Page 60 of A Rogue to Ruin
“He asked for my help with getting to know his uncle.”
“Oh.” Jane sounded disappointed. “That’s all?”
“Yes and no. I asked if we could return to Paternoster Row so that I may visit a girl I met on our last visit. She works in a bookshop there, and I promised we would discuss the book she was reading. She’s an orphan.” Anne wanted to share how Rafe had helped her, but it seemed he kept that part of himself private. She should ask him first.
“That’s lovely of you. Is he going to take you?” There was a slight hesitation to her question and in her expression.
“Yes, on Monday. I know it isn’t wise of me to go out with him again, particularly since I am not going to wear a disguise. I will wear a veil, however.”
“Anne, your reputation barely survived the wedding debacle.” She winced. “You know I hate saying that.”
“I do. But itwasa debacle.” Anne had discovered the truth about her extortionist betrothed. Jane had learned that their parents had believed the salacious rumors about her five years prior. Anthony had bared his transgressions to the world in order to see Gilbert prosecuted. Debacle was perhaps an understatement.
Jane gave her a sad smile. “You can’t keep seeing him. I hope you aren’t…taking unnecessary risks.”
Anne was fairly certain what she meant. “We’re not having sex, if that’s what you’re referring to.” She took a deep breath. “Please don’t ask me not to go. I made a promise to Annie, and I can’t resist spending one more afternoon with him.”
“If only you didn’t love him,” Jane said softly and with great understanding.
“If only.” Anne rubbed her thumb along her wrist where he’d touched her, kissed her.
“What are you going to do to help him with Stone?” Jane shook her head. “Mallory. Oh bother, when will their names be settled?”
“I don’t know about the earldom.” Anne had been too distracted to ask how things were going on that front. The current earl would almost certainly ask her when she spoke with him, and she would have nothing to say. Which was fine with her. “I will try to solicit Lorcan’s help. This transition is very hard for his father. I do hope he and Rafe can find an accord. They’re family, after all.”
“You know that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Families can be terrible to each other.” Jane’s bitterness toward their parents, especially their father, had lessened over the past few weeks, but there was a hurt Anne wasn’t sure would ever go away.
“In this case, neither my godfather nor Rafe did anything to harm the other so I hope they will be able to move forward. Would you mind hosting a dinner for the three of them? And us of course. I thought it might be best to get together on neutral ground.”
“An excellent idea,” Jane said. “Just them and Sandon, sorry, Lorcan? Not Deborah?”
“No, Rafe asked if we could exclude her, and I can’t say I blame him.”
“Me neither.” Jane wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never liked her. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I am well aware she aggravates most people. She seems to like doing that.” In fact, Anne was surprised she’d hadn’t yet stirred up trouble for Beatrix or Selina by bringing up their acquaintance at boarding school.
“I’m sure it won’t be a problem to host a dinner. I’ll speak with Anthony. I assume you’d like to do it sooner rather than later?”
“Yes, please.”
Jane nodded. “I won’t tell Anthony about your excursion on Monday, just as I didn’t tell him about the first time.”
“I’m not asking you to lie to him,” Anne said. She would never want to come between her sister and her husband.
“I know. But this is your private business, and he would understand that.” She took Anne’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. Don’t let Stone, Mallory, whatever you call him, take anything you aren’t willing to give.”
Anne would give him anything. He already had her heart.
* * *
Jane spoke to Anthony straightaway, and he readily agreed to host a dinner for Rafe and his newfound family. Shortly thereafter, Anne and Jane arrived at Anne’s godfather’s house on Bruton Street just outside Berkeley Square.
His butler admitted them upstairs to the drawing room, and the soon-to-be-former earl joined them after a few minutes. Unfortunately, Lorcan was not at home. Anne had hoped he would be present for this conversation.
Her godfather smiled at them as he entered, but the usual brightness was missing. There were deep lines etched into his forehead and around his mouth, as if he’d spent the last week frowning since learning his time as the earl would soon come to an end.
“I’ll let the two of you speak in private,” Jane said.
