Page 90 of Brave New Earl (The Way to a Lord's Heart 1)

“Jed Coachman said the weather was changing,” Teddy added. He let go of the drapery and stepped forward. “We should be on our way home.”

Benjamin stood. “That sounds sensible. We wouldn’t want you caught in a storm.”

Mrs. Wandrell couldn’t argue with such a united masculine front. She looked mad as fire, however, as Benjamin escorted them out.

“What a tedious woman,” their host said when he returned. “She seems to believe she will discover some shameful secret that willshow me how mistaken I am. She would have stood in the darkness beside her coach and explained just how and why and what steps I am to take, if I had allowed her to do so. She belongs in a Cheltenham tragedy.”

“Melodrama can be quite effective,” said Mrs. Thorpe.

Benjamin resumed his seat on the sofa. He sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to make some calls in the neighborhood and receive more visitors to show everyone how ridiculous she’s being.” He knew it was past time for him to rejoin local society. He rather liked the idea of introducing Jean to his circle of acquaintances. He hoped to present her as his promised wife, of course.

“I don’t know,” said Mrs. Thorpe.

“It won’t be such a penance. My other neighbors aren’t at all like Mrs. Wandrell. You’ll like them.”

“It’s not that. I don’t know whether our scheme will hold up with a large number of people.” Mrs. Thorpe looked at his uncle. “I understood it was to be rather private.”

“Scheme?” Benjamin asked.

His two older guests turned to look at Jean. “I forgot to tell him,” she said.

“Tell me what?” Benjamin looked from face to face. Clearly all of them were in on a secret he’d been denied.

“You fit in so well,” said Jean to Mrs. Thorpe. “I just thought of you as my chaperone.”

“Rather than what?” asked Benjamin.

“And I had other things on my mind,” Jean said.

“Pleasant things, I hope,” said Lord Macklin, glancing at Benjamin.

“Tell me what?” asked Benjamin more emphatically.

Jean turned to him. “Mrs. Thorpe is an actress from London,” she said. “A renowned actress. And also a respectable married lady.”

The lady in question smiled at this quick addition.

“An actress?” Benjamin digested this surprising bit of information. He turned to his uncle.

“Since she was staying quietly in the village, I asked her to come along and help stave off the Wandrells.”

“And none of you thought to mention her background to me?”

“I said I would tell you,” Jean replied. “I meant to. Then I was distracted by…other things.”

Those seductive other things were plain in her eyes. Benjamin acknowledged that the distraction had been significant. Still, the fact that he’d been left out, in his own house, stung. Particularly where Jean was concerned.

“It was designed as a temporary measure,” said his uncle. “A stopgap. I didn’t realize we’d have an active…adversary. If I had…” The older man shrugged. “Well, I don’t know what I would have done in that case. I thought matters would be settled in a few days.”

“Matters?” asked Mrs. Thorpe.

Lord Macklin indicated the younger couple with a sidelong glance. Mrs. Thorpe nodded.

Benjamin couldn’t quite sort out what he was feeling. “I ought to have been told,” he said, gazing at Jean as he spoke.

“I didn’tnottell you. I forgot.”

She sounded defensive rather than sorry. This bothered Benjamin more than Mrs. Thorpe’s profession.

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