Sin With a Scoundrel (The Husband Hunters Club 4)

He struggled to regain his usual charm—although he was so good at playing his part she would never have known that his smile was forced. He captured her hand and kissed her palm, folding her fingers inside his. “I’m not angry with you, Tina.”

She smiled, glancing at him through her lashes in that innocent-provocative manner he found so enchanting. “I’m glad.” She was so delightful that Richard wanted to kiss her again, but he knew he must refrain. He’d done enough for one night—he must not ruin her reputation beyond repair.

Tina gave a furtive glance over her shoulder toward the house. “I must go in. My mother will be frantic, and if you are seen to be missing, too!” Her eyes sparkled, and she gave a giggle. “Imagine what she will be thinking.”

“Imagine what Horace will be thinking,” he said meaningfully. “He will be jealous, Tina. And you must make the most of it. Shrug indifferently if he begins to lecture you on your morals. He has no leg to stand on there. Give a secretive little smile if he asks you what you were doing.”

Her smile faded a little. She glanced at him as they regained the path. “I know Horace is a man about town, but is he very bad? I mean, does he have a mistress? Or two? I don’t know if I want to marry a man who has a mistress.”

Richard wondered if he should enlighten her as to the state of most marriages in polite society but decided this was neither the place nor the time. “It is a fashionable affectation,” he said with a shrug. “Once he marries you, he will change his ways.”

“Yes, of course,” Tina replied briskly, but he heard the doubt in her voice.

She’d told him that Horace was the love of her life, her childhood sweetheart, and yet she was behaving as though this marriage was not for love at all. As if it was something she must do despite the fact that she didn’t particularly want to do it.

Richard reminded himself he must speak to Archie and get to the bottom of all this.

They were nearly at the terrace now, and he stopped and moved back. “Go on alone, Tina. We mustn’t be seen together. And come to see me tomorrow. Can you do that?”

She looked at him as if she didn’t want to let him go. He felt his body responding to her and clamped down on his feelings. What he was imagining was madness, and a dangerous sort of madness. There was far too much at stake to muddy the waters with an ill-conceived passion.

“If I can, I will,” she promised. “But don’t you have any other clients to see? I wouldn’t want to monopolize your time.”

“At the moment, you are my most important client,” he said gallantly, with a bow.

He watched as Tina hurried up the stairs and in through the open glass doors of the drawing room. There was a rise in sound, as though her entrance had caused a stir, and then her mother came to whisk her farther into the room and beyond his sight.

Richard found a cigar and lit it, spending some time deep in thought.

And, he admitted wryly, allowing his body to calm itself. Eventually he made his way back into the house, slipping unobtrusively inside and making certain to attach himself to Sir Henry, where he remained until it was time to leave.

Tina had known she wouldn’t get off lightly, and as she’d feared, Lady Carol came to her room as she was preparing for bed.

“What on earth were you thinking! Going off into the garden like that. Horace was most concerned for you.”

“Horace?” she said, taken aback.

“He said you had a little tiff. What was it about?”

Her mother had warned her about gentlemen like Horace taking advantage, and Tina used it to her own advantage now. “He tried to kiss me,” she murmured, looking away as if the memory was a shameful one.

“A kiss?” Lady Carol declared. “Is that all? My dear, if you mean to marry the man, you will have to bear rather more than his kisses!”

Tina was startled, and so was her mother, so to Tina’s relief no more was said.

When Maria came to brush her hair, Tina was so agitated that it took a while for her to realize that Maria seemed a little agitated herself. After the maid had pulled her hair for the third time, Tina took the brush from her, and said, “Maria, whatever is it?”

Maria twisted her hands together, her dark eyes anxious. “I heard Mr. Eversham was at dinner, miss. Is that true?”

“Yes, he was.” Tina spoke evenly and tried not to remember kissing him, in case, she thought superstitiously, Maria saw it in her eyes. “Do you know him, Maria?”

“No, I don’t know him. I . . . that is, I . . .” Maria was definitely worried about something.

“Tell me, for heaven’s sake.”

“I know his man, miss. Archie Jones.”

“His man?” She knew Archie!