“You could be useful in my search for a lover, you know.” Her tone was thoughtful rather than hostile.
Yes, I can kill every one of the encroaching buggers, until I’m the only man standing.
“I can certainly alert you to the rogues and wastrels.” Which meant London’s entire male population, except for the newly reformed Lord Stone. He tightened his hold on her trim waist and performed a breathtaking twirl, privately claiming her as his and devil take any fellow with different ideas.
“That’s what I mean.” Despite his childish acrobatics, she remained disgustingly level-headed. “Ladies are at such a disadvantage when it comes to what a man is really like. We see gentlemen all polished and careful of their manners, when any fool knows that they show their true selves to their friends, away from the artificial light of polite society.”
Silas regarded her in horror. “You expect me to pimp you to my friends?”
She blushed again. It was odd—until tonight, he’d never seen her blush. This made twice in the space of half an hour. “No, of course not. But if you think I’m making an unwise choice, I’d like you to tell me.”
His gut tightened with self-hatred. Her trust remained, despite tonight’s numskullery. Now she invited the wolf to guard the sheepfold. If he retained a shred of honor, he should say no. He used to have some principles, for pity’s sake.
“I’ll do my best,” he said, and k
new himself the biggest rogue of all.
She glanced over his shoulder again. “Good. Although despite what you say, I still think West might be my best bet—and he’s indicated an interest.”
Had he, by God? Silas began to plot a slow and painful demise for a man who had been a lifelong companion. “That doesn’t mean much. He pursues anything in petticoats.”
Another turn and Silas realized that Caro examined the satanically handsome Lord West with a speculative glint in her fine eyes. “So it wouldn’t be difficult to win him as a lover? I’d rather not devote months to the preliminaries. He seems more appealing by the minute.”
And Silas realized that in becoming his beloved’s conspirator, he signed up for a special place in hell.