ladies of the ton.”
He grimaced, taking another swig himself.
