fond of reminding me, I am the marquess, and I can do whatever the devil I please. If Stone cares for his preciousposition, he will not bother me again."
"You sound rather sure of that." Raj was amused.
"I am." Joss grinned again, thinking of the blistering letter he would write. "Trust me, Raj: we have heard the last of Mr. M. Stone."
"I wish you would reconsider this," Miss Eloise Dickson complained, her expression guarded as she hovered at Matty's side. "They hang kidnappers, you know."
Matty paused in the perusal of her prey long enough to send her old school friend a chiding look. "I'm not
kidnapping
his lordship," she denied, her lips curling in a teasing smile. "I am merely borrowing him for a few weeks."
Eloise rolled her eyes heavenward. "Trust you to play fast and loose with semantics," she muttered, shaking her head in disgust. "The magistrates aren't Miss Bailey to be baffled by your sophistry. I doubt they'll look any more kindly upon your 'borrowing' the marquess than they would upon your kidnapping him."
"I'll put him back when I am finished with him."
Eloise would have liked to laugh, except that she knew Matty was in dead earnest. "This is madness," she said, fighting a reluctant smile, "and what is madder still is that I have agreedto help you. Have you any idea what Lady Burlingham would say, should she learn I helped you carry off one of her guests?"
Matty felt a twinge of guilt as the possible consequences of her scheme occurred to her once again. She'd spent days laying her plans, carefully stalking the marquess as she looked for an opportunity. Learning he was attending the countess's ball had seemed like a godsend at the time. But now . . .
"If this will jeopardize your position, I could always try some other night," she offered uncertainly. "It would be difficult, but I — "
"I was only twigging you," Eloise interrupted, draping a comforting arm about Matty's shoulder. "My position was jeopardized the day Lady Burlingham's hatchet-faced daughter came to live with us. I don't mind helping the countess with her toilet, but I positively draw the line at ironing the harridan's gowns. I had already planned to give notice when you contacted me."
Matty was not comforted by her friend's assurances. "I could ask Lady Kirkswood if she might be of assistance," she offered, her expression thoughtful. "She is the sweetest lady, for all she is a widgeon, and I am sure she would be more than willing to assist you should the need arise."
Eloise gave her a quick hug. "Don't be so horribly managing, Matty," she reproved, softening the words with a sweet smile. "I'm not one of your hen-witted employers who must be guided and protected by you, you know. I
can
take care of myself. In fact, I've already arranged for a position with Lady Kesselrode. Now, do you want to meet his lordship, or not?"
Matty's fingers closed around the vial of laudanum she had secreted in her pocket while she and Eloise had been dressing. "I do."
"Then come with me," Eloise lay her hand on Matty's arm. "Just mind you don't dose some other poor man by mistake, else we'll doubtlessly end our days dancing on a gibbet." And with that cheering thought, she led Matty off to meet an unsuspecting Lord Kirkswood.
Joss stood in a corner of the ballroom, a scowl stamped on his handsome features as he watched Society's
crème de la crème
moving about him in a whirl of color and laughter. Why the devil had he bothered coming, he wondered sourly, lifting a glass of champagne to his lips. Prior to being sent off to India, he'd had as little use for the
ton
as it had for him, and eleven years in India had done little to alter that . . . at least from his perspective. But from the fawning greetings of his hostess and several other ladies, however, he gathered Society hadhad a change of heart. Amazing what a little thing like a title could do, he thought with a derisive sneer.
"Courage, my friend," Raj said, noting Joss's expression with
"You sound rather sure of that." Raj was amused.
"I am." Joss grinned again, thinking of the blistering letter he would write. "Trust me, Raj: we have heard the last of Mr. M. Stone."
"I wish you would reconsider this," Miss Eloise Dickson complained, her expression guarded as she hovered at Matty's side. "They hang kidnappers, you know."
Matty paused in the perusal of her prey long enough to send her old school friend a chiding look. "I'm not
kidnapping
his lordship," she denied, her lips curling in a teasing smile. "I am merely borrowing him for a few weeks."
Eloise rolled her eyes heavenward. "Trust you to play fast and loose with semantics," she muttered, shaking her head in disgust. "The magistrates aren't Miss Bailey to be baffled by your sophistry. I doubt they'll look any more kindly upon your 'borrowing' the marquess than they would upon your kidnapping him."
"I'll put him back when I am finished with him."
Eloise would have liked to laugh, except that she knew Matty was in dead earnest. "This is madness," she said, fighting a reluctant smile, "and what is madder still is that I have agreedto help you. Have you any idea what Lady Burlingham would say, should she learn I helped you carry off one of her guests?"
Matty felt a twinge of guilt as the possible consequences of her scheme occurred to her once again. She'd spent days laying her plans, carefully stalking the marquess as she looked for an opportunity. Learning he was attending the countess's ball had seemed like a godsend at the time. But now . . .
"If this will jeopardize your position, I could always try some other night," she offered uncertainly. "It would be difficult, but I — "
"I was only twigging you," Eloise interrupted, draping a comforting arm about Matty's shoulder. "My position was jeopardized the day Lady Burlingham's hatchet-faced daughter came to live with us. I don't mind helping the countess with her toilet, but I positively draw the line at ironing the harridan's gowns. I had already planned to give notice when you contacted me."
Matty was not comforted by her friend's assurances. "I could ask Lady Kirkswood if she might be of assistance," she offered, her expression thoughtful. "She is the sweetest lady, for all she is a widgeon, and I am sure she would be more than willing to assist you should the need arise."
Eloise gave her a quick hug. "Don't be so horribly managing, Matty," she reproved, softening the words with a sweet smile. "I'm not one of your hen-witted employers who must be guided and protected by you, you know. I
can
take care of myself. In fact, I've already arranged for a position with Lady Kesselrode. Now, do you want to meet his lordship, or not?"
Matty's fingers closed around the vial of laudanum she had secreted in her pocket while she and Eloise had been dressing. "I do."
"Then come with me," Eloise lay her hand on Matty's arm. "Just mind you don't dose some other poor man by mistake, else we'll doubtlessly end our days dancing on a gibbet." And with that cheering thought, she led Matty off to meet an unsuspecting Lord Kirkswood.
Joss stood in a corner of the ballroom, a scowl stamped on his handsome features as he watched Society's
crème de la crème
moving about him in a whirl of color and laughter. Why the devil had he bothered coming, he wondered sourly, lifting a glass of champagne to his lips. Prior to being sent off to India, he'd had as little use for the
ton
as it had for him, and eleven years in India had done little to alter that . . . at least from his perspective. But from the fawning greetings of his hostess and several other ladies, however, he gathered Society hadhad a change of heart. Amazing what a little thing like a title could do, he thought with a derisive sneer.
"Courage, my friend," Raj said, noting Joss's expression with
Similar Books
Hard Candy Saga
Amaleka McCall
Punk Like Me
JD Glass
Almost Zero
Nikki Grimes
Remember Me
Lesley Pearse
A Man for the Summer
Ruby Laska
The Plot on the Pyramid
Terry Deary
The Battle Within
LaShawn Vasser
Hypocrite's Isle
Ken McClure
The Last Hellion
Loretta Chase
Liquid Smoke
Jeff Shelby