Page 40 of A Dangerous Little Scandal

She glanced at him sharply. “What are you trying to infer? That I’m tooproudto offer myself to you a second time?”

“Not at all,” he returned slowly. He crossed his arms and looked at her steadily, as if daring her to lie to him. “I think you’re too proud to allow your heart to become engaged, to imagine that lightning might strike twice and you could feel love again.”

Isadora’s mouth fell open. She had never had anyone speak to her so boldly before. Or with such direct accuracy. She turned on her heel and started to walk away. “This is a ridiculous conversation and I refuse to listen to any more—”

She was spun around and in Remington’s arms before she could catch another breath. “I can’t let you run from this, Isadora. To run fromme.”

He kissed her.

Chapter Sixteen

Rem groaned. She was just as sweet as he’d remembered. But he knew she would be.

He told himself that he wouldn’t rush her, that he would give her time to come to terms with her own emotions, but she had looked so beautiful in the warm sunshine, the rays caressing her face and turning her eyes to molten silver, that he hadn’t been able to resist a small taste.

Thankfully, other than a slight resistance at first, she had started to melt into the embrace. He dared to draw her closer, and for a moment, she accepted it, but then it was as if alarm bells started to ring in her forehead. She put her hands on his chest and pushed hard enough that he knew he had to let her go.

He reluctantly released her and although her lips were still parted and glistening with the evidence of their union, she stepped away from him. “I should get back inside.”

Rem watched her retreat with a heavy frown. He set his hands on his hips and looked down at the dirt beneath his feet, as if the ground might open up and offer a bit of advice on how to heal the lady’s heart. But when nothing happened other than the birdschirping merrily in the trees, he decided it was time to retreat once more and tackle the other objective in his path.

He returned to the dining room where Lady Grace was patiently sipping a cup of tea and waiting for him. He was about to mention that he was ready to meet his great-grandfather when something else entirely slipped from his mouth. “I don’t suppose you’re any good at giving advice?”

She glanced at him curiously. “What seems t’ be the trouble?” And then her expression cleared and she answered her own query. “Wait. Let me guess. Is it Lady Isadora?”

He remained standing, but he gripped one of the chairs near her with a white-knuckled grip. “Am I that transparent?” he murmured.

She chuckled. “I may be an aged spinster, but it’s no’ that difficult t’ determine when one is struggling with their heart.” A pause. “Does she no’ return yer affection? Or is it the other way around?” She immediately waved a hand. “I apologize if that seems too forward. We may be relation, but we just met last night. I shouldna pry into yer personal life.”

He smiled ruefully. “It’s quite all right. I did come to you for advice. That gives you the right to ask whatever you wish.” He stared at the table to find some clarity about what he wanted to say. “I first met Lady Isadora when a business associate asked me to entertain her while he wooed her sister. I was enchanted almost immediately.” He blew out a heavy breath. “I would see her at varioustonevents in London, but she was careful to keep me at a distance. I didn’t push matters because I knew she was hoping to make a name for herself as an independent woman, but new things have come to light. It makes me question if her quest is truly about proving something on her own, of if she’s just running from the possibility of love.”

The lady nodded. “It sounds as if she’s been hurt before. Rather deeply.”

“Indeed.” The very image of Isadora with another man made him sick.

“Do ye know his identity?”

The night she’d called outUdellat the inn immediately came rushing back to taunt him. “Only a first name.”

“Nothing else?” she prodded.

He clenched his jaw. “I’m afraid not. She’s not very forthcoming with information, as you might guess.”

“One doesna like to pick at raw wounds,” Lady Grace replied softly. “Do ye ken if she still cares for him?”

He swallowed hard. “I believe it to be so, yes.” God, how he hated to admit that. “I intend to do what I can to learn his identity, as it might shed some additional light on the matter, but I haven’t had a chance to do so yet.”

“If ye would permit me to do so, I could write to a friend in London.”

Remington warred with his conscience. It seemed so underhanded to go behind Lady Isadora’s back to unravel her secrets, but neither was he content to let her live life without ever fully experiencing what it had to offer. “Is your friend discreet?”

“O’ course.” Lady Grace rose to her feet and grabbed the cane that had been lying against her chair. “I shall pen her right now.” She lifted a brow. “After that, are ye ready to meet yer other relation? Or would ye like to wait a while longer?”

Rem fought another inner battle, but he finally stood up straighter and said, “Now, if you please. I think I’ve waited long enough. It’s time this reunion was at hand.”

Isadora helda book in her hands, but her attention was sadly distracted. She had read the same sentence three times already and had no idea what it said. She reluctantly returned the novel to its previous place on the bookshelf in the library. No doubt, ifher youngest sister, Olivia, had anything troubling her, it wouldn’t be very hard to lose herself in a book. Isadora, on the other hand, was too restless to involve herself in another tumultuous tale until she had solved her own.

She got up and considered taking a walk, by herself this time, but it didn’t hold the grandeur that it had earlier. Besides, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stop herself from thinking of that devastating kiss. The moment Remington’s lips had touched hers, her core had bloomed like a flower in the spring. She had hoped that her passion might have been squelched after the previous night’s events, but instead, it was as if the opposite had occurred.

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