Page 51 of A Cinderella to Redeem the Earl

She drew herself upright. ‘You have no right to order me about, My Lord.’

‘It is for your own good.’

She folded her arms over her chest. ‘I will decide what is for my own good, thank you.’

‘I see. I beg your pardon. Do as you please.’

‘I will.’ She moved around him and headed inside.

Damian stared after her for a moment. Up to now she had seemed rather pliant. This stand-your-ground sort of attitude was an interesting development.

Interesting and possibly dangerous.

Through the slits of her mask, Pamela watched Rake Hall’s guests slowly depart for home. As Damian had predicted, they were turning people away, some even arriving at the door without invitations.

Those, she left to Damian.

A couple of young men on the far side of the room raised their voices. She could see they were becoming belligerent. What was it about young men and brandy that made them argumentative?

It was Mr Long again. She’d had to intervene in an argument he had been having the previous week as well.

She sauntered over. ‘Mr Long and Mr Smith,’ she said, smiling. ‘How are you this evening? How nice to see you both again.’

Long, a portly young fellow with an over-long forelock that flopped in his eyes, turned his angry gaze on her. ‘We are having a discussion. Smith here thinks that Oxford is the better university when everyone knows that Cambridge is far superior.’

His words seemed a little slurred. ‘I see. It is a friendly argument then.’ She linked her arms through one each of theirs and steered them towards the nearest table while continuing to talk. ‘So you are both content that you received the best of education?’

They frowned.

‘I mean, I am assuming you are not intending to return to your studies?’ she said.

‘Lord, no,’ Smith said. ‘Glad to get it over and done with.’

‘Me, too,’ said Long. ‘My tutor was an absolute beast. If I saw him again, I would plant him a facer. Make no mistake.’

‘Mine sent me down for putting gin in the water jug in my second year.’

‘What a good lark,’ Long said, chuckling. ‘I got sent down for six months. For fighting. Pater was furious...’

She left them exchanging reminiscences and moved on.

‘Everything all right?’ a deep voice asked from behind.

She turned and smiled at Damian. ‘Yes. Just the usual disagreements about nothing. All forgotten in the blink of an eye. Mr Long seems a bit on the quarrelsome side tonight, though.’

Damian narrowed his gaze on the topic of their conversation. ‘Is he giving you trouble?’

‘Not really. He is easily distracted as seems to be typical of a young man feeling his oats.’

‘Don’t hesitate to call me if you need help.’

‘I will. He is a recent addition to the guest list, I think. I don’t recall seeing him before last week.’

‘You are right. His family is very well connected. It would have been difficult to refuse him. Though I will, if you deem it necessary.’

‘Not at all. If it happens again, I will have a quiet word with him.’

‘Great men stand in dread of your quiet word,’ Damian said with a twinkle in his eyes.