Page 46 of The Wallflower Ruse

“It wasn’t nonsense. You are attractive, intelligent, well educated, and so on, and so on, ad infinitum. Your mother is a fool not to see your true value.”

She would not blush. She would not. How dare he try to discompose her?

“It was rather fun to annoy her, and since everything I said was true, including your dislike of me...” He shrugged. “It seemed a tidy way to avoid a scandal.”

She scowled down her nose at him. “I didn’t think you cared about scandal.”

“I don’t, unless it is thrust upon me,” he said. “Enough of that; we’ll deal with it later. What the devil possessed you to probe Pearce for a confession?”

“I didn’t probe him. I merely gave him an opportunity to regret his involvement and confess. I think he’s a good man at heart. I’m sure he doesn’t want to be part of whatever dreadful plot is hatching. I thought that if he confessed, he might betray the others.”

“One can only hope he didn’t realize what you were trying to do.”

“He didn’t,” she said. “He was too worried about my mother being rude to his mother. He seems very attached to her.”

“Does he, now?” Briefly, Restive’s annoyance evaporated. “I’ll wager that’s what they’re holding over his head! Davis found nothing else. He’s relatively poor, has no wife and children, is not in debt, and leads a tediously proper life.” He paused. “At least something useful resulted from your foolhardy behavior.”

How kind of you to admit it, she thought, but again didn’t say.

“Thank you, Miss Belair,” Cecil said with a smile. “I’ll set someone to keep watch on Mrs. Pearce.”

“That’s a good idea,” Lucinda replied—to Cecil, not to Restive. “He did seem overly worried about her, although at the time it didn’t occur to me why.”

“Because you were merrily putting yourself in worse danger,” Restive said. So much for appreciating what she had done. “Essentially, exchanging your life for hers. Pearce may or may not have a conscience, but given a choice, he’ll put his mother’s safety ahead of yours. In fact, his awareness of your plan to disappear makes his decision that much easier.” He scowled. “Whether you vanish of your own volition or because his cohorts get rid of you, it’s no longer his problem.”

“How horrible,” she said, as the implication sank in—not of her danger, but of the ghastly choice facing Mr. Pearce. “But I don’t know why you’re so upset. You’ve already forbidden me to go to the masquerade, so I shan’t be in any danger. Not only that, judging by Mr. Davis’s expression, he’s looking forward to taking my place.”

~ * ~

“That’s not why I’m so amused,” Davis said to Restive as they walked the short distance to his house. “It’s watching you tying yourself in knots over that chit.”

Restive opened his mouth to deny it, but what was the point? “Go to the devil, Davis.”

“I expect I shall, but look at it logically. She’s perfect for you, and think of the advantages. Once you’re a staid married man, you won’t have to fend off any more matchmaking mamas. You may even have the doubtful pleasure of becoming a civil human being.”

“She wouldn’t marry me even if I went down on bended knee—which I haven’t the slightest intention of doing. She dislikes me.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“King and Country’s,” Restive snarled, unlocking his front door. “And mine too, I admit it. I extended the role willingly, and it has proven doubly useful.” He tossed down his hat and gloves. “But in any event, she’s waiting for the right man.”

“So? All you have to do is prove to her that you are that man,” Davis said.

“Says the expert in all matters romantic,” Restive said.

“Having often played a woman, I understand the female point of view,” Davis said coyly, fluttering his eyelashes.

“One day, you will fall desperately in love, and you’ll see how little you understand,” Restive retorted.

“Desperate, are we, dear cousin? Then you’d better snatch her up before she has time to think.”

Restive rolled his eyes. “I haven’t reached that level of insanity yet.” He hurried up the steps to his front door and opened it, almost running down the footman. He tossed his hat and gloves on the nearby table and headed for his library.

Davis followed. “Then why not court her like an ordinary chap?” At least he’d lowered his voice a little.

Restive motioned the annoying lad ahead of him and closed the library door. “Because she’ll see it as an attempt to cozen her. To lure her under my so-called spell and then walk away laughing.”

~ * ~