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“He’s probably explained to Malory by now that the lady and I are friends.”
    “I still can’t believe you did this, Nick. She’ll never forgive you.”
    “I know. Now be a good chap and follow me upstairs so you can light a few lamps before I deposit my baggage.” He paused just long enough to grin at his butler, who was staring at the feet hanging over his lordship’s shoulder. “Tell myman to get my evening clothes out, Tyndale. I want to be out of here in ten minutes. And if anyone comes to call, for any reason, say that I left for the Duke of Shepford’s ball an hour ago.”
    “Very good, my lord.”
    “You’re still going?” Percy asked in amazement as he and the butler followed Nicholas upstairs.
    “But of course,” Nicholas replied. “I intend to dance the night away.”
    He stopped in front of a bedroom at the back of the house on the third floor, checking it quickly to make sure there was nothing of value in the room that Selena could destroy in anger. Satisfied, he told Tyndale to fetch the key, then nodded to Percy to light the lamp on the mantel.
    “Be a good girl, my dear, and don’t make too much fuss.” He patted her backside in a familiar manner. “If you start screaming or do anything else foolish, Tyndale will be forced to put a stop to it. I’m sure you won’t enjoy spending the next few hours trussed up on the bed.”
    He motioned for Percy to leave the room before he dropped her on the bed. Then he loosened her wrist bonds and left the room, locking the door with a soft click. He knew she would remove the gag sooner or later, but he wouldn’t be around to hear her.
    “Come along, Percy. I have extra evening clothes if you would like to join me at the ball.”
    Percy shook his head in confusion as he followed Nicholas back down to the second floorwhere his rooms were located. “I might as well, but I don’t see why you’re going on to the ball now that she won’t be there.”
    “That’s the crowning touch.” Nicholas chuckled. “What’s the point in Lady E.’s missing the ball unless she’s told by her dear friends tomorrow that I danced every dance from the time I arrived until I departed.”
    “That’s cruel, Montieth.”
    “No crueler than her throwing me over for Malory.”
    “But you don’t even care about that,” Percy pointed out, exasperated.
    “No, I don’t. Still, it warrants some kind of reaction, doesn’t it? After all, the lady would have been devastated if I’d done nothing.”
    “If she could choose how you would react, Montieth, I don’t think she would choose this.”
    “Oh, well. Better this than my challenging Malory. Don’t you think so?”
    “Heavens, yes!” Percy was genuinely appalled. “You wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”
    “You think not?” Nicholas murmured. “Well, perhaps not. After all, he has had more practice than I. But we’ll never know, will we?”

Chapter 5
    R EGGIE wasn’t frightened. She had heard enough to know that her kidnapper was a nobleman. He assumed he’d been recognized by the driver of her carriage, so he meant no real harm. No, she wouldn’t be hurt.
    One other thing made Reggie smile with a deliciously wicked grin. The man had made a dreadful mistake. He thought she was someone else—Selena, he had called her. “It’s only me,” he had said, as if she should recognize his voice easily.
    Selena? What made this man think she was Selena? He had simply picked her up off the sidewalk, so what made him…“ The driver recognized me”! Good God, Lady Eddington! He knew the carriage so he thought she was Lady Eddington.
    This was priceless. He would go to the Shepford ball—and voilà , there would be Lady Eddington with Reggie’s cousins. Oh, how she wished she could see his face. It was just the sort of prank she might have played on someone in her younger years.

    And then he would come racing back to his house, full of frantic apologies, begging her forgiveness. He would plead with