Free Good Earl Gone Bad by Manda Collins Page B

your wish to let Lady Hermione go, chaps,” said Lord Payne in a placating tone that put Hermione’s back up even more. She had thought the club president was her champion if not her friend. “But we cannot simply revoke her membership because of her father’s behavior. He’s done nothing that any one of us wouldn’t have done if we found ourselves in the same situation. Besides, she is a fiery little thing and I have no doubt there’d be hell to pay if we were so unwise as to do something to cross her.”
    â€œYou don’t mean to tell me you’re afraid of a lady, Payne,” said Mr. Leighton-Fox with a laugh. “Please say it’s not true.”
    He was right to be afraid of her, Hermione thought with a satisfied smile. She would not take kindly to being ousted from the club. Especially not after she’d worked so hard to get her membership.
    Lord Atherton clearly thought the same. “Woman scorned and all that, Leighton-Fox,” he said with a laugh. “Though I do wish we could get rid of her. But I don’t think we can revoke her membership. What I object to is having the club offer her the loan of a coaching pair. We might not have to revoke her membership if she cannot drive with us. It’s the perfect solution.”
    â€œI offered her the pair because the Lords of Anarchy take care of their own,” Lord Payne said sharply. “As was pointed out to me in rather annoying thoroughness by Lord Mainwaring this evening. And I do not take kindly to having the club’s loyalty questioned. Which is why we will see to it that Lady Hermione is able to drive out with us at the next possible opportunity.”
    â€œMainwaring?” said Leighton-Fox with a scoffing tone. “He can’t even drive.”
    â€œChooses not to,” Lord Payne said. “There is a difference.”
    â€œWhy the devil would a man choose not to drive?” asked Lord Atherton, as if the very notion offended his sensibilities.
    â€œFather died in a carriage accident,” said Lord Payne tersely.
    At his words, Hermione glanced over at Mainwaring, whose stony expression was enough to tell her that the man’s words were true. She’d known his father was dead, of course. He was the earl, and had been the head of his family from a young age. But she hadn’t known his father had been killed in a driving accident. It clarified much. Like Lord Atherton, she’d thought it decidedly odd that Mainwaring didn’t drive, but it made sense now.
    â€œMainwaring is beside the point, anyway,” continued Lord Payne. “I simply wanted the two of you to know that I expect Lady Hermione to be treated with every courtesy by the club members. No matter how you might resent the fact that she is a member. Am I understood?”
    The two men muttered their assent, and despite her earlier pique with Lord Payne, Hermione found herself feeling quite charitably toward him.
    â€œBut what of the other horses?” Mr. Leighton-Fox inquired. “If you give her the bays, what are we to deliver to Canningham?”
    â€œDamn you, Leighton-Fox,” Lord Payne hissed. “No names. And the buyer can bloody well wait for delivery. He said he would not kick up a fuss if it took a while to find exactly what he wanted. And as he’s safely up north, he won’t know that we’ve taken possession of a pair he might like.”
    â€œBesides that, there’s nothing to say that we won’t get another pair that will do in the meantime,” said Lord Atherton. “Too bad S … Mr. S. got hold of the grays before we could get them back.”
    At the mention of grays, Hermione’s eyes widened. She felt Jasper’s hand on her shoulder and she was utterly still as she listened for Lord Payne’s response.
    â€œWe’ve talked this to death, lads,” he said, much to Hermione’s disappointment. “Let’s just