“Me and my brothers. And anyone who dared venture near, which wasn’t many.”
He looked at her, feeling his respect for her grow. “Who took care of you?”
“I did. I was the eldest. My brothers were little more than monkeys wrestling with each other. Samuel helped—he was my grandfather. And other members of the clan. But mostly, we managed.”
“You mean, you managed.”
She shrugged. “There were advantages.” She smiled. “Ma didn’t think I needed to read or figure. Not when all I was good for was cooking badly.”
He winced. “Did she really say that?”
“That and a great deal more. And if she were fully capable, she would have seen to it that I stayed inside just to wash her arse.”
“You didn’t?”
Her smile widened. “I didn’t. I went to school with my brothers. Said I had to make sure they learned, and I did. I got a man’s education because her leg was too broken to stop me.”
He was stunned into silence, and when she noticed his shock, she lifted her chin.
“I bet I know more about the world than most of the ladies here. I can cook and plow if I must, but I also learned about crops and the ways to manage a keep so that no one starves in winter.” She arched a brow as she gestured to the room about her. “How many others can say the same?”
“None,” he said softly. And while he was trying to express how in awe he was of her, he lost his chance. The music began and he had to surrender her to her first partner, leaving him to stand on the side as he mulled over everything he’d learned about her.
Such a fierce woman. Powerful in a way that would never fit in normal society because people—or rather men—didn’t like it when a woman showed such strength. Of course, she chafed at the restrictions around her. And of course, she turned her fury on men like Lord Liddican.
But where did that leave him? After tonight’s waltz, his obligations to her were done. He would show his approval of her with that dance, and then—after her visit with Prinny—she would be well established. And yet, he was loathe to walk away. He wanted to see how she faced down theton. More than that, he wanted to see if any man could tame her.
Doubtful. She was not a soul to be tamed. She needed a man who smoothed the way ahead for whatever she willed. With a man protecting her, she could act more powerfully as Lady Vengeance. He could give her cover and flatten the Lord Liddicans of the world when she could not. He could make sure she was safe and help her devise better ways to punish men like Eddie. Or at least contain them.
That was the man she needed. And one look at the dandys around him told him that she was doomed. There was not a soul in London who could match her.
No one, that is, except himself.
But was that the best thing for him? Or more importantly, the best thing for his children? He had sworn to find a bride who was respectable. One who could teach his girls to be ladies. But how much better would it be if they learned to be like Miss Allen? Fierce. Practical. And so much more than a mere lady that the term hardly applied.
Good God, he must be muddled to think about Miss Allen in those terms. More than a lady? Ridiculous. The term “lady” was the highest honor a woman could receive. So his mother, his sister, and his wife had often said. And yet, when he looked at Miss Allen, the term did not fit.
It was too small.
Eventually it was his turn to dance with her. Finally, he could speak to her with a modicum of privacy. Except the moment he took her arm, all thoughts of what he wanted to say fled.
“Good God, what has happened?” he asked, doing his best to keep his voice low. She was quiet, contained, and practically listless.
Her eyes widened and, shockingly, she paled even further. “What?”
“Who has upset you? You look terrified.” His hands tightened. “Was it Liddican? I’ll have him picked up immediately. Prison is too good for him.”
“What? N-no! It’s n-nothing.”
“You stammered. Have you ever stammered before in your life?”
“N-no…erm.” She scowled at him. “It is nothing, Lord Heath,” she said, enunciating each word clearly. “A couple of nightmares.”
“Nightmares?”
“Yes. In which you…um…”
He pulled back, shocked. “Did I hurt you? In these dreams?”
