Page 92 of A Bargain with the Rake (Necessary Arrangements 3)

“Pardon me, sir, I just want to pass,” she said with a frown.

“Do you?” Lord Bingham asked with a sneer.

Evie looked up and squinted at his dark features. “Lord Bingham, it is ungentlemanly of you to accost me in a narrow hallway. If you just let me pass, we can discuss whatever you like in the main hall.”

“I don’t think this is what you want. You’ve shown interest in me ever since your wedding ball. And I am willing to assuage your curiosity.”

“I am afraid you misconstrued my interest. It lies solely in the small village you owned, the one which I won from you tonight.” Evie backed away slowly with her every word. Bingham followed, step for step. “My husband—”

“Is too busy to notice your absence. So if you wanted a liberty, now is the time to ask for it. Nicely.”

Evie scrunched up her nose in disgust. “I would rather go back to the main hall.”

“And I would rather have you kiss me.” Bingham made a lunge toward her.

Evie yelped as she dashed to the side and easily evaded the drunken attack.

“What in the devil is going on here?” her husband roared furiously, echoing through the corridor walls. Evie turned and saw Gabriel standing in the entryway, his face shadowed in the dark.

“Gabriel.” Evie picked up her skirts and hurried toward her husband. A few people peeked their heads in, curious what the hubbub was all about.

As soon as Evie reached Gabriel’s side, he put a possessive hand around her shoulders and looked down at her in concern.

“Nothing to worry about, St. Clare,” Bingham slurred drunkenly. “Your wife was about to service me, that is all.”

Evie flinched in humiliation and raised her eyes to Gabriel. She couldn’t see his features clearly, but his chest rose on an inhale, and his hands fisted at his sides.

“Did you just insult my wife?”

Bingham seemed to finally understand that he’d gotten himself into an unsavory predicament because he stepped back. “Come, St. Clare, after all the years of debauchery, you don’t appreciate a harmless joke?”

“Not. About. My wife,” Gabriel enunciated slowly. “You can accuse me of being a cheat. You can even refuse to honor your forfeit. You’re dishonorable; that much can be expected and even forgiven. But you don’t get to touch my wife. Ever.”

“Come, St. Clare, I didn’t even steal a kiss.”

Gabriel went very still. Evie put a hand to his chest. “He truly didn’t. He didn’t even touch me.”

More people gathered behind them, straining to see and hear what was going on.

“My wife is off-limits.”

“I understand,” Bingham said hastily.

“I don’t think you do. And other people won’t either until they realize I am serious about this.”

“Gabriel, no harm was done,” Evie tried to placate her angry husband.

“I’ll see you at dawn, Bingham!” Gabriel announced loudly, and a gasp sounded somewhere behind them.

“You are jesting!” Evie’s mouth fell open.

“But you never duel!” Bingham whined.

“I don’t duel over light skirts who throw themselves at me in the same ballroom as their husbands. Accosting my wife, trying to take a liberty against her will? That will get you a bullet in your vile, shriveled heart. And I need to make that clear. To everyone.”

“I-I… I did apologize. I do apologize!” Bingham yelled.

“I accept.” Evie nodded frantically.

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