Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (177 page)

228

Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

After a long silence, Sam Brown stepped forwards.

'With all respect, sir, the likes of us aren't invited to those functions. It's one thing to get inside a gambling hell, but it's mighty awkward to skulk about a ball without drawing undue attention.'

Oswalt grunted at that. 'Still, it shouldn't have come to this. We should have been able to snatch her out of Dursley House.'

Emboldened by Sam's report, another man stepped forwards. 'We have men watching Dursley House all day and all night. She hardly leaves; when she does, she's with the

brothers and those burly

footmen of the earl. We're not afraid of a fight, but it has to be one we can win. No point in losing.'

Oswalt had to concede the man made sense. 'We need
an
equaliser, then. Keep your posts, men. Watch Dursley House. I want to know the minute they leave.

We'll follow them everywhere and look for our chance.

There's a bonus in it for the man who captures Julia Prentiss. Everyone is dismissed. Brown, fetch my personal physician immediately.'

In the empty office, Oswalt sat behind the desk, mar-shalling his thoughts. The game was just about over and just in time, too. He needed Julia Prentiss brought to him before the solstice. Julia and the would get restless, secure in their own safety one of these days, and he'd be waiting to pounce on the opportunity. More than that, he'd be ready.

The door to the office opened a half-hour later. 'You wanted to see me?'

Scott

Mortimer Oswalt looked up from his papers. His physician was here. 'Yes, I need a poison ring, preferably by tomorrow and something discreet for a knife blade as well.'

Julia felt she'd been gone from her uncle's house for much longer than weeks. She stared up at the town home on the outskirts of Belgravia, waiting for Paine to instruct his tiger. Fine living with the had

ruined her much more quickly than she'd have thought possible. The house looked shabby in little ways. Weeds pushed up between the cracks in the steps leading to the door and the windows looked drab in comparison to the tall windows and elegant curtains of Dursley House.

'Are you ready?' Paine took her arm. 'You can wait with the

My tiger can drive you to Bond Street and you can shop.'

Julia gave him a sharp look. 'I am not about to go shopping while my future is on the line.' She fidgeted with the fringed edge of her summer shawl. She didn't exactly what that future held. Either way-winning her freedom or being forced to marry Oswalt-she and Paine would part ways. Even her coveted freedom seemed to pale against the thought of saying farewell to Paine. She'd have to go away and make a new, quiet life some place where her behaviour in London would be overlooked or, better yet, never heard of. She'd known, or imagined she knew, what the consequences would be for her choice to seek ruination. But her feelings for Paine had not been factored into the equation then.

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Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

Well, she had made her choices and there had been no going back for quite some time now. She'd best get on with it. Julia squared her shoulders and gave Paine a confident smile. 'I am ready.'

The viscount was stunned to see them. Aunt Sara couldn't decide what to do first, swoon or order tea.

Their mere arrival threw the household into an uproar.

Julia gave Paine an apologetic look.

'Where have you been? Your cousins say they saw you at the Worthington

in the company of the earl,

while we've been here at home not knowing you were even in the city!' Uncle

said gruffly once the

excitement subsided and the four of them were seated with teacups in the small drawing room.

That news surprised her. She hadn't seen her cousins that evening and it struck her as odd that they would have spied her, but not approached her. If they'd really been worried, wouldn't they have rushed over and greeted her? Worse of all was the realisation that, if her cousins knew, Oswalt knew. Julia tamped down her growing anxiety.

'I've been with Lady Bridgerton,' Julia said smoothly, laying out the story she and Paine had practised. It wasn't a complete lie. She had been with Lady Bridgerton, just not for as long as her aunt and uncle might be concluding. 'I have decided that I will not be Mortimer Oswalt.' She couldn't repress a smile as she made her announcement. It felt good to confront the issue at last. She felt powerful. Although she knew this time it was the presence of Paine

Scott

that gave her the power. But she had an ally and that made all the difference. They couldn't force her to marry Oswalt now. They couldn't lock her in her room.

Aunt Sara wrung her hands at the news. 'Oh dear, don't you understand? You can't decide that on your own. What's got into you, Julia? You used to be a nice biddable girl. Now, you've refused a marriage your uncle has arranged for you and you've run off without a note for weeks at a time. We've been worried to death.'

In truth, her aunt did look as if she'd been concerned.

The woman looked tired and was more nervous than usual. Guilt for that gnawed at her. 'I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I simply needed time to sort through my feelings.' Julia said.

'Who is this young

Sara turned to Paine.

'I am Paine

I'm Lady Bridgerton's neph-

ew,' he added politely.

Uncle

set down his teacup, eyeing Paine in

much the same way one views a venomous snake. 'Julia, what you've done is of the gravest nature.' He, too, looked as if

had taken a great toll on him. 'We

have a contract with Mortimer Oswalt. He's paid for every gown upstairs in your wardrobe. He expects a gently bred bride. I have given him my word, and you've destroyed his faith in me.'

'Then break the contract, Uncle,' Julia answered unswervingly, bringing the topic around to the point they needed to discuss. This part of the conversation would not be pleasant and it would be entirely too blunt, but there was no other way.