The Formidable Earl (Diamonds in the Rough #6) - Sophie Barnes Page 0,26
impossible not to know.”
“No,” she told him slowly. “You know them personally. Maybe you play cards with them on occasion at one of your clubs or go riding with them on Tuesdays.”
“As a matter of fact I box on Tuesdays so—”
“You do?” She wasn’t sure why this surprised her, and yet it did. Perhaps because he was so well groomed. He didn’t strike her as the sort of man who’d enjoy a sport based on hitting.
“Remember that incident with Huntley stealing my fiancée?” When Ida nodded, he said, “Well, it ended with me challenging him to a duel, only the blasted man wanted fists to be his weapon of choice.”
“Heavens.”
He gave her a sardonic look. “At the time, I doubted my ability to defeat him, so I was forced to renege, which was practically the same as declaring defeat.”
“And something tells me you hate doing that,” she told him slyly.
A grin pulled at his lips. “Without question.”
“Hmm…” Ida refilled both of their cups. “It’s certainly a quality that will serve our mission well.”
“Speaking of which, we need to discuss our association and, more importantly, how other people will view it.”
“You worry what other people will think, how they’ll respond, and what they might say when they see us together in public.”
“No. I’m not concerned about that at all.”
She studied him a moment. “This is quite a change from the man who feared being spotted with me outside Windham House.”
“I must confess my nerves were a bit on edge last night and I wasn’t sure how to react. I’ve since had time to reflect, gather my wits, so to speak, and accept the situation for what it is. Besides, we’ve since agreed to present you as my ward. There’s nothing wrong with that. No one will bat an eyelash if we tell them that’s what you are.”
“Hmm…” She wondered if he was being honest with himself and finally chose to dismiss the doubt, telling her he wasn’t. There was no one else for her to rely on so she had no choice but to trust him. “I’ll need a different name or else people will know straight away who I am. They still might, though I do believe my appearance has changed to some degree since I was fifteen. My hair is a little darker, I’m taller now, and my aunt says my cheeks have lost their adolescent roundness.”
“Were you out in Society before your father’s arrest?”
“No. But people did come to the house, including the men my father suspected. They saw me, though only in passing.”
“In that case there’s no guarantee we can protect your anonymity, but I agree. An alias would be a good idea.” He watched her pensively for a moment. “Do you have a particular name in mind?”
“I’m thinking something ordinary would work best, like Jane Smith.” She chuckled lightly. “That ought to make me more forgettable.”
“Unfortunately, nothing about you could ever be forgettable.” His gaze, which had been locked with hers, lowered a fraction.
Ida’s pulse leapt. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but some feminine instinct she’d never relied on before assured her that he was regarding her mouth and wondering what it might be like to kiss it.
Without even thinking, she licked her lips.
Fielding’s eyes darkened as they returned to hers.
The air between them thickened until it felt like a crack of thunder might rip through the room.
Every nerve in Ida’s body simmered with awareness.
He was holding himself quite still, as if trying desperately to contain a part of himself that wished to break free. Until he suddenly moved, rising to his feet with unexpected swiftness. “I should go. Elmwood, Kirksdale, and Nugent are all members of my club. If I’m lucky, I’ll find them there at some point today, strike up a friendly conversation, and learn something useful.”
“Well…um…yes. That actually sounds like a good idea.”
“I’m glad you think so.” He was already at the door and heading into the hallway. Ida jumped to her feet and followed. “I’ll see you later. Tonight, or if not, tomorrow, depending on how things go.”
“And what should I do in the meantime?” she asked as he put on his jacket.
He stared at her as if the idea of her doing anything at all during his absence had never occurred to him. “Eat some stew, I suppose. Read a book. And for the love of God, don’t leave the house.” Donning his hat and gloves, he strode into the foyer.
“Wait.” Ida hastened after him. “Can you please make sure