He slit the envelope with a monogrammed paper knife and unfolded the single sheet within.
Lord Oakford,
If you have any intention of seeing this charade concluded with minimal catastrophe, you will refrain from further improprieties until such time as I am permitted to plot our mutual deliverance.
Do not write.Do not call.Do refrain from making further announcements, and above all, do not involve yourself in any additional scandal.If you can manage that, I will endure the engagement for as long as strictly necessary.
If, however, you persist in your usual habits, I will be forced to take steps.
Respectfully,
Lady Clara Mapleton
He laughed aloud, a genuine sound that startled Parker into raising an eyebrow.
“Is there a matter of amusement, my lord?”asked the valet, perfectly deadpan.
Crispin spread the note on his desk, smoothing the creases with the tip of his finger.“Lady Clara has delivered terms.She threatens retribution if I misbehave.”
Parker allowed the faintest hint of a smile.“Shall I prepare the oubliette, my lord?”
“No need,” said Crispin.“I intend to outwit my intended, not incarcerate her.”
He took up his pen, dipped it in the inkwell, and let his hand hover over the page for a moment.It would not do to appear rattled.Lady Clara must know that she had met her match, and he would not be bested by mere stationery.
My Darling Clara,
I assure you that my interest in additional scandal is purely academic.However, since you have elected to take the reins of this farce, I shall await your instructions with the utmost anticipation.
Please note that my patience, unlike my reputation, is not limitless.Should I be forced into silence for longer than three days, you may expect me to descend upon your breakfast table like a highwayman, unwelcome yet impossible to escape.
Yours in mutual suffering,
Oakford
He blotted the letter, then sealed it with his signet ring—an extravagantly carved devil’s head, a private joke that had become widely known amongst the ton.
He stood, stretched, and moved to the tall, north-facing windows.Beyond the wrought-iron fence of the square, London moved with its usual indifference.But here on the upper floors of Oakford House, the world had already changed.Clara had seen his announcement, and the news would be everywhere by noon.
He pressed his fingers to the cool glass and allowed himself a moment of satisfaction.
The game was afoot.And Lady Clara, for all her icy indignation, was already proving quite amusing.
Crispin handed the missive to Parker.“Take this to Lady Clara’s residence with all possible speed,” he said.“And do try not to flirt with the housemaids.Lady Shipley is very particular about the virtue of her staff.”
Parker’s lips twitched.“Of course, my lord.”
As the door closed, Crispin poured himself a brandy and sat back in his chair.He did not mind that Clara despised him.In fact, he rather preferred it.Indifference was so dull, and anything more tender would be untenable.
The next move was hers.
He hoped, for both their sakes, that it would be spectacular.
As the day wore on, Crispin found himself increasingly preoccupied with Clara’s response, and as the sun began to set, he found himself disappointed.The minx had ignored his letter.In need of distraction, he went to the billiards room.
It was a study in masculine comfort with tiger maple panels, heavy damask curtains, and a vivid green slate table.In the angled light of half a dozen lanterns, the balls shone like tiny full moons, and the air was honeyed with tobacco and the faint, numbing tang of old brandy.
Crispin, sleeves rolled, collar undone, circled the table with the leisurely arrogance of a man convinced he would win even if he played with one eye closed.Edward, as ever, was his foil.Cool, methodical, a quiet predator who stalked his shots with the patience of a heron in shallow water.
