“I assure you I meant no insult,” he muttered and took another swallow of wine.
“The fact that you ordered me here for no reason other than to impugn my honorisan insult.”Keep it up. Throw him off the scent so that you can get out of here.
“My question arose not from ill regard but from necessity, given certain facts of life.” His broad shoulders hitched; the blasted man made even a shrug look elegant. “I am relieved to hear my concern was groundless.”
Oh, I’m certain you are.She ought to be relieved that he was giving up so easily yet, for some reason, it irked her.
“I pray you will not mention the matter again.” She used the loftiest accents that elocution lessons could buy.
“You have my word,” he said with feeling.
“As a courtesy, I also ask that you refrain fromanymention of our past association.” Recalling one of Paul’s many teachings, she added, “A lady’s reputation is her greatest asset, you know.”
She feared she may have spread the haughtiness on too thickly when Rhys arched a brow.
“Really? Because you managed to do quite well for yourself without one.” His tone was wry. “Or, rather, in spite of the one earned by your family.”
The familiar shame heated her cheeks. To have him comment on her lowly origins was beyond humiliating. The night they’d spent together, in between the fornicating, he’d asked about her family. About why her employer had denigrated them. He’d seemed so sincere and interested that she’d told him the truth.
She’d even divulged her goal of owning a flower shop. In the ensuing years, she’d berated herself endlessly for her naïveté. For allowing herself to be seduced by the first charming stranger to show her any attention. For giving him her virginity and the knowledge of her deepest dreams…only for him to leave the next morning without even saying goodbye.
In the end, she couldn’t even fault him. He’d made no promises. She had no one to blame but herself for being dazzled by a rake; in her darkest moments, she felt like she’d deserved the payment he’d left on the table. She’d acted like a whore, after all.
Swallowing, she said, “It is ungentlemanly of you to throw my family in my face.”
“I’m merely pointing out the fallacy of your assertion. Your greatest asset is not your reputation. Your strength lies in your work ethic and determination, your ability to see things through.”
She blinked at him, unsure what he meant. Was he paying her acompliment?
“Trust me, as a man who lacks work ethic and any useful abilities,” he drawled, “I have a great respect for them in others.”
He can’t be serious about his lack of abilities.Is he making fun of me? Does he think I’m still a witless tavern wench, too stupid to understand his jokes?
“In the past two days, I’ve had the chance to ask around about you,” he went on.
Her shoulders stiffened. “You hadnoright—”
“Settle your feathers, Maggie,” he said easily. “My interest was professional, not personal.”
“You may address me as Mrs. Foley.”When in doubt, revert to proper comportment.“I don’t wish to be of interest to you in any capacity.”
“And I don’t wish to have to shave twice a day. We can’t always have what we want.”
Catching the brief quiver of his lips, she narrowed her eyes at him. His expression was smooth as honey. But the glint in those hazel eyes…was the cadlaughingat her?
“Now, Mrs. Foley,” he said, “I have a proposition for you.”
Her temper flared. Thenerve.“You can take your proposition and stick it—”
“Abusinessproposition,” he said. “I’m willing to pay to have a cave explored, and you’re a cave explorer who needs money. A match made in heaven.”
“I said it before, and I’ll say it again. I ain’t…”—anger wreaked havoc on her speech, and she caught herself in the nick of time—“...Iwill notwork for the likes of you.”
“What is ‘the likes of me’, exactly? Truly, I am curious.” Plucking an almond from the nut dish, he popped it into his mouth, as if he had no bloody concerns in the world.
“You’re a rake,” she said flatly. “You have no principles. All you care about is your own amusement.”
He studied her, his gaze unreadable. “Well, I’ll grant you two of the three. I do seek out amusements because boredom is tedious. And if enjoying life’s pleasures makes me a rake, then so be it. But I must disagree on the matter of principles. I live by them. Three, in point of fact.”
