at Nighter. “Not that it is any of your affair, Lady Cupps-Foster.”
Brave little thing. Perhaps there was hope for Miss Higgins yet. Marissa made a mental note to search the girl out when all the dust had settled and befriend her.
Nighter looked at Marissa then back at Miss Higgins. “Clare, Lady Cupps-Foster is right. I should not have encouraged you to sneak off with me. Think of your reputation.”
“I don’t give a fig for my reputation,” Miss Higgins declared in a passionate voice, her hand taking Nighter’s.
“Yes, but I do,” he said gallantly. Bringing her hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Please.” He leaned over and whispered something in her ear.
Miss Higgins nodded. “I understand.” She looked up at Nighter with absolute adoration.
“We would beg your discretion,” Nighter said. “For her sake.”
He sounded so bloody sincere, except for the icy, empty look in his eyes. How did Miss Higgins not notice? Marissa had the urge to applaud his performance but now was not the time.
“I would speak to you in private, Captain Nighter.” Marissa pointed at Miss Higgins. “Return to your parents immediately lest I drag you out of here and to them myself.”
“Please do not.” Miss Higgins let go of Nighter’s fingers, appropriately terrified of Marissa. “I’ll go. Your discretion, Lady Cupps-Foster, would be appreciated. I assure you nothing has occurred.” She gave one final lingering glance at Nighter before gliding out the door.
Once the sound of the girl’s footsteps had faded, Marissa went to the door and shut it. Not only did she not want Nighter to be discovered with Miss Higgins, she didn’t wish to be found with him either. Adelia would never speak to her again.
Not to mention Haddon.
“Your presence here,” Nighter started in a dark, raspy tone, “instead of Adelia, leads me to the assumption you wish to . . . end this affair.”
“I do,” Marissa said. “Miss Higgins’s reputation is to stay intact. Her marriage to Viscount Pendleton will go forward as planned.”
A frosty smile met her words. “Clare detests him, you know. Says he’s a cold fish with little warmth.”
“Yet she found you more appealing?” Marissa hissed before she could think better of it.
The briefest bit of anger flashed across his beautiful features before the icy, aloof mask fell back into place. “I can be human when it is warranted.”
“I’ll make note of it should we meet in the future. Your friendship with Miss Higgins is at an end. Do not approach her again. A large sum of money has been deposited in the account you designated. Our brief association, Captain Nighter, is over.”
The pale blue frost of his eyes lingered over Marissa while she spoke. “It doesn’t have to be, my lady.”
“Yet, I’m fairly certain.” The coldly furious words came from the doorway. “It does.”
28
Nighter and Marissa both turned to face the gentleman now standing at the entrance to the parlor.
Haddon.
“What are you doing here?” Marissa whispered as her eyes lovingly traced every inch of him.
“I thought you eschewed scandal, Marissa. Yet here you are inviting it again. And so soon after the last one.” Haddon stalked into the room. “You’ve been dismissed,” he said pointedly. “Good evening, Captain Nighter.”
A smirk crossed Nighter’s lips before he bowed to Marissa. “A pleasure, Lady Cupps-Foster, doing business with you. Should you ever have need of me again—”
“She won’t,” Haddon snarled. “Get out.”
Nighter inclined his head and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Haddon moved to stand before her. Two tiny spots of pink stood out against his magnificent cheekbones as he struggled to regain control of his emotions.
She’d never seen him in such a state. Despite the circumstances, Marissa found it rather thrilling.
“Have you concluded your business with Nighter?” Haddon stalked toward her.
“What business do you imagine I have with him?”
“We have a fucking understanding, Marissa,” he growled.
“Language, my lord. Do we?” She moved to the other side of the room. Haddon was so bloody handsome, especially when he was angry. “An understanding would require you to call upon me, which you have refused to do.”
The color on his cheekbones deepened. “Have I?”
“I haven’t seen you in weeks, Haddon. Nor received word from you except some note from your secretary informing me you weren’t in London.”
“A fortnight. I had business. I cannot always be at your beck and call, Marissa,” he snapped.
Beck and—“Let us not beat around the bush, Haddon. You have been avoiding me as if I were diseased.” She hated the way her voice broke, the