Weddings and Scandals: Regency Romance Collection by Alec Joyce

Author:Alec, Joyce [Alec, Joyce]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2019-05-26T16:00:00+00:00

3

Michael was growing tired of broth.

It had been three days since he had awoken to find a young lady looking down at him, her eyes wide with dismay. Three days since he had accepted her help and wallowed in his own weakness. Three days since he had been beaten black and blue at the hands of two supposed ‘gentlemen’.

Not that they had been anything of the sort, of course. A man might dress as a gentleman, might speak as a gentleman and might even have the wealth and the title to declare himself a gentleman, but that did not mean that he behaved as a gentlemen. Those two men did not deserve such an accolade.

“Good afternoon.”

Michael turned his head to see the young lady known as Miss James walk into the room, a bright smile on her face that did not quite meet her eyes. He knew that he was frustrating her terribly with his unwillingness to speak openly about himself, but it was best for her that he not do so. In fact, it would be best if he quit this household just as soon as he was able, for to remain here might bring a good deal of trouble onto her head and he did not want that to occur.

“Good afternoon, Miss James,” he said with a quick smile as she came to sit down in the same chair that she had sat in the last three afternoons. “I have had my wound checked, cleaned and rebandaged, so all is well.”

She nodded but did not smile. Her blue eyes were sharp, her oval face giving no hint of gentleness or affection. Instead, there was a hardness there that Michael knew came from a deep sense of frustration over his refusal to do as she asked. Not that she had said such a thing to him. It was obvious that she was doing her level best to keep such feelings to herself. Michael permitted himself a small, wry smile as he watched her, aware that he had done all he could to ensure that she had no easy way to insist that he give her all the information she wanted. He had used her own kindness against her, which was not something he was particularly proud of, but it had been necessary for her safety.

“You have your hair arranged differently today,” he commented, seeing that instead of the usual tight chignon that made for very little softness about her face, she had her hair pulled back into gentle ringlets with a few wisping about her forehead. “Do you have something to attend this evening?”

“I do,” she replied, not looking away from him. “A ball, in fact.”

“A ball?”

She rolled her eyes at him and Michael grinned.

“Yes, a ball,” she stated wearily. “I am sure that you know it is the height of the summer season, for even if you do not want to tell me your name, I can well ascertain that you are a gentleman of some sort.”

“Oh?” He

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