Too Hot For A Rake. Pearl Wolf

tray heavily laden with covered dishes.

      Helena’s eyes widened at the sight. “There must be some mistake. My abigail could not possibly have ordered all this food for me. There’s enough here for an army.”

      The waiter looked up from his task in surprise. “Oh no, milady, ‘twas milord done the ordering.”

      “I see.” Panic washed over her at the thought of having to dine with Waverley. She glanced frantically around the room, looking for a way out, ready to bolt. Only the one door and a window too small for escape kept her glued to her seat.

      When the door swung open, Lord Waverley entered the dining room and made an elegant leg. He wore gleaming Hessian boots, fawn buckskin breeches, the kind that most men favored when traveling, a white linen shirt with an elaborately tied neck cloth and a blue superfine jacket over a yellow silk vest.

      “You look startled to see me, ma’am,” he drawled. “Did you not expect me?”

      “Of course I expected you. I had little choice in the matter. It’s just…your elegance has taken me by surprise.”

      “My valet will be pleased at the compliment, ma’am.” He turned to the waiter, who remained at the sideboard. “You may go. We’ll help ourselves.”

      Helena felt trapped. She wanted the waiter to remain, but she dared not say so without looking foolish. “I wasn’t aware that you had a valet.”

      Desmond looked amused. “I sent him on ahead in my coach this morning. He’s not used to riding a horse, you see.” He checked his grin, wondering what her reaction would be when she met his unusual valet.

      She changed the subject. “How is it you offered to be my escort?”

      “You wrong me, ma’am. I did no such thing.”

      “Indeed? Then what is the right of it, may I ask?”

      “Did you believe it was my own choice? You seem to have forgotten you are the daughter of a powerful duke. Frankly, I thought it was you who had requested my services, especially after that night….”

      Her cheeks grew hot. “Don’t you dare bring up that night. If you are the gentleman you appear to be, I beg you to put it out of your mind.”

      “I might have put it out of my mind….” He paused to examine his nails. When he looked up, his eyes pierced hers. “If you had behaved like the lady you appear to be.”

      Stung by this, she glared at him, drawn to him at the same time. His sun-streaked hair was tied with a black ribbon. His deep blue eyes mesmerized her.

      “You’ve scored another hit, Lord Waverley. One I clearly deserve. My apologies if I have wronged you. Allow me to rephrase my question, if I may. How is it you came to be my escort?”

      “That’s better, ma’am. Your manners are improving.”

      “Improving? What have I missed? Oh. Sorry. Won’t you be seated?”

      “Kind of you.” Before he sat, he filled their plates. When he set them down, he poured wine in both goblets. Only then did he flip the tails of his coat and take the seat opposite her. “Shall we dine?” Without waiting for her answer, he attacked his plate as though he hadn’t had a meal in ages.

      She toyed with her food, for she had no appetite, but her mouth was as dry as dust. She raised the goblet to her lips and sipped her wine. Helena watched him with lowered eyes as he devoured his food. She couldn’t help comparing him to Chris, whose table manners were almost effeminate. No dainty dilettante here, she thought, watching him attack his dinner with a lusty appetite. Without warning, her terrible faux pas that night in Darlington’s guest chamber came to mind and she blushed.

      Waverley caught the blush. “Do my manners offend you?” He shrugged. “Sorry for it, but I haven’t eaten since early this morning and I am as hungry as a bear.”

      “Go ahead. Enjoy your dinner.” She finished her wine in one swallow.

      He stopped long enough to refill her glass. When his plate was clean, he wiped his mouth and took a deep draught of wine. “Ah! That’s better. I didn’t want to embarrass you in front of the waiter, but I did mean to compliment you on how well you look tonight, ma’am. Yellow becomes you. You should wear it more often.”

      She ignored his attempt at flattery. “Now that you have finished your dinner, if it’s not too much to ask, what is your explanation as to how you came to be my escort?”

      “Viscount Sidmouth, the home secretary, issued the order, but it was his deputy who delivered it. I agreed since our destinations are the same. I am going home to Waverley Castle and you are going there to visit my grandmother. It was put in the form of a polite request, of course, yet I felt I had no choice but to agree.”

      “Had no choice? How is that possible?”

      “What reason to decline their request would you have me give, ma’am? Under the circumstances, I couldn’t very well reveal our first meeting, could I?”

      Helena hung her head. “No, of course not. Thank you for that. Did the deputy home secretary tell you he is my brother-in-law?”

      “He did indeed. He also extracted a promise from me to treat you well. I gave my word, in fact, that I would behave as a gentleman toward you.” Waverley grinned. “He knows of my reputation as well, you see. Have no fear, ma’am. I shall be on my best behavior, especially since you are to be a guest in my home.”

      “Thank you.” She hesitated as if she thought better of what she had been about to say.

      “What is it?”

      She lowered her eyes to her hands. “I don’t suppose I’ll ever live down my mortification at what I did to you that night in Darlington’s home. I cannot imagine what you must think of me.”

      He softened as he examined her face. “Aside from thinking that you are an incredible beauty, you mean? I think you are the bravest, most giving of females to have done what you did for the man you loved. If you must know, ma’am, I wish I had truly been the object of your passion that night instead of Darlington.”

      “Darlington spurned me for it.”

      “The more fool he, then. He’ll never find another woman to love him with such devotion, ready to give him her all. If it had been me, I would have been honored,” he said, his voice as soft as a song.

      Helena burst into tears. “You don’t understand. No one does. My life is over! I’ll never love another man. It’s just too hard to face such devastating rejection.” Her words were said between hiccupping sobs.

      Desmond rose and knelt beside her. “There, there. Don’t despair. You’re wrong, you know. All is not lost. Broken hearts have been known to mend. Yours will, too, I promise you. You’re far too lovely to be left to grieve for very long.” He helped her to her feet and held her, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. How well he knew the sting of rejection, he thought bitterly.

      After her tears subsided, she disengaged, picked up a napkin, and dabbed at his waistcoat. “Sorry.” Helena giggled. “I’ve cried all over your coat.”

      “That’s better. You have a lovely giggle. Do it more often for me, won’t you?”

      Helena kept dabbing ineffectually at his coat. As if she hadn’t heard him, she said, “You see, I’ve had no one to talk to about that horrid night. I couldn’t tell my family the real reason for crying off, could I?”

      “No, I suppose not.” He caught her hand and took the cloth away. “If it will ease your heart, you may talk to me about what is troubling you anytime you please. I’ve suffered the pain of rejection myself, though that was a long time ago. But I haven’t forgotten the pain. It hurt like the devil and left a wound that took a long time to heal.” He led her to the small settee opposite the dining table and sat down next to her.

      “I feel such a fool!