His Lady Mistress

Elizabeth Rolls53he reached out and touched it gently. ‘I came to see if youwere all right. Does that hurt?’She flinched and he dropped his hand. ‘It won’t happenagain,’ he said quietlyShe didn’t meet his eyes and bent to pick up a book fromthe floor. ‘You can’t know that.’ Her fingers whitened on thebook.‘Yes, I can,’ he said. He’d never raised his hand to awoman. And he didn’t see himself starting with this waif.‘Why did you do it, Selina? No doubt she will dismiss youlater when she has had time to find another governess. Whynot tell her the truth?’‘You think she would have believed me?’ Careful fingersbegan to smooth the pages of the abused book. ‘Even if shehad, she would have assumed Sukey asked for it. That sheattracted Godf— Mr Faringdon’s attention on purpose. Shewould have been dismissed all the quicker.’He couldn’t deny the truth of that. But still...his conscienceinformed him that he was a complete and utter knaveto make his dis-honourable offer when she was desperate. Heswore mentally. What else could he do? Leave her to be flungout? To starve? Or worse?His conscience, which had never taken much interest in hisdealings with the fair sex, pointed out that what he was aboutto propose definitely came under the heading of Worse.Worse than death, in fact. The devil it does! I’m not planningto rape her!He planned to seduce Selina. Gently. And make sure shehad everything she could possibly desire. His blood burnedat the idea of teaching her a few things he doubted she hadthe least idea of desiring. How could she after Godfrey? Bestto lead up to it gradually.‘Selina—where will you go?’Puzzled grey eyes met his. ‘Go? What are you talkingabout, my lord?’Patiently he said, ‘When your mistress dismisses you. She