What a disaster. She only hoped things would improve from here. They had to, didn’t they?
Chapter 7
Rafe climbed into his cabriolet and set out from the Upper Brook Street mews. As he surveyed the world around him, he wondered how things would be different when the news of his true identity became known.
He drove through Grosvenor Square and turned down Davies Street. At Mount Street, he steered left toward the Grosvenor Mews and immediately caught sight of a young man dressed in dark clothing near the entrance. No, not a young man, but a young woman in a disguise. Would she have fooled him if he hadn’t known to look for her? He would never know.
Smiling, he came to a stop as she bounded toward him. She stopped at the cabriolet and pursed her lips.
“Do you need help?” he asked.
“No. This is just new.” She hoisted herself up into the seat and grinned at him. “I think I could get used to it. I feel so light. So free.”
Rafe chuckled. “But you look so fetching in a gown.” He suspected her backside was even more attractive in this costume, but the tails of her coat thankfully prevented his temptation to look.
“Why, thank you,” she said with a nod as he drove them toward Bond Street and then Piccadilly when they would head east. “Perhaps I could commission a more feminine version of this costume.”
“How would that look?”
“I don’t know a thing about clothing design, but probably ruffles.” She made a face. “I don’t love ruffles. Perhaps it’s just the fabric or color. Something like this in a light blue silk? On second thought, I’ve met gentlemen who wear such things.” She sighed. “I suppose I’m doomed to gowns.”
He considered suggesting that she might be most comfortable not wearing anything at all, but that would drive their conversation into a realm best left unoccupied. Especially today when they were alone. Again.
“Your sister really didn’t mind you coming out with me today?”
“She understood that I was going to find a way. She also knows we will be far from Mayfair. And she thought my costume did a good job of disguising that I am a woman. Do you agree?”
“I don’t think I can answer that objectively. I know you’re a woman. I can’t forget you’re a woman. Not even for a moment.” Hell, he’d walked right into that forbidden realm after all.
He stole a glance in her direction and saw that she looked rather pleased. He stifled a smile.
“I was sorry about how the dinner went on Monday, especially Deborah’s behavior. How were Selina and Beatrix afterward?”
Rafe didn’t want to talk about the dinner or his uncle or anything to do with the massive disruption that was about to take over his life. He did, however, appreciate her concern. “They are fine. My cousin is unpleasant. To clarify, I mean Deborah. I think I might actually like Lorcan.”
“He was thrilled about Kilmaar. You are incredibly kind.”
“What need have I for an estate in Ireland?” He’d wondered what it had meant to his father, if anything. He had a hundred questions—a thousand or more, really—about his father. The hope he’d had that his uncle might answer them was thin. The man was in turmoil, and while Rafe couldn’t blame him, he didn’t know if they’d ever be able to have a normal family relationship. Was that what Rafe wanted, some sort of surrogate father?
“Still, it was a lovely gesture, and it will help with the healing, I think.”
With their healing. How would it help with Rafe’s? He wanted information, needed it so he could find out why he and his sister had been kidnapped. This was not where he wanted to spend his thoughts today. “Do you mind if we not talk about my uncle or cousins or the earldom? Today, I want to simply be Rafe Bowles.”
“Yes, of course!” She touched his arm. “My apologies. I want that too. In fact, you should be Lord Bodyguard while I am Mrs. Dazzling.”
“Mrs. Dazzling in a men’s costume.”
She laughed. “Just so. Why did you and your sister have different surnames? She was Blackwell before she married Sheffield, wasn’t she?”
“I was Blackwell too,” he said carefully. This was flirting with the topic he wanted to avoid as well as the subject he couldn’t reveal under any circumstances—his criminal behavior. “When I moved to Mayfair, I took a different name. Bowles just sounded more elegant.” How awful that sounded to his ears. He might as well declare the fact that he was a fraud. But was he, if he was actually an earl?
“Where did you live before? I know it was London.”
Much too close to things he didn’t want to disclose. If Anne ever learned what he’d been, what he’d done… She’d never look at him the same way again. And he rather loved the way she looked at him. As if he were her knight or, more accurately, her Lord Bodyguard.
“Since that was before I was Rafe Bowles, I can’t discuss that today,” he said with what he hoped was a careless charm.
“You did say that. I’m afraid I am overcome with curiosity about you. I want to know everything.”
He realized she was still touching his arm. That, coupled with her enthusiasm about him, was a heady combination. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to get lost in that forbidden realm with her. And he couldn’t. Not even for a kiss.
Did he really think they would get through this day without kissing?
Rafe usually tried to be unflinchingly honest with himself. Perhaps with her, he was indulging in a bit of delusion. That was beyond dangerous.
She settled back against the seat. “Tell me about Magazine Day.”
“People come in droves to buy magazines at a discount since it is the end of the month and new periodicals will be available tomorrow.”
“I shall rely upon you to steer me to the best ones.”
“Are you going to buy some?” he asked. “I though you just wanted to watch people.”
“I haven’t decided. It’s amusing that you thought I wanted to come to watch people when I really wanted to do this in order to spend time with you.”
From the corner of his eye, he could tell she was looking at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a more straightforward woman.”
“I shall take that as a compliment.”
“I meant it as one.” He couldn’t help smiling as he drove down the Haymarket toward Charing Cross.
“What food or drink will you be foisting on me today?” she asked.
“Foisting? I didn’t make you try oysters or caviar or coffee.”
“No, you did not. I love that you introduced them to me. Perhaps we’ll find an oyster cart.”
“Not in Paternoster Row, but I know of one we can visit later.” He looked at her askance. “You truly like oysters?”
She nodded. “Not caviar, though. Sorry.”
He chuckled. “We’ll see what else we can sample today. You are a very curious person, Mrs. Dazzling, and we should feed that curiosity.”
As before, Rafe parked the cabriolet off Paternoster Row and left it in the care of his tiger, a boy of twelve he’d rescued from Petticoat Lane several years before. Anne had sat in the vehicle a moment before jumping down.