Page 63 of To Dare the Devil

“Oh, I think you’ll find I am,” Max murmured, giving her a small smile as her mother led the way.

“Inigo, we have visitors,” Mama announced, holding the door open for them to enter her father’s study.

“Who the devil is calling at this hour?” Papa grumbled, getting up from behind his desk and growing still as he saw Kathy escort Max inside. Papa had not been pleased by her work with Lord Vane and only Mama’s insistence that Kathy was intelligent enough to manage such a position without getting into trouble had persuaded him to allow it. His current expression suggested he regretted that decision. They walked in and Mama was just about to close the door when Hart reappeared.

“I want to hear what the arrogant bastard has to say,” he growled, barging in.

“Language, Hartley!” Mama scolded him, giving him a look he’d do well not to ignore.

Hartley huffed, glaring at Max. “Sorry, Ma, but he’s not good enough for Kathy.”

“I know that,” Max replied before anyone else could speak. “You’ll have no argument from me on that point. And I know everything you think of me is true, or at least it was.”

“Good enough?” Papa demanded. “Good enough for what?”

“We want to get married, Papa,” Kathy said, the words breathless as her father stared at her. “And he is good enough.”

“The man himself says otherwise. So why should we waste our time listening to him?” Papa asked, walking around from behind his desk to stand in front of Max. He was a tall man and an imposing one, with fierce features and a penetrating gaze that skewered Max immediately.

“Because I’m in love with your daughter, and though I cannot comprehend why she should any more than you can, she loves me too.”

Hart made a sound of disgust and folded his arms, but kept his mouth shut thanks to a warning glance from their mother.

Papa looked at Kathy and she nodded, holding Max’s arm tighter. “It’s true, Papa, and before Hart makes any vile insinuations, Max has been nothing but a perfect gentleman. If not for my insistence, he would have left town by now to take himself away from temptation.”

“If not for the fact someone tried to kill him. Again,” Hart retorted. “It makes one wonder what kind of fellow he is, doesn’t it? When people want to go around killing him.”

Well, the gossip mills had run at their usual speed, it seemed. Papa looked from Hart to Max and raised one eyebrow. Max cleared his throat.

“I was visited by a Mr Franklin this morning, that is true. He was the man who stabbed me some years ago. It seems he decided to give it another go.”

“Why?” Mama asked, concern mingling with curiosity in her gaze.

Max took a breath. “He believed I’d had an affair with his wife. I didn’t, though I doubt that makes much difference to you, for there are stories enough about my past affairs. This one, however, seems to be a case of misunderstanding.”

“Franklin,” Papa mused, meeting Mama’s eyes.

“Oh! Linda Franklin,” Mama said at once. “Oh.”

“You know her?” Kathy asked in surprise.

Papa snorted. “Not exactly, but she….”

“She made overtures to your father,” Mama said, eyes flashing with annoyance. “I believe she is rather free with her affections. It seems you were unfortunate to be singled out, my lord. I wonder why he chose to target you?”

“Because I was among the worst of the fast set she ran with,” Max said with a shrug. “It was a reasonable conclusion to draw that I had persuaded her to join us. Though it seems someone else gave him the idea.”

“Surely, Kilbane would have been the obvious choice?” Hart said grudgingly.

Max nodded. “Yes, that’s true, but only a madman would go after Kilbane, though I grant you the man I saw today did not seem entirely in his right mind.”

There was a brief silence while everyone considered this.

“In the past few years you have become a model of good behaviour, though, Lord Vane,” Mama said, turning the conversation in the direction Kathy preferred it to go, and she sent her mother a grateful smile.

“I am trying my best, Mrs de Beauvoir. It may seem an odd thing to say, but I owe Mr Franklin a great debt. There is little as motivating as staring death in the face to make you take a hard look at yourself and the legacy you will leave behind. I made a promise to God that if he gave me another chance at life, I would do better.”

“So you’re giving your money to charity,” Hart said with a dismissive shrug. “Half of the ton does that and then carries on with their depraved lives with no pangs of conscience. Why should you be any different?”