Page 3 of An Innocent Little Scandal (Sensual Scandals)

In truth, Marlington Hall was just another place he could hide out from the rest of the world.

And, if he had to guess, that was her intention as well. While his mother had spoken of the Bevelstroke sisters, and Miles had actually conversed with Araminta himself, he could tell that they were infinitely more comfortable withtonlife than this slip of a girl who was barely out of the schoolroom.

If only her recent brush with death didn’t remind him so much of Marian…

He quickly shoved that unwanted thought aside and addressed the coachman, who was holding the mares’ bridles and waiting patiently for their conversation to come to an end. “Would you mind tying up my mount to the back?” He withdrew a coin and handed it to him.

The coachman inclined his head. “O’ course.”

Miles led Lady Olivia to the coach and opened the door for her. He noticed that she was glancing at him curiously. “I didn’t think that commoners carried that sort of coin around.”

He smiled easily. “I’ve been saving up my wages for quite some time, hoping to make a fresh start.”

“I see.”

She climbed inside, foolishly taking him at his word.

Miles shoved back his conscience as the carriage dipped with his weight and he settled himself across from her. He saw the warming brick on the floor and the blanket beside it. He settled the brick next to her booted feet and gathered up the blanket and shook it slightly, and then handed it to her.

She eyed him with only a slight hesitation, and then accepted the offering. She placed it across her lap, and without looking back at him, said quietly, “Thank you.”

The carriage rocked slightly as the coachman took up his position, and then the vehicle set into motion. Miles knew that their pace would be terribly slow in this dreadful weather, but perhaps it would give him a chance to get to know the lady a bit better. After all, it sounded as though they would be spending some time together at Marlington Hall.

As the closest male relation to inherit, a distant second cousin, four times removed or some such nonsense, it was hardly any sort of bloodline to be recommended, and yet, once Lady Olivia realized that he was the reason she had been forced out of her beloved home, her demeanor toward him was bound to become rather aloof, if not downright hostile. It was why he decided it would be best if she didn’t know his tie to the estate until he’d had a chance to break it to her gently.

It wasn’t as though he wanted to be the villain in this piece, he just had no other choice. It was either accept the title, or it would become defunct, which would be a shame. Too many English titles were falling away with no male heirs to carry them on and Marlington had been around for centuries. Surely Lady Olivia wouldn’t fault him for wanting to expand her father’s legacy? But he had no doubt she would feel betrayed, no matter what he chose, for it would only remind her of all she’d lost.

As they sat in silence across from one another, Miles wondered what the lady was thinking. She kept her face averted, although it gave him time to study her profile and wonder what sort of woman she was.

It wasn’t until she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, effectively blocking him out, that his lips twitched slightly. If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought it was a smile trying to break through the tough, outer shell he’d built around himself.

Since she had taken the incentive to keep things distant between them, he decided he wasn’t one to argue. He took off his hat and set it beside him, and then he leaned his head back against the seat to mirror her pose, as he closed his eyes. A slight repose would certainly not be unwelcome, for it had been a long day.

Something told him that it would be the same for the ensuing days to come.

It could be a very interesting experience at Marlington Hall, indeed.

Chapter Two

Olivia peeked at the stranger—Mr. Miles Stone—through a single, slitted lid. She didn’t dare open her eyes completely yet, until she knew for certain that he was asleep. She had only pretended to be in dreamland, so that she wouldn’t have to converse any further with him. Social interaction wasn’t one of her strong suits, and it wouldn’t do to reveal any more about her. He already seemed to know entirely too much, a fact she wasn’t comfortable with at all, since she didn’t need some sort of personal spy sending messages back and forth to her sisters. While Olivia had told them where she was going in her letter, she wanted to ensure that any further information came directly from her.

After a time, the deep and even rise and fall of his broad chest told her he was in a contented slumber, and she released a relieved breath. She tilted her head slightly to the side and observed him unabashedly.

Without his hat she could clearly see that his hair was just as dark as she’d first imagined. He had a strong jawline and there was even a slight shadow dusting the lower half of his face. He had an aquiline nose and full, masculine lips.

In truth, she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen a man quite so…handsomebefore. Certainly not one that was so fearsome without even trying. Even in sleep he was as intimidating as he’d been standing in the middle of the road with snow swirling all around his towering figure. If circumstances were different, and he wasn’t a commoner, and she was the type of woman who inspired the poets to write an ode about her hair, then perhaps…

Olivia turned her head to look out the window. While the darkness outside prohibited her from seeing much of anything except for the white snow beyond the pane, she was able to steel her emotions and put such dangerous and tumultuous thoughts from her mind.

Nevertheless, Mr. Stone wouldn’t be of any consequence as soon as they reached Marlington Hall. He didn’t even matter now. What concerned her wasn’t the approval of a commoner, but the new Duke of Marlington. That might make her sound like a prude, but circumstances had brought her to this point.

She didn’t know if her father’s new heir had even taken up residence. She certainly didn’t intend to be cowed into going back to London. Grosvenor Square might be a lovely part of the city, but it would never mean so much to her as the estate. It was the place of her birth, where the mother she had never had the opportunity to know was buried, and where her dear father was laid to rest. She had spent the most wonderful days of her life there and while her sisters might have been able to say farewell at the drop of a hat, her heart was more engaged. If Olivia would have stayed in London, she had no doubt that they would have argued that she could find equal happiness in the city, and perhaps even a suitor, but thus far the only thing she’d managed to do was panic amid the larger crowds and nearly drown in the Thames.

“That’s a rather pensive look.”

Olivia started, her gaze darting across the carriage at the sound of that raspy voice. She’d never heard anything like it. It was ratherunsettling… but not in a completely undesirable way. It made her pulse want to race and her heart to pound in her chest when she was doing nothing more than sitting still.

Nevertheless, she could have sworn that he was asleep earlier, but now, his direct, obsidian gaze was steady and alert. “I was woolgathering,” she murmured, hoping that was the end of the exchange.

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