Lord Reddington cursed soundly and stepped forward, clearly at the end of his patience.
“No,” Mary stopped him. “Leave him. I know how to deal with drunken men. I can summon some of the stagehands to assist with removing him.”
His lordship looked from Mary to the man lying unconscious on the floor, clearly wishing to take his leave, but reluctant to appear uncaring. “It would be unseemly for me to leave you alone here with him.”
“Oh, la!” She smiled broadly at him. “I assure you, Lord Reddington, I am fully capable of handling myself with this man. The moment you take your leave, I shall summon a stagehand.”
Mary felt the urge to laugh at the look of relief that crossed his features. Evidently expending any effort not involved in a seduction was unworthy of his time. His indolence in this instance was rather to her advantage.
“If you are certain,” he said.
She smiled at him. “I am certain.”
“Very well. I shall send ‘round a messenger with the details of the house party.”
Mary ran her hand down his arm to gently squeeze his lace-clad wrist. “I wait with bated breath, my lord.”
With one last glare at the slumbering, inebriated man and his hat still placed strategically over the falls of his trousers, Lord Reddington made a hasty departure. Mary waited until she heard his footfalls fade far down the corridor before she closed and locked her dressing room door.
Turning, she placed her hands on her hips. “Must you have arrived so early, Hydra? I despise having to make excuses.”
A low rumble emanated from the heap upon the floor before the grinning and decidedly sober Sir Charles Bradley rose to his feet to face her, his gaze carefully focused on her face. Hydra had seen her thusly on several occasions during assignments and he always had the graciousness to not draw attention to her scanty attire.
“It says little for the man that I anticipated an early evening for you, Mary.”
Poorly hiding her grin, Mary clucked her tongue at him as she strode to the privacy screen to retrieve her dressing robe. “That is ungenerous of you, Hydra.”
He laughed. “Indeed, it is.” His laughter died as he quickly sobered. “Despite the soft side that he may show potential lovers, Mary, the man is a villain.”
She emerged from behind the screen with her robe in place and the rope firmly tied. “I believe you. I always do.”
He nodded, his arms crossing over his chest. “I gather you have garnered an invitation to the house party?”
“I did.” She sat on the stool before her dressing table, then opened a container of rose scented cream and dipped her finger in. “Is that what my next assignment will be?” She turned to face him as she rubbed the cream over her hands and forearms. “You mentioned a ‘new role’ this morning.”
“Yes. We will discuss the particulars at first light.”
Mary wondered briefly at his evasiveness but pushed the thoughts from her head. Hydra was her superior. He had a reason for every assignment he sent her on and she trusted him implicitly.
She nodded. “Very well.”
“I would discuss it with you now, but I expect you desire sleep.”
“I do,” she conceded. If tomorrow was the beginning of preparations for a new assignment, she most certainly required sleep.
“I brought my carriage,” he said. “I would be pleased to drive you home.”
A genuine smile split her lips. “Worried over me, Hydra?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. Far too many of our men have gone missing or have turned up injured or dead of late. As well as I know you can handle yourself with some men, Mary…I daren’t contemplate it if you were to come upon thewrongsort of man, particularly in great numbers.”
Mary’s smile faded.He truly is worried for my safety, she realized. “I would be grateful for your escort; however, I must begin packing my belongings.”
Hydra shrugged one shoulder. “I would be pleased to loan you my carriage and two footmen to assist you in packing after our meeting on the morrow so that you might retire earlier tonight.”
“I would not wish to impose…”
“It is no imposition at all, I assure you.” He grinned. “Besides which, Bridget would have my hide if I allowed you to do so on your own.”
