Page 75 of The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter
He stared at her in disbelief. “That is never going to happen. What are you doing, Alicia? I have no need of you to warm my bed, nor the slightest desire. Did I ever give you that impression? Or is this part of a scheme to lure me into a compromising position? I warn you, it will not work on me.”
He took her by the elbow and escorted her back to the guests gathered on the terrace. She had a gloating smile on her face, but he could not make sense of it. He was not particularly gentle as he led her back to the others.
Well, she had made it quite clear she did not prefer tenderness.
Her parents also wore smug smiles.
He expected they were the ones encouraging her to seduce him and had now completely misunderstood the situation. He would make it clear to them later. Right now, he had to tend to his cuts and bruises. He felt a liquid warmth at the edge of his lip and knew he was bleeding again.
He excused himself and hurried upstairs to his bedchamber, calling for his valet. “Marston, get a tub up here. I look a mess and need to clean up before dinner is served.”
His valet tried to stifle his amusement. “It was good to see you mixing it up on the badminton court, my lord. I will admit to spying out the window as the four of you tried to maim each other. All in good fun, of course. I’ll order the tub and then return to treat the cut on your lip.”
“Thank you, Marston.” Alexander sighed as he sank into his usual chair beside the hearth. He dared not admit it, but he had behaved like an idiot boy and his muscles were now suffering for it.
But the game had been good fun.
He shed his clothes and wrapped a towel around his hips while awaiting his staff to bring up his bath. He thought it might take a while since Gabriel, Graelem, and Chesterfield were also in need of tending.
There were only two tubs in the house.
He, as host, certainly deserved one. Chesterfield ought to have the other since he was not yet married and needed to look presentable to the diamonds. Graelem and Gabriel already had wives who would help them wash off the sweat and grime. No one would care if they did not look perfect.
He sighed and shook his head.
Lord, he hated this marriage hunt business.
One more day and it would all be over, thank goodness.
He must have been deep in his thoughts, for he hardly noticed the door opening and then quietly clicking shut. “Marston, did you–” He leaped to his feet. “Bloody hell, Alicia! Get out of here now.”
“Oh, no. You are not getting rid of me so fast.” She started to undo the lacings of her gown.
“Indeed, I am.” He grabbed her by the elbow, just as he had done earlier in the conservatory, and led her to the door.
“You will have an audience standing in wait,” she said with a triumphant smirk.
His expression turned thunderous. “Is that so? Too bad for you. I will never agree to marry you. So you had better confess all to our audience and admit your trick. If you pretend something happened between us, you will end up ruined.”
He yanked the door open and dragged her out.
Sure enough, her parents, Lady Withnall, and his grandmother were in the hall. “I demand satisfaction!” her father intoned.
“Go away, Simmons,” Alexander muttered in disgust, then returned to his bedchamber and slammed the door shut.
He was seething.
How could he have let his guard down and not foreseen this obvious ploy? He had known this scheme was coming, just thought she would wait until tonight to set it in motion, something he intended to thwart by simply locking his door.
He had not expected the assault to come so quickly.
“Botheration,” he said with a growl, hearing raised voices outside his door.
He could not leave his grandmother and Lady Withnall to fight his battles for him.
He secured the towel around his waist and stepped into the hall again. “I will say this only once, Lord Simmons. Nothing untoward happened between me and your daughter, as you well know, for you are likely the one who pushed her in here only moments ago.”
“Are you calling me a liar?”
