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of August.
All right. And... you really won t ask me to come into your bed? she ventured.
I give you my word on it, but that will have to be our secret. The ruse is useless if Dolph or anyone else
suspects the true nature of our arrangement. We ll have to be convincing.
Well, then. Moving closer, she lightly grasped the lapels of his waistcoat and tilted her head back with
a wry smile, hoping to cheer him. In that case, Hawkscliffe, you ve got yourself a mistress.
A rueful, almost shy smile spread across his face. I shall be the envy ofLondon.
No, I will, she thought with a little laugh, her heart beating faster.
There is one other thing, Robert.
Yes?
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I understand you have a young sister who has not yet made her debut.
Yes, why?
Don t let the girl come to the house while I m there.
Ah, right. I appreciate your discretion.
We are paid to be discreet, she said with a tight smile.
There was a clumsy pause.
Well, I suppose I should write up the agreement, then.
There s ink and paper on Harriette s desk, she said, nodding toward the escritoire.
He went to the desk and soon their bargain was spelled out, signed, and made legally binding by his
ducal seal. Hawkscliffe blew the powdery blotting grit across the ink, drying it.
I hope you know what you re doing, she mused aloud as she bent over and signed her name beside
his.
I always know precisely what I m doing, Miss Hamilton. Tis the plague of my existence, he said wryly
under his breath.
Just then a sudden burst of noise startled them both. They looked toward the closed parlor door as the
sound of angry bellowing reached them through the house, a flurry of shouting and banging. Someone
was pounding on the front door downstairs.
It s Dolph, Bel said as a tremor of uneasiness ran through her. Instinctually she moved closer to
Hawkscliffe.
It s all right, he murmured. Stay inside.
She nodded and stared after him as he prowled to the door.
Protector, her mind whispered.
Be careful, she called after him anxiously, only then noticing the menacing air of excitement that rippled
through his big, lean frame.
Hawkscliffe paused in the doorway and slid her a dark smile. Never fear, Miss Hamilton. Sometimes
the bear wins.
Hawk strode across the salon, perversely anticipating the prospect of toying with the frenzied Dolph
Breckinridge. Dolph s voice got louder as Hawk neared the top of the steps.
Where is she? Where is the little strumpet?
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Whistling, Hawk jogged down the steps to the entrance hall, encountering Harriette Wilson on the stairs,
a diminutive package of red-headed feminine fury.
Get out of my house before I call for the constable! she was yelling at Dolph.
The baronet, in turn, cursed at her as he tried to fight his way in past the two hefty footmen struggling to
keep him out. He had one hand hooked inside the door frame, from which he refused to be pried. His
face was scarlet with struggle, his short-cropped sandy hair in disarray.
I ll see to him, Miss Wilson, Hawk murmured, politely setting the haughty little queen of the demireps
aside.
Yes, please, do something, Hawkscliffe! He s making a spectacle in front of all my neighbors.
Don t worry, he ll soon be gone. By the way, I believe Miss Hamilton would like to speak with you.
Oh, she exclaimed, turning to him coyly. Dare I hope you two lovely things have made an
arrangement?
Hawk gave her a narrow smile. She ll fill you in.
Splendid! Congratulations, Your Grace. I thought she would never make up her mind. Harriette
whooshed off to talk to Belinda.
You! Dolph roared when he saw him coming. Treacherous, backstabbing villain! Blackguard! Snake!
Come out here and let me have at you!
My dear fellow, what seems to be the problem?
Walking over to the door, Hawk nodded to the rough-looking footmen. They cautiously released Dolph
and backed away. Immediately Dolph launched through the doorway, fists first, and tried to tackle him.
Hawk, however, had not grown up as the sole disciplinarian of four rowdy younger brothers and raised
them through their teenage years for naught. Innumerable sibling brawls, especially with Jack, who was
bigger than he, had taught him to anticipate nearly every move in fisticuffs known to man.
He stepped nonchalantly out of the line of Dolph s charge, grabbing his opponent s right arm behind him
and hoisting it up high and hard behind his back. Dolph barely had time to grunt before Hawk threw his
left arm across Dolph s throat in a neat choke hold.
Can t we settle this like civilized men?
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