Page 127 of Devil in Her Details

“Blazes,” she muttered. “My brother has some explaining to do. How could he claim men know when a woman loves them so casually?”

He pulled back to meet her gaze. “Your brother?” Christ. Right. Kingsleigh. Their surroundings suddenly crashed into his full awareness. They were in a damn ballroom, and they were the center of everyone’s jaw-dangling attention.

Dagger cursed, reluctantly slid Lilly down his body.

She latched onto his neck, refusing to let go.

“Lilly,” he breathed. “Your people are watching.” She was still a lady. He didn’t want to be the ruin of her or reduce her to any laughingstock. Only, his whisky-rotting mind couldn’t begin to formulate a rational explanation, nor a plan, to save her from the curse of their two worlds colliding.

Did he ruin her?

She nudged him, grinning, before looping her arm through his.

“Lynx.” He might as well have been a fish tossed ashore.

“Don’t worry, Carlisle knows. There is no obstacle there.”

Dagger could scarcely bloody breathe. “Know what exactly?” Should he be worried? Given Kingsleigh’s rage against Calvington’s by-blow birth, he’d never imagined . . . Pressure mounted in his head. He couldn’t . . .

Fingers squeezed his arm. “We should go home.”

We. Home.

Yes. “We should go home,” Dagger repeated.

Before he could direct her to the nearest exist, a man and a woman approached. “Not sure who you are,” the man said, his eyes darting from Lilly’s arm looped through his and his coat, back to them, “but welcome to my home. Any friend of Lady Lilly’s is a friend of ours.”

The woman beside him nodded.

Ah, so the hosts.

Dagger inclined his head, but he still shifted into a better position to protect Lilly.

“Ophelia,” Lilly said sheepishly, “apologies for the commotion. My betrothed and I shall take our leave.”

Dagger’s gaze swept to Lilly.

Betrothed.

She winked at him.

The hostess laughed merrily. “Of course. And do not worry about Lady Lavinia. I’ll deal with that madwoman, rest assured.”

The host sent him a grin. “My wife is quite admirable in this regard. Congratulations on your betrothal.”

Dagger gave an awkward nod. “Good.”

Lilly laughed. “This is Dagger Fury. Dagger, the Earl and Countess of Avondale.” Before they could even respond, she rose her voice and boldly declared to the entire bloody room, “The man I love is the illegitimate son of the Duke of Crane.”

What the devil was she doing?

“And yes,” she continued. “The gossip columns are quite correct. I have been rolling in the sheets with him.”

A dry sigh cut through the crowd. Lilly’s dance partner, looking thoroughly unbothered by the entire affair, straightened his cuffs. “I’ll have to report this to Allie, and I’ll still be blamed for her absence somehow.” His gaze turned to Dagger. “I shall leave Lady Lilly in your care, then.”

Dagger didn’t know how to bloody respond.

“Thank you, Merrick,” Lilly said with a grin.