Page 62 of A Scandalous Proposition
‘Florentina!’
‘I did! Just before you came into the room I’d stabbed his thigh with a hat pin.’
Adam couldn’t help chuckling at this but covered the sound with a cough. ‘You should have chosen a more sensitive target area.’
‘I doubt whether he has one,’ Christine said.
‘I was about to crown him with that champagne bottle when you burst in.’
Since Adam didn’t intend to allow her within miles of King ever again, he saw little point in putting her straight on the point. King could have overpowered her and taken that bottle away as easily as he himself had done but it wouldn’t do to labour the point.
‘Very well, if you say so.’
‘What’s more, I achieved my objective.’ She swirled with hands on hips to look at first Adam and then Christine with an expression of deep satisfaction. ‘Lord King told me that he met Philippa Dennett through her brother and claims to have noticed almost immediately that Philippa was hungry for adventure. He took her to Vauxhall Gardens and, when she begged to be allowed to attend one of his masquerades, since her brother didn’t object, he permitted it.’
Adam and Christine exchanged a glance. ‘And why did he feel inclined to tell you all this?’ Adam asked.
‘Because I asked him about his acquaintanceship with the duchess, I suppose. He was quite foxed and not in the mood to be discreet.’
‘He couldn’t help blowing his own trumpet, more like,’ Christine said.
‘Quite. He told me that Philippa had been in the room he took me to and that he, Lord King that is, had had the privilege of, well…you know.’
If Adam hadn’t been so disturbed by this ready admission he would have found her missish reaction charming. As it was, his mind was alive with the implications of Florentina’s discovery. To have suspected Philippa of loose behaviour was one thing, but to have those suppositions so readily substantiated was entirely another.
‘Lord King also said that he wasn’t the only one to enjoy the duchess’s company. And so you see, Adam, I’ve been able to repay in part the debt that I owe you.’
‘I don’t see how.’
‘I beg your pardon.’
‘I don’t see how this admission can do anything other than complicate the situation.’
‘Well, of all of the ungrateful?’
He cut off her protests with a wave of his hand. ‘What I know, or think I know, doesn’t signify. What matters is that James should believe it. We suspect he’s long been impotent, which is why he’s so cock-a-hoop about having impregnated Philippa. He probably knows in his heart of hearts that he wasn’t capable of doing so, but is determined to believe that he achieved it. And that makes the task of convincing him otherwise even harder. Philippa won’t admit it and King certainly won’t, so?’
‘So I’ve achieved nothing.’
The desolation in her voice made Adam ache to reach for her but he ruthlessly suppressed that desire. In his anxiety to ensure that she didn’t do anything else to put herself in danger, he forced himself to tell her the entire truth.
‘Not only that but you’ve probably made matters worse.’
‘How so?’ Christine demanded to know.
‘Because I sprang to Florentina’s rescue.’
‘And King will tell Philippa that.’
‘I’m afraid so. She wishes to engage my affections and deliberately set King to pursue you, Florentina, knowing where it was likely to end. She will not take kindly to the fact that I scuppered her plans.’
Florentina sank into a chair and buried her head in her hands. ‘I should have thought about that.’
‘And even if we could somehow convince James, what could he do about it?’ Adam was itching to caress Florentina and wipe away the tears he could sense her holding back. ‘He married Philippa and acknowledged the child she carries as his own. Unless Philippa confesses, which I know she will never do, I see no way out of this mess. All we can do is pray that the child is a girl.’
‘I am so sorry, Adam.’ Florentina fixed him with a desolate expression. ‘I so wanted to help but all I have done is make everything worse.’
It was beyond Adam’s ability to continue resisting her. She’d deliberately put herself in danger, behaving impulsively and without a thought for her own situation, all for his sake. He reached for her hand, pulled her to her feet and into his arms. He barely noticed Christine’s satisfied smile, having forgotten she was even in the room before she slipped out of it. His entire attention was focused on the woman in his arms.
