“Wait,” Hargrove commanded her. “I will see you home.”
Only because she felt a little dazed, Glynnis did as he said and waited.
The courtesan sighed, realizing she’d lost her customer.
“I’m lodging right there.” And she pointed to a private residence a few doors down from Mrs. Fitzherbert’s.
“A group of usladies,” the courtesan emphasized the word, “have rented the entire house. You’ll know where to find me next time, right, love?” she added, then boldly strode forward and ran a hand down his cheek before sending Glynnis a scathing glare. Within moments, the woman had disappeared indoors.
They stared after her in silence. It was his lordship’s turn to be mortified, and she felt the awkward pain of having witnessed this brazen encounter regarding the commerce of sexual relations. She supposed it was an everyday occurrence for a rake, but one not usually witnessed by a genteel member of society. And Glynnis liked to think she was that and more, especially in comparison to such a desperate creature who would sell her body on a nightly basis.
Hargrove cleared his throat. “Well.” And then without looking her in the eyes, he took her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm.
“You really don’t have to—”
“Yes,” he interrupted. “I really do. What happened to Cumberry? I saw the fool playing a gentleman and, as I thought, escorting you home.”
“He had other plans when he realized I could not provide his next pension.”
She felt him startle under her glove at her quip.
“You’re feeling better,” he remarked, “if you can jest, but he was the wrong man to choose.”
“You misunderstand,” she said. “I was walking home alone, and he chose me.”
“Even worse!” Hargrove bit out. “First of all, it is absolutely absurd that you are lodging in a hotel entirely alone without a companion or a brother or a chaperone. You’ve practically marked yourself as a woman of ill-repute.”
“I have not,” she protested hotly, thinking of the creature who’d just left them, joining the other wanton jades in their seaside house of scandal. Moreover, Glynnis was prepared with her lies. “My companion fell ill, and my brother is occupied in London, but a chaperone is on her way.”
“Coming with your fiancé, I suppose,” Hargrove sounding like he was annoyed again.
“Yes, precisely. I couldn’t ask a stranger, and my family is all the way up in Llandeilo.”
He shook his head. “Absurd!” he proclaimed again.
While he was in such a tweague, Glynnis decided to press her advantage, as she didn’t want a repeat of tonight’s frightening occurrence.
“In the meantime, you will have to do. You may escort me to any and every event, and then I shall seem perfectly respectable. Precisely as I am,” she hurriedly added.
“People will think we are a couple,” he groused.
“Nonsense, I have a fiancé.” She sighed. “Such a lovely word, don’t you think? It rolls off the tongue, very prettily.”
***
DROPPING HER ARM ASif it were burning his, James stalked four yards away along the boulevard, took a deep breath, and then returned to the wily Miss Talbot.
“Very well. It seems I have no choice. We both heard what Prinny said. If I cock up this duty, he will send me somewhere even worse.”
She laughed, but fell silent when she realized he wasn’t in the least bit jolly. Then she asked, “Where do you think that might be?”
“John O’Groats most likely.” James considered the single-building outpost at the top of Scotland, practically falling into the cold North Sea.
“You’re grimacing,” she told him.
His dark blue eyes stared into hers. “You had best behave while under my supervision, or I vow—”
“What?” Miss Talbot asked, looking genuinely interested, her brown eyes sparkling. “Tell me. What will you do?” And the chick-a-biddy grabbed hold of his arm again so they could continue along the promenade.
