Sin With a Scoundrel (The Husband Hunters Club 4)

“Yes, well.” Evelyn lapsed into silence.

Tina wondered if she still grieved for her husband or whether she was too busy grieving for herself. That might sound unkind, but it was understandable. Evelyn was a young and beautiful woman, trapped here in a country manor, with few friends—if her comments could be believed. It was hardly surprising she had fixed her sights on Richard as an escape.

Or am I being too generous to them? Tina asked herself. Perhaps she and Richard are already lovers and intend to marry one day. Perhaps that was just another lie he told me.

“I’m surprised Richard hasn’t mentioned me to you before,” Evelyn said airily, choosing a slice of cake for herself. “He must be keeping me a secret.” And she laughed. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without him. I am so lonely here when he is in town, and I know he is very busy so I don’t like to bother him, but he visits when he can.”

Tina was beginning to feel queasy again, and this time it had nothing to do with riding in a coach. Where Evelyn was concerned it seemed impossible to pin down the fact from the fiction. But one thing was certain—the widow considered Richard her property and was doing her best to warn Tina off.

She didn’t like to admit it to herself, but she was relieved when Richard returned, with Will Jackson, from whatever they’d been doing.

Richard saw immediately from Evelyn’s smug expression and Tina’s disheartened one that things were not going well between them. If he’d had any other option, he would not have brought her here, but he was desperate to protect her, and because he knew his own estate and trusted his servants, this was the best place to be. He’d also wanted to talk with Gregor, his estate manager, to follow up the letter he’d sent. Luckily the man was in his office, but as Evelyn had warned him, Mr. Gregor knew nothing more about the “toff from the north.”

It was just a shame Evelyn was in residence, like a spider at the center of her web. Good Lord, he wouldn’t even put it past her to tell Tina about their ancient affair. Well, there was only one way to head off Evelyn’s nasty tricks, and that was to tell Tina the truth from his own lips.

If she would stay in his company long enough to listen.

“Are the rooms ready for our guests, Evelyn?” he said coolly. “We’ve had a long journey and need to rest.”

Evelyn gave him a hurt look. “I’ll go and see, Richard.”

When she had left the room, Will said, “I hope we’re not putting her to any trouble, Eversham.”

“She only has to order the servants, Will, not too strenuous, even for Evelyn.”

“I say, you’re being rather harsh on her, aren’t you?”

“Oh, Will”—Richard sighed—“please don’t set your cap in that direction. You will only be hurt, believe me.”

“And you’re the expert on setting one’s cap, aren’t you?” Tina said tartly, and stood up. “If you don’t mind, I am rather weary, so I will go to my room now and rest.” She’d reached the door when she stopped and turned back to face them. “Are there any instructions? Should I lock and bolt my door and windows? Should I hide in a cupboard? Up the chimney? I need to know what to do if this man comes upon me unaware.”

Her green eyes were bright with malice, and he wanted to go to her and shake her and then kiss her until she stopped hating him and started loving him again. But unfortunately that wasn’t possible, not yet.

Richard sipped his tea, leaning back in his chair and crossing one leg over the other. He could see his relaxed attitude was infuriating her. “You don’t need to do anything, Miss Smythe. The situation is completely under my control.”

She gave him one more glare and then marched out.

Will shifted in his seat. “You upset her on purpose, old chap.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“And that’s not entirely true, is it? About the situation being under your control. ”

“Isn’t it?”

“Sutton is out there somewhere, watching and waiting.”

“I am more than capable of protecting Miss Smythe, Will. We wait, we pounce, and we catch him.”

Will still looked doubtful. “You do seem a bit distracted, Richard. You have been ever since you met her.”

“Have I? Why do you think that is, Will?”

Will pondered. “Well, I don’t like to speak ill of any woman, but she seems to me to be a rather willful sort of girl. Rather a handful.”

Richard grinned. “She is, isn’t she? And damned if I don’t like that in a woman.”

Will gave his head a puzzled shake and went off to find his own bed.