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“You were right to send me,” he said. “I found her in her chemise, standing in the bedroom. When I entered, her mother sprang out from some corner. I was so shocked at finding the young woman that I hadn’t seen her.”

I swore. Miss Sullivan had been correct after all. And if she hadn’t warned me, I would have been caught in the middle of their ill-conceived plot. And the young woman would have had to live with that scandal. I had no idea what possessed these people to think they could force me into doing something I didn’t want to do.

But what bothered me most at that moment was knowing that scandal would have also tainted Claire Sullivan’s reputation. I brushed aside the errant thought.

“What happened?” I asked.

“The mother jumped out and demanded I marry the young woman. I said of course I would. But when they realized I was merely your valet, they were both quite put out.”

Fairfax laughed. “Not quite the result they were hoping for. Well,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder, “it looks like you’ll be staying with me after all. I guarantee no one will be sneaking in the windows and hiding in your bedroom. Unless, of course, you want them to.”

Chapter 4

CLAIRE

If anyone had told me that Mr. Grey was actually Lord Greyson, one of the Legendary Lords, I would have laughed in their faces. But I’d learned the truth myself and spoken to him while at King’s. There was no denying it, even though I struggled to reconcile the fact.

When I returned home, the house was empty. Was my stepmother already enacting whatever scheme she’d planned to have him compromise Georgiana?

I settled into the drawing room to await their return. Filled with worry, I began to pace. I didn’t regret warning him.

Until recently, no woman concerned about her reputation would go near the Legends, let alone a young woman who was newly on the marriage mart. But after three of the notorious rogues married this year—and all of them reported to be love matches—everyone’s attention had turned to the three unwed Legends. And for some reason, Lord Greyson was their primary candidate. I hadn’t followed their exploits and couldn’t say why.

I dropped onto the chaise longue and laughed. Who was I kidding? I knew exactly why they’d all decided to set their cap at Greyson. He was tall, well above six feet in height, which made me feel small and delicate standing next to him. With his dark hair, attractive features, and those pale-blue eyes that seemed to see straight through to your soul, it would be impossible not to fall under his spell.

I shivered. In his guise as trustee of the charity school, I’d thought the disheveled Mr. Grey was kind and handsome. But the cold, haughty lord I’d spoken with at King’s was devastating.

I plopped back against the cushions and closed my eyes, willing time to speed up. How long was all this going to take? What exactly had my stepmother planned? And most importantly, was Lord Greyson going to heed my warning?

I must have drifted off, because the next thing I knew, the front door was slamming closed and my stepmother and sister were storming into the drawing room.

I straightened and glanced at the clock on the mantel. It was just past seven in the evening.

My stepmother’s eyes narrowed on me. “Have you been sleeping here all day?”

I wanted to say no, but it had been over an hour, and I didn’t want her to think I’d been waiting to learn what had happened. “I was up late last night.”

Her lips curled into a sneer. “Planning for your charity work again? What could they possibly need from you?”

I took a deep breath, holding back the annoyance that threatened to surface whenever she belittled my interests. I was 25 years of age. I could do whatever I wanted with my free time.

“There are two sisters who’ve just joined the school. They’re understandably despondent and I’ve been thinking about activities that might encourage them to come out of their shells.”

I could almost see the words on her tongue, but before she could criticize me for wasting my time, Georgiana stamped a foot.

“Why is no one paying attention to me? I am the injured party here.”

I took a deep breath and tried to paste on a conciliatory smile. “What happened?”

She pouted. “You give all your time to strangers, but you don’t care about me at all.”

My stepmother filled in the missing information. “Your sister has been having a trying time capturing the attention of the man she wants to marry.”

That answered my question. Apparently, Greyson had heeded my warning. I tried not to smile.

“I’m sorry to hear that. But as someone who is already on the shelf, I don’t know what assistance I can offer.”

Georgiana sniffed. “No, of course not. I’m going upstairs, Mother. Let me know when dinner is ready.”