Page 96 of A Cinderella to Redeem the Earl

He took her hand and kissed it. ‘Will you indeed? I am in your debt for ever.’

‘I think it best that from now on you do not owe anything to anyone.’

He groaned. ‘I won’t. I still don’t understand how I could have been so foolish.’

Chapter Fifteen

Finally, the evening of the ball had arrived. Damian knew Pamela had been trying to speak to him and he had no doubt it was about young Long, so he had taken an unplanned trip to Rake Hall and stayed overnight, and now, arriving in a downpour in the dark and soaked through to the skin, he had arrived barely in time to change into his clothes for the evening.

While at Rake Hall he’d spent his time wandering the rooms, trying to think of a way of accomplishing his goal without involving Pamela.

No matter which path he began on, it always led to the same place. He could not destroy the Lamb family name, the way his family’s name had been ruined, without Pamela also being dragged down.

The Lambs were not as important to his revenge as the ringleader of the fraud, Long, but when confronted all those years ago, Vicar Lamb had refused to even acknowledge his guilt.

A groom dashed out of the stables to take charge of the horse. Wearily, cold to the bone, he climbed down to discover Pip awaiting him.

‘Mon ami,’Pip said, his face grave. ‘I am glad to see you.’

Damian’s heart skipped a beat. His thoughts went to Pamela. ‘What has happened?’

‘There is this Duke. Camargue. He has been asking for you.’

Damian let go a sigh of relief. ‘Camargue. You don’t need to worry about him. He is pressing me to sell him land.’

‘He is in haste, apparently. He demands that you attend him. I told him you are out of town. He demanded I get you back.“It is urgent,”he said. But he will not say what he wants. So I cannot help him. So now he sends a fellow to camp out in the hall. Awaiting your return. Naturally, he goes to tell his master you have arrived, the moment you pull up. Therefore, if you are hiding from this Duke, you had better hide now.’

‘What the devil? I’m not hiding from him. I will go and see him in good time. Right now, I need to get out of these wet clothes.’

Pip looked at him. ‘Why did you go in an open carriage in December?’

‘I needed some fresh air.’

‘And is Pamela in need of fresh air also? Is that why she looks so pale?’

He frowned. ‘Are you telling me she is ill?’

‘She does not say so. She wanted to know where you were, also with some urgency.’

A cold fist seemed to clutch at Damian’s heart. A sense of something about to go wrong. Nothing would go wrong. He had planned every last detail.

‘Leave me to worry about Pamela.’

Pip nodded. ‘Then all is in train.’

‘It is.’ They walked together into the house. ‘First and foremost, I need a hot bath.’

Damian gave instructions to the butler for water to be brought up and went to his chamber.

He had removed all but his breeches when Pamela strode in. ‘There you are.’

‘Indeed. I am here.’

And there she was, obviously annoyed and very beautiful. He had not seen her so angry before. Her grey eyes were no longer clear calm pools a man could drown in, but dark with storms swirling in their depths.

‘Please. Do not sound so innocent. I have needed to speak with you these past three days and you have deliberately been avoiding me.’

‘Why would I do that?’ he drawled. ‘But if you do not mind, I am about to bathe. I am soaked through from the rain.’