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her tongue instead of chattering on and on to fill a gap in the conversation. For all Madeline Ellis’s claim to be outspoken, she seemed keen-witted and eminently sensible. Come to think of it, she reminded him of a favorite governess he’d once had who was also inclined to speak her mind and who wasn’t afraid to discipline him when he sorely needed it.
    Except that never once had he ever entertained thoughts of bedding his former governess the way he did Madeline Ellis.
    Remembering her suppleness and womanly warmth, Rayne shifted his position to relieve the pressure at his groin. She might not be a beauty, but her lush figure and kissable mouth had unquestionably stirred his blood.
    Her appeal was out of character for him, he acknowledged. Like most men, he was drawn to beautiful women. In the past year since returning from the Continent, he’d indulged his physical needs with temporary liaisons among the demimonde, never frequenting any one Cyprian for more than a few months at a time. He wouldn’t risk becoming more intimate, for intimacy invited betrayal.
    Perhaps he could be forgiven for mistakenly thinking Miss Ellis a lightskirt when she’d sought refuge in his hired parlor this evening, given that she’d been barelydressed. He knew better now, but deplorably, the urge to have her still teased at his loins.
    He wanted her. A dangerous sentiment, considering that she was forbidden to him. He had no business lusting after the spinster daughter of the friend who’d once saved his life when he should be helping and protecting her.
    He would not touch her again, Rayne promised himself, forcibly tamping down his carnal desires.
    Even so, the temptation would be there. Which was another excellent reason to billet her at Danvers Hall rather than allow her to spend the night in his own home.
    He could perhaps have taken her to stay at his grandmother’s London residence, but he knew Lady Haviland would not readily welcome a servant into her home as a guest—even an upper-class servant—or relish being reminded of his former indecorous career. Nor, likely, would his elder sister. And his younger sister was in Kent at present, which was too great a distance from Chiswick.
    He hadn’t realized the passage of time until the carriage slowed to make a turn. Glancing out the window, Rayne recognized the large stone pillars that guarded the entrance to the Danvers estate.
    “We are nearly there,” he observed.
    Miss Ellis gave a start and sat up, looking embarrassed that the rocking motion of the carriage had lulled her into relaxing her straight posture. Reaching for her bonnet, she donned it and began tying the ribbons.
    “I believe you called your home in Chiswick ‘Riverwood’?” she remarked, peering out the window into the dark night.
    “Yes. The property abuts the River Thames, as does Danvers Hall. I only came to the neighborhood this past year, since I wanted a place of my own. My grandmother resides at Haviland Park in Kent much of the year, and my sisters live nearby. That is too much family for my tastes.”
    “You have sisters?”
    “Two in fact, one older and one younger. They each have two sons of their own, ranging from ages four to twelve. I enjoy my nephews, but they are still rather young and their mothers fear my influence.”
    Miss Ellis raised an eyebrow, and he could hear the humor in her tone when she responded. “Are you so very dangerous then? Or are your sisters merely inclined to coddle their sons?”
    “The latter.”
    “My brother worshiped my father,” she admitted. “If your nephews are anything like Gerard, they adore you as well.”
    Rayne couldn’t deny that the boys seemed extremely fond of him, and he returned their affection. His nephews were one of the brightest spots in his regrettably dull life these days.
    When the carriage finally drew to a halt before the Danvers Hall manor, Rayne handed Miss Ellis down and escorted her up the front entrance steps. She wore her