LITMIR.BIZ

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speech, that is all,’ she said, meeting his gaze full on. ‘I never thought you would hit Sir Vincent.’

      ‘I saw the opportunity and seized it. The punch was long overdue.’

      Sophie pressed her lips together. She had to remember that Richard had his own reasons for wanting to hit Sir Vincent. It had nothing to do with her and her troubles, but what had passed between the pair years ago. He had no finer feelings for her. She was simply the means to the end of exacting revenge on Sir Vincent. Because he had made a vow. She was a duty rather than a pleasure.

      Drawing a steadying breath, she stood. It was imperative to keep her wits about her and not to start believing in the romantic fantasy she had spun for various female acquaintances in the crowd of well-wishers. She knew precisely the sort of man Richard Crawford was and she’d be a fool to forget it.

      ‘My father used to say that opportunities are to be used, rather than lamented about later. You make your luck. Thankfully everything went the way I hoped. Sir Vincent is utterly destroyed.’

      ‘With a little assistance from me.’

      She smiled up at him. ‘Some very welcome assistance. I couldn’t have done it without you. Cynthia’s parents will hear of tonight’s events. They may not be so quick to offer one of their daughters up as Sir Vincent predicted. A fantastic victory.’

      ‘Do you play croquet?’

      ‘On occasion.’ She tilted her head and regarded his features. ‘It is the latest craze. We brought a set back from the Great Exhibition. I spent last summer in Corbridge perfecting my technique. I used to play cricket and was quite handy with the bat. It felt good to be hitting a ball again.’

      ‘I suspect you give no mercy to your opponents.’

      ‘I enjoy winning, but I don’t grind my opponents in the ground like some.’

      ‘We must play some time.’

      ‘It might be a pleasant way to pass the time.’ Sophie hesitated. The time had come to end their fake engagement and put temptation beyond reach. ‘I must warn you, Lord Bingfield, that what I said last night remains true. I have no intention of giving up my reputation, even for a man like yourself who did save me. I fear we must soon part.’

      His finely chiselled features frowned. ‘Do you wish to go home?’

      ‘Now that tonight’s performance has ended?’ Sophie stopped and replaced her glove, covering up her ring. She had only worn the ring for a short while, but she would be sorry to give it back.

      ‘I am at your disposal.’ He inclined his head. ‘Most women would be overwhelmed by what just occurred. No one will remark when we leave.’

      Sophie froze, considering. Did he mean that he wanted her to stay or that he thought a woman of delicate sensibilities would have to leave the ball immediately? Her backbone was made of far sterner stuff, but she could see how leaving would make matters easier. ‘Before you hit him, Sir Vincent as good as admitted to me that it was he who had informed the papers. I doubt he will try that again. Should he attempt to ruin me, I can point to tonight’s events as a reason why his poison should not be believed. Our engagement is finished. I can leave on my own if you wish to stay.’

      She waited for his agreement. His frown increased.

      ‘Your actions do mean we are tied to each other for a while longer.’ A tiny smile played on his lips. ‘Becoming engaged to your dream man meant you forgot your sensibilities. Your words, not mine. Consider what will happen if you jilt me tomorrow. Consider what the press will say then. Will you be known as a flighty heiress?’

      Sophie gulped. She could see the headline now. ‘They were a figure of speech, an added flourish.’

      ‘Added little flourishes can have grave consequences, Miss Ravel. Perhaps you should think before you act.’

      She bowed her head, acknowledging the truth in his words. ‘I can hardly jilt you tonight or any time soon. I shall have to wait until the furore dies down.’

      ‘It may take weeks or even months.’ His eyes glittered amber. ‘The episode has ensured that the engagement will be on everyone’s lips tomorrow morning. Various members of the gutter press were in the crowd. Our engagement will be the lead item in the gossip columns throughout the land. “The Redoubtable captures the Rake” has a certain resonance. Prior to your intervention, I had thought “Lord exposes caddish behaviour” or, better still, “blackmailer”.’

      Sophie winced. He had exposed a fatal flaw in her actions and had stated very clearly that he could not wait to be rid of her. Only now they were shackled together. Her doing, not his. All of his actions had been designed to take revenge on Putney and he had nearly succeeded in provoking a duel. Now, she had inadvertently prolonged the time they had to spend together.

      ‘It was the killing blow. I could not be certain your scheme would work,’ she argued.

      ‘You failed to think. Emotion carried you.’ He looked down at her. ‘It carries you still. Luckily, I still possess my faculties. We will have to spend more time in each other’s company, pretending that our engagement is one of the great love stories, or we shall be exposed as cheats.’

      Sophie put her hand on her stomach and tried to stop her insides roiling. She would have to dance with him again. She would have to pretend to be besotted. And there would be no expectation of marriage if she gave in to his charm. ‘I would like to return home now. Will you please find my stepmother and make the necessary arrangements? We can discuss how long our engagement must continue at a later date. My head pains me too much to think straight.’

      Richard struggled to control his temper as the carriage stopped outside Miss Ravel’s house. There were things which needed to be said between Sophie and him, but Mrs Ravel sat squarely between them. Mrs Ravel kept up a steady stream of conversation, seemingly oblivious to the stony silence from Sophie.

      It was far from his fault that the engagement had been announced in the way it was. That was entirely her doing. There again, it had prevented him from beating Putney into a bloody pulp.

      The sight of Putney’s hand restraining Sophie had filled him with a primitive anger. He had wanted to murder him for daring to even look at Sophie, let alone touch her in that fashion. His actions had nothing to do with the past and everything to do with Sophie.

      ‘There is no need to see us in, Lord Bingfield,’ Sophie said, alighting from the carriage before he had a chance to hold out his hand and help her down.

      ‘There is every need,’ Richard retorted silkily, managing to swallow his annoyance. Despite her public declaration, in private, Sophie made it all too clear how she felt about him. ‘I could hardly allow my fiancée or her stepmother to make their way home without being there to ensure their safety.’

      What made it worse was that he had to accept all the congratulations, knowing that the woman beside him could not wait to be rid of him.

      He had never considered that he was like his father and would lose his reason over a woman, but now it seemed he had. His feelings tonight made a mockery of his proposal. No finer feelings. He definitely wanted to hold Sophie in his arms again and feel her lips tremble under his. He wanted to unlock the passion he glimpsed again tonight when they had waltzed.

      Sophie pointed. ‘We can easily make it to our door, Lord Bingfield. You can see the door from where you are standing.’

      ‘Sophie!’ Mrs Ravel exclaimed. ‘Where are your manners tonight? First you insist on leaving before I finish my hand at whist and now you seek to dismiss your fiancé like a lackey.’

      ‘The upset at the Assembly Rooms has quite turned my brain.’ Sophie inclined her head. ‘I merely meant Lord Bingfield did not need to feel obliged. He has done so much for us tonight. It would be wrong for us to presume further. I didn’t want to put him to any trouble.’

      ‘I am sure it is no trouble, Sophie. Is it, Lord Bingfield?’

      Richard

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