Page 13 of Intolerable
Which he couldnot.
“You’re worse than a maid,” he ground out.
“How can that be?”
“Do I really have to explain?” Her silence was his answer. “You’re the daughter of a bloodyduke—and a rather frightening one at that. You’re the sister of my best friend who would skewer me on a pike if he found out about this. You’re an unwed young lady who has now been compromised.” Oh shit, he was going to have to marry her. Cold sweat broke out along his neck and forehead.
“I haven’t either. No one saw us, and no one, especially Lucien, need ever know this happened. I’m not even supposed to be here!” She spoke in an agitated whisper.
No, she wasn’t supposed to be here. This was a private club, of which she was not a member. “Are you really dressed as a maid?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to see the inside of the club. I disguised myself as a maid so I could look around.”
He couldn’t speak for a brief moment past the incredulity clogging his throat. “Are you actually wearing a green apron?” In his shock, he hadn’t even registered what she was wearing before closing the door and plunging them into darkness once more.
“I am.” She sounded proud, and he had to admit a certain sense of admiration for her commitment to accuracy. “However, I was not aware that it should also have the club’s symbol.”
“That would have been hard to duplicate, unless you stole one of the club’s aprons.” Why was he standing here in a dark cupboard discussing this with her? She needed to leave! “You chose a particularly awful day for your brazen scheme. There are meetings going on with several people from Society present. The chances of you being seen are far greater than on any other day.”
“Bloody perfect,” she muttered. “What am I to do?”
“I need to get to the ballroom. It’s likely I’ve already been missed, so I’ll need to come up with an excuse for my tardiness. Everyone will be there for at least a quarter hour, I should think. Now would be the best time for you to go. Can you find your way out?”
She hesitated. “I don’t think so. I came through the ballroom. Clearly I can’t return that way.”
“No, you absolutely cannot. When you leave the cupboard, go to the left. Find the door to the terrace and then make your way down to the garden. There’s a door hidden in the wall to the left. That will take you out to Bury Street.” And then what? She’d just hail a hack? He couldn’t send the Duke of Evesham’s daughter out into London by herself. “Hell, are youalone?”
“Yes.” There was a slight delay in her response that made him think she was lying. But he was running out of time and wouldn’t press the issue. “I should just take you home. I’ll tell Lucien I forgot an appointment.”
“I got here on my own, and I’ll leave on my own,” she said with a haughtiness he would expect from Evesham’s daughter. “You need to be on your way.”
For some reason, he was rooted to the floor. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I wouldn’t have if I’d known who you were.” Even so, regret was not an emotion he felt at the moment.
“As I said before, let us pretend this never happened.”
“Yes.” That’s precisely what they needed to do. “We’ll never speak of it. Not to anyone else and not to each other.”
“Agreed.”
“I hope you get away without incident.”
“I think that ship has sailed,” she said wryly.
Ruark couldn’t help chuckling. He’d always liked Cassandra. She possessed a superior wit and intelligence. “I hope you escape withoutfurtherincident. Keep your head down and move quickly.”
“I will as soon as youleave.”
“I’m leaving now. Please be careful. Lucien will never forgive me if something happens to you.” Lucien would never forgive him if he found out what had just happened.
She made a sound low in her throat. “He’ll be furious if he catches me.” That was certainly true.
“Make haste, Cassandra,” Ruark said just before he slipped from the cupboard.
The landing was empty, and he hurried toward the ballroom. His body still thrummed with a smoldering passion stirred by Cassandra’s kisses.
