A Scandalous Portrait (The Rose Room Rogues #1) - Callie Hutton Page 0,31

skim over her already turgid nipple.

They sprang apart as the library door opened.

“What is the meaning of this?” Lady Grafton’s loud voice faded, and she gasped when she saw Diana.

Lord Grafton stood alongside her looking confused. “I thought—”

“Never mind, Jasper,” Lady Grafton snapped.

Within seconds, it seemed, three other people joined Lord and Lady Grafton at the door. More gasps and comments followed.

Hunt pulled Diana back to his chest and rested his chin on her head. “Ah, so now it begins.”

12

Hunt stared at Lord Grafton who had apparently recovered from the shock of finding their selected victim with Diana in the library instead of their daughter. He now apparently decided to portray the insulted host who had to handle the apparent scandal.

“Lady Diana, who is responsible for you with your father residing out in South Yorkshire?” Lord Grafton barely got the words out with his wife glaring at him as if the debacle was his fault.

Lady Grafton turned her glare to Diana. Obviously she, her husband and Lady Eunice had all been involved in an attempt to trap him into wedlock. Although they’d failed, Hunt mused, he was still staring at the parson’s noose.

With Diana.

Lady Trouble.

The woman he’d lusted after for weeks.

He released Diana, and she turned to face Lord and Lady Grafton. She lifted her chin. “I am responsible for myself, my lord.”

Lady Grafton waved her hand in dismissal. “Nonsense. Every woman must have a man responsible for her. It will be necessary for Lord Huntington to visit with your father, which would be quite a trip if there is no one closer.”

“Again, Lady Grafton, I do not mean to be rude, but I am responsible for myself,” Diana responded, her voice laced with anger.

Lord Denbigh, one of the men who had gathered at the doorway to view the current calamity, stepped into the room and looked condescendingly at Diana. “As a dear friend of your father, my lady, I am quite certain the Marquess of Rockingham would be pleased to have me step into his place and deal with Lord Huntington.”

Diana closed her eyes and groaned. “May I please have a few moments to speak with Lord Huntington?”

“You’ve already caused enough trouble, gel,” Lady Grafton said. “I will not allow this scandal to continue by allowing the two of you alone. Lord only knows what you are up to.”

Hunt stepped away from Diana, the blood pounding in his chest at the insult to her. There must have been something in his expression that terrorized the woman because she moved behind her husband. As if he would strike a lady. But he would have no trouble taking out Lord Grafton.

“I advise you to not speak to my fiancée in that manner, my lady.”

“Fiancée!” Several people—including Diana—gasped.

“Yes, sweetheart.” He directed his comments to a very pale Diana. “I know we wished to keep it a secret until we returned to London, but it seems the cat was let out of the bag.” Hunt turned to the group at the doorway, wrapping his arm around Diana’s shoulders. “Since Lady Diana has just now accepted my hand in marriage, I assume you will all wish us happy.”

A few ‘best wishes’ and ‘wish you wells’ drifted over the group.

Lady Grafton narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know what you are trying to pull off here, Lord Huntington, but I had better see a wedding in the near future or your so-called fiancée will be totally disgraced.”

She had the nerve to wag her finger at Diana. “No running off to Italy this time to ward off a scandal, gel.”

Hunt had had enough of the banter and nonsense that Lady Grafton herself had started. He cursed himself for not considering that if Lady Eunice had planned to have it look as though he’d compromised her, arrangements would have been made to have someone ‘find’ him and the young lady alone in the library.

Although he would be eternally grateful he’d not been found with Lady Eunice, he still had a problem on his hands. Lady Grafton was correct. Diana had no choice this time. She had to marry or be forever banned from the ton.

And that left him with a woman he dreamt many a night having in his bed, but never had he thought to have to deal with her as his wife.

His wife.

Blasted hell. Lady Trouble was all his.

Diana turned to him and lowered her voice, which wasn’t entirely necessary since the crowd at the doorway had doubled in size and their voices would cover the