Read Online I Kissed a Rogue (Covent Garden Cubs) by Shana Galen - Free Book Online
Authors: Shana Galen
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this.
“He’s in Town?” Colin asked.
“For the wedding,” Lila murmured. Rose’s parents were extremely wealthy, and King George IV had a tendency to overspend. He cultivated the good graces of wealthy families, receiving loans in return for using his influence in other ways.
“I believe the king and I will deal with the issue of Brook Derring.” The duke glanced at his pocket watch and rose. “I must be on my way. I wouldn’t want to keep His Majesty waiting.”
More likely he would be gone most of the day, kept waiting himself for hours on end. Lila watched him go, dread making her head pound with every footstep he took.
She looked at Colin. “What does he have planned?”
“I don’t know. I can’t think you’ll like it.”
“I can’t think Sir Brook will like it either.”
“He doesn’t like anything. Straight as they come and a dead bore.”
“What do you mean?” Lila leaned forward, interested despite herself. The impression she’d had of Brook Derring from the women of her acquaintance was that of a hero who could do no wrong. It surprised her that her brother should see him differently. “I thought he was a hero.”
“Yawn.” He brought his hand to his mouth and pretended to yawn. “He doesn’t gamble, rarely drinks more than a sip or two of brandy, and spends all his time in the rookeries—not for diversion either.”
Having recently escaped the rookeries and having seen firsthand the squalor and filth, Lila couldn’t think what diversions the slums held for any man, her brother included.
“And that’s not all,” Colin added. “The female population is falling all over him and his so-called heroic deeds.”
“Having been on the receiving end of his deeds, I’m inclined to think they are more fact than supposition.”
“Be that as it may, the man has his choice of women.”
The subject made Lila vaguely uncomfortable, reminding her that Colin, though younger than she, by virtue of being a man, knew much more of the world than she did. But it was more than the novelty of discussing such a mysterious and prohibited topic. Lila found that while she did not particularly care who her brother bedded, she did not want to know Sir Brook’s bed partners.
“Colin, I don’t think—”
But he ignored her interruption. “And he could care less. Doesn’t even look twice at the most choice courtesans. I’ve been trying to snag Mrs. Arbuckle for a month, and she all but tosses her skirts up every time Derring enters the room.”
“I don’t want to hear this.”
Colin had warmed to his topic, and he either didn’t care or didn’t hear. “I half think if the Duchess of Dalliance hadn’t married and gone off to produce a passel of brats, he’d look right past her. And she was the most beautiful courtesan in the last hundred years.”
Lila rolled her eyes. “All that says is Brook doesn’t care for courtesans. Perhaps he finds it distasteful to pay for a woman. You speak of women like they are horses to be bought and sold.”
Colin gave her a look of pity. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
“I don’t wish to understand. You’ve only reinforced my belief that Sir Brook is a good man, who saved me from certain death.”
“Not yet he hasn’t,” Colin pointed out. “Not very gentlemanlike to leave you when you are still in danger.”
“I haven’t heard you volunteer to protect me either.”
“Me?” Colin’s face went white. “I can’t put myself in that sort of danger. I’m the heir.”
“For the moment. I imagine father and Valencia are working to produce a spare.”
Colin’s lip curled. “Now I’ve lost my appetite.”
“So have I! Funny how being the target of a murderer has that effect.”
Colin nodded and took another bite of scone. He’d apparently forgotten he couldn’t bear to eat. “Demmed inconvenient of you to witness that murder.”
“Especially for me.”
“The duke will fix it,” Colin said with a faith in their
“He’s in Town?” Colin asked.
“For the wedding,” Lila murmured. Rose’s parents were extremely wealthy, and King George IV had a tendency to overspend. He cultivated the good graces of wealthy families, receiving loans in return for using his influence in other ways.
“I believe the king and I will deal with the issue of Brook Derring.” The duke glanced at his pocket watch and rose. “I must be on my way. I wouldn’t want to keep His Majesty waiting.”
More likely he would be gone most of the day, kept waiting himself for hours on end. Lila watched him go, dread making her head pound with every footstep he took.
She looked at Colin. “What does he have planned?”
“I don’t know. I can’t think you’ll like it.”
“I can’t think Sir Brook will like it either.”
“He doesn’t like anything. Straight as they come and a dead bore.”
“What do you mean?” Lila leaned forward, interested despite herself. The impression she’d had of Brook Derring from the women of her acquaintance was that of a hero who could do no wrong. It surprised her that her brother should see him differently. “I thought he was a hero.”
“Yawn.” He brought his hand to his mouth and pretended to yawn. “He doesn’t gamble, rarely drinks more than a sip or two of brandy, and spends all his time in the rookeries—not for diversion either.”
Having recently escaped the rookeries and having seen firsthand the squalor and filth, Lila couldn’t think what diversions the slums held for any man, her brother included.
“And that’s not all,” Colin added. “The female population is falling all over him and his so-called heroic deeds.”
“Having been on the receiving end of his deeds, I’m inclined to think they are more fact than supposition.”
“Be that as it may, the man has his choice of women.”
The subject made Lila vaguely uncomfortable, reminding her that Colin, though younger than she, by virtue of being a man, knew much more of the world than she did. But it was more than the novelty of discussing such a mysterious and prohibited topic. Lila found that while she did not particularly care who her brother bedded, she did not want to know Sir Brook’s bed partners.
“Colin, I don’t think—”
But he ignored her interruption. “And he could care less. Doesn’t even look twice at the most choice courtesans. I’ve been trying to snag Mrs. Arbuckle for a month, and she all but tosses her skirts up every time Derring enters the room.”
“I don’t want to hear this.”
Colin had warmed to his topic, and he either didn’t care or didn’t hear. “I half think if the Duchess of Dalliance hadn’t married and gone off to produce a passel of brats, he’d look right past her. And she was the most beautiful courtesan in the last hundred years.”
Lila rolled her eyes. “All that says is Brook doesn’t care for courtesans. Perhaps he finds it distasteful to pay for a woman. You speak of women like they are horses to be bought and sold.”
Colin gave her a look of pity. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
“I don’t wish to understand. You’ve only reinforced my belief that Sir Brook is a good man, who saved me from certain death.”
“Not yet he hasn’t,” Colin pointed out. “Not very gentlemanlike to leave you when you are still in danger.”
“I haven’t heard you volunteer to protect me either.”
“Me?” Colin’s face went white. “I can’t put myself in that sort of danger. I’m the heir.”
“For the moment. I imagine father and Valencia are working to produce a spare.”
Colin’s lip curled. “Now I’ve lost my appetite.”
“So have I! Funny how being the target of a murderer has that effect.”
Colin nodded and took another bite of scone. He’d apparently forgotten he couldn’t bear to eat. “Demmed inconvenient of you to witness that murder.”
“Especially for me.”
“The duke will fix it,” Colin said with a faith in their
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