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I nodded, refusing to acknowledge this man’s obvious scorn. If he hadn’t addressed me by name, I would have started to wonder if I was mistaken in thinking the two men could possibly be the same person.

Mr. Grey had dressed plainly, as befitting one of the trustees of the charity school at which I’d volunteered weekly over this past season. I’d assumed he was a man of business or perhaps a solicitor. But the man standing before me now was dressed in a more fashionable manner. A charcoal tailcoat and breeches of the finest wool and a silk sage green waistcoat that made his pale-blue eyes appear even colder than normal. And his haughty demeanor was in stark contrast to that of the more affable Mr. Grey. I’d never actually spoken to him, but I had been present several times when he’d visited the school and had heard him conversing with the headmistress or one of the governesses.

But he’d made no secret of recognizing me, and Lord Greyson’s reputation was such that I shouldn’t be alone with him for long lest I fall into the trap my stepmother was trying to set for him. It was best I delivered my message and left.

“Whatever you might believe, I had no notion you were the Earl of Greyson. I knew you only as Mr. Grey.”

He raised one brow. “And yet you tracked me down here.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I wasn’t tracking you down. I was doing a kindness for someone I didn’t know and was equally surprised to see you here.”

He made a scoffing sound, and honestly, I wasn’t sure why I was trying to justify myself. Given the message I needed to deliver, I couldn’t blame him for believing the worst.

“Allow me to speak plainly, and then I’ll be on my way. You know me as Miss Claire Sullivan. Since the beginning of the season, I’ve visited the school weekly on Friday afternoons to spend time with the children and offer whatever help I can. My father was a gentleman, but untitled. My younger sister is newly out in society this year, and my stepmother has concocted a plan to entrap you into marrying her.”

He looked down his nose in a supercilious manner. “Am I supposed to take your revelation as something I didn’t already know?”

I frowned. “My stepmother is most determined to see this happen.”

He tsked softly. “Are you sure you’re not here in an attempt to entrap me yourself?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Me? Are you serious?”

He shrugged. “Why not?”

I shook my head. “While I don’t deny you’re handsome enough,” I started, despite the way he smirked at my statement. I continued undeterred, ignoring the desire to slap the expression from his face. “If I do marry, it certainly won’t be to a man whom half of London is chasing. I am well aware of my limitations.” Heaven knew my stepmother liked to point them out often enough.

“Well, thank you for your warning,” he said, turning to leave. “I shall take it under advisement.”

“Grenier’s.”

That stopped him in his tracks. He turned back and stared, waiting for me to continue.

“As I said, my stepmother is very determined. She’s had several footmen following various members of your household. This morning, one of those footmen saw your valet enter the Grenier’s Hotel.” Greyson’s eyes narrowed, and I shrugged. “I don’t know what they plan to do. I overheard her talking to my sister about plans to accost you there in some manner, but when they spied me, they stopped talking. I know nothing else.”

He stared at me for several seconds then nodded. “Mr. Clarence will see you out, if you’ll just wait here a moment.”

And then he disappeared.

I dropped onto the settee, my bravado melting away now that I was alone. It had been a shock to realize the kindly Mr. Grey with whom I’d crossed paths several times in the past few months was also Lord Greyson. But despite my misgivings earlier while I’d been waiting, I was glad I’d taken the risk of coming here to warn him. It would have devastated me if my stepmother had succeeded in her plan to entrap this man into marrying Georgiana. The very last thing I needed was for my sister to wed the man to whom I had developed an inconvenient attraction over the past few months.

Chapter 3

GREYSON

I glared at Fairfax, who was sprawled on the carriage seat opposite me. “I’m capable of handling this on my own.”

He grinned. “If there’s a chance you’ll need to stay with me until this nonsense dies down, I deserve to be there to witness what happens.”

I pushed down my aggravation. I wasn’t really angry with him, after all. “Mark my words, their attention will turn to you soon enough. And when it does, it will give me a great deal of joy to see you brought low.”

He shrugged. “We’ll see. I’m more interested in how Rexford would handle all this nonsense.”

“He’s impervious,” I said. “They wouldn’t dare.”

Fairfax looked out the carriage window, as though trying to imagine the scene. “You might be correct.”

Reaching our destination, the carriage slowed to a halt. Grenier’s. The hotel Miss Sullivan had already known about.