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A look of incredulous horror came into his face. “You devious bitch!”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “You don’t understand. The title and the property go to Bernard Lamb on the death of Anthony.”
“I understand only too well. You are a scheming little bitch. Mercenary beyond belief!”
Anger almost choked her. She slapped him in the face.
He towered above her black with rage. Too late she realized what she had done. Fear made her reckless. “Go on, knock me down as you did when you believed I’d made Dolly pregnant! I thought hitting a female was against your rigid code of honor!”
Her scathing words exacerbated the self-disgust he felt toward himself, mainly for having been duped, especially by a woman.
“How the hellfire could I have ever thought you a male?”
“Shall I tell you? You never really looked at me. You took one contemptuous glance at Tony with those glacial eyes of yours and dismissed him as useless. You acted like an arrogant swine and treated him with utter contempt because he’d never measure up to your idea of a man.”
“Be silent,” he roared. “Your language and your behavior are scandalous, outrageous!”
“You set me such an exemplary standard. You’re the one who taught me to curse and drink and dragged me around every brothel in London!”
“Good God Almighty!” Savage muttered, recalling how he’d tutored young Tony Lamb.
“The measure of a man to you is having a whore beneath him every night. Well, the measure of a man to me is courage. I found the courage to challenge my murdering cousin to a duel and, by heaven and hell, I’ll challenge you to one if you’ve the guts!”
Adam Savage clenched his fists to prevent himself from striking her. He had never, ever in his entire existence been so enraged. He spun on his heel and put a safe distance between them before he killed her.
Savage went straight down to Blackwater River, threw off his clothes, and plunged in to cool his fury. She was his ward. Eve’s child whom he’d once thought of as becoming his daughter. But she wasn’t a bloody child, she was a woman grown. A real raven-haired beauty with the manners and behavior of a wild schoolboy. She needed a damned good thrashing!
She had made a bloody fool of him. He’d lit her cigars and poured her brandy. She’d rattled about with that dissolute Carlton House set, racing phaetons, making wild wagers, and, Judas Iscariot, she’d even been present around the chamberpots to piss!
She was an outrageous female who had violated every propriety. Her behavior was offensive, disgusting, scandalous. Savage’s mouth became more grim by the minute. She’d capped it all off by challenging a man to a duel. Outrageous behavior for a young lord, let alone a young lady. He’d had to smuggle her out of the country. His face paled as he thought of the scurvy crew who’d been her companions aboard theFlying Dragon.McSwine, for Christ’s sake!
Savage pulled himself from the cold river and shook himself as an animal shakes water from its pelt. He slicked his long black hair back from his face and pulled on his shirt and pants. He was in control of his temper now. He would go and lay down the rules for Lady Antonia Lamb. He was her legal guardian, in charge of her money and her morals, for Christ’s sake. If a breath of this shocking scandal got out, her reputation would be blackened beyond repair. She would be shunned by all respectable women, and propositioned by the men. No gentleman would ever offer her marriage. She was on the brink of ruin. He had never known a female who needed a firmer hand.
He strode purposefully into the banqueting hall. He saw with a small measure of satisfaction that she was exactly where he had left her. “Automat.” His voice was deep, firm, and brooked no nonsense.
She turned from the mantel in a swirl of rustling green silk. He stared at her in shocked disbelief. She was smoking a cheroot! His calm demeanor flew up the chimney. He took one stride toward her and knocked the cigar from her hand into the fire.
“How dare you?” he raged. “You are supposed to be a lady, not a common slut.”
“You have a taste for common sluts,” she said insolently.
“Silence!” he roared. “I am your guardian. One more word of insolence and I shall thrash you.”
Antonia bit back the wordsYou wouldn’t dare.She knew Adam Savage damn well would dare. He’d pull down her drawers and tan her arse so thoroughly, she wouldn’t be able to sit for a week. Her eyes glittered like green flames, but she held her tongue.
“Now then, Lady Lamb, I shall lay down the rules that you will follow implicitly. This charade is over today. Never again by word or look will you be insolent to me. Never again are you to go out without a chaperone. Never again are you to swear, smoke, or drink. In other words, mistress, you will be a lady in every sense of the word.”
“Never again!”
“What did you say?” His voice was dangerous.
She backed away quickly, holding off his threatened attack with outstretched hands. “You haven’t the faintest idea how loathsome it is to be a lady! As Anthony I could go where I pleased, say whatever I wished. Choose my own friends. Make a wager. Eat or drink whatever I fancied. I could be sober as a judge or drink myself into oblivion. I could quote Shakespeare or get a laugh with a lewd limerick. I could shoot grouse or shoot out the chandeliers at Carlton House. In other words as Anthony I wasfree. Freeto choose! As Antonia I must be prim, proper, and polite. I must be a lady. To be a lady is to be prisoner. Never, everfreeto choose!”
“Enough!” he ordered. “You were born a lady and, by God, a lady you will be so long as I am your guardian. I cannot fathom how Lady Randolph could have countenanced this shameful scheme.” His icy blue eyes were filled with contempt for her.
“Then you’re a bloody fool! Bernard Lamb tampered with our sailboat so that the rudder broke away when we were in the storm. He murdered my twin and has tried repeatedly to murder me. The night before I left for Ireland he pushed me underneath an oncoming carriage!” She lifted her skirts and tore down her stocking to reveal the massive bruise to her thigh.
Savage stared in disbelief at her immodesty. Christ, her legs were so long, they went on forever.
