Angelique caught hold of Delilah’s arm just in time to prevent her from hurling the thing upon the fire.
The young man understood their horror. At least he had the grace to scorch red.
He’d been had, and was just beginning to realize this.
“Where did you get this, er, menu, Mr....”
“Farraday. Andrew Farraday. My friend Roddie gave it to me. Bloody Roderick! He’s the one who told me to come here.”
“I’m afraid if you’re going to use that language you’ll need to put a pence in the jar, and another for the previous expostulation beginning with the wordblast. We shall not charge you this one time, but this is a warning,” Delilah said gently.
He blinked at her, astonished. Mouth dropped open. As if he’d been having a lovely dream about angels, who turned out to have fangs.
“Mr. Farraday, would you like to sit down by the fire? You’ll take a chill. We’ll bring you something hot to drink.”
Like every young man, he was helpless against warm motherliness.
He sank down next to the fire on one settee and seemed prepared to be doted and waited upon. Clearly he was accustomed to it.
“I’m afraid, Mr. Farraday, that your friend Roderick has pulled a prank. We are a respectable boarding establishment. We arenotwhat your friend Roderick has suggested to you we are.”
It seemed no one quite had the nerve to saybordelloorwhorehouse.
“You’re not a...” he said to Angelique.
She shook her head.
He turned to Delilah. “And you’re not a...”
Delilah shook her head, too.
He looked shattered.
“So neither of you are... and this isn’t a...”
It was rather sweet that this clearly well-bred young man couldn’t bring himself to use the wordwhorein front of two women who, only seconds earlier, he fervently hoped would be administering the Scoundrel’s Wheelbarrow.
“Breedlove?” he repeated. “Lady Derring,” he emphasized meaningfully. “But surely, with names like those...”
They both shook their heads.
“Forgive me. Well, I’m terribly embarrassed.”
“And you should be,” Delilah said almost tenderly.
Angelique stifled a laugh.
“I don’t get up to that sort of thing, ever, you know.” He beseeched them with big dark eyes.
“We can tell,” Angelique assured him.
He looked crestfallen and a little anxious. “I daresay. Well, that leaves me in a bit of a bind. I’ve no place to stay for the night.”
“Well, what brings you to London, Mr. Farraday, besides those, er, pastimes?” Angelique asked.
He blushed again. Then fidgeted a little.
At last he sighed. “I bolted, you see,” he said earnestly.
