Earl of Exile (Lords of Scandal 3)

“No,” he answered. Something, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, was terribly wrong. His chest tightened. Yes, he was jealous and honestly worried about Sin’s interest in Diana. But more than that, his gut churned. Danger was in the air.

Diana sat in the music room, chatting with Vice and Bad. She had to confess, she liked them both. Most unexpected.

They’d been funny, polite, and easy company. Not only that, but they had some rather colorful stories.

“So there we were, sleeping in a barn, in the middle of Essex, in the dead of winter.” Vice slapped his knee. “Can you believe that?”

She shook her head. “Part of me wants to applaud you for surviving.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “How did you not freeze to death?”

Vice shrugged. “The brandy of course. Drank half the shipment I was supposed to be delivering.”

She pressed her hand more firmly against her lips to keep from howling with laughter. “Oh, you are a funny one.”

“Lady Diana.” Lord Sin came crashing back through the door. “May I have a word with you?”

“A word?” she asked, looking at Vice. In reply, Vice shrugged and turned to his cousin.

“Is everything all right?” Vice asked.

Sin stopped, his features becoming less heavy. “Of course. His Grace has agreed to have me look after Diana. I’d just like her to go over possible outings she has in the next week so that I might clear my schedule. Perhaps we could step out onto the terrace?” He gave her a winning smile. “We need not bore the others.”

She nibbled her lip as she assessed him. Somehow, that didn’t seem right. He wasn’t part of their arrangement, he was new to the group. And Exile…he really just gave up that easily?

Her shoulders drooped. “Of course.”

Vice stood too. “I’ll come as well.”

“No need.” Sin held up his hand. “Stay here and enjoy. We’ll be just outside the doors where you can see us. It’s a fine spring night.” Then he grabbed her hand and tucked it in his elbow.

Diana looked back at Minnie, who looked equally confused, her fingers pressed to her cheek. “You’ll stay where we can see you.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Sin called back as they stepped through an open door.

The fresh air tickled her skin and the evening was lovely. “Daring actually agreed to have you keep watch?”

“Yes,” he answered, not stopping but continuing to cross the open patio. “There was some conversation between him and Exile earlier where Exile confessed why he couldn’t do so himself.”

Wait. What did that mean? She’d thought this was her idea.

“And as I am becoming a partner at the club…”

“Oh, I see,” she answered, but the night got darker as they moved from the candlelight. “We should stop, they won’t be able to see us.”

He continued on, pulling her faster still. “That’s all right. There is something I want to show you.”

This situation got stranger by the second. Apprehension trickled down her spine. “Show me?” she asked. The garden gate sat just to her right and she heard the whinny of horses. “Horses in the alley this time of night?” Diana pulled to a stop. “I-I should go back.”

“Not yet.” He gave her a winning smile. “I have a confession to make. We’ve already met.”

She shifted uncomfortably. Her feet tingled with the urge to leave. “I don’t recognize you.”

“Well, you wouldn’t.”

She swallowed as she tried to pull her hand from his arm but his other hand clamped down over hers. “What do you mean? What’s happening?”

He grimaced. “The first time we met, I was wearing a mask.”

“What?” She drew in a breath to let out a scream. That’s when a bag dropped over her head.