“Tell that to your aunt, Deb, and see how she takes it.”
“What do you mean?” she asked fiercely.
“God bless us all, girl, if she were not playing his lordship game for him, what possessed the silly creature to borrow money from him?”
“You are thinking of the mortgage on this house! She had no notion—”
“That, and the bills his lordship bought up, all out of the goodness of his heart, you’ll be asking me to believe.” Her cheeks whitened. “Lucius, he has not done that?”
“Ask the old lady.”
“Oh, poor Aunt Lizzie!” she exclaimed. “No wonder she is so put-about! Of course she would never have the least notion that that horrid man would use them to force me to become his mistress! And I won’t! I’ll go to prison rather!”
“Prison is a mighty uncomfortable place, me dear.”
“He’d not do that!” she said confidently. “This is all conjecture! He has used no threats to me. Indeed, I am very sure he is too proud. But, oh, I would give anything to get those bills out of his hands!”
He threw her an ironical glance. “I’m thinking you’d best ask your rich new friend to buy ’em back for you, me darlin’. It’s delighted I’d be to help you, but my pockets are to let, as well you know.”