The Husband Hunt by Lynsay Sands Page B

behaving a bit . . . Well, she was laughing and smiling and flirting with Findlay and I may have said that her behavior was a bit loose.”
    “Ahhh.” It was Daniel who spoke this time, amusement underlining the sound. “And then she threw her drink in your face?”
    Robert nodded.
    “Well, I think you got off lucky,” Daniel said dryly. “Suzette would probably punch me if I suggested her behavior was . . . er . . . loose. In fact, I am surprised you said it. If she was just talking and smiling—”
    “As I said, he was about to kiss her when I arrived. And she was going to let him,” he protested.
    “What do you care?” Richard asked patiently. “You don’t want her.”
    “Or do you?” Daniel added.
    “No, of course not,” Robert muttered, his gaze turning to Lisa again. At least he didn’t want her in the way they were speaking of. He didn’t want a wife, didn’t want his life to turn into the misery of an unhappy marriage. He did, however, want Lisa for other purposes, ones he couldn’t possibly carry out or even consider.
    It was that damned see-through dress, Robert thought grimly. He couldn’t get the vision of her naked body beneath the filmy cloth out of his mind. The luscious curves, the dusky rose of her nipples . . . Damn. He could have happily lived a lifetime never having seen that. Now it had raised a whole passel of completely unbrotherly feelings in him for the girl that he just didn’t know what to do with.
    He needed to hire that runner and get this whole situation resolved as quickly as possible, Robert decided. He also needed a night with his mistress soon. Hopefully a romp with Giselle would help wipe the vision of Lisa in the brothel from his mind. Perhaps then he could return to seeing her as sweet, young, dreamy-eyed, silly little Lisa Madison.

Chapter Six
    T he slamming of her bedroom door stirred Lisa from sleep and had her blinking her eyes open to see Bet rushing excitedly toward her.
    “You’ll never believe it,” Bet said excitedly, rushing around the bed to her side, her face flushed with excitement. “Lord Langley is here. Cook says he spent the night and is going to stay for days. That he is having some painting done at his townhouse and Lord Radnor invited him to reside here to avoid the smell and noise.”
    Lisa groaned and pulled her pillow to cover her head with disgust, only to have Bet pull it away.
    “Didn’t you hear me? Lord Langley is here,” she said slowly and loudly as if Lisa may have misheard her.
    “I heard,” she said with a grimace. “And I already knew. The painting is just an excuse. He’s staying here to keep an eye on me until they find out who the suitor was. The men seem to think the fellow might make another attempt to take me.”
    Bet’s eyes had grown wider and larger as Lisa spoke, and now concern covered her face. “Really? I hadn’t thought of that. I thought that business was done once he got ye safely away.” She bit her lip worriedly. “Ye shall have to be careful then.”
    Lisa sighed and took her pillow from Bet’s hands to put it back under her head. “I shall be. But right now I am going back to sleep.”
    “Wouldn’t ye rather get up and go down to breakfast?” Bet asked with a frown. “Lord Radnor and Lord Langley just went down. Ye can still join them if we hurry.”
    “Why on earth would I trouble myself to dine with a man who isn’t the least bit interested in me?” Lisa asked grimly and turned on her side, eyes closing.
    “Are ye sure that’s all he feels?” Bet asked with a frown. “His wanting to look out for ye shows he cares. You always said he did and—”
    “I was wrong,” she interrupted with annoyance. “He made it abundantly clear that he thinks of me as nothing more than a little sister, Bet.”
    “Oh,” she said sadly. “Well . . . what are you going to do then?”
    “Find a husband among the available bachelors this season and forget about him,” she said firmly.