“We shouldn’t discuss the debacle at the prison.”
It was still a sore subject between them. He’d posted her bail and had arranged for her release, but they’d been fighting, and she’d been so angry with him that she’d climbed in her carriage and had driven away without him. It was a testament to his fond feelings for her that they’d ended up together. He’d definitely struggled to win her.
“Besides,” he said, “she was positively disheveled. I was afraid she might have been a tad unhinged, so you wouldn’t have wanted to have her chase you down. What had happened to her anyway? It appeared to me that she’d suffered a dozen calamities. When she strolled in our door, she was so improved that I barely recognized her. I’m stunned that she’s the same woman.”
“You won’t believe what she’s recently endured.” She studied him, and his mood was very calm, so she asked, “May I request a favor?”
“From your impish grin, I should probably say no, but as you’re aware, I can’t refuse you. What is it you require? Let’s discover if I can force myself to be amenable.”
“I’d like Caro to remain with us at Barrett. I can’t toss her out into the big, wide world. I’d worry about her too much.”
“Of course she can tarry—for as long as she likes. Is that it?”
“No. I need you to do a few things for her. And for me.”
“What things?”
“Her uncle has been threatening to lock her in an asylum.”
Luke scowled. “Are you subtly informing me that she’s deranged after all? Was my earlier assessment correct?”
“No! She’s as stable as I am.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t necessarily deem that to be a stellar endorsement of her sanity. I’ve always viewed you to be a bit mad.”
“Don’t joke.”
“Who’s joking? You’re a menace, and I have no idea why I put up with you.”
“You’re lucky you have to put up with me, and don’t you forget it.”
He smiled a devastating smile. “I won’t ever forget it. Why do you imagine I’ve insisted we rush the wedding? I’m not about to let you get away from me.”
Fate could be so strange. She’d never planned to marry, but look at her now! Almost a bride and so eager to be his wife that she couldn’t stand it.
He reached across the table and clasped her hand. “What are the other favors on your list? We’ll figure out which ones I’ll allow, and which ones I won’t, then we can move on to more interesting topics.”
“Like what?”
“Like my bed was very empty without you last night.”
“I’m not sneaking up there with you in the middle of the morning. I won’t have the servants gossiping about my loose morals.”
“Too late, Libby. You’re an actress. They assume you’re a doxy.”
“They do not. They adore me, and we’ll keep it that way.”
“You are a cruel vixen.”
“I want to have you panting after me until our wedding. You should never be too complacent.”
He snickered with amusement. “Trust me. I’ve never been complacent about you. I still can’t fathom why you agreed to have me.”
“Neither can I.”
He leaned over and kissed her, and they sighed with pleasure.
“What are your other favors?” he asked again.
“Caro’s uncle has been harassing her to wed a wastrel cousin. She doesn’t understand why he’s being such a beast about it, and I’d like you to find out what’s motivating him.”
“How would I?”
“I thought you could hire lawyers or investigators or something.”
“I could hire someone. It’s no problem.”
“The men in her family shouldn’t have control over her in the future.”
“We should be able to fix that situation.”
“And finally, she’s in love, and I need to learn more about this fellow who’s tantalized her. He’s proposed, but she can’t decide if she should consent or not. I’m concerned over whether he’d be worthy of her.”
“What’s his name? Did she tell you?”
“Caleb Ralston? He was in the navy for years, so I was wondering if you might know him. I guess he landed himself in some trouble though, so he was drummed out. He owns a gambling club in London now.”
Luke snorted with dismay. “Yes, I know Caleb Ralston.”
“You’re frowning, so I can’t deduce if that’s good news or bad.”
“It depends on what assistance you’re asking me to provide.”
“He seduced her, but she’s confused if it was with wicked intent or not.”
“She confided all of that? You two certainly aired plenty of your dirty laundry. I hope you were more reticent in the stories you shared about me.”
“Maybe I was and maybe I wasn’t,” Libby saucily said.
“Is she ruined?”
“Yes.”
“Then my opinion about him doesn’t matter. He’s about to be a husband.”
“There’s an issue with his brother, Blake, too. Do you know him as well?”
Luke blanched. “What sort of issue? She wasn’t seduced by both of them, was she? That might be more of a problem than I could solve.”
Libby chuckled. “No! Blake seduced her cousin, Janet, but he’s about to sail away to the Mediterranean. The idiot doesn’t believe he should have to tie the knot, and Caro has no power to make him proceed.”
“His brother can make him. Or the navy can make him.”
“It’s what I suspected.”
Libby was finished eating. She pushed her plate away, then she stood and patted him on the shoulder. He pulled her down and whispered, “Are you sure you won’t come upstairs with me?”
“I’m very sure, and your answers about Caro were all the right ones. It has me thinking that it might not be horrid to have a husband in my life.”
“I’m growing on you. I told you I would.”
Caleb’s carriage rattled to a halt in front of his London house. He dawdled on the seat, waiting for a footman to open the door. He wasn’t usually a snob and didn’t need his servants treating him like a baby. He could exit a carriage without having them hold his hand, but he was
