Free Love Only Once by Johanna Lindsey Page B

And Tony,” she added slowly, untying her scarf, “I think Uncle Edwardshould see this, to impress on him the importance of getting Montieth’s consent.”
    Anthony’s face darkened. “You said he only kissed you!”
    She tied the scarf again, her look quite innocent. “Well, that was caused by a kiss, Tony.”
    “How dare he leave his mark on you?”
    Reggie shrugged, carefully avoiding his eyes. “Do you think Uncle Edward will make too much of the mark and assume the worst? I suppose he will feel it’s his duty to inform Uncle Jason of it. You don’t think they’ll want to rush the wedding, do you? I would rather wait a few months, just to be sure my first child is born after a decent interval of time.”
    “This is blackmail, Reggie.”
    She opened her dark blue eyes wide. “Is it?”
    “Jason should have taken a switch to your backside when you first developed this talent for manipulating people.”
    “What a terrible thing to say!” Reggie gasped.
    He laughed then, shaking his head at her. “You can drop the performance, puss. I’ll get your Viscount to marry you, one way or another.”
    She hugged him, her delight evident. “And there’ll be no more talk of killing?”
    “None that will matter,” he sighed. “Since Eddie is the logical, business-minded one of us, perhaps he can come up with something to bring the man round without resorting to violence.”

    He disengaged himself and turned to put the gun away. “You said Montieth wouldn’t agree, Reggie, and when a man is stubborn, it takes persuasion to change his mind. You can still change your mind, you know.” He looked at her intently.
    “No. The more I think about it, the more I feel this is the right thing to do.”
    “He might hate you for it, you know. Have you thought about that?”
    “He might, yes, but I will take the chance. I wouldn’t consider marriage if he hadn’t found me attractive. But he did try to seduce me —try , I said. No, he will be my husband, Tony. Tell Uncle Edward and Uncle Jason that I will have no other.”
    “Very well, then,” Tony replied, then added with a sharp look, “But you will keep that blasted scarf on, hear? There is no point in my brothers thinking any worse of their future nephew-in-law than they have to.”

Chapter 9
    I T was half past ten o’clock in the evening, and Nicholas sat in his carriage outside Edward Malory’s house in Grosvenor Square, thirty minutes late for his appointment, but making no move to leave his carriage.
    He had given up trying to guess what this was all about. He had understood that morning’s summons from Anthony Malory perfectly well, but since that earlier meeting had not come to pass, he no longer knew what to think. He couldn’t conceive of Derek’s businesslike Uncle Edward demanding a duel, but what else could this be about? Bloody hell!
     
    Reggie watched the dark carriage from an upstairs window, her nervousness having increased to terror. He was not going to like what she had set in motion. No, most assuredly not. He must suspect why he’d been called there. Why else would he hesitate to come inside?
    Oh, Uncle Edward had had quite a lot to say about Lord Montieth, emphatic that she know exactly what she was letting herself in for. Hehad known the Eden family for years, had been very good friends with Nicholas’ father, in fact. So Reggie knew it all now, including the stories of the other young women he had embroiled in scandal because they were weak enough to succumb to his charm. He was irresponsible, he was without conscience, he could be cold and arrogant, or ill-tempered. The charm he showed the ladies was not all there was to the man. Yes, she’d heard it all, but to Uncle Tony’s disgust, she had not changed her mind.
    Reggie was using Amy’s room to peek out of the window, thanking her stars that she was alone upstairs. Aunt Charlotte had gathered her whole brood of children, all of them protesting vehemently, and descended on a