Page 29 of The Danger of Desire

“You’reattending, Knightford?” her aunt hastened to say.

“Of course. It’s being given by my best friend and my cousin. Why wouldn’t I be there?”

“Because you never go to house parties?” Delia said.

“Not ‘never.’ Rarely. And in any case, how did you happen to know that?” He cast her a speculative look. “Have you been listening to gossip about me again?”

She didn’t so much as blush, though she jerked her gaze from him. “It’s hard not to listen when there’s so much of it. And you don’t go to house parties because you’re too busy spending your nights in the stews.”

“Delia!” Mrs. Trevor said.

“Well, it’s true,” she said sullenly.

He chuckled. “It is indeed. But I can do without wickedness for a few nights. The question is, can you?”

Though the other two women gaped at him, Delia said smoothly, “Of course I can. I do without wickedness every day.”

“Do you?” He shouldn’t toy with her. But there was something profoundly satisfying about skirting the edges of the truth and watching her squirm. “I thought everyone enjoyed a bit of wickedness now and then.”

“Not respectable young ladies, I should hope,” Lady Pensworth said, peering balefully at him over the top of her spectacles.

“Certainly not this young lady,” Delia said. “We aren’t all like you, sir. I prefer tamer entertainments. And I can find those anywhere.”

Delia’s mutinous expression fairly dared him to spill her secrets, and he was sorely tempted to do so. But as she’d said, it would merely convince her aunt to banish her to Cheshire, which wouldn’t help her situation.

Though he had an idea of what would. “Tamer entertainments do exist everywhere. Especially at house parties. So I see no reason for you not to attend Clarissa’s.”

Her eyes sparked fires. “We’re not talking about my attendance,” she said irritably. “We’re talking about yours. I suspect you will find it quite dull.”

“Not if you’re there,” he said flat-out.

To his satisfaction, she blushed. And the other two women exchanged glances.

“You know perfectly well that you don’t care if I go or not,” she said.

“I know no such thing. Why, have you decided not to go?”

“Don’t be absurd,” Lady Pensworth broke in. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Delia blinked. “But... But Brilliana cannot go. She won’t want to leave Silas. Besides, she’s in mourning, so it wouldn’t be at all proper. And I would feel awful going without her.”

“First of all,” Lady Pensworth said, “Silas can stay with the nurse for a few days. It won’t hurt anything. Secondly, Brilliana has mourned a full year this week. It would do her good to be around some lively young people after a year in widow’s weeds. And you, too.”

“Still—” Delia began.

“I never was comfortable with refusing the invitation, niece,” her aunt went on, “but you assured me that there would be no young persons there other than the Blakeboroughs.”

“That’s what Clarissa said,” Delia protested, a lie if he’d ever heard one.

“You must have misunderstood my cousin,” he interjected.

“Indeed,” Lady Pensworth said.

“And I wouldliketo attend,” Mrs. Trevor said. “It sounds lovely.”

“You see?” Lady Pensworth said. “Besides, if Lord Knightford is going, there will clearly be at leastoneyoung person in attendance, and more will follow once they hear that a man of his consequence will be there. So we are going. All of us.” She nodded at him. “Especially since his lordship is taking such care to press the invitation. I shall send my response today, Knightford. If you think it’s not too late.”

“I know it’s not too late.” The urge to crow his triumph died when he saw the murderous look on Delia’s face. “Don’t worry, Miss Trevor. I’m sure it will be an entertaining week.”