Read Online Brushed by Scandal by Gail Whitiker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gail Whitiker
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investigate his wife’s infidelity and your name is going to come up—’
‘Damn it, Anna, did I not just say that I don’t want to talk about it?’
‘But you must! Your reputation as a gentleman is at stake, don’t you understand?’
‘What I understand is that a man’s private business is not his own,’ he snapped. ‘Do you know why I jumped at the chance to come to London? Because I was tired of having to listen to my father’s sanctimonious preaching. Of being told what I could and could not do. I thought that by coming here, I would finally be able to lead my own life. Yet now I find that every move I make is watched and criticised by people I don’t know, and that even you and your father have no qualms about intruding into something that is none of your business.’
‘None of our business?’ Anna repeated in astonishment. ‘How can you say that? You are my father’s godson. We
care
about you.’
He had the grace to look embarrassed. ‘I’m not saying you don’t.’
‘Then why are you being so defensive? I know you didn’t have an affair with Lady Yew,’ Anna said. ‘For one thing, she’s already married. For another, she must be at least fifteen years older than you.’
‘Since when did either of those things matter to the fine, upstanding members of society?’ Peregrine shot back. ‘Half of London seems to be involved with people other than their wives or husbands. Why should Susan and I be any different?’
‘Susan?’
Anna interrupted, shocked. ‘You call her Susan?’
‘Yes.’ He raised his chin in defiance. ‘What else would one call a good friend?’
‘Given that she happens to be someone else’s
wife,
I would have thought Lady Yew the more appropriate form of address,’ Anna said, concern lending an edge to her voice.
‘You’re being stuffy, Anna. I didn’t do anything wrong,’ Peregrine said. ‘She gave me leave to speak to her in such a manner.’
‘Really? And what else did she give you leave to do?’
The tips of Peregrine’s ears flamed red. ‘Nothing.’ But when he refused to meet her eyes and began fidgeting with his crop, Anna knew he was lying to her—and she felt the foundations of her world tremble.
So, it
was
all a lie. Peregrine
was
involved with Lady Yew. Worse, he was
in love
with her. He’d given himself away when he’d spoken her name. His mouth had quivered and his eyes had softened, the way a person’s always did when they referred to the man or the woman they cared about deeply.
And she, stupidly, had believed him. She had defended him to both her father
and
to Sir Barrington Parker, a man she had charged with making a false accusation, when all the while it was Peregrine who had been telling lies.
Needing to regain a measure of calm, Anna turned her back on him, clenching her fists at her side. ‘Since you obviously did not see fit to inform my father of the truth last night, I will have it now,’ she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. ‘Are you having an affair with the Marchioness of Yew?’
‘Anna, please!’
‘Don’t Anna me! I want the truth, Peregrine. People’s reputations are at stake here. Mine included.’
‘Nonsense! This doesn’t concern you!’
She whirled to face him. ‘Of course it concerns me! I spoke up on your behalf,’ she cried. ‘I defended you to someone who was ready to think the worst of you. And I refused to believe them when they told me what you were supposedly guilty of.’
Footsteps on the stairs alerted Anna to the fact that they were standing in a place where anyone might hear them, prompting her to grab Peregrine’s arm and pull him into the drawing room. ‘Furthermore,’ she said, closing the door behind them, ‘I assured Father and this…other gentleman that you couldn’t possibly have been guilty of having an affair with Lady Yew because you didn’t even
know
her.’
‘But I did know her,’ Peregrine admitted.
‘How?
I
didn’t introduce the two of
‘Damn it, Anna, did I not just say that I don’t want to talk about it?’
‘But you must! Your reputation as a gentleman is at stake, don’t you understand?’
‘What I understand is that a man’s private business is not his own,’ he snapped. ‘Do you know why I jumped at the chance to come to London? Because I was tired of having to listen to my father’s sanctimonious preaching. Of being told what I could and could not do. I thought that by coming here, I would finally be able to lead my own life. Yet now I find that every move I make is watched and criticised by people I don’t know, and that even you and your father have no qualms about intruding into something that is none of your business.’
‘None of our business?’ Anna repeated in astonishment. ‘How can you say that? You are my father’s godson. We
care
about you.’
He had the grace to look embarrassed. ‘I’m not saying you don’t.’
‘Then why are you being so defensive? I know you didn’t have an affair with Lady Yew,’ Anna said. ‘For one thing, she’s already married. For another, she must be at least fifteen years older than you.’
‘Since when did either of those things matter to the fine, upstanding members of society?’ Peregrine shot back. ‘Half of London seems to be involved with people other than their wives or husbands. Why should Susan and I be any different?’
‘Susan?’
Anna interrupted, shocked. ‘You call her Susan?’
‘Yes.’ He raised his chin in defiance. ‘What else would one call a good friend?’
‘Given that she happens to be someone else’s
wife,
I would have thought Lady Yew the more appropriate form of address,’ Anna said, concern lending an edge to her voice.
‘You’re being stuffy, Anna. I didn’t do anything wrong,’ Peregrine said. ‘She gave me leave to speak to her in such a manner.’
‘Really? And what else did she give you leave to do?’
The tips of Peregrine’s ears flamed red. ‘Nothing.’ But when he refused to meet her eyes and began fidgeting with his crop, Anna knew he was lying to her—and she felt the foundations of her world tremble.
So, it
was
all a lie. Peregrine
was
involved with Lady Yew. Worse, he was
in love
with her. He’d given himself away when he’d spoken her name. His mouth had quivered and his eyes had softened, the way a person’s always did when they referred to the man or the woman they cared about deeply.
And she, stupidly, had believed him. She had defended him to both her father
and
to Sir Barrington Parker, a man she had charged with making a false accusation, when all the while it was Peregrine who had been telling lies.
Needing to regain a measure of calm, Anna turned her back on him, clenching her fists at her side. ‘Since you obviously did not see fit to inform my father of the truth last night, I will have it now,’ she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. ‘Are you having an affair with the Marchioness of Yew?’
‘Anna, please!’
‘Don’t Anna me! I want the truth, Peregrine. People’s reputations are at stake here. Mine included.’
‘Nonsense! This doesn’t concern you!’
She whirled to face him. ‘Of course it concerns me! I spoke up on your behalf,’ she cried. ‘I defended you to someone who was ready to think the worst of you. And I refused to believe them when they told me what you were supposedly guilty of.’
Footsteps on the stairs alerted Anna to the fact that they were standing in a place where anyone might hear them, prompting her to grab Peregrine’s arm and pull him into the drawing room. ‘Furthermore,’ she said, closing the door behind them, ‘I assured Father and this…other gentleman that you couldn’t possibly have been guilty of having an affair with Lady Yew because you didn’t even
know
her.’
‘But I did know her,’ Peregrine admitted.
‘How?
I
didn’t introduce the two of
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