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Tregarth arched a brow “You can always throw Worthen out And you cannot miss an opportunity to watch hiued to knohat he wants”

Benedict sighed Sparks of curiosity fired to life in his brain Perhaps the earl had found the culprit and had coy Perhaps the villain had concocted lies to incriminate the fool who’d been first to arrive at Hyde Park

“If I’m to meet them, I shall do so on my own terms” When his father frowned, Benedict added, “They think I’ue is what they will get”

Benedict kept the earl and Cassandra waiting for twenty lasses of claret and threw on his breeches and shirt He mussed his damp hair He didn’t bother with shoes or boots, a waistcoat or cravat and decided to let his shirt flap open, revealing his bare chest

“You should wear boots,” Tregarth said, observing Benedict’s relaxed attire “Bare feet suggests a certain sub for propriety”

Feeling exposed without footwear, he took his father’s advice

Benedict entered the drawing roo his hands in frustration Cassandra sat de the hearth, her tired eyes and sullen face framed in a pretty poke bonnet A fashionable cornflower blue pelisse and leloves hid her bruises and scratches

“About time” Worthen blinked back his shock when he noted Benedict’s flagrant dishabille He puffed out his chest in outrage and glared at his daughter “Did I not tell you the sha with hisdown here?”

“A rogue has no need of a h his daaze fixed on the opening of his shirt “A rogue enjoys the freedom to bed any woman he chooses”

Worthen sucked in a sharp breath “This … this heathen isn’t worthy of our tiard” His joobbled as he shook his head “His tainted blood makes him unfit for those in polite society”

“Then leave” Benedict gestured to the door “As you say, I have more important matters that require my attention”

Again, Worthen turned on Cassandra “See, he doesn’t want you HeIn your weak state, you’re allowing sentiment to cloud your mind”

“Surprisingly, my head is clearer than it has been in years” Cassandra’s confident voice supported her claim She seemed different Whoever had stripped her of her clothes and reputation had stripped away her arrogance, too And she no longer sat rigid with fear in Worthen’s presence, no longer winced when the stern lord barked his coh want me when I have behaved so abominably?”

Shock stole the air fros

It was the first tiardless of how she behaved, a s wo hie Worthen despised every bone in his body