No Earls Allowed (The Survivors #2)(123)

“Yes.”

“Well, you’re wrong,” he said, surprised at his honesty. “I grow tired of it, and since you’re the first woman who is not related to me who seems completely immune to my good looks, my unparalleled charms, my witty conversation—”

“Your mammoth arrogance.”

He grinned. “I thought you and I might be friends. You could help me stave off the female population, and I can help you.”

“There is only one problem, monsieur. I do not need your help.”

“Yes, you do. You must be terribly lonely with only that old bat to keep you company.”

“Not at all,” she protested, rather unconvincingly.

“You have been in London a month? Two?”

“Just about.”

“Have you seen the Tower? The British Museum? Vauxhall Gardens? The Thames?”

She didn’t reply, and her silence spoke for itself.

“Or have you only seen the inside of stuffy drawing rooms and assembly halls? Why not let me, acting as your friend, show you all of London? There’s Bond Street, Covent Garden, ices at Gunter’s—”

“I couldn’t possibly agree to any of that. I must have a chaperone, and Lady Ravensgate has not the strength for a full schedule in the morning and another in the evening.”

“Then bring a maid, or if Lady Ravensgate feels up to it, she may attend. What say you to a play tonight at Drury Lane? I believe they are performing a new comedy.”

She shook her head, but not before he saw a flicker of interest in her eyes. Her arms had dropped as well. Hell’s teeth, but Ewan was a genius. It had only been a few moments of this friendship nonsense, and she was already lowering her guard.

“I couldn’t possibly accept.”

“You have plans tonight?” He knew she did not. He had paid one of Lady Ravensgate’s servants to provide him with their schedule.

“It is Lady Ravensgate’s decision.”

Rafe did not miss how she answered without giving him an answer to his question about her plans. She was cunning. He held out his arm again. “Then we shall ask her. No, I shall invite both of you.”

“You have that many seats?”

“I am the son of an earl. I have a box at my disposal.”

On the way back to her chaperone, Rafe couldn’t help but steal one, or two, more-than-friendly looks in Miss Fournay’s direction. She wore a bonnet that hid her face when she looked straight ahead, but he could still see the graceful column of her neck before it dipped under the spencer she wore. And he had better not linger too long on the rise of her breasts beneath the spencer. This friendship scheme was just the thing, but he would ruin it all if he didn’t keep himself in check. He’d never before worried about his attraction to a woman who was part of a mission. If he was attracted to her, it made his job easier. Now his attraction could present a problem, especially as he was more attracted to her than he’d like to admit. Rafe wouldn’t have thought he could have much interest in a woman of so little experience, even if she was physically the type he preferred. But there was something thrilling in the knowledge that he might be the first to kiss her, the first to touch her, the first to take her…not that he would do any of that. He was only her friend.

Still, it was annoying that now that he had what amounted to state approval to seduce a virginal miss, he had decided not to. And this, just when he, who had never had any interest in untried females, had discovered what other men found so alluring about them. But virgin or not, Miss Fournay would have attracted him. And like the old saying went, now that he couldn’t have her, the more he wanted her.