Page 51 of How to Fall for a Scoundrel
Neither Daisy nor Tess had arrived at the office, and she bolted inside with a brief wave to Carson, who gave her a friendly nod from his place on the box. The dress she’d worn the previous day still lay on the single bed in the back office, and she removed the green silk with a little pang of regret. Taking it off felt like the end of a beautiful dream, a return to the drab blue cotton of her normal existence, far removed from the glittering fairyland of diamonds and daring of last night.
With steady hands she brushed out her hair and pinned it into a neat roll at the back of her head, then donned her spectacles, and by the time Daisy and Tess bundled in, she’d made a pot of tea and only thought about Harry No-Name a dozen or so times.
“So, what happened at Willingham’s?” Tess demanded eagerly. “Tell me everything.”
“Yes, Eleanor,” Daisy said, in a teasing singsong voice.“Do tell.” She sent Ellie a laughing, knowing glance and Ellie felt her cheeks heat.
“We found the prayer book hidden in a safe in Willingham’s private study,” Ellie said.
Tess clapped her hands in approval. “Excellent work. Bravo!”
Daisy raised her brows with a smirk. “Was that before, or after, your coconspirator ravished you up against the wall,Signora Pellegrini?”
Tess turned wide eyes on Ellie. “A ravishing? Double bravo! Did you kiss him? Or did he kiss you?”
Ellie squirmed in her seat. “I’m not exactly sure.”
“It looked mutual,” Daisy said, with obvious relish, “from where I was standing. And if it was all just for show, then it wasextremelyconvincing.”
“We needed a reason to be sneaking about in the back corridor,” Ellie said.
“Of course,” Tess said soothingly. “But was it nice?”
“Very.”
“Sonice, she didn’t come back to stay at my house last night!” Daisy crowed.
Tess raised her brows at Ellie. “Harry brought you back here?”
“Of course he didn’t,” Daisy laughed. “Look at her face! She’s blushing like a berry. And you should have seen the way he was looking at her. Like he wanted to take her to bed and keep her there for a month. I bet they went to his house.”
Ellie took a calming sip of tea. “We did go back to Cobham House, yes.”
“Ha!”
“We put Bullock’s Book of Hours in a safe place in his library, and then he showed me how to cheat at cards. It was most instructive.”
Daisy waggled her eyebrows. “And whatelsedid he instruct you in, dear Eleanor?”
“You sound like William Garrow, cross-examining a witness.”
“Answer the question!” Daisy grinned, slamming the flat of her hand against the desktop as if she were a judge demanding order in an unruly court.
Ellie knew her cheeks were scarlet, but she tried to keep the foolish smile off her face. “Well, if you must know, he ruined me quite comprehensively.”
Tess gave a delighted squeal.
“I knew it!” Daisy laughed. “How was it? Please tell me he was careful. The first time can be awkward and quite painful.”
“It was…” Ellie searched for the right word, and settled on, “… wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.”
Tess smiled. “I’m so glad he made it enjoyable for you. There aren’t many men who would bother being gentle with a virgin, and it’s a rare man indeed who sees to his partner’s pleasure as well as his own.”
“I trust you took the necessary precautions?” Daisy asked. “It’s one thing to keep a tryst secret, but quite another to have to cover up an unplanned pregnancy. Remember all the work we had to do to hide poor Jane Ashford, when she found out she was expecting her lover’s child?”
“True,” Ellie said. “And don’t worry, we were careful.”
“Well, it seems we all had a successful night,” Daisy said cheerfully. “Because I found this at Willingham’s.” She tossed a folded letter onto the desk. “It was in the pile of outgoing mail. I expect the servants were all so busy preparing for the party that nobody could be spared to deliver it.”