Page 69 of Saving a Scoundrel
Ellie straightened her shoulders and placed a polite smile on her face. “What areyoudoing here?” she countered.
“I’m here on some business.” He glanced over at Mr. Evans. “The business I wrote you about.”
“I’m not sure I can remember. Your note was so brief.” She narrowed her eyes.
“Why are you not in London? Didn’t you still have adventures left on your list?” He offered a smile. “Did you and Susanna make it to Astley’s Amphitheatre?”
How dare he smile casually at her after leaving her with that note. Why was he here? “Don’t do that, Lucius Grisham. I will not make polite small talk with you on the street. You left London with barely a word of explanation.” She tried to keep her voice low. The last thing she needed was to make a scene. “What are you doing in Marbury?”
“I want to tell you all about it, but…” He glanced again at Mr. Evans. “Who is this?”
“Oh, dear.” She turned to her companion. “Mr. Evans, how rude of me. Let me introduce you to Mr. Grisham. Mr. Evans is helping me with the shopping this morning.”
“This is Mr. Evans?” Lucius looked him up and down. What he was thinking was not easy to discern. But if his frown was any indication, he was not pleased to see her out with another man.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Evans said.
Lucius straightened his shoulders and tipped his hat. “And you, Mr. Evans.”
Ellie glanced back and forth at the tight polite smiles the two men exchanged. Perhaps it was best if she dealt with Lucius later. “Um, let’s head home, Mr. Evans. We don’t want the meat to spoil. Good day, Mr. Grisham.” She gave him a curt nod. He would have to come to see her if he wanted to talk. She was finished with making the first move.
As they walked away, Mr. Evans leaned down and said quietly, “Is that him?”
She met his gaze and nodded.
He winked. “Then slip your arm in mine. Let’s give him something to think about.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Dear Ellie,
Words cannot express how much…
Dear Ellie,
Your love is a gift that I don’t deserve…
My dearest love…
What tripe! Lucius threw down his quill and crumpled the paper. He threw it into the bin, which already held a half dozen other attempts to write Ellie a love letter. He was not cut out for expressing his feelings in prose. He sat back in the desk chair and shut his eyes. But an image of Ellie walking away from him arm in arm with Mr. Evans sprang up behind his eyelids. She was definitely still mad at him for leaving her behind.
Hell, he thought he would have time to write her properly as his sister suggested. But now, here she was in Marbury, letting Mr. Evans help her with shopping. He needed to speak with her privately. He would use everything in his arsenal to seduce her into forgiving him. Blast it; she had looked so beautiful yesterday. Her hair had been loosely wrapped in a low bun under a wide-brim bonnet, and the smattering of freckles across her collarbone on display in a pretty yellow day dress with white lace trim. He’d wanted to scoop her up right there on the street and kiss her until they were both senseless with need.
But instead, tall, strapping Mr. Evans was spending time with her, probably convincing her what a perfect match they would make. Lucius ran a hand through his hair. Damn it, Ellie washismatch. She always had been. Mr. Evans didn’t know she liked fresh fruit, or that she became seasick, or that she always chose to sit in the sunshine and that’s why she had so many freckles. Freckles that peppered not just the skin on her nose but across her breasts and down her back. Mr. Evans didn’t know how to make her laugh or understand how much she loved to dance.
The door to the study opened, and Charlotte poked her head into the room. “Are you ready to go? Josie is beside herself with excitement.”
He’d almost forgotten about the town’s summer fair. “Yes. I’m certainly not making any progress on this letter.”
His sister gave him a sympathetic look. “Come on. Some fresh air will do you good. Besides, I happen to know that Ellie and Olivia plan to go together to the fair this afternoon.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so.” Lucius grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. “You will put in a good word for me, won’t you?”
Charlotte wrapped her arm around his waist as they made their way down the corridor. “I don’t know. I haven’t decided if you’re good enough for her.”
“Definitely not.” He agreed immediately.
Charlotte’s teasing grin disappeared. She pulled them to a stop. “Lucius, I was jesting. You are one of the best people I know and a wonderful brother at that. You need to let go of the voice inside your head that tells you otherwise. The voice that sounds suspiciously like our mother’s.”
