Page 57 of A Rake's Revenge


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“What is the meaning of this?” The earl knocked back his chair and stomped toward the entryway. “Unhand my daughter at once!”

Eric released his hold as everyone else at the table rose, too, and rushed toward the door. Stephan took in Ann’s appearance as he pushed his way toward the front of the group. Her blond hair was loose and the décolleté of her blue satin gown exposed enough breast to do service in a bawdy house, but Stephan’s gaze didn’t linger there. It was the hem of her gown that caught his attention. Wet, soiled, and torn. There were scratches on one of her arms as well. His mouth tightened.

“What is the meaning of this?” Tisdale asked Eric again. “If you—whoever you are—trifled with my daughter, I’ll see you hanged!”

“That is not your decision, Lord Tisdale,” the prince regent said as he stepped forward. “Perhaps we should hear whatever explanation there is for this.”

“An excellent idea, Your Highness,” Stephan said, ignoring the earl’s glare. “I would like to introduce Eric Johannsen, the captain of my fishing fleet.”

Tisdale narrowed his eyes. “What is the captain of yourfishingfleet doing here? And with his filthy hands on my daughter?”

“I asked Eric to help me crewLady of Fortunefor Saturday’s regatta,” Stephan answered. “As for your daughter, perhaps you should ask where Eric found her.”

Prinny nodded. “That would be a good place to start.”

Eric gave Stephan a quick glance to which he answered by shaking his head almost imperceptibly. Eric blinked, indicating he understood not to mention the trap, and turned toward the prince. “I was below decks on theLady of Fortuneand heard a noise. When I got on deck, this young lady had attempted to board the boat and tripped.

“I did not trip. I got tangled in some rope.”

“My mistake. Careless of me not to tidy the boat, but I was not expecting a guest,” Eric said.

All eyes turned toward Lady Ann. A number of the women had speculative looks on their faces. Caroline had gone still as a statue. Stephan tried to catch her eye, but she wouldn’t look at him. Hell, did she think he’d invited the sneaky chit to his boat?

“What were you doing on Lord Kendrick’s boat, Lady Ann?” Strangely enough, it was the prince who asked the question instead of her father.

“I… I…was returning something I had borrowed,” she stammered.

Stephan frowned. “And what would that be exactly? I do not remember lending you anything.”

“It was a book.”

“A book?”

“Yes…well, it was…to be a gift actually.” Ann blinked rapidly, her face flushed. “I was going to leave it on the deck as a surprise.”

“Um,” Stephan said. “And where, pray tell, is this book now?”

“It…dropped in the water,” Ann replied and then lifted her chin. “I would still have it if this barbarian had not grabbed me—”

“You would have undoubtedly followed the book into the depths if he had not,” Stephan replied. “I think you owe Mr. Johannsen a ‘thank you’ for possibly saving your life.”

“That man grabbed my daughter,” Tisdale said to Prinny. “He still had his hands on her when they arrived. I demand justice!”

“For what?” the prince asked mildly. “It seems to me Lord Kendrick’s captain did your daughter quite a favor. It was not wise for her to be down at the docks by herself at this hour.”

Tisdale looked flustered. “It probably was not wise, but you know how silly young girls can be. She was only trying to surprise Kendrick with a present.”

Stephan suspected that real surprise was going to be Ann waiting on his boat when he returned from dinner. As hispresent. He should have been suspicious when he hadn’t seen her at dinner this evening, given that she usually tried to sit next to him. But he’d been focused on Caroline and just been grateful he hadn’t had to put up with Lady Ann’s babbling.

Stephan’s gaze turned to Tisdale. The man didn’t look nearly as upset as a father should if he’d just found out his daughter had gone to the docks by herself to climb on a bachelor’s boat at night. It made Stephan wonder if the whole episode had been Ann’s idea or her father’s. If Stephan had been found in a compromising position with Ann… he shuddered to think of the obvious conclusion. Putting the parson’s noose around Stephan’s neck would eliminate any competition for Caroline on Tisdale’s part.

Either way, though, it was best to put a stop to this nonsense, once and for all, in front of dozens of witnesses. Stephan took a deep breath, knowing what he was going to say was the height of rudeness. The prince might very well send him packing for insulting a lady directly.

“I am afraid I must be blunt, Lady Ann,” Stephan said, “but at no time now or in the future will you be welcome aboard theLady of Fortune. Please do not attempt it again.” He heard the collective gasp of the other ladies and turned quickly to face the rest of the room before the prince could reprimand him. “When I threw down my gauntlet, I challenged Lord Tisdale for the right to court Miss Caroline Nash. That has not changed.” Stephan looked at Caroline who stood staring at him. “Nor will it ever.”