Free Lord Gray's List by Maggie Robinson Page A

thought it best to remove myself from the fray, Benton. Is this young gentleman the previous owner of The London List ? If so, I’m pleased to meet you, sir. You’ve given me an enormous amount of pleasure, even when you pilloried my poor son. Were it not for you, he might just be coming home from a misadventure on Jane Street.” Lady Gray extended a hand, and Evangeline wondered whether she was expected to kiss it. She had been forced in the past to perform such acts of politesse, but somehow she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Reluctantly, Evangeline grasped the woman’s soft hand and shook it with more manly force than was necessary.
    “Good heavens!” Emily Gray’s blue eyes narrowed. She dropped Evangeline’s hand as if it scorched her. “Benton Gray, what is going on?”
    “I’m being blackmailed by Ramsey here. I expect he’s going to organize a mob to parade in front of our house all day unless I put that damned newspaper back in business.”
    “R-Ramsey?” Lady Gray stared at her with acute focus. Evangeline wanted to disappear down into her scarf, but instead examined a three-tined fork on the table before her. She felt the rough wool of her trousers chafe her thighs, and suddenly wished to be far, far away from Lady Emily Gray.
    The woman looked as if she wanted to say something, but instead she dropped to a chair gracefully and turned to her son. “Benton, would you fetch me a muffin from the sideboard? All this excitement has depressed my appetite, but one has to eat to keep body and soul together.”
    “Certainly, Mama.” Ben rose and selected a toasted muffin, then poured his mother a cup of coffee. Evangeline’s throat was suddenly dry, but she’d already refused his offer of sustenance. But coffee—she’d been up all night and was dead on her feet. Well, dead on her arse as she came under the speculative gaze of Ben’s mother.
    “Ben, dear, fetch Mr. Ramsey some coffee, will you? He looks peaked.”
    An understatement. Evangeline nodded gratefully and soon had a fragrant cup in front of her. She took a cautious sip, but the pot had cooled while the rabble roused. It was still warm, though, and tasted like ambrosia. Her stomach rumbled, but eggs were out of the question. The sooner she got away—
    “So, what are we going to do?” Lady Gray asked brightly.
    “ We ? Don’t trouble yourself, Mama. Mr. Ramsey and I will come to some sort of accommodation, I’m sure.”
    “I do hope so. Severson’s nerves are quite overset.” Lady Gray took a delicate bite of muffin.
    “Severson’s a damned traitor.”
    “Now, Ben. I advised him to allow a few of the petitioners in. They were attracting a great deal of curiosity from the neighbors, and it’s very cold out this morning besides. Do you think it might snow later, Mr. Ramsey?”
    Evangeline was not even up to a sensible discussion of the weather. “I’m sure I couldn’t say,” she murmured.
    “I do—did—enjoy your weekly weather predictions. So often inaccurate, but then we live in England and must be prepared for anything.” Lady Gray folded her napkin. “I shall leave you two to hammer out the details of the newspaper’s disposition. I don’t for a moment believe my son cheated your family, although you do write eloquently. It’s a gift. I’d put it to better use if I were you.”
    Lady Gray stood. Ben did also, and Evangeline scrambled up to join him. Sometimes it was difficult to remember that she was impersonating a man—there were ever so many ridiculous rules and requirements. She still had not learned to spit properly.
    When they were alone, Ben looked at her with the same sharp expression that his mother had trained upon her. “You’ve really done it now, Evie. What the hell are we to do?”
    She straightened in her chair. “It’s obvious, Ben. Keep the newspaper running, at least until you can sell it to someone else. Lord Fitzhugh might be interested.”
    “That’s not the only thing he’s