“What?” she asked, frowning.
“Oh, er, uh. It’s a new wig. I’m accustomed to my old one.” He cleared his throat. “By the by, what about the law’s owner? Do you know who he is?”
She narrowed her eyes until she could barely see out of them and spoke through clenched teeth. “Oh, yes, I know the name well. I detest the man and if I ever lay eyes on thatbastardLord Kendall, I intend to tell him precisely what I think of his revolting Employment Bill.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Frances hurried back up to her room after her rendezvous with Lucas in the library. She supposed what they were doing each day qualified as a rendezvous and God help her, she had no intention of stopping their interludes.
With a clear head she could see she wasn’t being entirely disloyal to Albina. Albina hadn’t even met Lucas, after all, according to him. She merely fancied him from afar. Of course, the right thing to do would be to tell Albina that she was already smitten with the man herself, but that was out of the question. How in the world would she explain to her maid that she’d been meeting a footman in the library and kissing him each day? She doubted Albina would tell Mama, but there was no guarantee, and besides, it wasn’t a story Frances wanted spread about. Albina had been known to gossip upon occasion. No. This particular secret was one Frances intended to keep to herself. It was wrong, and it was illicit, and it was the most fun she’d had in an age. She only wished Abigail was here to share it with. Abigail could keep a secret.
Frances pressed a hand to her throat as she made her way up the winding staircase to her bedchamber. Heavens, when she got to her room, she would have to check the looking glass for love bites. She’d heard other young ladies at parties speak of such things, but she’d never been privy to such salaciousness. Now, she was doing her best to pull her curls over her neck to hide what might well be a mark from a lover. She shuddered, remembering the feel of Lucas’s mouth on hers, his lips on her neck, his tongue on her breast of all scandalous things. Ooh, she couldn’t wait for him to do it again. She bent her head and stared at the ground to hide her smile.
Lucas was more than just handsome. In addition to their lovemaking, she’d also been stimulated by their discussion. It was the first real conversation she’d had with an adult male where she truly felt as if they were equals. All the other gentlemen she’d spoken with about politics wanted to dismiss her views as quickly as possible, have a servant fetch her more tea, and talk about something boring like the last play at the theater or the lovely artwork on the wall next to them.
For a time, she’d been concerned that Lucas might actually be infavorof the Employment Bill. He seemed to defend it quite vigorously. She’d heard that the law’s creator, Lord Kendall, was friendly with Lord Clayton. Perhaps Lucas knew the earl from having served him when he came to visit. Regardless, she’d decided that Lucas couldn’t possibly be in favor of a bill that did absolutely nothing to help his own class. She guessed that he enjoyed the discussion as much as she did and wanted to provide her with the means to make her arguments. It had been quite chivalrous of him when she stopped to consider it.
She’d made it to the second floor’s landing and was nearly halfway down the hall to her bedchamber door when another door opened, and Sir Reginald emerged. Frances froze, hoping he might not see her and continue on past, but apparently, luck was not on her side at the moment. Instead, Sir Reginald made a grand show, stopping, and bowing, and doffing his hat.
“There you are, Miss Wharton. You look as lovely as ever,” he boomed.
Frances wondered if her lips looked swollen from kissing Lucas and if a love bite was, in fact, visible on her neck. She started to giggle.
“Are you quite all right, Miss Wharton?” Sir Reginald looked genuinely worried for her.
“Oh, yes, I’m…fine…quite…fine,” she said, in between giggles. She pressed her fingertips to her lips to keep from laughing more. It was just so comical to see Sir Reginald after what she’d just done in the library with Lucas.
“Are you going to the picnic lunch with the other ladies?” Sir Reginald asked, thankfully willing to change the subject.
“Oh, er, yes, I believe I am,” she replied. She pinched the inside of her arm to stop laughing.
“Very well,” the knight bowed again, “then I shall see you at dinner this evening?”
Frances wanted to say, “I hope not.” Instead, the thought just made her giggle more. “Yes, dinner,” she replied noncommittally.
“I do hope we’re able to go for a ride,” he said. “Perhaps tomorrow afternoon?”
Frances was just about to open her mouth to say she was otherwise occupied tomorrow afternoon when Sir Reginald snapped his fingers. “Wait. No. Not tomorrow. I’m meeting with Lord Kendall tomorrow afternoon.”
Frances stopped laughing. She narrowed her eyes on Sir Reginald. “Kendall? Did you say Lord Kendall?”
“Yes, the Earl of Kendall. Do you know him?” Sir Reginald asked as he plucked at his ornate cuff.
Blood pounded in Frances’s temple. “I’ve never met him. I wasn’t aware he was at this party.”
“Oh, he hasn’t been,” Sir Reginald replied. “He’s only coming for a day or two. He’s fast friends with Clayton, don’t you know?”
“Yes, I’d heard as much.” Frances forced herself to breathe properly, while a hundred thoughts flew through her mind. Lord Kendall—theLord Kendall—would behere? At this house party?
“From what I understand he’s arriving any moment now,” Sir Reginald added.
“Is that so?” A slow smile spread across Frances’s face. If that blackguard the Earl of Kendall was coming here, she intended to give the man a piece of her mind. “What time are you meeting him?”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Now that he was at the house party as the Earl of Kendall, Lucas had been given a bedchamber on the second floor with most of the other guests. Bell met him there that afternoon to serve as his valet. As Bell helped him change from the Clayton livery into his buckskin breeches and emerald-green coat, Lucas couldn’t help but replay the entire conversation earlier with Frances in his head. She’d been so knowledgeable and discerning when she spoke about the Employment Bill.
Clearly, she’d formed her own steadfast opinion on the matter and Lucas was both duly impressed and utterly frustrated. There was little chance she would change her mind. In fact, many of her points had made Lucas question his own logic. He’d been so dedicated to ensuring the bill passed because of his promise to his brother. He knew all the talking points, had repeated them at length to his compatriots in the House of Lords, and he’d believed them, by God. Every word of them. Only when Frances had asked him if he could see how such a bill did nothing for his own good, guilt had weighed on him. He’d had to remind himself that he was playacting. But playacting would be a poor excuse if he ended up hurting Frances because of it.
