Rendezvous Read Free

gravely polite as he stepped aside and allowed her to pass between him and Enfield’s desk.
    Relieved at the promise of escape, Augusta stepped quickly around from behind the huge desk and rushed past the earl. She was all too well aware of the intimacy of their situation. Graystone dressed for riding or a formal ball was impressive enough to capture all her attention. Graystone dressed for bed was simply too much for her unruly senses.
    She was halfway down the length of the room when she remembered something very important. She stopped and swung around to face him. “Sir, I must ask you a question.”
    “Yes?”
    “Will you feel obliged to mention any of this unpleasant business to Lord Enfield?”
    “What would you do if you were in my place, Miss Ballinger?” he asked dryly.
    “Oh, I would definitely maintain a gentlemanly silence on the subject,” she assured him quickly. “After all, a lady’s reputation is at stake.”
    “How true. And not just that of your friend. Yours is just as much at risk tonight, is it not, Miss Ballinger? You have played fast and loose with the most valuable jewel in a woman’s crown, her reputation.”
    Damn the man. He really was an arrogant beast. Too pompous, by half. “It is quite true I have taken some risks tonight, my lord,” she said in her most chilling tones. “You must remember that I am descended from the Northumberland Ballingers, not the Hampshire Ballingers. The women of my side of the family do not care a great deal for Society’s rules.”
    “You do not consider that many of those strictures are designed for your own protection?”
    “Not in the least. Those rules are designed for the convenience of men and nothing more.”
    “I beg to differ with you, Miss Ballinger. There are times when Society’s rules are extremely inconvenient for a man. I can promise you that this is one of those occasions.”
    She frowned uncertainly and then decided to let that enigmatic comment pass. “Sir, I realize you are on the best of terms with my uncle and I would not have us be enemies.”
    “I quite agree. I assure you I have no wish to be your enemy, Miss Ballinger.”
    “Thank you. Nevertheless, I must tell you frankly that you and I have very little in common. We are completelyopposite in terms of temperament and inclination, as I am sure you will acknowledge. You are a man who will always be bound by the dictates of honor and correct behavior and all those pesky little rules that govern Society.”
    “And you, Miss Ballinger? What will bind you?”
    “Nothing at all, my lord,” she said candidly. “I intend to live life to the fullest. I am, after all, the last of the Northumberland Ballingers. And a Northumberland Ballinger would sooner take a few risks than bury herself beneath the weight of a lot of very dull virtues.”
    “Come, Miss Ballinger, you disappoint me. Have you not heard that virtue is its own reward?”
    She scowled at him again, vaguely suspicious that he might just possibly be teasing her. Then she assured herself that was very unlikely. “I have seen very little evidence of that fact. Now, please answer my question. Will you feel obliged to tell Lord Enfield about my presence here in his library this evening?”
    He watched her with hooded eyes, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dressing gown. “What do you think, Miss Ballinger?”
    She touched the top of her tongue to her lower lip and then smiled slowly. “I think, my lord, that you are well and truly tangled up in the snare of your own rules. You cannot tell Enfield about this night’s work without violating your own code of behavior, can you?”
    “You are quite right. I will not say a word to Enfield. But I have my own reasons for keeping silent, Miss Ballinger. And as you are not privy to those reasons, you would be well advised not to make assumptions.”
    She tipped her head to one side, considering that carefully. “The reason for your silence is the obligation you