Part 24 (1/2)

Jared almost laughed. He knew very well how self-righteous Miss Hillier could be. He idly swirled hiswine around in his gla.s.s. ”You are aware, are you not, that her behavior is insupportable.”Ava sat heavily on the settee across from him, her hands pressed together. ”It is insupportable-I couldn 't possibly agree more,” she said earnestly. ”Nevertheless, she is my lady's maid, and I should have theresponsibility of speaking to her myself.””I don't know,” he said, toying with her.

Ava closed her eyes and sighed. Jared smiled.

”She is my lady's maid, my lord,” Ava said. ”She serves me-no one else in this house. I can't possibly do without her.”

”Should I decide that she must be sent back to London, Miss Hillier will a.s.sist you.”Ava's mouth dropped open. ”What? Send her back to London?” she cried. ”No! How dare you?””Oh, I don't know,” he said, quite enjoying himself. ”It's rather easy, really.”Ava made a sound of angry despair, suddenly stood up, and began pacing in front of the settee. ”I must admit, my lord, that I find this all very distressing. I cannot do without Sally-””Where did you find her?” he asked.Ava almost stumbled. ”W-what?” she asked.”Where,” he said clearly, ”did you find her?”She blanched. Turned one way. Then the other. Punched her hands to her hips and frowned at him. ”

Where does anyone find her lady's maid? Here and there,” she said, gesturing to what he supposed washere and there.”Aha. Here and there,” he repeated.

She folded her arms across her middle.

He stood up and put his wine aside. ”I suppose, then, that she served other ladies in London before coming to your service?”

”I suppose,” she said, lifting her chin.”Who?”

”No one you know, I a.s.sure you.””You might be surprised, madam. I know quite a lot of people in London.”Her brows dipped into a V. ”All right, then. She came to me from Lady Hartsford.””Lady Hartsford?” he echoed with a laugh.”Yes! Lady Hartsford!””She is deceased.”Ava blanched, then shrugged carelessly. ”Which is why, my lord, I was able to employ Sally when I did.”He leaned forward and pinned her with a look. ”Lady Hartsford died four years ago.”Ava didn't even blink. ”It took quite a lot of time to settle her affairs. And really, why are you so concerned about Sally's credentials? Are you in need of a lady's maid?”

He chuckled and asked again, ”Where did you find your lady's maid? Or your butler? Or your footmen?”Her lovely face went from white to pink. ”What difference can it possibly make?”

she demanded, clearly fl.u.s.tered. ”Do you want her back?”

”Of course I want her back! What do you want me to say? That she came from a wh.o.r.ehouse?” she cried.

Jared laughed. ”My, my, Lady Middleton. Such language is unbecoming. What else has Sally taught you? A certain, private dance perhaps?”

Ava groaned. ”Just have her brought back, please.”

”I may,” he said idly. ”Provided you tell me where you found her.”

Ava sighed wearily and closed her eyes for a moment. Then she opened them and looked at him directly, her green gaze piercing his. ”A poorhouse, if you must know. She is a former harlot, duly reformed by the parish and the Ladies' Beneficent Society. Mr. Morris was a jeweler's clerk with very poor eyesight who lost his position. Our footmen? A pair of lamp-lighters, father and son, injured in a carriage accident. The boy who helped around the house came from the public stables, and merely had dreams of working in a house. We were very fortunate that he agreed to work for no wages.”

Jared's smile faded. ”No wages? I don't understand.””It's quite simple, really,” Ava said. ”We had no money. We had nothing but the roof over our heads.

My mother left her fortune to my stepfather and he did not see fit to share it. So we did the best wecould, finding servants who needed a roof, too, in exchange for working until we could pay them.””And when might that be?” he asked, horrified that Downey had left them in such a state.For some reason, the question made Ava's face turn pinker. ”Well...now. Because I married you,” she said quietly. ”The allowance you've provided is very generous.”He blinked. Then burst out laughing. ”Very well done!” he said.”Then I will have Sally back to me?” she asked anxiously, her eyes sparkling with hope.Jared shook his head. ”You ask me to put a harlot in my house, Lady Middleton. I shall think on it.””No!” she cried, throwing her head back with despair.He put his hand on her elbow. ”I shall think on it,” he said again, and forced her around, toward the door.”Where are we going?” she demanded with exasperation.”To supper.”She muttered something under her breath, but allowed him to march her along.In the dining room he helped her into a chair next to him, then took his seat, and nodded for Dawson to begin the meal service. Two footmen bustled around them, ladling turtle soup into china bowls and filling

their gla.s.ses with wine. When they'd finished, they stepped back to stand silently along the wall.

Jared picked up his spoon and glanced at Ava, who sat with her arms folded, glaring at the soup bowl. ”

Will you sulk about your maid for the entire meal?”

She snorted-but then she suddenly looked up as if someone had just called her name, and graced him with a very sensual smile. ”I do not sulk. But I do not care for the soup.”

”No?” ”Mmm, no,” she said, shaking her head. ”It's rather tart. I prefer onion soup,” she said, turning slightly in her chair to face him. ”Do you like onion soup? Our cook in London makes the most delicious onion soup,” she said, and began to talk about the merits of that soup. Jared smiled and nodded, and ate his turtle soup, completely uninterested in the many facets of soup...until he felt her bare foot on his ankle.

He glanced up; she was smiling wickedly. ”I like it served warm,” she said softly. ”As warm as bath-water.”

”Do you indeed?””Oh yes. I'm very fond of warm baths,” she added, and the light s.h.i.+ning in her eyes went deeper. ”Long,warm baths. The sort in which one might luxuriate.”

”Then I suppose you like the waters at Bath,” he said, as her foot went higher on his leg.

”I've never been. But I should think I would like it very much.”

”We must remedy that, madam. I shall take you to Bath so that you might”-his gaze dipped to thedecolletage of her gown -”bathe.”Her hand dipped to her cleavage; she drew a line up, then down again. ”Shall I tell you what else I enjoy?” she asked as her foot caressed his leg.”By all means.””Soft beds.””Ah,” he said, nodding appreciatively, enjoying her efforts to flirt her maid out of him. He propped his arm on the table and leaned toward her. ”Do you find your bed here very soft?” he whispered.

Ava smiled, leaned toward him, and whispered, ”Very. Would you like to try it?” And then she sankback in her chair as her foot moved between his thighs.He c.o.c.ked a brow. ”Is that an invitation?”She shrugged playfully as her fingers brushed the flesh of her bosom.He felt full of antic.i.p.ation, loved playing this lover's game, and gestured for the footmen to pick up their plates, wanting to hurry the meal along. ”Did you enjoy your riding lesson today?”She smiled. ”I would that I were more skilled. I dearly hope that you will continue to teach me.”His gaze dropped to her bosom, two creamy mounds of flesh exquisitely displayed in a pale blue satin. ”

It will be my great pleasure,” he said, and winked at her as a footman cleared their dishes.

They spoke of inconsequential things for the remainder of the meal, Ava laughing softly at the things he said as her foot continued to dance. He pretended not to notice, just smiled and enjoyed her efforts to

entice him. When the meal was finished, and the last of the dishes were cleared away, Dawson broughthim a cheroot and a port.”Thank you, Dawson, but I don't care for any.””My lord, please do enjoy your port,” his wife said, rising from her chair as a footman hurried to pull her chair out. She walked to the head of the table where Jared sat, let her hand trail his shoulder, and leaned down, so that her lips were next to his ear, and whispered, ”You must give me time to prepare my soft bed for you.”

That, he reasoned, would be worth the addition of one trollop to his staff. He took Ava's hand and

kissed the back of her knuckles. ”I will join you shortly.”He watched her glide out of the dining room, her hips moving seductively beneath a trim back, her hairsimply but perfectly coiffed. How odd, he thought idly as she disappeared into the corridor, that a scantfew days ago he'd wanted to avoid her company.

He finished his port, but decided to forgo the cheroot in favor of getting to his rooms more quickly. ”Thatwill be all,” he said quietly to Dawson, who still attended him after the footmen had gone.”Good night, sir,” Dawson intoned as Jared strode out of the room.A good night, indeed, he thought.

Just as Ava had antic.i.p.ated, a half hour later, Middleton knocked on her door. She didn't answer, but moved deeper behind the thick velvet drapes that hid her. From a small s.p.a.ce between the drapes and the wall, she could see the door open, and his dark head pop in, looking about the room. ”Lady Middleton?”

”Come in,” she called out to him.

He stepped inside wearing his dressing gown, his feet bare. He closed the door and walked into the