Sin With a Scoundrel (The Husband Hunters Club 4)

Behind her she could hear them whispering to each other and a kiss or two. Then she saw someone coming and jumped back inside the room, shutting the door behind her.

“Mr. Charles is out there!”

Tina’s green eyes grew very big, and Richard Eversham began to pull on his clothing with incredible speed. Maria thought she must tell Archie about this when she saw him again and wondered if he’d be shocked or whether he would laugh. Both, perhaps.

There was a knock on the door, and a familiar voice called, “Tina?”

Now Tina tumbled out of bed and pulled her gown around her. She went to the door and cracked it open an inch or two. “Charles? What on earth are you doing here?”

“Anne and I are going saili

ng and we wondered if you wanted to come. Oh, and Sir Henry is awake and calling for his breakfast.”

“Thank goodness he’s all right,” Tina said, genuinely relieved.

“Yes. What about the sailing? I’ve been questioned about the hunt so I’m free to go. No prison for me,” he added jovially.

Tina thought it was too early in the morning for Charles’s jokes. “I don’t think I’ll come, Charles. You and Anne go. I’m sure you’ll enjoy being alone together.”

Charles looked thoughtful. “Do you think it’s proper if we go alone? I wouldn’t want to ruin her reputation.”

“You are guests at a country weekend party, Charles. It is perfectly proper to go sailing together.” Tina wasn’t certain of this, but it seemed the right thing to say, and Charles was pleased to hear it. Besides, who was she to offer advice on what was proper after last night?

“I’ll be off then,” he said, and strode away.

Tina closed the door, but a moment later Richard set her to one side and opened it again, peering out nervously. As he slipped out and closed the door behind him, he caught Tina’s eye, and she felt the thrill of being with him. It didn’t matter if he meant it when he spoke about a future with her. She didn’t care. For now, just being with him was enough.

“Miss Tina, what are we going to do?” Maria said worriedly.

“Don’t worry, Maria. I’m not.”

Maria sighed. “You have lost your wits, Miss Tina. This is a dreadful situation. You will be completely ruined and never allowed into society again.”

Tina went back to the bed and lay down, pressing her face into Richard’s pillow and breathing him in, before turning with a smile to her maid. “Do you know, Maria, I couldn’t care less. I am ruined already and poor as a church mouse. I have nothing left to lose, and I like it.”

Maria threw up her hands in despair and went to fetch warm water for her mistress to wash in before she started the day.

Chapter 27

Richard hastily washed and changed. He couldn’t remember ever being caught out like this and felt slightly ridiculous, but he only had to remember Tina in his arms, and he knew being with her was worth any small embarrassment he might be experiencing right now.

Did he really mean to make his future with her?

When the words had come spilling from his mouth he’d wondered whether he was losing his mind, but they had seemed so right. His life had been full of nothing but his work with the Guardians and the search for Anthony’s killer—he’d been driven and hadn’t had time for anything else—but now suddenly he was imagining what it would be like to have more. A woman and one day children—most men his age were already burdened by several of the little blighters. He could call his first son Anthony, after his brother.

Recently he’d realized how rarely he had a conversation that wasn’t related to his job. Now he imagined discussing the mundane with Tina, lounging by the fire with her sitting on his lap while they dreamed of their future. Sharing things that might seem boring to others but were intimate and special to them.

Blast it, he wanted to marry her!

All this time he’d been looking around—not very hard he had to admit—for the perfect partner for Tina, and no one had come up to the mark. Well, of course not. Obviously, in his heart, he’d meant her for himself all along, and it’d just taken some time for his intellect to catch up.

“Brown jacket, sir? Or the gray?”

Archie was being very disapproving. He’d probably been talking with Maria, and they’d decided he was a wicked seducer.

Richard pointed to the brown jacket. Archie held it out and silently assisted him into it. As Archie turned to put away the other jacket Richard noticed a mark on his valet’s neck, just above his collar. To one of Richard’s experience it was unmistakable.

He smiled.