Free Midnight Bride by Barbara Allister Page B

red that clashed with the ribbons on her dress. This time he could appreciate how she looked, her dress a soft , creamy muslin sprigged with flowers of rich apricot. Around the neckline and under the bust were ribbons of the same apricot color. Through the short brown curls her maid had laced another ribbon that matched the others. "Miss Beckworth ," he began hesitantly. "I can never tell you how surprised I was by the incident this morning."
    "Nor I," she added quickly. "How could you do something like that. If you had been caught . . ."
    "I didn't do anything."
    "You must have. You were in my room," she reminded him with a shaking voice.
    "And that poses quite a problem, doesn't it? How did I get there?"
    "You are asking me?" Elizabeth rose and went toward the window, her skirts swishing angrily.
    "Well, it is your home, and I was in your room." He followed her, standing behind her.
    She turned hurriedly. "You can't believe . . ." She stepped back hastily, startled by his presence so close to her. Her hand went to her throat. Elizabeth regretted that the need for secrecy had caused her to forgo her cousin's cheerful and protective presence.
    "All I know is that I ended up in your bed." His dark blue eyes stared into her hazel ones as if to force her to deny his story.
    "How?" She tossed her head, setting her curls dancing. Flouncing across the room, she sat down, primly straightening her skirts. Determined to stop his ideas before they grew more outrageous, she asked, "Did someone come to your room and ask where you had spent the night?"
    "The only people who came to my room were your footman and my valet, and neither of them discussed the matter." He paused for a moment, thinking of the conversation at the breakfast table but dismissed the idea quickly. "Perhaps your brother had something to do with it?"
    "Charles? He would kill you if he found out what had happened!" At that she blanched, realizing the truth of what she said. "Charles. If he should hear of this . . ."
    "He will not hear it from me, I promise you that." Dunstan crossed the room until he was across from her. Dragging one of the delicate Chippendale chairs she liked so well from its position against the wall, he sat down in front of her. His face serious, he straightened the sleeves of his dark blue coat nervously. She drew back slightly and closed her lips firmly, startled by his closeness.
    "Elizabeth?" She looked at him as if to ask why he used her given name. He began again. "Miss Beckworth , have you discovered any information about how the incident happened?"
    She stared at him aghast. "And how was I supposed to do that, pray tell? Ask my maid if she let a man in my rooms last night?"
    "She did."
    Elizabeth gasped. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She tried again.
    "When I asked to see your brother this morning, I was told he was still sleeping. The footman was very pleased to supply the details. Apparently you and Charles quarreled and then made up last night. As you stayed in your rooms last evening, I assumed he saw you there." He tried to make his voice as calm and matter-of-fact as possible, but it wasn't easy. All he could think of was how lovely she looked the first thing in the morning. And he had decided that he would have the exclusive rights to that loveliness.
    "You do not know what happened last night? Weren't you there?"
    This time he was the one who was embarrassed. "According to the breakfast gossip I indulged rather heavily last night."
    "You mean you were drunk. That's how it happened. You came to the wrong room by mistake. I've almost made the same mistake before in a strange house, and I wasn't drinking heavily." Now that the matter was at least partially explained, Elizabeth felt momentary relief. Then her imagination took hold. She frowned. Perhaps he had just pretended to be drunk.
    "But why didn't you wake up? Are you normally such a heavy sleeper?" No matter how much he had had to drink, Dunstan knew he had a good