Page 33 of The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere
“Oozing sores, or severed heads.” Benedict shrugged. “Call it whatever you like, Miss Harley. The question is, where do we go from here, now we can’t quiz Draven?”
“Lady Wylde mentioned something last night about your sister and Lord Draven having a scandalous past. Given Lady Wylde’s preoccupation with gossip it’s likely just another rumor, but we’d better make sure. I think we should pay her a callthis morning.”
Benedict nearly groaned aloud. This day was taking on a truly nightmarish cast.
He’d sooner drop into the deepest pit of hell than pay a call on Lady Wylde. The moment he set a toe over her threshold she’d assume he’d changed his mind about a liaison between them, and she’d swoop down on him likea bird of prey.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have any better ideas. “Yes, very well. I’ll pay a call on her. Grigg?” Benedict rapped on the roof of his carriage. “Maddox Street first, to drop off Miss Harley, then we’ll proceedto Albemarle—”
“Wait! What do you mean, you’ll drop me off? I’m coming to Lady Wylde’s with you.”
“No, you’re not.” It was bad enough he’d have to fend off Lady Wylde, but to have Georgiana Harley witness the tawdry scene was…far more unbearable than it should be. “Lady Wylde is a predator of the first degree. You have no idea how savage she can be. She’ll swallow you up in one bite, then turn her attention to the main course.”
Him.
Miss Harley gave him a thin smile. “Cleverer men thanyouhave doubted me before, Lord Haslemere.”
Despite himself, Benedict chuckled. “I’m not certain that’s anything to boast about.”
She thrust her chin up. “I can pay a call on Lady Wylde as easily as you can.”
“Certainly, you can. Of course, you’ll have to get past her butler first. Egerton’s a stiff, proud creature, and rather preoccupied with rank. Even if you do manage to get access to her ladyship, I doubt she can be persuaded to spill her secrets toyou.”
“She’ll spill them to you readily enough though, won’t she? I suppose you’ll charm them loose. Do you ruthlessly manipulate all your paramours, my lord?”
“Why, Miss Harley, are you a romantic? I never would have guessed.” Benedict gave her a lazy grin. “There are certain advantages to being a fashionable earl. It’s not fair, perhaps, but I’ll get far more out of her if the two of us are left alone.”
Deep, red color surged into Miss Harley’s cheeks. “You mean to say you’d seduce Lady Wylde to get her secrets out of her?”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Benedict’s gaze followed the blush sweeping from her cheeks down her neck. The wash of color turned her eyes an unusually bright green, rather like holly leaves set off by their red berries. Remarkable, those eyes of hers. Quite the loveliest eyeshe’d ever seen.
Her expression, though.Good Lord.
Perhaps heshouldbring her with him, after all. One look at the severe pinch of those otherwise tempting lips should be enough to chase all thoughts of seduction from LadyWylde’s mind.
“Have you no shame, Lord Haslemere?”
Benedict considered it, then shrugged. “Not much, no. How is seducing her secrets out of Lady Wylde any worse than Lady Wylde seducing jewels out of me?”
“That’syour defense? Each of you is as awfulas the other.”
“If you recall, Miss Harley, it wasyouwho brought up a seduction. All I have in mind is just a bit of harmless flirtation,nothing more.”
“Well then, I don’t see any reason why I can’t come with you. Did you not, Lord Haslemere, just deliver me a lecture this morning about this very thing? No more sneaking about, you said, and now here you are, ready to sneak off to Lady Wylde’s without me.”
“Well, yes, but of course I meantyoushouldn’t sneak away fromme. Not so much the other way around. If you recall, I also said as your employer I’ll issue the commands, and you’ll follow them.”
“You’ll be disappointed, my lord, if you expect blind obedience from me,” she gritted, her eyes flashing dark green with temper.
Benedict raised an eyebrow. He’d do well to remember that as pretty as holly leaves were, they were also sharp, pointy things, and liable to draw blood from any man foolish enough to meddle with them. “Thatisunfortunate. What do youpropose we do?”
She eyed him. “Perhaps we might come to some sort of bargain.”
“Perhaps we might. What did you have in mind?” Benedict folded his hands on the head of hiswalking stick.
She let out an exasperated sigh. “For pity’s sake. You know very well I want you to take me to Lady Wylde’s with you.”
“I do, yes, but I’m far more concerned with whatIwant.”
