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Chapter Three
This had to be her father—Miss Dinah Mulgrave’sangryfather.
Henry Thrup, Earl of Stanton, looked from the man holding him against the outer wall of the townhouse, to Miss Dinah Mulgrave, to the older woman who’d first come out of the house. Through the servants’ door, of all things. Yet, the older woman’s clothes clearly showed she was no servant. She washaut tonif ever Henry had seen a lady of rank.
“Well?” the father bellowed. “I asked you a question.”
“Sir,” Henry started, his mind spinning. Calming an angry father was not something he’d ever had to do before. “I beg your forgiveness, but your daughter was out riding today and lost her way. I only wished to see her home safely.”
“You’ll have to tell a more convincing bounder than that,” the father spat. “Dinah never losses her way.”
Great. The first rule to lying was to always tell the person what they wanted to believe, or at the very least, something that waseasyto believe. But he knew neither Miss Dinah nor her father, so he couldn’t rightly say what lie would pass muster. He looked over at Miss Dinah.
She seemed to understand that he simply didn’t have enough knowledge about her father to talk them out of this.
“Please, Father,” she said. “It was only a bit of fun.”
“Fun?” Instead of growing louder, her father’s voice grew softer. And yet, Henry got the distinct impression that for this man, softer was more dangerous. He eyed Henry. “What exactly were you and my daughter doing together this afternoon? Did you kiss her?”
Gads, no. But he couldn’t very well say as much.
“He is very good at it,” Miss Dinah said with a light laugh.
Henry’s mouth dropped open, and he was certain his eyes went wide. Luckily, at her comment, Mr. Mulgrave turned toward his daughter, so no one saw Henry’s expression of utter shock.
“Come, Dinah,” the older lady said, her voice tight. “I think it is best we get you inside.”
“Wait,” Mr. Mulgrave said. “Dinah, I have tolerated this behavior long enough. I have warned you and counseled you. I know Lady Blackmore and your sister and cousin have repeatedly pleaded that you act in a more respectable manner. Yet, you have ignored every attempt from us.” Mr. Mulgrave didn’t lessen his hold on Henry as he spoke to his daughter. “You were aware that we were having guests tonight?”
Miss Dinah’s face had gone a bit white at his words. “Well yes, but I hardly understand—”
“Then perhaps you can guess who it was that first saw the two of you arrive just now? Who might havetoldLady Blackmore and me that you were walking, alone, with a gentleman not of your family, and in dirty clothes with your hair all half-pulled out?”
Miss Dinah wasdecidedlywhite now. Indeed, Henry could hardly breathe himself, and it had nothing to do with Mr. Mulgrave’s arm across his chest.
“Sir,” he tried again.
“Shut it,” Mr. Mulgrave barked back.
“Can we not say he is a friend of the family?” Miss Dinah tried. “That we have not seen him for so long, and that we went out for a ride and lost track of time?”
“Say that this man—” Mr. Mulgrave eyed Henry, no doubt finding his dirty clothing, unkempt hair, and three days’ worth of stubble falling short of approval. One could not appear to be a gentleman and still hide among smugglers.
“Thisman,” Mr. Mulgrave repeated, “is atrustedfriend of the family? Even if I could convince anyone of such an obvious falsehood, what of your mud-covered dress and disheveled hair?”
“My appearance we can blame on me falling from my horse,” Miss Dinah tried yet again.
“It’s no use,” the older woman said, taking Miss Dinah’s arm.
Mr. Mulgrave sighed heavily, and for the first time, the burning anger in his eyes seemed to give way to something else.
Sadness, if Henry wasn’t mistaken.
“My sweet,” he said softly, “you have ruined yourself.”
Henry felt like he might be sick. He knew exactly what it meant for a woman to be ruined in the eyes of society. She would never know a comfortable home or honorable standing among her friends; she very well may never succeed in finding a husband. The few women he knew who’d faced such an obstacle had been shoved away from all good society until they had no option but to either live in abject poverty or turn to selling themselves just to stay alive.
Her eyes turned red, and she blinked many times. “What are you saying?”
