Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (194 page)

Scott

With great deliberation, Sophie reached into the hidden pocket of her gown for the small gun she carried there. She withdrew it, reassured by the smooth feel of steel in her palm. She kept the weapon concealed in the folds of her skirts, thankful for the fuller fashions.

She debated the wisdom of simply backing out of the room and trying again later. But her mental debate was purely academic. There was no

"later." How would she gain legal entry into this home again? It was unlikely this family would host another party soon enough for her needs. No, backing out of the room was not an option. She would have to brave it out.

"Excuse me, is anyone there?" Sophie called out in guileless tones. No one hearing her would guess she concealed a weapon in her gauzy pink skirts or that she'd entered the room intent on committing an act of a dubious nature.

it

wasn't stealing. She was merely

the

items in the safe to their rightful owner.

Should he make himself known?

Burke

his bad luck. There were twenty-five rooms upstairs for a lost young lady to wander into, and yet the young lady had picked his, as unlikely as it was, since the room was so far from

14

Libertine Lord, Pickpocket Miss

the main corridor. Well, maybe not so unlikely if she was meeting someone, a young beau perhaps, for a private assignation. The thought of being a party to such an untutored interlude galvanized Julian into action. His decision was made. He would make his presence known and gently guide the intruder back to the main venue. Then he could return to his rendezvous with the portrait and what lay behind it.

Julian raised his dark head over the back of the sofa where he'd taken

"A thousand

pardons, mademoiselle. It seems this room is indeed occupied."

Recognition hit him as soon as the glib words were out of his mouth. What was
she
doing here?

She couldn't possibly have followed him. She'd been gone when he'd returned to the veranda. In fact, if this was her destination, he was lucky to have gotten here beforehand. She must have gone through the ballroom, which would have slowed her down quite a bit. Still, such conjecture didn't explain what she was doing here to start with.

This wasn't exactly a room one deliberately sought out.

Her eyes followed the sound of his voice until they found him rising

the sofa. She masked

Scott

her own surprise quite well. "Is this where they're keeping the champagne these days.

"I brought the champagne. You were gone,"

Julian replied tersely. He stepped around the sofa and moved closer. "Have you gotten lost? I'd be glad to escort you back to the ball."

"Oh no, I'm not ready to go back to the ball,"

she demurred politely, moving to take a chair near the sofa he'd just vacated. "In Mr. Burke, I

am hiding from someone. It's why I had to slip off and leave you, much to my regret." She shook her head most convincingly. "When I saw this person, I couldn't bear the thought of being discovered by him. He's quite odious in his attentions. I think I shall rest here a bit. You don't need to wait for me if you wish to return downstairs. I doubt anyone will find me here."

Julian crossed his

"True enough. It's

amazing
you
found your way here, so far the

ballroom." Her answer was not conducive to his plans. He needed her out of this room. He'd spent months

this. He would not be subdued at

the end by a pretty, nameless chit. But she showed no signs of moving

the chair.

"It could be compromising for the two of us to be found in this room alone together," Julian

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Libertine Lord, Pickpocket Miss

pressed, finding his patience quickly waning. She had deserted him on the veranda and now she had suddenly appeared again with no intentions of leaving in the near future.

"As you said, this room is not on the common path. It's doubtful anyone will come across us,"

she said confidently, then added coyly, you're

worried for your reputation or mine, you could always leave."

The pretty minx was getting on his Julian decided to be blunt. "On principle, you should leave. I was here first."