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Head resting against the plush royal blue velvet squabs, Lenora studied Captain Steele from beneath her eyelashes.

Was he one of the bullies her ladyship had referred to?

No, his grandmother looked at him with doting fondness. And from the affectionate glances he sent her every now and again, the sentiment was mutual.

Lenora’s musings turned inward as she considered the repercussions of her impulsiveness. For undoubtedly, there would be consequences. Whether they would take the form of censure and ostracism, or whether she’d be heralded as heroic, only time would tell.

The upper ten thousand were a fickle lot. The oddest thing might take their fancy and be heralded as fashionable, and a simple faux pas could result in the cut direct.

A few minutes later, the coach drew to a halt before Keyworth House. Captain Steele didn’t wait for the footman to open the door. He leaned his large, muscular form forward and pressed the latch before nimbly leaping to the ground.

Lenora couldn’t help but notice how the fabric of his superfine black wool coat pulled taut across his back at the movement. Or the way the muscles in his gray-clad thighs bunched and rippled. The man assuredly wasn’t a soft-bellied coxcomb.

No, everything about Captain Jason Steele shouted raw, untamed masculinity—alluring and alarming. A juxtaposition of attraction and leeriness cascaded over her. She wrinkled her forehead. Perhaps she’d hit her head harder than she’d thought, for what other sensible reason could there be for her absurd mental ramblings?

Two footmen descended the house stairs, one heading to their coach and one to the conveyance that had pulled up directly behind them. That would be Celestia and Lady Darlington-Pope’s maid.

Once Mama and her ladyship had been handed down from the equipage, Lenora scooted to the edge of the seat. She stood at the entrance and extended her hand toward Captain Steele. She wasn’t dizzy, but she also wasn’t foolish enough to try to descend unaided. Another tumble today was not desirable.

A little yelp of surprise escaped her when Captain Steele swept her into his arms again without a word of warning.