Page 66 of Seducing the Knave

Or would he view last night’s activities as nothing more than retribution for the fact that she’d broken the terms of their deal?

Elle sat up in bed, distress spiking in her blood.

Was that what it was? Tit for tat? A lesson? A punishment?

But it hadn’t felt like a punishment. Not at all...

She swung her feet to the floor and rose to pace about the room in her chemise. Thoughts like these were likely to drive her mad. His absence this morning made it quite clear that what had happened changed nothing. Theirs was still a temporary association. Any thoughts she might have otherwise would be foolish and she wasn’t going to waste any more time on the subject.

Who said she even wanted more? Certainly not her.

She was more than happy to put the whole enlightening experience behind her.

Striding to the bell pull, she rang for Langworth.

#

TWO HOURS LATER, ELLE’S thoughts remained in a twisted turmoil.

She’d bathed, dressed, and breakfasted. She’d even gone to the trouble of donning her stockings and shoes and twisting her hair up into a neatly pinned chignon.

Then she’d sat down at the dining table to stare at those damned double doors.

It would seem her deal with Max had been effectively voided. So, was there really anything to stop her from crossing that threshold again?

Considering his punishment for the breach in contract had been...undeniably enjoyable, she was forced to acknowledge that the only thing stopping her was herself.

Did she really want to know what he was so determined to keep from her?

Though she’d long suspected Max was involved in some less than legal if not blatantly nefarious activities, she’d convinced herself it was not her concern. That, perhaps, it was best if she didn’t know everything about him.

But after what she’d seen yesterday, she had to rethink that position.

With no other options forthcoming, it was quite possible she might be staying awhile and she really couldn’t afford to be willfully ignorant. She’d effectively learned her lesson in taking that foolish stance with Jasper. It seemed best to gain a better understanding of exactly what the man was involved in.

With a final fortifying sip of her tea, she rose from the table and brushed her hands over the pale green skirts of her borrowed dress. She only managed one step toward the double doors before she was brought to an abrupt halt by the sound of the door behind her opening and closing quietly and quickly.

Alarm shot through her. No one but Max had used that entrance since her arrival. She spun in place to see a woman standing beside the fireplace.

The newcomer seemed equally surprised to see Elle but managed to recover first as she strode forward with a look of curiosity in her gaze and the suggestion of a smile on her wide lips. “Oh, hello. My apologizes. I expected the room to be empty.”

She spoke in a soft Scottish burr threaded through with the distinct intonations of London’s high society. And as she neared, Elle noted that she was quite a young lady indeed. Younger than herself, to be sure, and lovely in a way that was more striking than classically pretty with bold bone structure, deep-set, almost languid eyes, and a wide mouth. She was taller than Elle and slim and wore a day dress and pelisse of the highest quality in a bright sky-blue. Her dark hair was artfully arranged and her manner was unexpectedly open for the fact that she’d just walked unannounced into a man’s bedroom.

An uncomfortable feeling gripped Elle and she fell into her usual pattern of combatting vulnerability with aloof disregard. She coolly met the young lady’s rather direct gaze. “No one is to enter this room without permission.”

The girl gave a husky laugh and shrugged. “I dinnae bother to ask permission when I’m not likely to get it.”

Elle frowned at the odd reply. “Does Langworth know you’ve come up here?”

“Of course not,” the girl replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. Then she tilted her head to eye Elle with a curious hazel stare. “As you rightly said, this room is off-limits to visitors. But you’re here, aren’t you?”

The girl’s inquiry wasn’t particularly challenging. In fact, were it not for her usual bluntness, her manner might be almost charming.

With a slight lift of her chin, Elle acknowledged simply, “I am.”

The other girl glanced about the room, noting the remains of Elle’s breakfast still on the table before sliding a barely perceptible peek toward the bed. When her foxlike gaze returned to Elle, there was a glimmer of astonishment in their depths.

“Are you staying here?” she asked. “With Max?”

---