Who Wants to Marry a Duke - Sabrina Jeffries Page 0,71

gone to great pains not to have her caught doing something that might ruin her for good.

She could take that one of two ways. Either he was being scrupulously courteous to the woman he meant to marry. Or he was covering his tracks so he wouldn’t have to marry her. No doubt that was something he’d done countless times before with his married lovers.

The maid returned to announce that the coffee was on its way, and Olivia thanked her. Then the young woman walked over to the bed and started as she saw something.

“Miss,” the maid said, pointing to the coverlet. “There is . . . um . . . blood here.”

Oh, dear, Thorn had missed one crucial indication of their . . . indiscretion. Olivia thought fast. “I came in so late and was so exhausted that I barely had time to disrobe before I had to lie down on the bed or risk falling down. When I woke in the night, I realized my menses had begun. I was too tired to do more than change out of my shift into my nightdress and grab some rags. I didn’t realize I had bled on the coverlet. I hope it doesn’t prove too difficult to clean.”

Olivia knew she was babbling, but she was desperate to hide what had happened. Because if Thorn had gone to such great lengths to do so, he might have had a reason, and she didn’t want to be truly ruined just because she couldn’t lie convincingly.

Though the maid blushed, her suspicious expression had vanished entirely. “Oh, no, miss, don’t you worry your head about it in the least. We women know how that happens. If you’ll just give me your soiled shift, I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.”

“Thank you.”

The maid helped her dress and didn’t say another word about Olivia’s menses. Olivia could only hope the young woman had believed her.

But Mama was here. Olivia found that more reassuring than she should have. It would be nice to have a shoulder to cry on if Thorn proved to be as much of a rakehell as he’d seemed last night.

Even if he did offer marriage, he’d already as much as said he would never offer her love and happiness. And he probably meant it. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

Once she was dressed, she gulped some coffee, then hurried downstairs to the drawing room. She walked in to find both Gwyn and Thorn trying to hold her stepmother at bay.

“I swear on my life, Lady Norley,” Thorn said, “I haven’t hidden your daughter or whisked her away somewhere. I’m sure she’ll be down any moment.” He glanced over at the doorway and saw her. “You see? Here she is. She must have been sleeping deeply. I do know from the servants that she worked in her laboratory until very late.”

Olivia’s stepmother walked over to kiss her on both cheeks, concern clear in her eyes. “You’re all right, aren’t you? I was so worried!”

“I’m fine, Mama.”

Gwyn said, “How about I call for some tea and coffee for all of us?”

“And perhaps a bit of toast and butter for me?” Olivia was starving after her late night activities.

“Of course,” Gwyn said with a smile, and left the room. Reluctantly, Olivia turned her attention to her stepmother. “How did you even find me, Mama?”

Her stepmother pursed her lips. “Don’t remind me that you didn’t tell me the real reason you were going to Greycourt’s estate. And you certainly made no attempt to let me know you agreed to come here with”—she shot Thorn a chilling look—“with a man who nearly ruined you once before. And is obviously not trying to keep from ruining you again.”

Thorn was unusually silent on that score.

“Mama!” Olivia protested. “The duke has been nothing but kind and courteous. Besides, as you can see, his sister, Lady Gwyn, has been here the whole time as my chaperone. Everything is perfectly proper.”

Her stepmother snorted. “You never cared about things being proper before. But you don’t realize how quickly a woman can go from being a diamond of the first water to being the subject of ruinous gossip, and all with one heedless act.” She glared at Thorn. “I, however, know precisely how that can happen. I’ve seen it plenty of times in my years in society.”

“All I have done, Mama,” she lied, “is to practice my profession. Greycourt and his wife were very courteous hosts who gave me a chance to be a