“You seem to think so.”
He laughed. How charming she was. His laughter froze when he heard the deep voice behind him.
“I won’t say I’m sorry for interrupting, Montieth, because it appears you need interrupting.”
Nicholas stiffened. Reggie peaked around Nicholas’ shoulder to find her Uncle Tony and a lady holding tightly to his arm. Oh, no! Not her! Nicholas was going to be furious for he would be sure to think Tony had brought Selena Eddington there on purpose.
“Youin Vauxhall, Tony?” She tried to sound disbelieving. “I don’t believe it.”
“Spare me your mockery, puss. I’ve heard raves about this particular orchestra.”
She held her breath as Nicholas’ gaze fell on his mistress, who was looking confused and angry. Reggie almost felt sorry for the woman, but her sympathy didn’t quite surface. After all, Selena had thought nothing of tossing Reggie’s name to the scandalmongers.
“We meet again, Lady Eddington,” Reggie said with false sweetness. “Now I can thank you for the loan of your carriage the other night.”
Anthony cleared his throat loudly and Nicholas laughed unpleasantly. “I, too, must thank you, Selena. Why, I wouldn’t have met my future bride if it hadn’t been for you.”
A myriad of emotions washed over Lady Eddington’s face—none of them pleasant. She was calling herself a thousand kinds of a fool. When she’d learned what happened, she was so pleased that Nicholas had meant to kidnap her that she’d told all her friends how romantic her lover was…and how unfortunate to have nabbed the wrong female. Her bragging had resulted in disaster for herself.
Anthony said firmly, “You will be coming along now, won’t you? Perhaps I should start chaperoning you myself. I must have a talk with that errant nephew of mine. Derek should know better than to leave you two alone. Being engaged is not a license to behave badly. Remember that.”
With that he departed, whispering something in Lady Eddington’s ear as he ushered her away, more than likely encouraging her not to make a scene. Nicholas’ mouth was set in a hard line as he watched them go. “Didn’t your uncle trust me to tell her of my engagement myself? I would have, with great pleasure. If it were not for her and her uncontrollable conceited bragging—”
“You wouldn’t be marrying me,” Reggie finished softly.
The fury went out of him. His expression became maddeningly unreadable. “And you would be my lover instead of my wife. A preferable arrangement.”
“Not for me.”
“Are you saying you wouldn’t succumb, love?”
“No, I’m not sure, not sure at all,” she answered truthfully. There was sadness in her admission, and he was instantly remorseful.
“I am sorry, love,” he said gently. “I shouldn’t be badgering you. I should simply tell you that I don’t want to marry you.”
She gazed at him unwaveringly. “Am I to be grateful for your honesty?”
“Blister it! Don’t take it as an insult. It has nothing to do with you!”
“It has everything to do with me, my lord,” Reggie said angrily. “You have linked my name to yours whether you meant to or not.Youdid that, not I. Also, you agreed to marry me. You were coerced into it, yes, but if you had no intention of honoring that agreement, then you should not have been seen in public with me today. Our public appearance binds me more firmly to you. I am afraid I am stuck with you now, whetherIlike it or not. And I am beginning not to like it at all.” Without giving him a chance to recover, she turned and walked away.
Nicholas didn’t move. He felt ridiculously pleased when she talked of being stuck with him, and then ridiculously hurt when she said she didn’t like it. He had no business feeling like this about her. They were not stuck with each other, and he’d damned well better remember that.
Chapter 13
“UNCLE Jason!”
Reggie threw herself into her uncle’s outstretched arms, thrilled to see him. Jason Malory, Third Marquis of Haverston, was a big man, as all her uncles were big men. She liked that.
“I’ve missed you, my girl. Haverston isn’t the same when you’re away.”
“You say that every time I come home.” She smiled at him fondly. “Actually I did want to come home for a while before all this happened. I still do.” She looked around the drawing room and saw Uncle Edward and Uncle Tony.
“And leave your bridegroom cooling his heels here in London?”
“Somehow I don’t think he would mind,” she replied softly.
He led her to the cream-colored sofa where Anthony was sitting. Edward was standing by the fireplace, as was his habit. They had more than likely been having a family discussion before her arrival. It must have been about she-knew-what. Nobody had even told her that Uncle Jason was there.
