What a Reckless Rogue Needs (The Sinful Scoundrels, #2)(56)

“Hah. But I agree. Bellingham is a brilliant politician. Ruthless son of a bitch, but he’s loyal to those he respects. I’ve half a mind to start straightaway, but that would only raise questions.”

“Agreed,” Colin said. “After the house party, we can get support from friends. By the time the season begins, we will hopefully clear her name. Then we’ll see the bastard drummed out of every club and blacken his name.”

The marquess narrowed his eyes. “No offense, but why are you so hell bent on this mission? The two of you have never been on the best of terms.”

“It’s a point of honor,” he said. “And Brentmoor has none.”



Colin and his father returned to the drawing room. When Colin saw Angeline putting away the chess pieces, he poured himself a brandy and waited for her to finish before approaching her. He needed to speak to her about Sommerall and ensure she knew what to expect. It had become a daily journey for them, but he had to be realistic about the time they were spending there. As much as he enjoyed her company and the privacy Sommerall afforded them, he had to think about her first and foremost. She’d been through hell, and the last thing they both needed was for their families to discover that they were spending time at Sommerall when there was nothing more they could do until and unless the marquess granted the property to Colin.

After she put the game away, he made himself wait for a moment so that he wouldn’t appear so anxious. That was a very real issue for them. They had to be careful and make sure that they were not inadvertently creating expectations with their families.

He caught her eye, and then he walked over to the window seat that the twins and Penny had recently vacated. He swirled his brandy and stretched out his legs. A few minutes later, Angeline stopped to look at Margaret’s needlework. Obviously she was commenting about it. He took a slow drink of brandy and waited. Not long after, she joined him on the window seat. “I assume you wish to speak to me,” she said.

“Clever of you, but I’m not surprised.”

“Do you wish to play backgammon?”

“No, I wish to talk without distractions.”

She frowned. “This sounds ominous.”

“It isn’t, but we have no more business at Sommerall.”

“What do you mean? There is much work to be done. It needs new carpets, new shutters, updated furnishings, painting, paper hangings, and a new runner for the stairs.”

“I’ve no doubt that all you’ve mentioned needs attention,” he said, “but I cannot spend a farthing on a property that I do not own and may never own. We have reached the limits of what can be done.”

She looked at her clasped hands in her lap. “Well, I am disappointed, but I ought to have seen this coming. I’ve known all along about your father’s decree. I still think he ought to cede the property to you, but I know it is none of my affair.”

“I appreciate all that you’ve done so far, Angeline. I enjoyed your company there, but we will simply have to find other ways to talk about our engagement.”

“We will have almost no privacy,” she said. “If we go for a walk, the others will join us. If we decide to ride, everyone else will decide to come along. If we play a game indoors, others will stop to watch and comment. Even now we must speak under our breath so that no one hears us.”

“We are fortunate to have had time alone. Now we must become inventive without appearing furtive.”

“How are we to do that?”

“We have to rise very early. I’m no lark, but we will arrange to meet at six o’clock in the morning. It is the only time we can ensure privacy.”

“It is better than nothing,” she said. “I am disappointed about Sommerall. There is so much I wanted to accomplish there.”

“Do you want to meet tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yes, but where?” she said. “Never mind. I forgot Penny asked to stay with me tonight.”

“Why does she want to sleep with you?”

“She likes to be near me. It started after we returned from Paris. She has begun to relax, now that she knows we will not leave England again, but when she grows anxious, she wants to sleep near me.”

“Day after tomorrow, then, at six o’clock. No one will stir at that hour. I’ll meet you at the back door. Then we’ll walk out together.”

“It feels as if we’re sneaking off,” she said.

“Don’t think of it that way,” he said. “We are just seeking privacy to talk.”



After breakfast the next morning, the marquess turned to Colin. “You are not planning to journey to Sommerall today, are you?”


“No, I believe we have gone as far as we can at this point.”

“I have a business issue I wish to discuss with you. Meet me in my study in a quarter of an hour,” the marquess said.

“I will,” Colin said. He wasn’t sure what his father wanted, but he’d find out soon enough.

“We have yet to see your sketches, Angeline,” Margaret said. “You must show us your plans.”

“They are not really plans. The sketches are rather whimsical and impractical.” She bit her lip.

Colin remembered her excitement and felt a bit badly about it.