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Do you not believe me?’

      She pursed her lips.

      ‘I can believe you came to Lady Hune’s assistance when she wrote to you, but she is much better now and the image of you playing companion to an elderly lady does not quite fit with your reputation.’

      ‘Perhaps you should not put too much store by all you hear of me, ma’am. I am extremely fond of Lady Hune. When I was younger she was the only one of my family who had any faith in me and while she needs me I shall remain in Bath.’

      ‘But it is hardly London, is it? Do you not find it dull here? After all, Lady Hune demands very little of your time.’

      ‘True, but there are gambling hells, if one knows where to look, and—’

      ‘And heiresses to chase.’

      ‘That is not what I was going to say.’

      ‘No, I thought I would save you the trouble.’

      ‘There is sufficient society in Bath to entertain me for a few weeks, Lady Phyllida. I am not so very exacting.’

      Oh, heavens, he was smiling at her, just as he had done in the chapel at Farleigh. She could feel the tug of attraction building again. It must not, could not happen. With relief she heard Ellen and Julia’s girlish laughter near at hand. It gave her the strength to look away and she observed the girls running towards her.

      ‘We lost all track of the time, Lady Phyllida,’ said Julia guiltily. ‘I do hope we were not gone too long.’

      Phyllida rose to her feet and replied with determined cheerfulness, ‘Not at all. I am glad I did not have to resort to my map to find you and bring you out. However, we had best be getting back now.’ She turned to Richard. ‘We can trespass on your time no longer, sir. I am going to escort Miss Julia home now.’

      ‘Too soon, Lady Phyllida. My way lies with you. It would look very odd if I were to follow you all the way to Laura Place, would it not?’

      ‘It would indeed.’ Ellen giggled.

      She showed no desire to release Julia’s arm in favour of Richard Arrandale’s, which relieved Phyllida’s mind of its greatest worry, but the gentleman was in no way discomposed and merely fell into step beside Phyllida, which threw up quite a different anxiety.

      She felt such conflicting emotions about this man. She knew he was a rake and even though she suspected—nay, she was sure—he was pursuing Ellen, she could not dislike him. Just having him at her side set her pulse jumping. She thought it would be easier if she cut the acquaintance altogether, but that might well precipitate the thing she was most anxious to avoid. Phyllida knew Ellen liked Richard Arrandale, but at present it was no more than that. If Phyllida was to forbid Ellen to have anything more to do with him she was very much afraid it would invest Richard with an air of danger and illicit excitement that a spirited young girl would find irresistible.

      Her companion showed no desire to talk, so Phyllida was able to consider her dilemma in peace, until she realised they had traversed almost the length of Great Pulteney Street in silence. Even worse, Ellen and Julia were nowhere in sight.

      ‘They hurried on ahead and are by now at Lady Wakefield’s house,’ Richard told her, as if aware of her alarm.

      He kept up with her easily as she quickened her step and they reached the Wakefields’ door just as the two girls emerged and Julia very prettily requested that Ellen might join them for dinner.

      ‘I have asked Mama,’ she added, ‘and she says she will send Ellen home in the carriage, if you will allow it, Lady Phyllida.’

      Ellen clasped her hands and subjected Phyllida to a beseeching look.

      ‘Please tell me I may stay, darling Stepmama. And I am sure Mr Arrandale will accompany you, so you need have no worry about walking back to Charles Street unattended.’

      ‘I should be delighted to escort Lady Phyllida,’ he responded promptly.

      Ellen beamed at him.

      ‘Then it is all settled to everyone’s satisfaction!’ Ellen reached up and gave Phyllida a hasty kiss on the cheek, then ran indoors with Julia.

      Speechless, Phyllida watched them go. This was not at all to her satisfaction. Richard held out his arm to her and silently she placed her fingers on his sleeve. They began to walk.

      ‘Are you going to tell me that you are quite capable of walking back to Charles Street unattended?’

      ‘I should not say anything so uncivil,’ she replied loftily.

      ‘That’s put me in my place.’

      She caught herself up on a laugh.

      ‘You are quite shameless, you know.’

      ‘I fear you are right. And I am going to prove it by asking you why you married Tatham.’

      * * *

      It was an impertinent question and Richard wondered if he had gone too far. She had every right to protest. She might even snatch her arm away and refuse to walk further with him. Instead she answered him quietly.

      ‘Because he offered for me. I didn’t take, you see, amongst the ton, but I had very little to recommend me. If you really do remember then you will know how gauche and awkward I was then.’

      ‘So Sir Evelyn proposed.’

      ‘Yes. He was rich, but he was also kind, much kinder to me than my parents were. To them I was nothing more than a commodity, to be used to the family’s best advantage.’

      Richard’s jaw clenched tight. Knowing his world he was well aware of what might have happened to her, sold to the highest bidder.

      ‘And was it a good marriage?’

      ‘I think so. I believe I made Sir Evelyn happy, even though I failed to give him the heir he wanted.’

      ‘I am not interested in Tatham,’ he said roughly. ‘What about you, were you happy?’

      She smiled. ‘Why, yes, why should I not be?’

      ‘Did you love him?’

      The little hand resting on his sleeve trembled.

      ‘I did not dislike him, and that is very important.’

      Her cool, reasonable response angered him. Smothering a curse he stopped and pulled her round to face him.

      ‘How old are you, Lady Phyllida?’

      She blinked. ‘I am four-and-twenty, not that it is any concern of yours!’

      ‘No, but it concerns me that you should be dwindling into widowhood before you have even lived.’

      ‘Mr Arrandale, I assure you I am not at all unhappy with my lot.’

      He shook his head at her.

      ‘I saw your face when we raced the horses the other day. How often have you felt like that? When was the last time you really enjoyed yourself, dancing ’til dawn, walking in the moonlight, being kissed senseless—?’

      Her eyes widened at that and she drew away from him.

      ‘You should not be talking to me in this way.’ She looked around. ‘We—we are at Charles Street. Thank you for your escort. Forgive me if I do not ask you to come in.’

      With that she left him, almost running the last few yards to her door, where she was soon lost to sight.

      Damn, damn, damn! What was he thinking of? Richard turned on his heel and strode away. He was supposed to be making a friend of her, preparing the ground so that she would support him when he made Ellen an offer. Instead he was saying all the wrong things.

      What in hell’s name had got into him?

      * * *

      September

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