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Although it was hard to conceal her dised to keep her expression blank as the pair glanced at her “Mr Scott,” she murmured, “I didn't expect to find you here at this time of day—”
“I came here for privacy” His tone was flat and dismissive
“Yes, sir” Flushing, Madeline set the stack of clothes on the chair in the corner “I'll return later to put these away”
“Let the girl do her work,” the blond wo no more notice of Madeline than she would a servant “I must be off anyway, and I've no desire to interfere with the running of your theater”
Logan shtly The gesture was s discomfort, it seemed to contain an inference of close and intimate friendship
“Any interference from you is entirely welcome, milady”
The woloved hand smoothed over the linen that covered his forearm “Then you shall have more of it”
“I hope so” Their gazes held for several seconds
Madeline busied herself with the clothes, taking the theht After all, Mr Scott was free to pursue anyone he desired…But why couldn't it have beeninwardly
Mr Scott murmured a soft question, and the woman smiled and shook her head as she replied “In the interest of discretion, I'll see loves and adjusted each ringer precisely Mr Scott swung a fur-tri care to fasten it snugly at her throat to ward off the winter wind The wo behind a delicate flowery scent that lingered in the air
The dressing room was silent Mr Scott stared conte the costumes in the armoire She closed the cabinet door a little too fir Mr Scott to turn toward her, his dark brow arched inquiringly
“She wears a rather strong perfu one hand about as if to dispel a noxious odor
“I thought it rather pleasant,” Mr Scott replied, his gaze following her intently as shetable, straightening the chair against the wall, picking up a small coin from the floor
Although Madeline tried to be silent, she couldn't prevent the i from her lips “Is she your paramour?”
Mr Scott's face was smooth and implacable “My private life isn't open for discussion”
“She earing a wedding ring”
For so expression see,” he informed her dryly “She and her husband have a well-known understanding”
Madeline puzzled briefly over histhat he wouldn't mind if his wife…and you…he wouldn't object?”
“Not as long as she's discreet”
“How very odd”
“Hardly Many wives of the upper classes are allowed to have ‘friendships’ outside theirabout their husbands' infidelities”
“And it doesn't bother you, the idea oflove to another man's wife?” Madeline dared to ask
“I preferor possessive”
“If that woman weren't married, would you still want to have an affair with her?”
“That's not your concern, Miss Ridley”
Faced with his abrupt, dis room “Oh, yes, it is my concern,” she said too softly for hier than ever If it was humanly possible to divert his interest from the blond married woman and turn it toward herself, she would do it
In the next few days, an illness struck four employees of the Capital, two of them actors and two fro, and congestion, and in the case of one patient, a delirium that had lasted for two days The duchess sent servants to inquire about the well-being of her employees
“Illness tends to travel through the entire company before it's finished,” Julia commented to Madeline with a frown “It's too much to hope that no one else becomes ill”
“Your Grace,” Madeline said, her gaze falling to the duchess's obvious pregnancy, “in your condition, you must be careful—”
“Yes, of course” Julia sighed impatiently “But I can't stay home when there is so much to be done here”
“Your health is more important than any play, Your Grace”
The duchess snorted “Don't say that in Mr Scott's hearing He doesn't believe in illness For as long as I've known hi, not even scarlet fever, should interfere with the theater schedule”
“But people can't help getting sick,” Madeline protested, wondering if Mr Scott were really so unreasonable
Julia rolled her eyes “Logan has little tolerance for human frailty How can he understand weakness when he doesn't have any hie of her desk, she stood up and quirked her mouth “I'll have to tell hi like a bear”
Contrary to the duchess's state fro current of annoyance in the air for the rest of the day, and the members of the company were unusually subdued Madeline asked the duchess for periven without hesitation
Clutching the slip of paper in her hand, Madeline walked along Regent Street She tried to appear confident aes, and anihfare There were rows of shops containing furniture, china, foodstuffs, milliners' wares, and fabrics Just as Madeline despaired of ever finding Mrs Bernard's establishreen sign and a display of fabrics in the
Tentatively she entered the shop, causing a brass bell to jangle on a string A neatly dressed girl not much older than herself approached at once “May I help you, miss?”
“I'm here to see Mrs Bernard…my name is Madeline Ridley”