Page 54 of The Danger of Desire

“Do you doubt me?”

“Always.”

“In that case...” He drew up what looked like a Roman purse and began to open it.

“Stop that,” she hissed. “You know I’m only teasing you.”

He chuckled. “Perhaps I’m doing the same.”

Glancing into the room to make sure no one was taking note of them, she said, “Do you truly enjoy living dangerously?”

“It’s preferable to living predictably.”

“I would call it living responsibly. Dependably.”

“It’s possible to be responsible in the things that matter, and reckless in the things that don’t.”

She stared him down. “It’s knowing which is which that’s tricky.”

“True.”

Just then, Clarissa stuck her head out the door. “Are you two going to join us? Jeremy is finally awake and ready to start our sketches.”

“We’ll be right there,” Delia said lightly.

She started for the door, but Warren caught her by the arm. “Promise me that if you find your villain, you will tell me. I don’t know what you’re about, but I don’t think you should be confronting some fellow alone.”

The request threw her into confusion. Was he asking because hedidknow who the tattooed lord was? Or because he just wanted to help her?

It really didn’t matter. Because once she found the man, nothing would stop her from getting what she wanted from the card cheat. “I promise. As long as you promise to tell me if you find him yourself.”

“Of course.” He spoke the words so matter-of-factly that she was reassured. “Though it would help if you told me why we’re looking for him.”

She snorted. “Nice try, my lord. But I don’t yet trust youthatmuch.” Then she returned to the breakfast room.

Sadly, her words weren’t quite true. Because the more she came to know him, the more she began to think he might be serious about wanting to protect her. And given that her own brother hadn’t had any such impulse, that made it harder for her to keep her distance.

So, conscious of her susceptibility, she spent the rest of the morning avoiding him. She made sure she wasn’t in his group for the sketch and was nowhere near him afterward. And when she saw him glance her way midafternoon, she convinced Brilliana and Aunt Agatha to go for a walk on the beautiful grounds before he could approach her.

Though as soon as they’d headed off, with Delia setting a brisk pace to make sure he didn’t try to join them, she regretted her ruse. Because Aunt Agatha was decidedly cranky today. Delia vastly preferred Warren’s penetrating questions to Aunt Agatha’s complaints about her bed and the noise coming from the gentlemen downstairs last night and the very air that she breathed.

“Lady Blakeborough sets an excellent table, mind you,” her aunt was saying as they approached the deer park. “But she should also set a better example for you young ladies.”

“What do you mean?” Brilliana asked. “I think Lady Blakeborough is lovely. Of course, I barely know her, but still...”

“She shouldn’t have allowed this scandalous Roman costume business.” Her aunt fixed Delia with a hard look. “And I cannot believeyouwere the one to suggest it. Don’t you want to marry? Because it seems to me you’re doing everything to prevent it.”

Careful, Delia cautioned herself.This is risky terrain, no matter what path I take.“Gentlemen like daring women,” she countered. Or at least Warren saidhedid.

Aunt Agatha snorted. “Not too daring. A man like Lord Knightford may have some... unwholesome habits, but he will want a wife who follows the rules of respectability.”

“How very unfair of him,” Delia couldn’t resist saying.

“The world isn’t fair,” her aunt retorted.

Which was precisely why Delia didn’t want a husband. But she couldn’t say that, of course. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. The marquess has no interest in marrying me.”

“I’m not so sure,” Brilliana put in.