Page 12 of The Earl Next Door
“Not long,” she answered defensively, leaning away from her friend’s touch and willing the evocative images of Lord Lyonwood to fade completely away. “There’s nothing wrong with me. Really.” She paused. “It’s just that—” And then suddenly the words came tumbling out like a waterfall before she could stop them. “Oh, all right, I might as well tell you. I was mistaken for the madam of a brothel, but other than that, I’m fine.”
Adeline watched shock flare in her friends’ expressions.
Oh, dear.
Brina jerked her hands to her hips. “You can’t be serious.”
“She is,” Julia said.
“Yes, it’s true.” Adeline inhaled a deep sighing breath. “In your wildest dreams, would you have ever imagined anyone thinking I was a madam and opening an underground house of pleasure rather than a boarding school?”
“Who are you talking about?” Brina whispered on a broken gasp.
“What are you talking about?” Julia demanded. “Who would dare be so vulgar as to assume such an outrageous thing about you?”
“A tall handsome man with the most intriguing grayeyes I’ve ever seen. My neighbor. The Earl of Lyonwood.”
Brina shook her head in disbelief. “How could he? I remember him. We chatted a few times. He’s always seemed a gentleman.”
“What I want to know is why he would think such a scandalous thing?” Julia asked.
“Apparently it had something to do with the amount of beds being delivered to the school.”
“What did you say to him?” Julia asked.
“I really didn’t know what to say,” Adeline admitted.
“Of course you didn’t,” Brina consoled. “I wouldn’t either. But whatdidyou say? I know you. You wouldn’t have had a fit of the vapors or rushed above stairs to hide from him.”
“You couldn’t have stayed silent either.”
“No, of course I didn’t. I had my say about his actions and words.”
Adeline supposed she’d have to tell them about the incident. Most of it anyway. Not even to Julia and Brina could she admit that the earl had openly looked her over so thoroughly she’d shivered. She couldn’t tell them how he’d made her long for kisses and caresses, or that in a desperate attempt to absolve her guilt over her wayward feelings she’d slapped him. No, she couldn’t tell them any of that. But donning the stays—they would understand.
She began the story by saying, “They were crimson.”
Several gasps, ahs, and sighs later, Adeline concluded her story. “Lyon believed me without question, but not without a bit of rancor because of his mistake I’msure. You both know earls and dukes well. They think they have the right to do and say what they please to whomever they want.”
“What an absolutely fascinating story,” Julia whispered, still clinging to every word.
“I always thought him a gentleman, but I’ve changed my mind. He’s a beast!” Brina exclaimed.
Just what Adeline had thought.
Julia crossed her arms over her chest as if she wasn’t so sure of that and said, “I know Lyon. He is a handsome devil, but what I want to know is did you keep the stays?”
“What?” Adeline shook her head. “No. I threw them into the fire as soon as I could rip them off. The gold bow, too.”
Brina and Julia looked at each other, and then back to Adeline.
“What gold bow?” Julia asked.
“Oh,” Adeline whispered. “Didn’t I mention the tulle?”
“No.” The edges of Julia’s lips lifted with a smile. “Exactly where were you wearing it?”
Suddenly the three friends started laughing. It felt wonderful to feel something other than anguish over the incident. Adeline filled them in on the strip of fabric she’d tied around her waist before saying, “As you can imagine it was an awkward meeting for both of us once our identities were made known.”
