Читать книгу Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady - Bronwyn Scott - Страница 11

Chapter Five

Julia crossed the room to the forgotten gown they’d tussled over in the early morning. She hazarded a covert glance at Paine while she slipped into her undergarments. He had levered himself up on one arm, his shirt open, his dark hair dishevelled. The sight of such blatant, post-coital masculinity studying her every move as she dressed was potent. Julia felt her blood fire at the sight.

‘What are you doing, Julia?’ he drawled.

‘Dressing.’

‘I can see that. But to what purpose? I will simply undress you again.’

‘Paine, I am leaving.’ A rush of anxiety filled her. Would he let her leave? Would he renege on their agreement? ‘You promised me I could go.’

‘I promised you could go if you wanted to. Do you want to?’ Paine replied with apparent nonchalance.

‘The world often demands we act beyond our selfish wants,’ Julia parried, pulling on her stockings, recalling with clarity how they’d come to be off her legs. Would she remember that every time she pulled on stockings for the rest of her life?

‘Does it, Julia? What do you hope to gain by going back that you haven’t already gained?’ Paine gained his feet and strode to her side, his deft hands taking over the working of the buttons at the back of her gown.

‘I have to go back and tell them the betrothal is off,’ Julia stammered. The heat of his hands provided a very real distraction as they skimmed her back.

‘I would think that would be obvious to them by your absence.’ Paine chuckled, finishing the buttons. His hands rode at her waist, easing her back against his chest so that she was fitted along his length and his arms encircled her. ‘Nothing but sorrow awaits you there. For a woman who seemed to have thought everything through so thoroughly, I am surprised you haven’t realised that yet. Even if you break the betrothal with your announcement, they will not let you go again. They’ll punish you, pack you off to the country at best. At worst, they will cast you out without a penny or force you into marriage with an unsuspecting dolt from the country just to get you off their hands. They’ll have to find a way to countenance your dishonour.’

‘I know. I have resigned myself to that,’ Julia said stoically, although accepting those consequences was going to be far more difficult now after Paine’s education than it was in her imaginings yesterday when she’d concocted her mad scheme. ‘Regardless, they’ll be worried about me. I owe them the courtesy of letting them know I am well.’

‘Worried about themselves is more likely,’ Paine drawled with cynicism. ‘Don’t delude yourself. You cannot simply waltz back home and put paid to the contract.’

His scepticism fired her temper. She didn’t like to be laughed at. ‘How dare you speak of them like that! You don’t know them at all. You’ve never even met them.’ To her embarrassment, her lip quivered and she fought back the urge to cry in her despair.

Her aunt and uncle weren’t cruel, only desperate, and, in their desperation, they’d made some poor choices. But surely they would forgive her and see reason. When Gray’s ship docked, everything would be put to rights without Oswalt’s money.

The thought encouraged her. She shook her head and straightened her shoulders resolutely. ‘My aunt and uncle aren’t ogres, Paine. They’re merely misguided. Whatever they do to me, it’ll be better than marriage to Oswalt. I made my choices and I’ll abide by them.’