33 Chapter 33

"Lord Hawley, I do realize how this must look to you. The truth is-"

His brows drew together. "You didn't intend coming here to be my mistress, did you?"

"I did ... and I do have more suitable clothes."

"Perhaps. But the fact is you couldn't have worn worse ones."

"I'm offended you think so. As I said to you I may dress as a widow, it doesn't mean I am one underne-"

"I know what you said. What you said is beside the point when you agreed this afternoon to do it in exchange for seeing the papers."

"And I am going to do it in exchange for the papers." A stroke of sheer genius occurred. "I just need to make my necessary preparations in private so we might begin the evening for-"

"Prove it."

Her gaze froze on the embroidered leaf on his waistcoat. "P-prove it?" she stammered.

"If your preparations are what I think, they won't be worth a damn."