Page 6 of How to Ruin a Rake

“I didn’t intend to keep her in there.” He raised his eyebrows. “Why does it matter, anyway? There was no intent to harm.”

“You think being taken off the street by a masked man isn’t terrifying?” Allegra asked. “You imagined my sister would think it amusing?”

He winced.

“And your partner in crime—the man who was driving the carriage—didn’t even stay in London, did he? Where exactly do you think he was heading?” Allegra demanded.

“On that I cannot comment.” He paused. “Do you know where we are?”

“We’re in Suffolk.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to Suffolk before.”

“Probably not enough gaming hells and women of ill repute for you,” Allegra said.

“I see my reputation proceeds me.”

“Everyone knows who you are, my lord.” Allegra looked down her nose at him. “And none of it reflects well on you.”

He had the audacity to look hurt. “Surely, I have some attributes? I’m rich, I’m the heir to a duke, I’m devilishly handsome, and the ladies love me.”

“Only the ones you have to pay,” Allegra snapped.

“My, you are a little feisty, aren’t you? Is it a feature of the Musgrove women?”

“It absolutely is.” She smiled at him. “As you will soon find out.”

“Well, the sooner we can get back to London, the better,” Max said. “I’ll take you home and no one will be any the wiser.”

“You abducted me. Don’t you think my family will have raised the alarm and will already be looking for me?”

“Why? I think it would take at least a month of not hearing from me to make my father worry about where I was.”

Allegra held onto her temper with some difficulty. “Perhaps you don’t have experience with actual ladies, sir. But they are regarded as precious commodities, whose virtue must remain intact for them to have value in society. If a lady goes missing, she will immediately be considered soiled goods.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“But unfortunately, true. I have no intention of going back to London.”

“With me?” He nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll get you on a mail coach and you can return by yourself.”

“I’m not going to London with or without you.” Allegra held his amused blue gaze. He really was ridiculously handsome. “I intend to go to my family home in Norfolk.”

“From my elementary knowledge of the geography of this country, I believe Norfolk is next door to Suffolk, which makes things much easier.” Max nodded. “You’ll be home in no time, and no one need be any the wiser.”

“Except for that pesky matter of you abducting me in London,” Allegra said. “Do you seriously believe I will not have been missed?”

He opened his mouth as if to disagree and rapidly closed it again. “You might have a point.”

“I suppose you think that my family is in such disgrace that my disappearance will only add to our notoriety and provide gossip for the ton for weeks.” She waved her hands around. “Who will care that I was taken against my will when that is all the women in our family deserve?”

He leaned back in his chair and regarded her, the mocking expression disappearing from his face. “I do not think that.”

“That’s a surprise.” She walked back to her seat and sat down with something of a thump. “Now, I intend to finish my breakfast and then consult with Mrs. Lacock about the nearest inn where I can take the horses.”

Max sat up. “With respect, the horses aren’t yours.”

“Are you really going to argue semantics with me, Max Devereux, after all the harm you’ve done in the past twenty-four hours? I’m taking the horses to the nearest inn where they can be looked after, and then I’m going to get on a mail coach and go home. What you do is entirely up to you.”