Reason to Wed (The Distinguished Rogues Book 7) by Heather Boyd

Author:Heather Boyd [Boyd, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Historical, Romance, Victorian, Regency, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Amazon: B015P0XIRG
Publisher: LLD Press
Published: 2015-12-08T05:00:00+00:00

Eleven

Esme gritted her teeth a moment before responding to the insult her lover’s brother had just delivered very loudly to a crowded room. “Lord Avery, your compliments take my breath away.”

For the life of her, she couldn’t fathom why Lord Avery Hill had taken a set against the world tonight, but he’d grown particularly cutting toward her in the last few minutes.

“Wasn’t a compliment,” Avery slurred, the effects of his indulgence in spirits very obvious in the way he formed words. “Dragons need slaying and my sword is at the ready, ill-tempered wench.”

The hovering crowd of guests sucked in a collective breath and the ladies began twittering behind their fans. Esme shook her head at their whispers. Avery was not always a nice man. Somewhat belligerent and entirely too sure his way was right, and they occasionally locked horns over his attitude that women were nothing more than disposable pleasures. Esme would weather whatever insults he threw out well enough, but the small crowd would remember every word he said and spread the news all over London.

“I’d say you fit that description better than I.” She studied Avery with growing annoyance. He had already offended three other ladies tonight, made a pass at more than one servant, and refused to take himself somewhere more private to continue his drinking.

And after such a satisfying ride with Windermere, and their tryst under the warm summer sun earlier, Avery’s attitude threatened to suck all the joy out of her day.

Unfortunately Windermere was nowhere to be found, and since Oswin and Lady Jillian appeared helpless to control Avery, Esme could see no choice but to step in and save the evening from total ruin. “If you could lead the others away,” she whispered to Lady Jillian. “You might leave him to me.”

Both Lady Jillian and the butler frowned at her request.

She smiled reassuringly to both. “I know exactly what to do with him. Trust me.”

Lady Jillian bit her lip a moment, torn but too timid to take charge herself. “You do not mind?”

“Never fear. I grew up around belligerent men.”

Jillian kissed her cheek. “I will owe you for this.”

“And I promise to collect one day,” she returned halfheartedly before she ushered Jillian and the milling guests toward the door. Best not to have Lord Avery utter any further scurrilous opinions on her character to others. If he didn’t like her, so be it. But why he chose tonight to tell the whole world was disappointing.

The butler hovered at the doorway, dragging his feet in leaving. “I should stay,” he offered.

The faithful retainer appeared so concerned that Esme shook her head firmly. Better to have the older man elsewhere in case Avery’s attitude worsened. “Make sure everyone else is comfortable, Oswin,” Esme advised, and then slowly closed the door in his face.

She knew how to handle men like Avery Hill. Her mother had died young and her brothers and father had been fond of drink in the years after. It had always been left to

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