His Lady Mistress

Elizabeth Rolls117herself, she whispered, ‘Rather than have it stripped from meforcibly, I chose to give myself to a man I...trusted.’Max had to strain to hear those last halting words, but theyhit him like a body blow. She had trusted him enough tosurrender her body to him—but not enough to tell him whoshe was. She had used him. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ heasked, hating the harsh note in his voice, but the strain of nothauling her into his arms and proving how untrustworthy hewas seemed likely to kill him.‘That I was a...a virgin?’‘That too,’ he said grimly. Knowing he had hurt hershamed him. ‘Why didn’t you just tell me who you were?Ask for my help.’Her eyes flew wide. ‘Why didn’t I...? But you would neverhave taken me as your mistr—’‘No! I damned well wouldn’t have!’‘So I couldn’t have escaped!’His conscience mocked. ‘You didn’t think I’d help you?’‘How?’ The simple question floored him. ‘I’m undertwenty-one. Lord Faringdon is my guardian. I have nomoney, no other relatives who might take me in. The Faringdonswould have left me on the parish, I think, but apparentlymy grandmother vetoed the idea. Since they count on herleaving a substantial fortune to them, of course they kept me.Since I was saving the wages of at least a governess and onelady’s maid, my aunt refused to write me a reference. Whatcould you have done if I had told you who I was? Once youwere gone, my situation would have been even worse.’‘And after our liaison ended? After I had taught you yourtrade?’ He couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice. God!He’d thought it funny at the time, endearing that she had noidea of her effect on him, that she’d never need another lover.She flushed. ‘I...that was a lie. I never intended to become...totake another... I was going to purchase an annuity.’‘A what?’ His brain grappled with that.