“You may go home now. And do not ever return. I shall send your remaining wages in the morning.”
“My lord, it wasn’t my fault that she climbed that tree. She runs off all the time and—”
“Miss Allen is more a lady than anyone else here,” he said loudly. “She helped my daughter when no one else could. Not even me.” He pulled out a coin and tossed it to the nurse. “That should pay for a hackney. Do not ever speak to me or my children again.”
There were gasps all around, not the least of which from Nanny. He didn’t care. He turned to Miss Allen and bowed deeply before her. It was awkward with Minette still clinging to him, but that made it all the more attention-grabbing. And he did want everyone’s attention.
“I must leave now to take care of my children,” he said loudly. Not to mention find another nurse for them. “ButI am extraordinarily grateful to you for helping Lacy. You compromised your dignity, and I cannot thank you enough. Pray, what is your next event? I should like to have the first waltz with you, if I may.”
“You may,” said the countess, who suddenly stepped forward. Then she rattled off not only tonight’s ball, but the next two after that.
“Thank you,” he said as he ignored Miss Allen’s eyeroll. He knew she’d had no part in this day’s disaster, except to try to mitigate it. She was not angling to be his bride, and he was not looking to her as a wife. They’d agreed as much.
But she had damaged her reputation today when she’d exposed her ankles, and so it was up to him to repair it. And even more, she’d shown herself much more capable and interesting to him than any other woman here.
“I shall see you tonight, Miss Allen.” Then he glanced ruefully at his two daughters. “Or rather, tomorrow night. I should not leave them alone right now.”
“Definitely not,” Miss Allen agreed. “But my reputation is what it is. You need not—”
“Tomorrow night, Miss Allen. And again, you have my heartfelt thanks.”
Chapter Five
“Well, that couldn’thave gone any better!” the countess enthused as they headed home from the picnic.
Sadie stared at the woman. “Everyone saw my legs,” she groused. “I now have witnesses to my wild Scottish ways.”
“Pish posh. They didn’t need witnesses for that. They saw you save a child from certain death. Lord Heath was most impressed.”
“Lord Heath has already declared me unsuitable.”
The countess sniffed. “Forhim, perhaps. And really, I’m not at all sure about that. Still, he’s going to waltz with you for the next few days—”
“He said tomorrow night—”
“But it won’t be enough to make you fashionable.”
“I’ll never be fashionable.” Sadie sighed, feeling contrary. She’d never cared before, so why did it so depress her now?
“Don’t be silly. You are well on your way! The women already call you Lady Vengeance.”
Sadie jolted, panic surging through her. “How did you hear that?”
“My dear, I know everything.” She folded her hands in her lap. “I’ll admit that I was horrified when I first learned about it. You can’t go around chastising gentlemen, no matter how much they deserve it. But the womenthankme. It’s been astonishing.And the men have reformed, a little. It must be your Scottish bluntness.”
Sadie stared at the countess. Did she really think she simplyspokewith the men? It didn’t matter. The lady was allowing something extraordinary. She would be wise to not question it.
“But Sadie,” the countess continued, “you must stop. I would have interfered before, but everyone has been so grateful. I believed then—as I do now—that as long as the women are on your side, a certain amount of wildness is forgiven. But that gambit has gone as far as it can. You have to stop.”
That didn’t seem likely. Lord Liddican had slunk off into a corner somewhere, but she didn’t think he’d stay there for long. Vicious men rarely did.
“If we get Prinny’s approval, you will be as fashionable as is possible for a Scotswoman.”
Sadie laughed at that. “And why would Prinny approve of me?”
The countess threw up her hands in disgust. “Do try to think. Lord Heath works for Prinny. You knew that, right?”
She remembered something to that effect. “He manages the royal seals. If a merchant wants royal approval, then they apply to Lord Heath, and he, in turn, speaks to Prinny.”
