Miss Carlyle's Curricle: Signet Regency Romance (InterMix) (24 page)

The earl’s lip curled in disgust. “You wagered poorly, and lost this time. You lost even more upon McKinney’s death. I imagine whatever money you won will do you no good from now on.”

Diana looked up at Gavin, and his expression softened and warmed when he turned his eyes to her. “Come, my love, it is finished here.” He took her hand.

She knew he was right, but residual anger made her pull away. “He killed my uncle—”

“And if the law does not adequately deal with him, then I shall make sure we do,” Gavin said calmly, and took her hand again.

“Oh, really?” Diana gazed at him skeptically, but she let him lead her away toward the house.

“But of course.” His lips twitched upward. “I shall build a dungeon and we shall spirit him away from his too-lenient jailors. Then we will chain him in a very dark cell and fling hot irons at him.”

An unwilling spurt of laughter escaped her. “I shall enjoy that,” she said, then sobered as she looked once more at Sir James. “There has been so much death and destruction, Gavin.”

He took her hands and smiled at her. Her breath caught at the heat and love in his eyes as he raised her hands to his lips.

“My love, try not to dwell on it. There are better things to think of now that Sir James is caught and will be dealt with.” He opened the door, and stepped in.

Diana let him take her into the house, for she ached and was tired, and had no energy left to argue. Her mother was there in the hall, looking at once anxious and relieved and seemed about to speak, but Gavin held up his hand to her and shook his head, smiling. She looked at both of them, smiled widely, and a distinct giggle came from her as she left to go into the drawing room. Diana blushed, but let him take her up the stairs to their chambers. “Other things? Such as?” she said, her voice unsteady.

“Scandal,” he replied. “I think we should cause more of it.”

She choked, barely restraining her laughter. He pushed open the door of her room, and pulled the bell rope. “Oh?” she managed to say. “How so?”

A maid appeared, gazing at them round-eyed, and Gavin bent to whisper something in her ear. She blushed hotly, then grinned, and ran out of the room.

“First, we shall bathe—together,” he said, and began unbuttoning her riding habit. Diana thought of the prospect and her breath came quickly. He kissed her, long and slowly, then parted from her to pull down one shoulder of her dress. “And then I shall lay you on my bed. I will rub the aches away from your shoulders and back. Then . . .” Mischief gleamed in his eyes. “What if I turned you over and took a bowl of sliced strawberries and cream and placed the strawberries all over your—”

“Gavin!” she cried, scandalized.
“Strawberries?
For heaven’s sake! I cannot help thinking it would be horribly messy, and what would the servants think?”

“I imagine it would be very messy,” he replied, grinning and apparently contemplating the idea with decided pleasure. “We can always take another bath afterward, but not before I—”

“You are a terrible tease!” Diana exclaimed, putting her hand over his mouth, for some servants had entered with some bath implements, and the maid had returned with jugs of hot water.

He took her hand and kissed it. “But I told you I wanted to create more scandal, did I not?” he said, and kissed her again. Diana sighed. She could not help herself. She returned his kiss with all the love she had in her heart, completely heedless of the departing servants, and certain she would want to cause scandal with Gavin for the rest of her life.

Karen Harbaugh
is the award-winning author of eleven books and four novellas, most of which are set during the Regency era.

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