rob or rape her…why, it wouldn’t be polite. Do you know why I let her come to the club and poke her nose around here? Because if I didn’t, she’d be visiting every gambling hell in the city and rubbing elbows with every thief an’ murdering bastard what’s ever shook an elbow at green felt!” He began to warm to the subject, the casual note disappearing from his voice.“And she’s almost engaged. Hell knows what kind of man would let her traipse through London alone, unless it’s his plan to get rid of her! The bloody idiot!—I’d like to tell ’im what ’appens to women who walks in the city with frigging pistols in their readers—”
“Derek.” There was an odd smile on her face. “Your cockney is showing.”
He closed his mouth abruptly.
“That only happens,” Lily murmured, “when you’re considerably excited or angry about something.”
“I’m never angry.”
“Oh, of course not.” She returned to him, skewering him with a level gaze.
Derek didn’t like her expression, the superior look women wore when they felt they knew something a man was too stupid to understand. “I thought you were leaving,” he said gruffly.
“I was, until you began making speeches about our Miss Fielding. What does she think of you? Appalled by your lurid past, as I would imagine?”
“She’s in raptures over it.”
“I suppose you’ve done everything possible to be offensive.”
“She likes it. She calls me ‘source material.’ ”
“Well, you’ve been called worse things. Especially by me.” Lily regarded his slashed face with genuine dismay, “If only she could see you when you’re handsome. How long before the stitches are removed?”
“She’s not my preferred style,” he said flatly.
“It’s time I told you something, Derek…I’ve never been particularly impressed by your ‘preferred style.’ ”
Derek’s lips twitched with amusement “A fine romp I’d have with her in bed. She’d lie there and take notes the whole time. She…” He stopped as an imageswept through his mind…Sara Fielding’s pale, naked body beneath his, her arms twined gently around his neck, her soft breath rushing against his skin. The idea was disturbingly erotic. Frowning, he forced himself to concentrate on what Lily was saying.
“…it would be far safer than the kind of liaison you had with Lady Ashby! You’ll be fortunate if your looks aren’t permanently ruined from this latest episode. Well, I’m going to make Lady Ashby regret this, mark my words—”
“Lily.” Something in his voice hushed her at once. “Let the matter rest. You’re to do nothing about Joyce.”
Lily was made uncomfortable by Derek’s sudden cool intensity. His was the kind of glance she had seen exchanged between men with dueling pistols in their hands, and between players who had staked their fortunes on the turn of a card. The men who won were always those who didn’t seem to care. She both admired and feared such ruthless nerve. “But Derek,” she protested, “you can’t let her get away with this. She must be made to pay for it—”
“You heard what I said,” Derek had never allowed anyone to settle his debts for him. He would confront Joyce in his own way and his own time. For now he chose to do nothing.
Lily bit her lip and nodded, wanting to say more but knowing the danger of provoking him. He would allow her friendly teasing and bullying up to a point, but there was a line she would never dare to cross. “All right,” she murmured.
After holding her gaze for a moment, Derek relented. “Give us a kiss, then.”
Obediently she pecked his cheek and gave him asubdued smile. “Come to visit soon. The children will be fascinated by your stitches, especially Jamie.”
He touched his forehead in a mock salute. “I’ll tell ’em I was attacked by pirates.”
“Derek,” she said contritely, “forgive me for interfering. It’s just that I’m concerned for you. You’ve had such a
“Derek.” There was an odd smile on her face. “Your cockney is showing.”
He closed his mouth abruptly.
“That only happens,” Lily murmured, “when you’re considerably excited or angry about something.”
“I’m never angry.”
“Oh, of course not.” She returned to him, skewering him with a level gaze.
Derek didn’t like her expression, the superior look women wore when they felt they knew something a man was too stupid to understand. “I thought you were leaving,” he said gruffly.
“I was, until you began making speeches about our Miss Fielding. What does she think of you? Appalled by your lurid past, as I would imagine?”
“She’s in raptures over it.”
“I suppose you’ve done everything possible to be offensive.”
“She likes it. She calls me ‘source material.’ ”
“Well, you’ve been called worse things. Especially by me.” Lily regarded his slashed face with genuine dismay, “If only she could see you when you’re handsome. How long before the stitches are removed?”
“She’s not my preferred style,” he said flatly.
“It’s time I told you something, Derek…I’ve never been particularly impressed by your ‘preferred style.’ ”
Derek’s lips twitched with amusement “A fine romp I’d have with her in bed. She’d lie there and take notes the whole time. She…” He stopped as an imageswept through his mind…Sara Fielding’s pale, naked body beneath his, her arms twined gently around his neck, her soft breath rushing against his skin. The idea was disturbingly erotic. Frowning, he forced himself to concentrate on what Lily was saying.
“…it would be far safer than the kind of liaison you had with Lady Ashby! You’ll be fortunate if your looks aren’t permanently ruined from this latest episode. Well, I’m going to make Lady Ashby regret this, mark my words—”
“Lily.” Something in his voice hushed her at once. “Let the matter rest. You’re to do nothing about Joyce.”
Lily was made uncomfortable by Derek’s sudden cool intensity. His was the kind of glance she had seen exchanged between men with dueling pistols in their hands, and between players who had staked their fortunes on the turn of a card. The men who won were always those who didn’t seem to care. She both admired and feared such ruthless nerve. “But Derek,” she protested, “you can’t let her get away with this. She must be made to pay for it—”
“You heard what I said,” Derek had never allowed anyone to settle his debts for him. He would confront Joyce in his own way and his own time. For now he chose to do nothing.
Lily bit her lip and nodded, wanting to say more but knowing the danger of provoking him. He would allow her friendly teasing and bullying up to a point, but there was a line she would never dare to cross. “All right,” she murmured.
After holding her gaze for a moment, Derek relented. “Give us a kiss, then.”
Obediently she pecked his cheek and gave him asubdued smile. “Come to visit soon. The children will be fascinated by your stitches, especially Jamie.”
He touched his forehead in a mock salute. “I’ll tell ’em I was attacked by pirates.”
“Derek,” she said contritely, “forgive me for interfering. It’s just that I’m concerned for you. You’ve had such a
Similar Books
