Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (168 page)

Scott

'A young woman of virtue can't ride around the countryside in a carriage alone with a man,' Beth scolded. 'You might have played fast and loose with the rules to this point, young man, but, from here on, it's by the book.' Beth took a seat next to Julia and took out her knitting.

have a nice scarf by the time we get to London,' she said with far too much cheer.

Paine groaned. 'Now who's being insufferable?'

'That makes two of you,' Julia replied stiffly.

The house disappeared behind them and Paine leaned forwards. 'You cannot tackle Oswalt alone, Julia. It is the height of foolishness to think so.'

'So you've said. You seem quite certain of that.

Would you care to tell me why? It's a long ride to London-days, in fact-and I think it's time I knew what it is exactly that lies between you and Oswalt.'

Beth looked up from her knitting. 'Yes, Cousin. Tell her. She has a right to

The sharp eyes that pierced him from across the carriage were acutely reminiscent of the way Julia had looked at him that first night in his office when she'd put her request to him. She'd given him that same un-wavering gaze, so forthright, so honest and so bold that he'd known there would be no refusing then. And he knew it now. It was an ironic quality of hers that she possessed such an abundance of feminine beauty and none of the covert wiles that usually went with such attractiveness. Nothing escaped her notice and nothing was safe from her comment.

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Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

Julia tapped a foot impatiently, her eyebrow giving a supercilious quirk. 'You may begin.'

'Why should I tell you at all?' Paine protested. He seldom shared his past with anyone; now, he would have shared it twice in quite recent times-once with Peyton and now with Julia.

Julia narrowed her eyes. 'You should tell me so I can determine if I will let you meddle in my business.'

Paine would have teased her if she hadn't looked so serious. 'Meddling, is it?'

'Yes. Meddling. This was my problem from the first and it's still my problem, even if the parameters I thought I was dealing with have been a bit altered in their scope,' Julia insisted. 'I say who has access to my life.'

'You'd better decide I do. You will need me before this is over.' Paine matched her blunt tone.

'Convince me.' Julia sat back against the seat and crossed her arms, challenging him to deny her request.

She softened slightly for a moment, becoming the image of the Julia he liked best-the Julia that moaned beneath him on the picnic blanket, who thought he could slay dragons, who brought him his secret peace. 'Come, Paine, how awful could it be?'

He gave a small smile at that. 'It could be pretty awful, Julia.'

'Let me be the judge.' She leaned forwards, all rapt attention.

Paine drew a deep breath. 'I was a rowdy youth. I ran with a fast crowd of young bucks when I came up to town.

Most of the people in my set were younger sons and

Scott

rather cynical about their lot in life. It became the trademark of our group that we flaunted the fact that we were the spares and in some cases, like mine, the spare to the spare. We were "non-essential" to our families so we lived hard, pushing convention as far as it could be pushed with outrageous feats: races, affairs, bets and dares.'

Julia made a quizzical frown. 'I can't believe Peyton made you feel that way.'

'Of course not, not directly, but Father had done the job for him. By the time Peyton was earl and I was ready to

around town, I felt pretty "non-essential".

Peyton was head of the family,

was doing a

stint in the military as an officer-and a fine officer he was, too, I might add. Then there was me. Peyton sent me to Oxford. I think he hoped I'd find direction there.

However, I finished with no particular purpose in mind, although I received a first-class degree in the classics and loved history. Peyton wanted to set me up as an estate manager on one of the smaller family properties, but I wasn't interested in land management. Without any direction and with too much time on my hands, I was a prime candidate for falling in with that crowd.' Paine chuckled. 'It's amazing how clear the pattern seems from a distance of years.'

'That's understandable. You're not the only young man to run into that sort of trouble,' Julia offered sagely.

'Trouble with your cousins?' Paine probed.

'The two younger ones are something akin to hellions. I wouldn't be surprised if their antics have heavily contributed to the family situation these days.'

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Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

Julia dismissed the subject, wagging a finger at him.

'You won't get off that easily, Paine. Now, you said you pushed convention as far as it could be pushed. Go on.'

He didn't mind her direct probe this time. Now that he'd started

it was easier to continue. 'Yes, I pushed convention and one day it pushed back. There was a..

for gentlemen only at an estate out

in Richmond, far enough out of town to avoid real trouble or censure.'

'Party, Paine? Don't mince words. What of

party?' Julia pressed, sensing his hesitation.

Paine cast an uncomfortable look at Cousin Beth, who looked back blandly.

'Don't mind me. I've seen more than you think, Paine.

I am not so shocked by the world as you might think.'

'It was an orgy. Do you know what an orgy is?' Paine asked, shifting in his seat with acute embarrassment. If they were being blunt, he might as well ask.

Julia blushed. 'I have some idea.'

Paine nodded. 'Well, this was worse than the usual masked

affair, if that's what you're thinking of.'

Julia bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably. He felt ashamed for having brought it up. He easily forgot she'd only seen parts of his world for a few days. It was a sharp reminder of the type of life he'd been leading, so far away from the standards of the
ton.

He went on, wanting to get the next part over with, to spare her. 'The gathering was to be held at a place Oswalt owned. Peyton encouraged me not to go when