Page 79 of Devil in Her Details

“Doorstep.” He watched her. “Why?”

“I don’t care for the paper.” She looked up at him slowly. “Never have. So how had this one made its way to our door?”

A beat of silence passed between them.

“The marquess,” Dagger said darkly, his face clouding.

Lilly nodded. She believed so as well. Nothing else made sense. Only a few people knew her whereabouts. And this was a clear warning. They were being watched. She searched for the date of the paper—it was just a single page—eyes narrowing. “This is dated for tomorrow. It hasn’t been properly printed yet.”

Lord.

What must it have cost to print this page so early that it could make it to her doorstep in Brighton before the paper was even published?

A threat more than a warning?

She sensed coldness seeping over to her and glanced at Dagger, who might as well have transformed into a winter storm. He understood the implication as well.

“Then we can stop it,” he said icily.

Lilly shook her head. “No, unfortunately not. There is no horse that will make it in time to stop this from printing tomorrow.”

“Damn it,” Dagger growled. “What is that arse playing at?”

Her confrontation with Calvington suddenly came to mind, and Lilly stilled.

What had he said back then?

It would be wise to stay away from other men, my lady.

So she had tested his supposed patience, and this was his play? Ruin her? She slammed the paper onto the table, her temper exploding. Did he truly believe this would work? Sure, it might cause a flutter of scandal, but not enough to send her off to spinsterhood with a slew of cats.

Not that cats were bad.

She could house a few furry cats.

Did that madman believe this would be enough to send her into the arms of any man who would have her if she were ruined? In other words, his arms. Blazes! No! In fact, Lilly could think of a thousand ways to counter this ridiculous post. The world was changing. The ladies who had exposed the betting book of White’s had caused such a stir that women were rebelling against all their confining rules. Some even against their husbands. This was why it had been more seamless to chart her course to Brighton than it might have been a few years ago.

A few years ago, she might very well have been completely ruined.

But what was ruin?

If she was fated to be ruined, let it then be by her own hands and not another’s.

Sorry, Calvington.

“What are you thinking?” Dagger asked hesitantly. “You have me concerned.”

She glanced over to him, meeting those brooding dark eyes laced with misplaced worry. All sorts of dastardly outcomes for the marquess spun about her mind, but they all had one thing in common. “I want to ruin him.”

Dagger gave a satisfying nod. “That can be arranged.”

Lilly blinked at the man, then laughed. Of course Calvington’s ruin could be arranged. She couldn’t help but marvel at what a thoroughly absurd turn her life had taken. That this was now a comfort rather than a concern.

She had Dagger Fury at her side.

*

“Absolutely not.”