to show him she was made of stern stuff. Just as she determined not to be drawn into the velvety sable of his eyes. “I am not.”
“I frequent this area, yet I have never seen you.”
Because this was, in fact, just her second outing. And if she continued to do as well as she had, she’d be able to stop after only a couple of weeks. All she needed was a small nest egg.
She raised her chin. “Then I am succeeding in my endeavor.”
He snorted. “Except I discovered your identity tonight—or at least, your sex. I still don’t know who you are… Smitty .”
“You may keep calling me that.”
“I’d rather call you by your given name.”
It was her turn to scoff. “That will never happen, my lord.”
He shook his head, momentarily breaking eye contact. When his gaze found hers once more, she pressed back against the wall under its dark intensity. “Back to the matter at hand. You are not succeeding at…whatever you’re doing.” She opened her mouth to refute him once more, but he cut her off. “No. You’re not. I don’t care if you are winning. Anyone with half a brain wins on their first time at a hell. And you clearly have a full, well-functioning brain. Who taught you to play faro?”
She couldn’t help but feel flattered by him. She’d never been one to receive compliments, especially about her beauty, but those didn’t matter to her anyway. To be noticed and appreciated for her intelligence was a dream she’d long since abandoned. “My father.”
“And where is he?”
“Cold in his grave.” For what, seven years? Goodness, she barely tracked the time. Not like she did for her mother.
His lips clamped together briefly. “I see. It’s no wonder you’re running about unsupervised. Have you no mother or brothers either?”
She cocked her head to the side, tiring of his meddling. “None of this is any of your concern. If you’d permit me, I should like to go home.”
“Oh, I’ll permit you. With my escort.”
She pursed her lips. “I don’t need your escort.”
His brows pitched together as his features descended into a scowl. “We’re back to this?”
In another situation, she might’ve laughed at his consternation. “We never left it.”
A determined glint stole into his gaze. She didn’t like it one bit. “You’re a cheeky woman, whoever you are. But let me tell you how this is going to proceed. I am not leaving your side until I see you home. You may have escaped danger so far, but it’s only a matter of time until luck deserts you.”
She blinked at him. Then she did laugh, and his expression changed to one of bemusement. “This is rich coming from you—the Duke of Daring. Your exploits are legend—and fraught with risk.”
“The… what ?” A light of understanding, and perhaps appreciation, stole into his dark eyes. “You know me.”
She gritted her teeth, annoyed with herself for loosening her tongue. “I know of you. That’s quite a different thing.”
“Never mind that. You’re out in Society. Who are you?”
“Never mind that .” She took great pleasure in throwing his words back at him. “However, since it seems you will not leave me be, let us walk.” She shoved at his chest, which was hard and unforgiving, but in the most unnervingly spectacular way.
She half expected him to crowd her against the wall again, but he didn’t. He held out his arm for her to precede him from the alley.
She tucked her pistol back inside her jacket, where she was covered in several layers of padding to make her appear larger than she really was. She’d had pockets sewn in various places for stashing her pistol and her money.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“I’m not saying. You can just follow along, since you insist upon being a nuisance.” She’d stop in front of a house near hers and hopefully convince him to leave her there.
He fell into step beside her as they strode toward Jermyn Street. “Why did you call me the Duke of
“I frequent this area, yet I have never seen you.”
Because this was, in fact, just her second outing. And if she continued to do as well as she had, she’d be able to stop after only a couple of weeks. All she needed was a small nest egg.
She raised her chin. “Then I am succeeding in my endeavor.”
He snorted. “Except I discovered your identity tonight—or at least, your sex. I still don’t know who you are… Smitty .”
“You may keep calling me that.”
“I’d rather call you by your given name.”
It was her turn to scoff. “That will never happen, my lord.”
He shook his head, momentarily breaking eye contact. When his gaze found hers once more, she pressed back against the wall under its dark intensity. “Back to the matter at hand. You are not succeeding at…whatever you’re doing.” She opened her mouth to refute him once more, but he cut her off. “No. You’re not. I don’t care if you are winning. Anyone with half a brain wins on their first time at a hell. And you clearly have a full, well-functioning brain. Who taught you to play faro?”
She couldn’t help but feel flattered by him. She’d never been one to receive compliments, especially about her beauty, but those didn’t matter to her anyway. To be noticed and appreciated for her intelligence was a dream she’d long since abandoned. “My father.”
“And where is he?”
“Cold in his grave.” For what, seven years? Goodness, she barely tracked the time. Not like she did for her mother.
His lips clamped together briefly. “I see. It’s no wonder you’re running about unsupervised. Have you no mother or brothers either?”
She cocked her head to the side, tiring of his meddling. “None of this is any of your concern. If you’d permit me, I should like to go home.”
“Oh, I’ll permit you. With my escort.”
She pursed her lips. “I don’t need your escort.”
His brows pitched together as his features descended into a scowl. “We’re back to this?”
In another situation, she might’ve laughed at his consternation. “We never left it.”
A determined glint stole into his gaze. She didn’t like it one bit. “You’re a cheeky woman, whoever you are. But let me tell you how this is going to proceed. I am not leaving your side until I see you home. You may have escaped danger so far, but it’s only a matter of time until luck deserts you.”
She blinked at him. Then she did laugh, and his expression changed to one of bemusement. “This is rich coming from you—the Duke of Daring. Your exploits are legend—and fraught with risk.”
“The… what ?” A light of understanding, and perhaps appreciation, stole into his dark eyes. “You know me.”
She gritted her teeth, annoyed with herself for loosening her tongue. “I know of you. That’s quite a different thing.”
“Never mind that. You’re out in Society. Who are you?”
“Never mind that .” She took great pleasure in throwing his words back at him. “However, since it seems you will not leave me be, let us walk.” She shoved at his chest, which was hard and unforgiving, but in the most unnervingly spectacular way.
She half expected him to crowd her against the wall again, but he didn’t. He held out his arm for her to precede him from the alley.
She tucked her pistol back inside her jacket, where she was covered in several layers of padding to make her appear larger than she really was. She’d had pockets sewn in various places for stashing her pistol and her money.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“I’m not saying. You can just follow along, since you insist upon being a nuisance.” She’d stop in front of a house near hers and hopefully convince him to leave her there.
He fell into step beside her as they strode toward Jermyn Street. “Why did you call me the Duke of