Guarding a Notorious Lady by Olivia Parker

Author:Olivia Parker
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2011-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

The following afternoon Rosalind swept inside the gold-and-cream dining room and found Tristan seated at the head of the table, his forehead in his hand. A large glass filled with a thick red liquid sat before him, and a stick of celery sat on a linen napkin to his left.

“That cannot possibly taste good,” she said, breaking the silence of the room.

“Rosalind,” Tristan replied a bit desperately, “must you shout?”

“Sorry.” She pressed her lips together as she took the chair to his left.

He waved away her apology with a flick of his fingers.

“I will not ask how you’re feeling, as it is obvious.”

“I would nod,” he said quietly, “but then my head might roll off my neck.”

“I see. Can’t have that.” She twisted her hands in her lap.

Part of her wanted to just come right out and ask Tristan if Nicholas was her guardian. She needed to know whether or not Tristan’s drunken admission was indeed the truth. However, part of her wanted to pretend that the mounting evidence didn’t exist.

Certainly, it was odd to see him in London, but he had inherited a lofty title. He was at least thirty and unmarried. It made perfect sense that he should come to Town for the season and look for a wife.

And he had come to call yesterday afternoon to speak with Tristan—not to scare off her gentlemen callers, although he had forced his way into the morning room and made himself quite comfortable by squeezing next to her on the settee. But then again, if he was her guardian, wouldn’t he have stayed until they’d left? But wait . . . hadn’t he? Or had it been coincidence that his meeting with Tristan had ended soon after her callers had left?

And surely it was pure happenstance that he had heard Rothbury slurring Shakespeare at her window, although Nicholas’s behavior did border on protective, didn’t it?

Lord, she was confused. She did know one thing for certain: if Nicholas was her guardian, she would find out today. All she had to do was change her plans.

“Are you still going to Angelo’s to fence?”

“No,” Tristan groaned. “I’m going to crawl back to bed, actually.”

“That doesn’t sound like the Tristan I know.” Indeed, it did not. He was physically active almost to a fault.

“Yes, but I was not myself last night,” he murmured before bringing the glass to his lips with a grimace. “I suppose you weren’t either—being yourself, that is.”

Her brow quirked. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Standing there, making calf-eyes at Nicholas.” He took another sip and shuddered.

“I didn’t make eyes at him!”

He closed his eyes briefly. “Rosie, the shouting . . .”

“So sorry,” she murmured quietly.

“If it wasn’t for my presence, I think you would have thrown yourself at him . . . or kissed him, or something else foolishly dramatic . . .” His mumbled words died away as he brought the glass back to his lips.

“Don’t be absurd.”

He raised a dubious brow. “Are you going to sit there and tell

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