Ann Lethbridge - Rescued By The Earl's Vows

It would be easy to dismiss her as an empty-headed beauty if one did not see the underlying determination in her expression and the intelligence in those amber eyes. Had she arrived at his chambers without her veil, he might have dismissed her as a pretty little schemer out for his title. Had it been cleverness on her part, or a lack of artifice?

She raised an eyebrow and he realised he’d been staring. He came forward to escort her to the carriage.

She tutted. ‘How are we to fit three people?’

‘One at the back and two on the seat.’

He grinned at the horror on the maid’s face.

‘He means his tiger, Mims,’ Lady Tess said, frowning. ‘It is an open carriage. You are not needed.’

The maid curtsied and scurried back indoors. Lady Tess, meanwhile, wandered a little way along the path.

‘Changed your mind?’ he drawled. He certainly didn’t care if she drove with him or not. Well, not much at least.

‘Not at all. I was admiring your horses. It is not often one sees a pair so perfectly matched, although the offside one is a little heavier in build, I believe.’

His jaw dropped. No one but his own very expert groom had noted the slight discrepancy in the horses’ bone structure. ‘Got an eye for a bit of blood and bone, have you, my lady?’ Damn it, that was not the smoothest thing he could have said.

‘I like to see a nicely matched pair. My father had a pair of beautiful steppers. I would love to drive them.’ She leaned towards them, stretching out a hand as if to pat Romulus. The brute showed the whites of his eyes.

Jaimie started forward. ‘Be careful.’

She stopped before she got too close. ‘Testy, is he?’

‘Always. And, no, you may not drive them.’ Never again would any woman drive his horses.

The expected pout did not make an appearance. Instead, she cast him an expressive look. ‘We’ll leave that discussion for later.’

That discussion was closed. He assisted her up on to the phaeton and, on the way around to climb into the driver’s seat, he spoke to his tiger in a low voice. ‘When we reach the park you can take yourself off. I’ll pick you up at the gate for the drive back.’

The lad touched his cap. ‘Yes, me lord. But stir yer stumps, would ya? His fussiness would like to be orf.’

Jaimie stroked ‘his fussiness’ along his neck and down his wither and the horse settled before he sprang into the carriage and took up the reins. The boy leaped up behind.

The animals weren’t quite as energetic as they had been on the drive over, but they were still feeling their bits. He urged them into a spanking trot, feathering between a couple of slower carriages and into a break in the traffic. Lady Tess sat calmly with her hands in her lap, clearly trusting him not to tip her into the road.

Most normal ladies were notoriously nervous about anything that looked the least bit hazardous. Then there were the reckless ones, like his first wife, who took ridiculous risks. Clearly, Lady Tess fell into the latter camp. And he was a twice-born fool to get involved with her nonsense.

‘We are fortunate the weather is clear today,’ he said as they turned the corner at the end of the street. Weather being the safest topic of conversation.

‘After the rain of the past few days, we are fortunate indeed,’ she replied coolly.

As they entered Hyde Park, many heads turned in their direction. Open mouths and wide eyes abounded. News of his driving Lady Tess would be all around town by the end of the evening. His teeth gritted at the thought, but it couldn’t be helped. There were only so many respectable ways to talk to a lady in relative private and this was one of them.

The gossips would be jumping to all kinds of conclusions. Did she know that? The horses slowed to a funereal pace as they joined the traffic mincing down Rotten Row.

His tiger jumped down and hared off.

Lady Tess frowned.

He was getting quite a few frowns today. ‘I told him to go, because I do not want our conversation overheard.’

The frown cleared. ‘Where better to be alone than in plain view of the world.’ She chuckled. ‘I can see why you are good at what you do.’

‘What I do?’ He quirked a brow.

‘Finding people. Investigating things.’

Damn that article, though few knew the real depth of his ‘investigations’ as she had called them. And it was as good a time as any to get to the point of this drive, even if he was enjoying her company more than he would have imagined. ‘Who is it you want me to find?’

She hesitated. ‘May I have your assurance you will keep my confidence, no matter what?’

He probably ought to be insulted by her question. Indeed, on one level he was insulted. On another, the fact that she was even considering giving him her trust felt like an incredible compliment. Why would that be?

‘Why are you smiling in that mocking way?’ she asked. ‘Did I say something you find foolish?’

Prickly little thing. ‘I didn’t realise I was smiling.’ But if he was mocking anyone, it was himself. At the way she kept surprising him. ‘And, yes, you can be assured that anything you tell me will remain confidential.’

She drew in a deep breath, drawing his attention to the snug fit of her carriage dress. To the way it moulded to the soft curves and hollows of her petite form. He turned his eyes resolutely to his horses. He was not here to flirt with the woman. He was here because she needed his help, despite that she irritated him beyond endurance.

‘I am trying to locate my father’s bailiff, Mr Freeps. He left for another position shortly after my father died.’

Not what he had expected at all. He had been waiting for something along the lines of the boy she had spoken of, or another sold or pawned item she wanted back.

‘Surely your cousin’s man of business would have this information?’

‘Yes, and he would immediately report my request to my cousin.’

‘I see.’

‘What do you see?’

The defiance in her voice, her wariness of his motives, struck him on the raw.

He gave her an impatient glance. ‘I see why you do not wish to go to your cousin’s man of business. Why exactly do you wish to find this man Freeps?’

‘Why is that any of your concern?’

‘And when I find him, what then?’

‘If you find him, you will provide me with his address. That is all.’ She pressed her lips together.

‘Lady Tess, I realise you and I are not well acquainted and I am sure I have no interest in your secrets, but I do not work for anyone unless I know the full story. For example, should you wish to accuse this servant of theft, I would need to know this, so he is not forewarned.’

She stiffened at the word theft. He pretended not to notice.

‘If, however, it is simply your intention to reassure yourself of this person’s wellbeing, I can include that sort of information in my report.’

Her hands clenched in her lap.

‘It isn’t either of those things, is it?’

‘No.’ Her voice was low and being held under tight control. ‘I need to ask him something. In person.’

He frowned. ‘Something of a private nature, then?’

‘Yes.’

Damn the woman. What on earth was she hiding?

* * *

Lord Sandford was the most annoying creature Tess had ever met. Why couldn’t he simply do as she asked? ‘There is no reason for you to know anything apart from the name of the person I would like found and their last-known address. I would have known this had I not been absent from home at the time of his departure.’

She had been prostrate after her father had died and Cousin Phin had packed her off to an aunt in Bath to recover her wits.

‘Are you implying there is some sort of injustice you hope to redress?’