Page 27 of Enticing the Devil

Chapter Ten

Beynon ruffed the towel over his head as he stepped from the bathing tub. A quick glance at the clock told him he had only fifteen minutes before he was due to meet Lady Anne in the breakfast room, where they were to acquire the list of items for the scavenger hunt.

He chose casual clothing once again, assuming they’d be expected to trek about the house and grounds. As he stood in front of the mirror to tie his cravat, he gave his reflection a quick frown. His hair was in need of a trim, and though he’d shaved that morning, there was already a dark shadow along his jaw. He didn’t have time now, but he’d have to shave again before dinner. Even if he did have time, the idea of shaving three times in a single day was more than he’d entertain when he sometimes went a number of days between shaving back home.

Lady Anne and the rest of the fine houseguests would just have to accept his less-than-pristine state. At least he no longer smelled of fish and lake water.

Though she had essentially no prior experience, Lady Anne had surprised him by doing a fair share during the three hours they were on the water. Since the contest required that they turn in only their largest catch of the day, anything too small was released. She’d handed him the net when needed and had held his pole while he traded out a larger catch for the one on their stringer.

She’d even managed to hook two herself, insisting rather stubbornly that he instruct her on how to hold the fish and remove the hook. Her first attempt had been laughable. Beynon had been forced to bite his lip to hold back his chuckle when the fish flopped from her hands and she gave a shriek. But she’d eventually managed the task with his assistance then insisted he show her how to reset new bait. The release of her second catch went significantly smoother and she’d leaned confidently over the side of the boat to release the fish back into the lake with a smile of accomplishment brightening her face.

Beynon had quickly averted his gaze, ignoring the odd tugging sensation in his chest as intently as he’d denied his earlier amusement.

At the end of their allotted time, they’d ended up with a pretty good entry for the competition.

Now, as he stepped into the morning room with only a minute to spare, he expected to find Lady Anne already waiting. The room was empty; however, a basket holding a collection of scrolls, assumedly containing the list of items to be found, had been placed on the small table near the leader board and event schedule. Beynon took one of the scrolls then signed them in with the time indicating the start of their hunt. They would have to return to document their end time, as well. The couple who found the most items in the shortest time would win the event.

He considered waiting for Lady Anne before signing them in, but he trusted she’d be down shortly. Deciding to await her in the hall, he turned to leave but came up short at the sight of Lady Mayhew entering the room. Alone.

“Mr. Thomas. What a pleasure to find you here.”

Beynon nearly groaned his frustration at being cornered by the woman once again. But this wasn’t like the other day when she’d come upon him away from the house, sheltered along a tall wall. Anyone could walk into the breakfast room at any moment. Lady Anne was likely making her way there already. There was no reason to think Lady Mayhew would attempt anything scandalous—aside from the rather greedy look in her eyes.

Beynon had never been one to make the same mistake twice. With only a split second of deliberation, he decided his best course of action was to simply leave. Quickly and efficiently.

Saying nothing in response to her greeting, he took long strides toward the door. But he’d greatly underestimated her brazen resolve.

The freedom of the hall was in sight as he arced around her position, hoping his utter lack of acknowledgement might clue her in to the fact that he wasn’t interested even if his blunt words the other day had not. But at the last moment, the lady side-stepped in front of him. He barely had a chance to grasp hold of her arms to keep from knocking her over as he plowed forward, completely unprepared for such a maneuver. As their bodies made brief and unavoidable contact, a quiet hum of satisfaction slipped from the lady’s throat, triggering a flash of temper in his blood.

Though he managed to shove her away—making sure to use only as much force as was absolutely necessary—the lady insisted on leaning toward him, giving every bit of her weight into his hold. He couldn’t reasonably release her or she’d tumble right back into his arms.

He did not appreciate being manipulated in such a way. He abhorred it, in fact.

Anger and frustration billowed inside him like heat from a furnace. He held his body fiercely rigid, doing his best not to touch her any more than was required to keep her upright. Glaring down at her, he struggled to find words harsh enough to convince her to leave him the hell alone without blatantly cursing her as he was tempted to do.

“Good morning, Lady Mayhew. Hello, Mr. Thomas.”

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