A Little Bit Scandalous Page 0,46

her hand. “As much as my pride would love to claim I was only interested in you for a reading group, I am afraid that would be a lie. I do think it is a little premature to make any definite decisions, though.”

The carriage rocked to a stop. She was home and had accomplished her goal. Mr. Bishop was such a gracious fellow. She did not feel as horrible as she had anticipated.

He assisted her out of the carriage. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I realize that is bold, and perhaps ungentlemanly of me, but I’m an American and I don’t know any better.” He gave her a crooked grin that made her almost want to rethink her decision about him.

Caroline sighed and let her shoulders slump. Now she understood why young girls slept so often—courting turned out to be more exhausting than she had considered.

…

Roe knew going to Belinda presented its own risk. She’d made it abundantly clear she was willing and ready to be his mistress again if he only said the word. They’d had a good time when they’d been together, but it had been meaningless in the end. There was nothing between them besides carnal pleasures, and he’d grown bored with her. But he appreciated that she was an intelligent woman who knew people around London. Perhaps she could tell him more about Mr. Lamb.

He was shown into her parlor and took a seat in one of the blue brocade chairs, hoping it would create distance between himself and his hostess once she joined him. Nearly twenty minutes after arriving, Belinda floated into the room wearing a revealing dressing gown, an interesting choice for the time of day. He suspected Belinda had put it on especially for him, to remind him of her wares, as it were. He was reminded. There was no way around it, her breasts virtually spilled out of the low-cut gossamer.

“Monroe, love,” she said slowly, her voice low and seductive. “How lovely for you to visit. I’m afraid you caught me while I was still lounging about in bed.”

“Indeed.”

“Alone, in case you were wondering,” she added. “But that could certainly be remedied.”

“I came to ask you a few questions,” Roe said, deliberately ignoring her baited comments. “About Mr. Lamb.”

Her brow furrowed. “The director at the Dover Street Girls’ Asylum? Why ever do you want to know about him?”

“I am new to the board, whereas you are an established member, and have been for a while,” he said.

“Yes, don’t you remember, love, it is how we met?” She smiled broadly her fingers twirling the ribbon that tied her dressing gown around her. “I came to your townhome looking for your sweet mother to discuss something about the board and there you were, looking just as dashing as you do now. I could scarcely keep my eyes off you, and I nearly forgot why I’d come to your house to begin with.”

“Yes, Belinda, I remember it all.” He’d seduced her that very day and they’d begun a heated, though short-lived, affair. “Back to Mr. Lamb. How well do you know him?”

“Not as well as I know you. Though I suspect the man would certainly welcome an invitation to my bed. He is kind. Seems competent enough. There have been many changes to the orphanage since he took over as director.”

“Good changes?”

She shrugged. “I suppose it depends on who you ask. The board has been forced to collect more monies for the changes he’s instituted, but whatever is good for the children, right?”

“Right,” Roe said. “And has anyone questioned the added expenses?”

“A few times. Lady Greene and Lady Winguard once had a conflict with Mr. Lamb, but the protests didn’t last long once he had us walk through some of the sleeping quarters.”

He considered asking her about the empty rooms, the discrepancy in how many girls were actually at Dover House, but he still didn’t know if somehow Belinda might be involved. “I see. Do you trust him?”

“I’ve never thought about it much. You know I serve on so many boards, love, I barely have time to make all the meetings.”

Roe did know. Belinda enjoyed being involved and needed. So the woman served on a variety of charity boards that constituted the majority of her social outings for each week. It assisted in her reputation as being the lovely and benevolent widow. But Roe knew there was much more to Belinda than that. She might be generous with her late husband’s funds, but