Anne nodded. “Yes. I asked again today after speaking with you, and she assures me that is exactly what occurred. So either you are lying or Lord Rutledge is. Your friend can either do the honorable thing with your help or you can expect my campaign to warn unsuspecting debutantes to continue.”
“Ye would ruin Rutledge and his sisters’ chances at a good marriage based on a lie?” he ground out.
“No.” She shook her head. “I will do what I must to protect my friend. If you will offer Rutledge a position—”
“What makes ye think he needs a position?”
“Servant gossip,” she said matter-of-factly. “Now, if you will offer him a position and persuade him to marry Lady Fanny, then I assure you, she will make him an excellent wife. I will also personally assist his sisters in making good matches, as I would be happy to do for your sisters, as well.”
“Ye’re attempting to bribe me,” he said, unsure if he was more amused, angered, or surprised. She was, after all, Rowan’s granddaughter, so being calculating was in her blood. Yet, he could not help but admire the lengths she was willing to go to aid her friend who she truly believed had been wronged.
“What? No! I’m offering you a reasonable proposition to a horrid problem that your friend created. You, yourself, may want to consider your own past and any mistakes you have made with a lady’s reputation that you should rectify.”
A ball of anger settled in his chest. He suspected that Anne was alluding to Lady Mary. He’d not seen the woman since returning to England, but he had no doubt the lying lass was still lurking about Rowan’s home—if not living there, then visiting. Had the lady told Anne the same lies she had once told her grandfather, who had been only too ready to believe her? If the Duke of Rowan had told Anne the lie that Simon had compromised Mary, then his hope for seducing Anne and revenge was lost.
“Are ye referring to something specific?” he demanded, just barely remaining civil.
“Come now,” she said, her tone chiding. “Lady Mary was my grandfather’s ward. Did you truly think I would not know what occurred?”
Simon’s jaw ticked. “I must say I’m surprised Rowan spoke of me.”
Anne’s eyes drew wide. “Oh, he didn’t. He does not yet know you have returned to England. If he had, I’m certain he’d not let me—Well, never you mind. Mary told me everything. She is unmarried still, Simon. It’s not too late for you to offer Mary your name.”
He scoffed. “I would rather swallow blades than wed Lady Mary.”
“And you say you’re an honorable rogue!” Anne said with a scowl.
“I didnotcompromise Lady Mary,” Simon growled. “The lady offered herself to me some years ago. I declined and thought nothing more on it. The next thing I knew, I was being roused from my bed at my grandfather’s and accused of stealing Lady Mary’s inno—”
“Mary would have no reason to lie about such a thing,” Anne interrupted. “You are despicable!”
Simon clamped his jaw shut on the urge to argue. Anne’s words now almost exactly matched what her grandfather had said to Simon so many years ago when he had professed his innocence. Anne may well have a sliver of honor in her body to so staunchly defend friends she thought had been wronged, but her blind refusal to accept that she may have her facts wrong, and her willingness to ruin someone with those incorrect facts, was maddening. He had to stop her from destroying Rutledge, and he damn well would be getting his revenge on her grandfather by seducing her. She had been warned that he was a rogue, she fully believed the worst of him, despite his protest and barely knowing him, so why should he feel any guilt about seducing her? He shouldn’t, and he wouldn’t.
“Never mind my plea for help,” she snapped, kicking the warmer away from her feet. “I’ll find another way. I’m leaving.”
He had half a mind to let her do just that, but then he’d not get his revenge. He stood quickly and moved into her path as she started for the door.
She snapped her gaze to his, her blue eyes blazing beautifully with her ire. “What are you doing?” she demanded, chest heaving.
“I’m stopping ye from making a terrible mistake,” he said, striving to keep the irritation from his voice.
“I assume you are alluding to my leaving?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“I am. First of all—” Devil take it, this woman had his thoughts in disarray, and he could not figure out how to word what he needed to say. He swept his gaze over her and smiled with a realization. “Ye have no shoes on.”
Her lips parted on a gasp as she looked down at her stocking-clad feet. “You,” she said in a distinctly accusing tone. “You have my thoughts in a whirl.” She swiveled on her heel, bent down—putting her quite lovely bottom in the air—and shoved her feet into her slippers. He could not help but admire the perfection of her figure. When she came up to face him once more, a ringlet of her silky-looking hair dangled in front of her right eye. She shoved it back and glared at him. “NowI’m departing.”
He had to swallow the laughter that her effort to sound haughty after almost leaving shoeless caused in him.
“If ye will wait a moment, Anne,” he said, trying to think how to best convince the lady to stay so he could get what he wanted. He could not fathom how he’d allowed himself to be drawn to anger and had veered from the course he’d set out for her. It was unlike him to do such a thing.
She plunked her hands on her hips. “What have I forgotten now?”
The dark tip of her fur muff poked into his view of the settee, but he would not mention the item. It was the perfect way to ensure she returned. “I will offer Rutledge a position in my company,” he said simply.
Her eyes went wide. “You will? What made you change your mind?”
“If Rutledge should need aid… And I’m not saying he does, mind ye.”
