Damn, damn, damn. He was going to kill that Stanton chit one of these days.
Gavin gave up trying to get under Miss Pemberton’s gown and instantly set about righting it as best he could.
“Oh, no,” she breathed, her eyes now wide with horror instead of heavy-lidded with passion. “It’s Susan.”
“I know. I’ll kill her later. Stand up straight and let me look at you.” He cocked his head and shrugged. “You look fine. Well, mostly fine. Your hair is doing something interesting, but other than that, you’re as ravishing as ever. I mean, non-ravished-looking. I hope.”
She eyed him and giggled. “You, on the other hand, look like somebody clutched fistfuls of your hair and smashed her breasts into your cravat.”
He lunged for her, grabbed her, then forced himself to let her go. “Woman, if you keep talking like that, I willgivethe Stanton chit something shocking to see.”
As if on cue, the Stanton chit’s whiny voice grew even closer. “But I don’twishto be compromised today. I told you I’d rather wait until the end of the party. Besides, Evangeline says he won’t marry me anyway.”
“He’ll have to,” came Lady Stanton’s cold response. “Or his honor will be forever impugned.”
“Ha,” he whispered to Evangeline. “My honor was impugned ages ago. I haven’t had a reputation to uphold in years. You, however…Turn around.”
“What?”
“Quickly. Turn around.” He spun her backward, steadied her, scooped up her curls. “My apologies in advance. I’ve seen Rose do this to the twins about once an hour, but you seem to have lost the majority of your pins.”
“You’re fixing myhair?”
“Attempting to, my lady. No compliments just yet.” He twisted that gorgeous mane into a long, thick rope until it began to buckle and coil. He scrunched the mass into as boringly normal a chignon as he could, and affixed it with the few remaining hairpins. Not too bad for a first attempt. Lopsided, yes, but when was it not? And the tendrils escaping at the temple and nape only added to her beauty. As if she needed anything to add to her beauty. He wanted to shake her hair free and make love to her until their muscles were too weak to do more than tangle together. He wanted to—
“Step lively, Susan! We haven’t all day. I’ll be back in five minutes to ‘accidentally’ come upon you just as soon as I fetch another witness. There’s Mr. Teasdale; he’ll have to do. Go on, now, before Lioncroft leaves. Lord knows what he’s doing in there. And don’t let himtrulyravish you. I’ll only be a second.”
Before Gavin had a chance to do more than leap to the opposite side of the room, the summerhouse door opened. The Stanton chit stumbled inside as if shoved, and the door shut just as quickly behind her.
“Good afternoon, Susan,” Miss Pemberton said evenly, her tone and manner remarkably calm considering the arch glint in her eyes.
The Stanton chit gulped, grimaced, swung her gaze from Miss Pemberton to Gavin and back to Miss Pemberton again.
“Now is not the time for manners, Evangeline. We have to hurry. Mother’s fetching Teasdale.”
Gavin propped a shoulder against the wall. “Hurry and what, may I ask? Is this the moment where I get to ravish you both?”
The corner of Miss Pemberton’s mouth quirked.
“I assure you,” the Stanton chit said through clenched teeth. “This is not my idea.”
“We know.” Miss Pemberton jerked her head toward the window, dislodging another pin. “We could hear everything. Come, before your mother returns.”
The Stanton chit shot him a suspicious look over her shoulder before following Miss Pemberton outside. Gavin closed the door behind them and they all headed toward the side of his house, away from where Lady Stanton’s bonnet and Mr. Teasdale’s beaver were just visible atop a row of blackberry bushes.
“How did your mother know where to find me?”
“The twins told her.” The Stanton chit slid a half-reproachful, half-impressed glance toward Miss Pemberton. “She neglected to inquire as to whether he was alone.”
“Susan? Susan, darling, where have you gone off to?” came Lady Stanton’s glass-shattering falsetto from beyond the hedgerows. “Mr. Teasdale, would you be so kind as to help me locate my daughter?”
“Your mother,” Miss Pemberton whispered, “is terrifying.”
“I know.” The Stanton chit blanched. “She’s coming! What are we to do?”
“Nothing. We’re out of the summerhouse and wandering about like everyone else.” Miss Pemberton affected an exceptionally awkward stance. “Look natural.”
One of the side doors to Gavin’s house swung open. A footman stepped outside and shaded his eyes from the late afternoon sun. As soon as he caught sight of the trio he strode forward, reaching their side in seconds.
