Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (48 page)

She playfully

tutted him in a chiding manner. 'Before he was called away from London, we were about to announce our engagement. I am his betrothed, Nora Hammersmith.'

Brandon felt his face freeze into a smiling mask. She'd thought
his
self-inflicted wound was too much. This time
she

went too far! Was that her real last name or another alias?

he realised he didn't mind her claim. What bothered him was the impossibility of carrying off such a charade. Did she know all that an Earl's wedding entailed? More importantly, a nobleman's intended would not be alone in his home unchaperoned. Her enticing dishabille cast his entire character in dishonour, suggesting to all assembled that they had anticipated their wedding night not just once, but were in the habit of frequently doing so. It would be much more difficult to wriggle off the hook of an already consummated betrothal.

Nora smiled and blushed, having the good sense to feign modesty. Belatedly, she clutched at the neck of the robe. 'I am so sorry, my lords. I am a simple country girl at heart and seeing my betrothed in such a state has undone my wits. I must beg forgiveness for such a lack of

Brandon

the group, watching for their reaction.

He had no need to worry. She had them utterly convinced. Reassurances flowed, followed by congratulations, and a few of the men dared to slap Brandon on the back for finding such a lovely and concerned lady. Others ribbed him about keeping her a secret for so long.

Nora demurely took her leave and retreated upstairs. The men took her departure as a signal for their farewells and Brandon ushered them out of the hall within minutes, happy to see their backs, if only temporarily.

Several of them had assured Brandon their wives would

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call on his intended come the morrow. To which he had only answered that perhaps such visits were best delayed until his betrothed recovered from her journey.

He shut the door behind the last guest and leaned his head heavily against the solid oak panel. He would worry about tomorrow later. Right now, there was plenty in the present that demanded his attention. The Cat awaited him upstairs and she'd better have a good explanation for her behaviour tonight.

Brandon opened the door to his private chambers, ready to lay claim to those explanations and didn't get a word out before she pounced.

'Protection! You call that protection?' she railed, punctuating her outrage with a well-thrown pillow at his midsection.

'Your "protection" was self-defence at best!

He schooled his features into a cool expression, a remarkable feat considering the heat she was raising in him, dressed as she was. 'In defence of my actions, I'd hoped to re-direct their attentions to a lengthy search of the countryside. I did not guess they'd feel obliged to accompany me home and search the house or the grounds. If you're angry at how events unfolded, you have only yourself to blame. Let me remind you-you told them you were my betrothed.

'Do you know what it takes to pull off an Earl?

How will you extricate us from that one?' Brandon pushed a hand through his hair in sign of his evident frustration. 'Your escapades tonight were over the top. Whatever were you to take on the entire dinner party? You could have been captured. Witherspoon's more dangerous than you realise. I shudder to think of what might have happened with his gun if I hadn't been there.'

She pressed the back of her hand against her forehead in a dramatic pose. 'My hero! Am I such a simpleton that I would have gone into a situation where I had my doubts?'

'Laugh all you want, but, thanks to me, you are not languish-

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ing in the Squire's cellar tonight contemplating your upcoming trial.' Brandon's tone was harsh.

He strode to the window and looked out, turning his back to her, his hands fisted in his trouser pockets. He had to keep a cool head when dealing with this virago. He asked the question that had plagued him all night. 'Why did you do it?

You knew you were being set up.'

'Did I?' Nora challenged from the chair by the fire where she'd staked out her

'I told you.'

'Why should I believe you?' Nora snapped. 'You might have been trying to keep me away from the investors with the ploy of this invented trap.'

Brandon

from the window.

should know better

than to think I would lie to you. You know I am capable of more than cheap tricks.'

'Do I? It's easy to be brave with words and a wagon load of supplies you can afford without troubling your pocket,' she threw at his back.

'I'd say tonight proves all. Do you have any appreciation for what I risked at St John's? If they had realised I knew you or that I signalled you when Witherspoon pulled out his we'd

both be ruined. I let you point a gun at me and use me as a hostage to ensure your escape. What does that prove to Brandon barely kept his temper reined.

'It proves what women have known for ages. Men are ruled by their cocks. A man will do anything for a woman who arouses him.'

Brandon swallowed hard. 'Aha, so I am not the only one in this room with ''motives". What about you? How am I to believe you're entirely innocent? Perhaps you seduced me in order to get me to bare my secrets.'

'Then we are nothing more than a pair of Nora said with smug satisfaction.

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He breathed deeply and found clarity in the moment. He saw through her ploy. She
wanted
to drive a wedge between them and she thought this double-edged sword of doubt had successfully put an obstacle between them. Well, then, he would parry with a riposte of his own.

'I can't accept that we are nothing more than two people playing a duplicitous game, Nora.' Brandon lowered his voice, using a trick he often used when speaking in Parliament to gain attention when a loud voice failed to get it. 'I won't quarrel with you tonight. We are not such different creatures despite our disparity in social standing.' Brandon moved to stand in front her chair, bending slightly to gently grip and massage her forearms through the silk.

'Can't you see that we want the same things, Nora?' he murmured in a tone that implied the 'same things'

a

romantic connotation as well as a political one. To emphasise the duality of his comment, Brandon wrapped a dark, errant curl around his finger.

Now that the initial danger had passed, he wanted to remind her in all ways how similar they were, how right they were together, but Nora was still fighting.

'I am your enemy.
You
are building a mill. I am trying to stop it. The comparison escapes me,' she argued in breathless refutation of his claim, but her attempt to hold him off was empty.

Brandon felt her breath hitch at his touch. He saw her eyes lose their hardness. They flickered now with uncertainty and he knew what she was

she put down her verbal

The first time had been a voyage into the unknown, but this time she knew what lay ahead.

Brandon gave a half-smile, delighting in her fire. She was a fighter to the end, but he had patience and whether she knew it or not, the end was very near. 'Poor Nora, you've fought for so long-all you know is the fight, isn't it? My mill will make