Free Sin With a Scoundrel: The Husband Hunters Club by Sara Bennett

pain right through her head. She decided that was the first and last time she overindulged like that. How on earth could Horace and Charles do it night after night? Clearly they were both very silly.
    “A visitor? What on earth is the time, Maria?”
    “It’s after ten, miss. Lady Carol had said to let you sleep, but now there’s a gentleman here to see you, and she wants me to wake you up at once.”
    Tina sighed. “A gentleman?” Not Horace then. Had she really expected Horace to come rushing to her side? She admitted that she had hoped he might, despite its being most unlike Horace to be so impulsive. “Who is this gentleman?”
    “A Mr. Little, miss.”
    Tina forgot about her head and sat up. “Oh no! I did tell him he could call, but I didn’t expect him so soon.”
    “Lady Carol and Sir Thomas are entertaining him in the drawing room, but you are to hurry.”
    “Help me to get dressed, and I’ll go and rescue them.”
    Tina washed, and Maria helped her into a modest day dress.
    “I’ve let it down,” she said, with a critical glance. “I don’t think it shows, miss. Anyway Mr. Little won’t be looking at your hem, will he?”
    Tina eyed the darker color around the bottom of her skirt. “Well, it can’t be helped.”
    “No, miss.”
    Maria met her eyes and looked away as quickly. She did know then, Tina thought. How could she not? They were like a sinking ship, all going down together.
    However, there was no sign of gloom when she reached the drawing room; in fact, laughter greeted her as she opened the door.
    “Tina,” cried Lady Carol, looking flushed. “Mr. Little has just been regaling us with tales from his travels. Some of the things he’s seen!”
    Bewildered, Tina looked at her father, whose face was red from laughter, and at Mr. Little, who had risen to his feet and was smiling at her. Could this possibly be the same man whose company she’d endured last night? He was almost attractive when he smiled, she realized, although he was still barely an inch taller than she, and his shoulders were stooped like a man twice his age.
    A comparison with Mr. Eversham popped into her head, but she pushed it firmly out again.
    “I had no idea you meant to pay me a visit so soon, Mr. Little,” she said coolly, meaning to disconcert him.
    “I was in the vicinity and took a chance,” he replied with his smile undimmed.
    “How did you enjoy the theater, Mr. Little?”
    Comically, he turned down the corners of his mouth. “It was a very dull play, Miss Smythe. I could barely stay awake.” He gave her a sideways glance, as if inviting her to share the joke, but Tina couldn’t help but feel the joke was at her expense.
    Lady Carol laughed; clearly she was charmed by Mr. Little even if Tina was not.
    “I was rather surprised to be invited. I’m not a close friend of Lord Horace. We have done some business together, and I happened to run into him a few days ago, so perhaps he felt obliged to ask me to his soiree. I felt a little like an imposter and was rather uncomfortable with all his . . . uh . . . noble company.”
    “Ha!” scoffed Sir Thomas. “A perfectly worthless lot! It’s nice to meet a young man who works for his living.”
    Tina’s father had become very opposed to the upper classes since his money troubles. Tina couldn’t remember him being so egalitarian before; in fact he’d been rather indifferent to the struggles of the poorer classes, avowing more than once that they brought their misery upon themselves through idleness. Now that he was well on the way to joining them, he’d suddenly become a strident socialist, and it could be embarrassing in company.
    However, to Tina’s relief, Mr. Little didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he seemed similarly inclined. “I am most gratified that you think so, Sir Thomas. It is refreshing not to be looked down upon because I am in trade.”
    “What is it that you do exactly, Mr. Little?” asked Tina.
    “Mr. Little is in the