A Dangerous Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

Author:Sabrina Jeffries [Jeffries, Sabrina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-01-24T02:39:32+00:00

Felicity sighed. "I didn't say I wasn't interested. I'm still a friend to Ian—I mean, Lord St. Clair. So of course any gossip that might hurt his reputation interests me."

With only the twitch of her upper lip acknowledging that she'd won, the marchioness closed the door once more. "A friend. Hmm. I suppose that will do for now. Sit down, Miss Taylor, and I'll tell you what I know."

Trying not to look as anxious as she felt, Felicity perched on the edge of a settee and folded her clammy hands in her lap.

Lady Brumley took another large swallow of port before settling her stalwart frame in an overstuffed chair by the fire. "I assume Edgar told you the same ridiculous tale he's related to the other women St. Clair courted—that St. Clair raped Cynthia and she killed herself out of shame, prompting him to flee to the Continent."

Put so bluntly, it sounded ridiculously melodramatic. "Yes. Mr. Lennard said that the woman linked to Lord St. Clair in the paper knows the truth, which is why the viscount took her under his protection. He says Lord St. Clair ruined her."

Lady Brumley waved her hand dismissively. "Poppycock. If anyone ruined her, it was Edgar. The woman you refer to—whose name is Penelope Greenaway—was not only the governess to Edgar's children, but was also Edgar's mistress after his wife died. He cast her out when he discovered she was pregnant with his bastard."

"How do you know this?"

"Let's just say I make it my business to know all about Edgar Lennard and his affairs. Which is easy enough, since he pays his servants so ill that they don't mind making an extra guinea simply for giving me information." Lady Brumley's low chuckle held a certain bitterness. "In any case, when Edgar threw Miss Greenaway out I would have aided her simply to annoy him, but Lord St. Clair got to her first. Since he has as much contempt for his uncle as I, he saw the advantage to helping the one woman who might bring his uncle down. Besides, he has a soft heart, and her child is his cousin, after all, bastard or no."

"You think that's the only reason he helped her?"

"Of course. No matter what Edgar claims and a certain gossip columnist has written—" She paused to shoot Felicity a knowing look. "Miss Greenaway is not Lord St. Clair's mistress."

Then why hadn't Ian simply said that? "Just because she was Mr. Lennard's mistress doesn't necessarily mean she's not Lord St. Clair's now," Felicity remarked, disappointed that Lady Brumley hadn't given her more certain proof. "If Lord St. Clair hates his uncle, it would be a fitting revenge to make her his mistress, don't you think?"

"And take his uncle's leavings? He'd be too proud to do so."

That was a good point, she thought, feeling a bit more easy.

"Besides, St. Clair wouldn't keep a mistress while he's courting. Men keep mistresses regularly, to be sure, but the occasional mama does frown on it. So

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