‘Absolutely,’ Ivo agreed. ‘He probably enjoys having it empty and blighting the other properties to spite his relative. Come and have a Sally Lunn,’ he suggested. ‘The bakery is just across there by the Abbey, as I recall.’
Jane did not appear to have heard him, or perhaps the idea of a hot buttery treat did not appeal. ‘The front is perfect,’ she said, as though to herself. ‘The location is excellent and the rent must be cheap, surely. It would not be advertised if the owner would refuse all offers.’ She opened her reticule and noted down the agent’s address.
‘No,’ Ivo said with all the authority he could muster. ‘Absolutely not.’
‘But...’ Jane turned and looked up at him, those hazel eyes wide within their sweep of lashes, and something inside him seemed to contract sharply.
Her eyes were her best feature and well she would know it, he told himself firmly. She probably practised that appealing look in front of the mirror every morning. Then he realised he was swaying towards her, mesmerised. ‘And stop gazing at me with those stricken eyes. I know you well enough not to be beguiled by you fluttering your lashes at me.’
‘Fluttering my lashes?’ The appealingly puzzled expression vanished to be replaced with indignation. ‘You think that I am trying to flirt with you to make you do what I want? You... You beast.’ She gave his arm a slap with her reticule. ‘And I hope that hurt!’
Behind Ivo a deep voice growled, ‘This cove bothering you, young lady?’
Chapter Eight
Ivo swung round and behind him Jane saw that two burly chairmen had stopped and were frowning at them.
For some reason she had never understood, Bath chairmen tended to be Irish. By virtue of their occupation they were large, strong and well-muscled and by temperament they must be respectfully attentive to ladies or they would soon be out of business.
This pair seemed to be chivalrous into the bargain. They grounded their chair and shrugged out of the carrying straps, clearly preparing to rescue her.
&nbs
p; ‘Bothering me? I—’ She had no chance to explain that she was perfectly safe, simply frustrated by her escort’s attitude, because Ivo squared his shoulders and stepped between her and her would-be rescuers.
‘My sister is upset because I will not allow her to waste her money on expensive fripperies. There is no cause for you to concern yourselves. She is perfectly all right. Thank you for your concern.’
‘I am not his sister.’ She side-stepped around Ivo and smiled at the chairmen. Their frowns deepened into scowls directed at Ivo and she realised that she had made everything much, much worse. ‘But—’
‘You heard what the lady said,’ the larger of the two men said, shifting closer to Ivo. ‘Sister, is it? You move along and stop troubling her. We’ll take you where you want to go and see you safe inside, miss, never you fear. And no charge neither. Don’t hold with these bucks harassing nice young ladies, we don’t.’
‘I am not a buck and I am not harassing her.’
All three men seemed to grow in size as they squared their shoulders and drew themselves up. Any moment now Ivo was going to lose his temper and fists would fly. The odds against him were not as bad as the last time, but really, she could not allow him to get into another fight—this time on her account.
‘Ivo, dear.’ He turned and looked at her as though she had burst into song or was speaking Russian. Jane ignored him and smiled sweetly at the chairmen. ‘He is not my brother, he is my...’ What would be less inflammatory? ‘He is my intended. He was being discreet because it is a secret, you see. And I fear I am very expensive in my tastes and I was trying to wheedle such a pretty pair of shoes from him. Those blue ones on the left, you see? Irresistible.’ She managed a giggle as she slipped her hand under Ivo’s arm, feeling the tense, bunched muscles relax slightly. ‘Thank you so much, gentlemen, for your concern, but—’
‘I say, Merton! No, I mean Kendall!’ A chubby blond gentleman was hailing Ivo from across the street. ‘Didn’t know you were back down here,’ he added as he strode over to join them, dodging around the sedan chair. ‘Should have thought, what with your father, of course you’d be at the Tower.’
By his side was a tall, thin saturnine man who raised one hand in greeting to Ivo, then turned the gesture into a polite lift of his hat to Jane. ‘Good day, ma’am. Problem, Kendall?’
‘You gents know this man?’ the more belligerent chairman demanded. ‘He says he ain’t troubling this young lady and she says she’s his intended, but he said she was his sister and we’re worried about the young lady.’
‘Didn’t know you had a sister, Kendall,’ the chubby man said, peering at Jane. He, too, lifted his hat. ‘Don’t think I’ve had the pleasure, ma’am.’
‘I do not have a sister,’ Ivo said between audibly gritted teeth.
‘Clearly, our friend was merely exercising some discretion,’ the dark man said, rather too obviously kicking his companion lightly on the ankle. ‘This is a most respectable gentleman, I can assure you.’
‘He is, truly,’ Jane interjected before Ivo reached boiling point. ‘Thank you so much for your concern, it is most gallant of you.’ She smiled at the chairmen and gave Ivo a little nudge.
He dug out something from his pocket and passed it to the two men. ‘Thank you for your concern. It is most encouraging that ladies in Bath can rely on such protection,’ he said tightly. There was a clink and they visibly relaxed as Ivo handed them the tip.
Jane stood with the three men on the pavement and watched as they shouldered their carrying harness again and jogged off to answer the summons of an elderly lady who had just emerged from the direction of the Abbey.
When she turned back Ivo was looking blank, the chubby man was clearly agog with curiosity and his companion was regarding Ivo with the air of a man waiting to be entertained.
‘Do allow me to present my friends,’ Ivo said. Jane was convinced she could still hear the gritted teeth. ‘Colonel Marcus Bailey.’ He nodded towards the thin man. ‘Captain Lord George Merrydew. Bailey, Merrydew, Miss Newnham.’