Page 44 of The Earl and the Reluctant Lady
Chapter Thirteen
As it turned out, none of the servants had seen anyone actually deliver the message to the house. Someone had come across it on the doorstep, then brought it inside and into her bedchamber. That was the extent of the information she’d gleaned.
She’d spent the better part of the late afternoon racking her mind, thinking of whom she could have offended by declining a dance. It wasn’t unusual for her to not accept every request. It was likely one of the reasons many would consider her cold. But she refused to put herself into a position where she would either be unwillingly fondled or have illicit fantasies whispered into her ears. Granted not all men would do such a thing, but she’d been in a pattern for the last few years of only dancing a certain number of dances at any given ball.
It had taken every ounce of restraint she had when she finally sat to ready herself for tonight’s concert. She peered into the mirror as her maid did the finishing touches on her coiffure. A scratch came to the door and Agnes shifted her gaze to see who entered. It was the housekeeper.
“There is a gentleman here to see you, my lady, a Viscount Glenbrook.”
Agnes frowned. Sullivan was here? She had expected to simply meet him at the Crystal Palace, but she supposed riding over together made sense as well. “Please tell him I shall be down shortly.”
The housekeeper opened her mouth, then closed it, looking very much like an overly large fish. Finally, she nodded, then left the room.
She excused her maid, then quickly finished readying herself. The final step was to strap her dagger garter on. She toyed with the idea of bringing along one of her special weaponized fans but thought better of it. If she tried to apprehend any would-be thieves tonight, Lady Somersby might remove her from the Ladies of Virtue altogether. Would that they could identify Lady X soon so that Agnes and the rest of the ladies could resume their good works.
At least she and her immediate friends could use the opportunity to focus on identifying her secret suitor. She shuddered again at the thought of his letter.
Agnes made her way down the stairs and into the front parlor. She found Sullivan waiting for her. “My lord,” she said, unable to disguise the surprise in her tone. “I thought we were meeting there.”
“Miss Watkins.” He bowed. “I had something I wanted to discuss with you and figured we could ride together to the Crystal Palace. Does that meet your approval?”
She nodded.
“Excellent.” He smiled warmly. “If you are ready, then, I have a carriage waiting.”
“Yes, of course,” she said.
She couldn’t imagine what he wanted to discuss with her that would demand such privacy. Perhaps he’d come because she’d offended him with her kiss. Oh no.
She waited for a few moments after they were seated in the carriage before she spoke. “Sullivan, I do hate to be rude, but you’ve made me rather nervous. Could you tell me what it is you wish to discuss?”
“Agnes, may I be blunt?” he asked.
“Of course,” Agnes said. Suddenly, her mouth went dry and she felt as if she were about to get a lecture on something inappropriate that she’d done. He was going to call her out on the kiss. How humiliating.
“I know what you’re doing. Though I admire your creativity, and resourcefulness, your plan is not going to work.”
Agnes frowned. “I’m not certain I know what you’re talking about.”
“Using Wakefield to make me jealous.”
Agnes’s cheeks heated with embarrassment. “But that is not truly—”
“Agnes, it is not that I am immune to your charms. You’re an exceptionally beautiful woman, and I—any man would be lucky to have you on his arm.”
“But you are not jealous?”
“No, I can’t say that I’m jealous. As I’ve mentioned before, I have no intention of marrying. You or anyone else.”
“While we are being blunt with each other, allow me to admit that I have not been trying to make you jealous. I know you don’t want to marry me,” she said.
He frowned. “But the kiss?”
There it was. Her head tilted. “An experiment of sorts.”
“Care to explain?” he asked with a chuckle.
She took a deep breath and did just that. Telling him briefly about her discussion with Fletcher and about their differing theories about lust. She watched his chiseled jaw relax into a grin.
