into her old ways.
Selina felt sick with frustration. All her life she’d done her best to be a good woman and live by the moral principles her parents had instilled in her. Now she had a mere week to go to the bad. Surely heaven would allow her such a small measure of selfish pleasure in a life that promised nothing but duty and decorum. Last night, she’d caught a glimpse of the glories awaiting her in Lord Bruard’s arms. She wanted more. The idea that those few, admittedly spectacular kisses, might end up being her ration of joy made her want to bawl her eyes out.
"Kitty, you could take your own advice and obey me when I say I’m in no danger and I want you to leave me." She struggled to sound stern, as she never was with her maid. "This is a respectable inn."
The girl shook her head, unimpressed with Selina’s attempt at authority. "It’s still a public house, and you’re a pretty woman without protection. Gentlemen will pester you."
Oh, how Selina wished they would. Or one particular gentleman anyway. "I can look after myself."
Kitty laughed at that. "Lord above, you’re as innocent as a lamb, madam. Despite having your lovely boy and being married to that blackguard Mr. Martin for coming up on ten years."
"I’ve told you I won’t have you criticizing the late master."
"All right, I won’t – but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve criticism. Having a kind lady like you at home and rushing around after all those hussies, I ask you."
"That’s enough, Kitty," she said with such sharpness that the girl looked startled. Kitty was right about one thing. Selina was too soft on her servants. Cecil had admonished her about it often enough. "You will leave me here this very minute. I’m in no danger. I’m an adult. And I pay you to take my direction."
To her dismay, the unusually harsh tone had Kitty bursting into tears. "Oh, Miss Selina, I’m sorry I’ve vexed you, but you can’t ask me to desert you. Not when you might run into trouble that you have no idea how to handle. It’s not fair."
"Kitty…" Selina sighed with a mixture of irritation and fondness. She went up and placed her arms around the sobbing girl. "Don’t take on so."
Then to make an already awkward situation worse, there was a quick knock on the door and Lord Bruard marched in with a purposeful stride that only made Selina feel guiltier than ever. "Selina, what the devil is keeping you? Oh…"
Kitty wrenched free of Selina’s arms and stopped crying with a loud hiccup. "Your lordship!"
Selina ran damp palms down the front of her faded olive green traveling dress and wondered how on earth she ever imagined she’d manage this intrigue. She’d always been terrible at lying. Whenever she infringed the rules as a girl, she was always caught.
She might yearn to go to Lord Bruard’s bed. That didn’t suddenly turn her into a convincing deceiver.
But this is all I’ll have. This is all I’ll ever have, a voice cried out inside her. It’s wrong. I know it’s wrong. But a week of sin in an otherwise blameless life can’t be too much to ask.
Apparently it was.
The tears she’d been fighting sprang to her eyes, but she was too conscious of Kitty’s curious stare to let them fall. Nothing could keep her voice from thickening with betraying emotion. "Lord Bruard, what a pleasant surprise to see you."
Brock was quick off the mark. She had to give him that. He put on a more formal air and bowed. "Mrs. Martin, any sign of your friend yet? I’m more than happy to drive you to your destination, if you fear she’s been delayed."
To her chagrin, Kitty was no fool either. With unconcealed shock, her sharp gaze shifted from Selina to Brock then back again.
"Madam…" She’d gone as red as a beetroot. So had Selina.
"Excellent, my lord. Thank you. I’ll take you up on that offer." Selina turned back to a dumbstruck Kitty. "So you see, no need to worry about me. Lord Bruard will drive me to my friend’s door. You and John can go back to London now."
"He called you Selina," Kitty said in a flat tone.
"I have no manners," Brock said. "Pardon me, Mrs. Martin."
"Kitty, I’m going to spend next week with a school friend." Selina spoke slowly and with emphasis, in case the maid needed to repeat the details, should anyone inquire about her mistress’s whereabouts. "Then