Page 47 of Almost A Scoundrel

“Like I said, love, all in good time.”

Phaedra blinked as her aunt rose and flitted from the room like a colorful butterfly.

She slumped back onto the settee.

As much as she wanted to discover what her aunt was up to, Phaedra didn’t have time to launch a full-scale investigation into her. She had other, more pressing matters to delve into, adventures of her own she wished to contemplate.

But the most important matter of all? Counting seconds.

The seconds left before she saw Deerhurst again.

*

Deerhurst shoved hisaccount books away from him in disgust. It was a dreary topic he usually reserved for a dreary day, but he had thought to distract his clamoring thoughts of a certain lady-next-door with numbers.

His gaze fell on the cat curled up on his desk. “It’s all your mistress’s fault I can’t bloody concentrate.”

The cat didn’t move.

Deerhurst snorted. Now he was holding conversations with a damn cat. This was the beginning of him losing his mind.

No, that had started when he kissed Phaedra, who he very much wanted to kiss again. Christ knew, his restraint had been tested to its very limit.

A small head poked through his door.

Deerhurst smiled.

An unexpected surprise had delivered herself to his doorstep today. His daughter.

“Abigail.” He motioned her over. Deerhurst scooped her up in his arms when she ran over. “Have you been threatening Miss Green again?”

“It was only this one time,” she defended. “I really wanted to see you, Papa.”

Deerhurst pinched her cheeks. “You are missing your classes. I’m sending you back in the morning.”

“Can’t I stay here?”

“Not until you are eighteen.”

“Why?”

“Because there are big, bad wolves in the city, and they like to eat little girls like you for breakfast.”

“They don’t!”

“How would you know?”

She pouted. “I just know.”

Deerhurst chuckled. “I will reconsider when you are taller than a sprite.”

“I am tall! I am very tall!” Her attention fell on Puck. So easily distracted. “I saw Puck sneak into the house next door.”

Deerhurst paused.Well, that was his home.

“Puck belongs to the lady living next door, pet.”

Abigail titled her head, curiosity filling her little face. “Why is he here then? Does that mean he belongs to us too?”