Page 11 of Wicked with Him

Lady Barnes smiled warmly at Fairbridge and then at Amity. She came forward, hand extended to shake. “My dear, what a pleasure to see you again.”

Amity had had very little to do with Lady Barnes in the past, but clasped her fingers in greeting and let go quickly. They’d met on several occasions but never formed anything like a close friendship. For one thing, George disapproved of everyone Fairbridge cared for, especially married ladies who might be his lover.

Her cousin abruptly headed for the door. Amity followed after him a few steps. “Cousin?”

But Fairbridge only waved and swept out the door.

“He will return tomorrow at a more respectable hour,” Lady Barnes called to her. “Come along, my dear. You must be tired after your ordeal.”

Amity’s ruin hadn’t been an ordeal, but a pleasure. She didn’t bother to correct the woman though. What had happened between her and Roman Crawford tonight would be her secret for life. It was a moment she’d cherish no matter what happened next.

Amity held her tongue as she was led upstairs, Lady Barnes taking the lead.

The woman paused at the top of the staircase and moved to link their arms as soon as Amity joined her. “He told me what happened, of course.”

“Did he?”

“Indeed, he would,” the lady nodded, smiling knowingly at her. “He confides in me about everything that concerns him and his family. I know you’ve shocked almost every one of them tonight, but not me. He would have made a dreadfully dull husband. They tend to live forever. We have much in common, I think, and I fully expect us to become firm friends.”

Amity frowned at the woman and her absurd presumption. A scandal did not make them friends in any way. She was only here because Fairbridge had decided to separate her from the family. “Hmm.”

Lady Barnes laughed a merry little laugh as if she encountered ladies ruining themselves to avoid marriage every day of the week.

Amity was shown to a beautiful and richly decorated guest bedchamber.

“You’ll rest here, and tomorrow we’ll have a long chat over luncheon.”

So, she’d be secluded here for tonight, and tomorrow perhaps. Were they expecting her to spill her secrets to return to the family fold? She spared a glance for the high window and noted the sky was beginning to lighten already. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Isn’t there?” Lady Barnes smiled, eyes feverishly bright. “I know what you told them—or rather didn’t—but surely you wish revenge on the man who robbed you of your future in society. You are the niece of the Duke of Ravenswood. Cousin of his heir, the Earl of Fairbridge. The man who ruined you must be punished or brought to his knees in holy matrimony.”

Clearly Fairbridge’s lover had been denied a complete and truthful account of the events of the evening by Fairbridge and was digging for the truth now.

Amity lifted her chin high and said nothing to incriminate herself or Roman. Lady Barnes could turn out to be just like Roman’s spiteful Melody. Amity loathed women who indulged in intrigue and lorded their power over others. Her brother’s wife thrived in society, privy to so much she should never have known, and she made Amity’s life a misery at home. Women like that couldn’t be trusted to keep any secrets.

“I hold no grudge against anyone.”

“Nevertheless, the earl will find the man responsible and make him reconsider his lack of action tonight in speaking up to offer for you. I will now have servants prepare a fire and a bath for you, and provide a nightgown and fresh clothes for you to wear tomorrow, too. Trust me, the bath and time alone will help you decide on the appropriate course of action when it comes to dealing with a certain scoundrel.”

Then, Lady Barnes spun out the door and closed Amity inside the cool chamber.

Amity sank onto the bed slowly and eased down to a supine position, putting her head on the pillow above the counterpane. She stared up at the ceiling above her temporary bed while she waited for the servants to come with her promised bath and thought of what the future might now hold for her.

Amity regretted nothing. She would never reveal more about her wild night with a scoundrel to anyone. And as she lay there, she thought of her lover with particular fondness.

She had enjoyed being made love to, and if she were not mistaken, Roman Crawford hadn’t disliked having her, either. A pity the circumstances had separated them too quickly. She wished it could be possible to be with him that way again, but that was likely impossible when his heart was still so tightly bound to another lady, and all his affairs since always ended so quickly. He was happier alone and so would she be.

Chapter 5

Three weeks later

Roman paced the Duke of Ravenswood’s drawing room, waiting for Stratford Sweet to join him. But as he stood in the Duke of Ravenswood’s London mansion an uneasy feeling was growing in his belly.

Amity had disappeared.

Utterly and completely.

From the night that Fairbridge had taken Amity from the ball, Roman had assumed her to be staying under the duke’s roof until the worst of the scandal had blown over. However, by all accounts, and a discreet question to the Ravenswood butler upon his arrival, Amity was never here. Not since the night Roman had ruined her had she been seen in public by anyone too.