Page 79 of His Wicked Charm

He scowled. “If you are clinging to girlish dreams of a love match, you are most foolish. Love is much overrated.”

“It probably is. Certainly, it is rare, and I have no expectation of such. But I must have something more than ‘a good match.’”

“I would think carefully if I were you,” Jasper said tightly. “Given the situation in which you are living here, your reputation could be very much at stake. I am willing to put your actions down to naïveté and girlish silliness, but not everyone will be as generous.”

Fury shot through Lilah. “Are you threatening me?”

“It’s no threat. I’m simply stating the realities you should be aware of. You won’t get an offer from that duke’s son, if that is what you’re holding out for. It’s clear the fellow is merely trifling with you.”

For an instant Lilah wished Con had shown her how to throw a proper punch. But she held on to her control and said only, “I think it’s time you left this house, Sir Jasper.”

Jasper blinked at her bluntness. “I see. Well, then, I will take my leave of you. Pray give my regards to your aunt.” He started toward the door, then swung back. “I feel it is my duty to speak to Mrs. Summersley about the situation here. I fear she will be severely disappointed.”

Lilah’s stomach knotted at his words. He was right, and she could not help but feel guilty. She had strayed far from her aunt’s precepts. Worse, she had enjoyed it deeply. “Aunt Helena’s primary concern is my happiness.”

Unfortunately, she wasn’t any longer sure that she believed her words.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CON REFRAINED FROM lurking about in the hall, much as he wanted to hear what Lilah said to Sir Jasper. From the expression on her face, he had the strong suspicion it wouldn’t end well for Sir Jasper. It was probably petty of him to find satisfaction in that outcome, but he did.

Retreating to the library, he spent his time idly pulling on books to see if they triggered the opening of a secret door. A few minutes later, when he heard the rush of heavy footsteps down the hall, he returned to the dining room.

Lilah was standing at the windows, and the sun lit her hair in a flame of red and gold. She was ramrod straight, and her face was stony, but it was such a pleasure to look at her long slim body and bright hair that Con just leaned against the door frame for a moment, enjoying the view.

Lilah turned. “Oh. I didn’t realize you were there.”

“I take it your swain was not best pleased by your conversation.”

“No.” Lilah sighed and sat down, picking at the toast on the plate before her. “Why is it so hard to know what’s right?”

“I never thought I’d hear you admit you didn’t know the right thing to do.” Con sat down beside her.

“I used to.” Lilah rested her chin on her hand.

“You can blame it on me. I’m a bad influence.”

Lilah gave him a glimmer of a smile. “You are.”

“Dare I hope Sir Jasper is leaving us?”

“As soon as he can, I imagine.” Her look hardened. “He’ll run straight back to Aunt Helena. I hope she doesn’t decide she needs to come down here herself to straighten things out.”

“What is so tangled that it needs straightening?”

She gave a half shrug. “Me, I suppose.”

“You don’t need straightening.” Con thought how she had changed recently, her beauty blossoming with each smile, each laugh, each wayward thought. He suspected she wouldn’t want to hear it. “Why don’t you tell me what you were itching to say when you walked in this morning?”

“How do you know I wanted to say anything?” She smiled teasingly, and the now-familiar warmth stole through him.

Con had a strong urge to lean over and kiss her, but he said only, “Because I’m not as blind as Sir Jasper. Did you find something in that book?”

“I did. The last page had another Latin phrase printed on it. ‘Fortis quam germanitas nullum est vinculum.’”

“‘No bond is greater than that of brotherhood.’ They certainly are fascinated by that idea, aren’t they?”

“But that is not the main thing. This was folded and stuck between the last few pages.” She pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket and spread it out on the table.