Page 16 of Indecent
His blond brows pitched to a V over his eyes. “Absolutely not. You’ve been through enough. I can drive us.”
“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Let me pay for a driver.”
“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” His mouth quirked into a smile, and she would have laughed if he wasn’t agitating her with his refusal.
“If you’re seen driving your own coach into Mayfair, your reputation will never recover.”
He touched his chest. “My darling, I am overcome that you are so concerned.”
“I am so glad you’re trapped here,” Mrs. Logan said from the doorway as she carried in a tray with a bottle and two glasses. “Gives me the chance to enjoy the love you share. It brings such joy to Riverview.” She beamed at them as she poured two glasses of light-colored wine. “This is a sack Mr. Logan found this morning. I hope you like it.” She left the bottle on the table before bustling back to the kitchen.
Prudence put her hand over her eyes and tipped her head down. They needed to be more cautious. What if Mrs. Logan had overheard them talking about his lack of funds or the fact that he’d abducted her?
She dropped her hand to her lap. “We need to be careful,” she whispered.
“Why? So the Logans don’t think we’re in love?” He smiled as he picked up his wineglass. “I think it’s best if they do. Perhaps I should kiss you for good measure.”
Heat flushed her neck and probably tinged her cheeks pink. “You most certainly should not.” Except the thought of it made her tingle everywhere. She’d had two kisses in her life—one nice and one awful. She wanted to have one that made her body sing. Or at least made her as giddy as Fiona and Cassandra had been. Both had fallen in love while Prudence had been their companion, and both had exuded a joy and excitement that was impossible to ignore. Or not to be jealous of.
She took a deep breath and hoped she wasn’t blushing. “We need to be more careful about what we say so they don’t hear the truth. We need to keep pretending we’re betrothed.” Perhaps heshouldkiss her. When one of the Logans was present.
No!
“As I was saying, you can’t just drive us into Mayfair.” She kept her voice low and swept her glass up for a substantial drink to settle herself.
“I meant what I said—I’m delighted you care so much. Truly.” His smile was genuine. “But I’m fairly certain my reputation is in shreds, as it should be. I deserve to be pilloried, not that anyone knows why. Yet.”
“They won’t. I’m not going to tell anyone you kidnapped me or that you’d planned to take Cassandra.”
He stared at her in silence for a long moment, his features registering surprise, then awe and perhaps admiration. “You aren’t?”
She shook her head. She hadn’t completely decided until that moment. Now that she’d said it aloud, it seemed the obvious choice.
Now he looked at her in gratitude. “For as long as I live, I will never understand why you aren’t leading the charge against me.”
“What good would that do? I’m not in the business of contributing to anyone’s ruin.” She spoke rather vehemently—it was hard not to when discussing this matter—and he noticed. His gaze centered on her in open curiosity. She braced herself for his question, but it didn’t come.
“You are a singular woman,” he said softly. “I am still so sorry for what you’ve endured, and continue to endure, but I must confess I am glad to have come to know you.”
She knew he meant it, that he wasn’t just flattering her like some empty-headed buck. “You can stop apologizing. Really.”
“Just because I can doesn’t mean I should.” He smirked and lifted his glass in a silent toast.
Prudence couldn’t halt the giggle that slipped out. She took another drink of the sack. It really was quite delicious. The Logans’ wine supply was a marvel.
Sobering—slightly—he asked, “So what are you going to say?”
“I don’t know. I woke in the middle of the night and thought about it for some time. I wonder if I should seek help from Lucien. Lord Lucien, I mean.”
He blinked. “Do you know him well?”
Calling him Lucien had given her away. Or the fact that she knew he helped people. Ah well, there was no help for it now, she may as well tell him the truth. Or at least part of it. “Well enough to know he helps people, no matter their station. There is no problem too great that he doesn’t want to help solve.”
“I suppose I’ve heard that about him, but I didn’t realize the scope of his assistance.”
“Meaning, you didn’t realize he helped people like me?” She tried not to jump to the worst conclusion, but she found herself speaking more freely to him than she did to just about anyone else. She blamed their close quarters and spending so much time together.
“That wasn’t really what I meant, but I suppose that’s also a valid point. I wouldn’t have thought so, no. I meant that I’m surprised he would help with a matter such as this. Anyway, he won’t want to help you when he realizes you’re protecting me.”
