“You’re not doing a very good job of being reluctant,” he grumbled, his annoyance breaking through.
She sighed. “I know. I have a terrible habit of being adaptable. Do remember that I have experience with being abducted. With Christopher St. John I never shed a tear. I told him what I thought of him, for what good it did, and when it came time to bed me I did my best to enjoy it. ”
“Did you really?” He was now fascinated.
“Alas, I found the entire business messy, painful and almost comical. Those odd little appendages men have are so ridiculous. ”
“Little?”
She remembered those moments at the inn, when whatever was beneath her was far from tiny. Perhaps it might be a good idea to change the subject.
“When I realized he was just going to keep doing it, I hit him over the head with a ewer and took off. I only wish I’d thought of that sooner and saved myself a lot of bother. But my point is: I’m very good at accepting things that are beyond my control. One would think ostracism from the ton would be the end of the world, but in fact I’ve been far happier in my little house, doing what I want, not having to think about the balls and parties and Almack’s and husbands. No one can tell me what to do, though my family does try, and I’m quite delightfully free. So if you choose to simply despoil me it will give me a great many more choices, including going back to Half Moon Street. ” She smiled brightly, taking a breath after so much prattle.
“And what was this about love? I presume you were in love with Christopher St. John, weren’t you?”
Miranda pulled her feet up under her, getting comfortable. “The terrible truth is, I wasn’t in love with him at all. We weren’t supposed to run off together—I was simply going for a clandestine few hours at Vauxhall, just a little bit of masked adventure, and Christopher was very handsome, very attentive, and just a little bit wicked. What girl could resist wicked?”
“What girl could resist wicked?” he echoed, astonished. “Are you suggesting women love villains?”
“Well, we do find them terribly appealing. We keep thinking we can save them. It’s no wonder women flock around you. It can’t be for your charm of manner. ” She batted her eyes at him.
His sharp bark of laughter surprised her. “I hope you aren’t equally enamored of villains, Lady Miranda. ”
“Why? You’re clearly a villain. Don’t you want me to be madly in love with you?”
He considered it for a moment. “I’ll let you know,” he said finally.
“Lovely,” she said, rising. “I’m going to go discover my new wardrobe—what a delightful thing for you to do, darling. You know how women love new clothes. I glanced at them last night and I swear I’m going to have a hard time deciding what to wear. ”
“Just as long as you wear nothing tonight when I come to you. ”
She paused by the door, a slightly worried expression on her face. “Well, I’ll have to wear something. My monthly courses just began, and it’s awfully messy if I don’t … darling, are you ill?” She was all solicitude.
“Hardly,” he said amiably. “And how long do your monthly courses last?”
“Oh, a week or ten days,” she said airily. “And I’m afraid I’m blessed with a very heavy flow, but I assume you don’t mind. You’re such a man of the world you’ve doubtless dealt with this sort of thing before. ”
She was gambling on his squeamishness, and she was more than willing to go into greater detail about her imaginary menses, but he simply nodded, not looking the slightest bit bothered. “I don’t have any particular problem with it, but I expect you’ll be happier if we wait. ”
Ew, she thought. But then, everything about the entire process of mating seemed rather vile. “As you wish, my darling. ”
“Stop calling me that,” he snapped, finally nettled.
“‘Darling’? Then what would you like me to call you?”
“Lucien will do. ”
Lucien was the name she used when she trusted him. Lucien was the way she still thought of him, unfortunately.
“I was planning on being formal and calling you husband, or Rochdale in public, but then, if we don’t marry that won’t do. Endearments are so charming. If you call someone darling long enough you’ll start to believe it. And wouldn’t you just love to have me adore you?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I was under the impression that you already did. ”
One to him, she thought, keeping her smile firmly fixed on her face. “Of course I do. Will I see you at luncheon?”
He surveyed her for a long, contemplative moment. “I think I might find I have other things to do. I expect being around you and unable to touch you will be very difficult for me, and I might get snappish. I would hate to wound my sweet girl. ”
Miranda almost gagged on the endearment. Oh, he was good at this. She simpered. “Nature has a way of being so inconvenient,” she said soulfully.