Page 38 of A Rogue's Downfall
“Ravishment is not in my line even when my energy is neither expended nor being conserved,” he said.“You are quite safe from me. You may descend without a qualm. And it might more accurately be saidthat Flossie seduced me than that I seduced her. Mrs.Delaney, as you must have witnessed, was quite aseager as I to acquire a bedfellow for the night.”
“I thought,” she said, “that you were going to worship her.”
He chuckled and looked up. She was tucked snugly between the massive trunk of the tree and a sturdybranch, her knees drawn up, her arms clasped aboutthem. She was dressed quite unfashionably in drabgray. Her light brown hair was pinned back in a knotat the neck without any nonsense of curls to soften itsseverity. Her face was thin and rather pale and quite unpretty. Except for the large gray eyes, which looked unblinkingly down into his.
“Little bird,” he said, “you have a sharp tongue. Who are you?” She looked like a governess, exceptthat there were no children at the house. He got tohis feet and strolled to the foot of the tree.
“Patricia Mangan,” she said. “It was a foolish question, was it not? You are none the wiser and must either ask another question or walk away.”
“I’ll ask the question,” he said, feeling wonderfully diverted. “Who is Patricia Mangan? Apart from a little bird who likes to eavesdrop on private conversations, that is.”
“Oh, yes,” she said. “I rushed from the house to this spot an hour ago just so that I might listen to allthe private conversations that go on below. It must bethe busiest spot in all England, sir. But I must expressmy gratitude to you for insisting upon a private roomand a soft bed for your feasting and worshiping.”
He grinned at her. “Would you have been thoroughly embarrassed if I had been less cautious and less patient?” he asked and was rewarded by the sightof Miss Patricia Mangan blushing rosily. He grinnedagain. “Or perhaps envious?”
“I cannot tell you,” she said, having abandoned the momentary weakness of the blush, “how unspeakablythrilled I would be to be told that the beauty of naturequite paled beside my own. Your sincerity would bringme tumbling out of the tree to comply with yourevery demand.”
“Ah,” he said, “but I would never say such a thing to you, Miss Mangan. It would be patently untrue.”
“I believe,” she said, “I would prefer the quite ungentlemanly setdown, sir, to the ridiculous flattery towhich I was just the unwilling witness. At least thesetdown was honest.”
He chuckled. “A woman immune to flattery,” he said. “Almost challenging. Who are you, Patricia Mangan? You still have not told me.”
“You have seen me a dozen times,” she said. “Well, half a dozen, at least. I am the shadow to be seenfrequently behind the shoulder of Mrs. Peabody. It ismy function in life, sir, to be a shadow. It can be vastly amusing. I hear and see all sorts of things becausepeople do not realize I have eyes and ears. Indeed,people do not even realize I exist. I am Mrs. Peabody’s niece, only daughter of her brother, the ReverendSamuel Mangan, who committed the unpardonable sinof dying without a penny to his name. My aunt rescued me from destitution, sir.”
“And took you to her bosom as if you were her own daughter,” he said. Was she speaking the truth?Had he seen her before? Was she frequently in Mrs.Peabody’s shadow, at her constant beck and call? Hehad not noticed her.
“Yes,” she said. “Or so she tells me several times each day—whenever I do something to displease her.”
“Dear me,” he said. “Are you really so disagreeableand so disobedient, Miss Mangan?”
“Oh, more so,” she said. “I pretend to be obliging just so that I will not be turned off and have to begmy bread in the streets. You ought not to be dallyingwith either Flossie or Mrs. Delaney, you know. Youare to marry Nancy—or so she and Mrs. Peabodysay.”
“Am I?” he said. “But I am not married to her yet, little bird. Perhaps I am sowing my wild oats beforesettling to a sober and blameless married life. Or perhaps I am an incurable rake and will continue with mywicked ways until my life is at an end. And perhaps itis none of your business.”
“Nothing ever is,” she said. “But I would remind you, sir, that you are the one who chose to talk tome. I was quite content to sit in silence and watch theclouds scud by. That is why I came here, you know.”
“You escaped?” he asked. “You flew the nest?”
“Perhaps Mrs. Peabody went into the village withsome of the lady guests,” she said. “Perhaps I hadfinished the tasks she had left me and had an hour orso to myself. And perhaps now I will be late back atthe house and will be scolded. And perhaps it is noneof your business.”
“Touche!” he said. “Come down from there, Miss Mangan. We will walk back to the house together.”
“So that I may be seen in your company and bethought to be setting my cap at you?” she said. “Iwould be scolded for a week without a pause forbreath, sir. I can escort myself back to the house, Ithank you.”
“Come down!” he commanded. He had the notion that she was a small female and wanted to confirmthe impression. He did not like small females, beingrather on the tall side himself. He liked tall, generously endowed women.
“Oh, yes sir, right away, sir, if you are going to use that tone of voice on me,” she said. She came downthe tree with sure, agile movements, as if it was something she was quite accustomed to. She had trimankles encased in white stockings, he could not helpbut see. Not that he had been even trying to avert hisgaze. “You had better stand well back if you do notwish to be bowled over. I have to jump from the bottom branch.”
“Allow me,” he said, making her his most elegant bow and then reaching up and lifting her down beforeshe had a chance to tell him if she would allow him or not.
His hands almost met about her waist. She was as light as the proverbial feather. When he set her down,the top of her head reached perhaps to his chin. Notthe width of one hair higher. She was slender almostto the point of thinness.
Those large eyes of hers looked up into his. “Certainly,” she said. “Yes, do please help me down, sir. I may slip and sprain an ankle if left to myself. Butnow that you have done so, you may remove yourhands from my waist whenever you wish.”
From sheer principle he took his time about doing so. “Tell me,” he said, “do you have to use a knifewith your meals, or is your tongue sharp enoughwithout?”
“I could almost pity Nancy,” she said. “You are not really a gentleman, are you?”
