Page 115 of Rules for a Bastard Lord
She made it to her bedroom and allowed her maid to undress her. In truth, she did little more than stand like an overly large doll. The girl did everything. And when it became clear that Maybelle wasn’t going to chatter, the girl had settled into her work in silence.
Blessed silence.
Soon she was ready for bed. Her maid bid her good night, then shut the door. Maybelle climbed in, took one last look at her window, and wished for Bram. Then, she sighed and blew out the candle.
“Is she gone, then?” A voice came from directly beneath her mattress.
She would have screamed. She should have. Imagine the man hiding under her bed until she’d settled in for the night. And then calmly speaking, as if she’d been waiting all week to hear his voice.
Imagine!
But she had been, and so she smiled. Her entire body relaxed, her breath came out on a sigh, and she thumped the bed frame hard enough to hurt her hand.
“You scared the life out of me! Why would you hide under there?”
“I had to go somewhere. I thought I’d have a good view from under here.”
“And did you?”
“No.” He sounded so disappointed that she laughed. “Nothing but dust and your slippers.”
She quickly lit the candle, then pulled the coverlet aside. “Come out.”
He was already scooting over, his head popping out an inch from her nose. His hair was mussed, his eyes bloodshot, and there was a new cut on his lip. And he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Especially when he looked at her as ardently as she stared at him.
“You were beautiful tonight,” he said. “I knew Eleanor would dress you perfectly.”
She gaped at him. “You were there? Where? Why didn’t—”
“I waited outside. I watched from the bushes until you got out of the carriage. I bet you danced the whole night through.”
“And have the blisters to prove it.” She sat back as he shook off the dust, only to realize he was dressed oddly.
Well, not oddly, but not in the first stare of fashion. Strange how quickly she’d become used to the bright colors of fresh dye, the tight waistcoats with perfect seams and no wear. He was dressed in brown, and what she’d once thought was elegant attire, she now realized was out of date. Worse, he had a stain on the cuff and a jagged line where a tear had been badly repaired.
In short, he was not a dandy. He was not even fashionable. What a difference one week had made in her perceptions.
“What? Have I got a spider on me?”
She shook her head. “A fresh bruise. What happened?”
He touched his lip and shrugged. “Lord Dunman owed his mistress some money. I had to persuade him to pay up.”
“Lord Dunman? The big one with one ear that’s…” She tilted her head and gestured with her hand.
“Oddly shaped? Yes, he’s the one.”
“He asked for a third dance tonight.”
Bram abruptly sobered. “You didn’t give it to him, did you? You must know—”
“Two dances. No more. Not until I’ve made my choice.”
“Yes.”
“Eleanor told me. So he’s having trouble paying his mistress?”
“Plus gambling debts.”
