Page 44 of When the Viscount Seduces
Jo laughed. “I would be too. It’s sweet that you and he have a good relationship. I’m glad to hear it. I like Shefford, even if he’s a little sensitive.”
“Do you think so?” Min now appeared surprised. “How interesting that you gleaned that. You must know him rather well.”
Lifting a shoulder, Jo said, “I’m not sure I would say so. I’m just an observer of people. It’s hard not to be at the Siren’s Call.”
Min directed her attention to Gwen. “Did you meet Miss Harker at the Siren’s Call?” She smirked.
Gwen laughed. “No. I met her at a literary salon last night.”
“You went to a literary salon?” Tamsin asked, her eyes rounding briefly. “I would have gone with you!”
“I went with Lord Somerton.” There, the secret was out. Well, part of it anyway. Gwen’s pulse was still thrumming as apprehension gathered once more.
Tamsin, Min, and Ellis all gaped at her. “What do you mean you went with him?” Min asked.
“He heard about the salon from Jo—she attends them regularly—and asked if she could obtain an invitation for him and a guest.”
“You can’t just go to a salon with a gentleman!” Min said, horror etched in her features.
Ellis shot her a quelling glance. “She’s not stupid, Min.” She looked back at Gwen. “Please continue, and we shall all stop interrupting.”
Gwen didn’t mind, but thought it might be easier to get through the tale if she didn’t have to keep stopping and regathering her courage. “Somerton took his ‘Great-Aunt Beatrice’ to the salon. I wore a modest gown and a thick veil over my head. As you can imagine, the veil made things especially challenging for me since I am awkward on my best day. It was the most thrilling evening I’ve ever experienced, and I pray I get to return.” Gwen looked to Tamsin, “I’m hopeful we can go together—you can be my chaperone.”
Tamsin nodded eagerly then pursed her lips briefly. “Why would Somerton take you to a literary salon?”
“He knows I like books and thought I would enjoy it. I may have mentioned to him that I was interested in attending a salon.”
“That’s very thoughtful of him,” Ellis said. She narrowed her eyes at Gwen. “Has your association progressed to courtship?”
Min sucked in a breath. “Is he ready to renounce his rogue-dom?”
“I don’t think, ah, no.” Heat rose up Gwen’s neck and into her face, but she plowed on. “I suffered a mishap last night—as you can imagine—and accidentally swept my veil into the flame of a candle.” All three of them stared at her with wide eyes and open mouths. “The veil caught on fire, but Somerton extinguished it. We went to the retiring room to repair the situation because there was a hole in the veil that threatened to reveal I was not, in fact, his elderly great-aunt. While we were there, we, ah, became caught up. I may have asked him to kiss me.”
“May have?” Jo asked sardonically, her brow arched.
“All right, I did ask him to kiss me. He was reluctant, but he eventually complied. That’s when Jo walked in and saw us.”
Three loud gasps filled the room as they all snapped their heads toward Jo.
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t ever going to expose them,” Jo said.
“Of course not. Why would you be here today?” Ellis asked. She looked back to Gwen. “WhyisMiss Harker here today?”
“Please, you must all call me Jo. Unless you decide to toss me out.” Jo’s lips curved into a small smile that said she wasn’t at all concerned about that happening.
“I won’t allow that,” Gwen said firmly. “Jo was most helpful last night, and we became fast friends. I invited her today because I knew you would all like her as much as I do. She already has a favorite rogue rule.”
Min’s eyes lit with enthusiasm. “Oh, which one?”
“Ruin the rogue before he ruins you.” Jo’s eyes glittered with a mix of excitement and perhaps malice. “It really is wonderful advice.”
Tamsin held up her hand and fixed her gaze on Gwen. “Let me be sure I have this right. You asked my cousin to kiss you, he complied, and you were caught in this compromising position?” At Gwen’s nod, she asked, “Then what happened? Are you now betrothed as Isaac and I were forced to become?”
“No, because Jo isn’t Mrs. Loose-Lips.” Gwen referred to the woman who’d seen Isaac hit a man who wanted to court and wed Tamsin. The man had been trying to touch her without her consent, and Isaac warned him to stop. When he did not, Isaac knocked him down, and Mrs. Loose-Lips, the woman who’d also caught Pandora and Bane in their compromising position, had made it clear she would share what she’d seen with everyone she met, thus prompting Isaac to declare that he and Tamsin were betrothed.
“Thank goodness for that,” Ellis murmured.
“So you kissed Somerton?” Min asked.
