With him, Christian instantly answered, and then just as quickly dismissed it again. Lisette was not safe with him, or from him; he had more than proved that in the coach earlier.
He gave a weary shake of his head. ‘I am too tired to argue with you just now, Lisette. Only give me a few hours to sleep and I promise I will be rested enough for you to argue with for as long as you wish to do so.’
‘I do not argue with you—’
‘You do nothing else!’ Christian’s voice rose, this time impatiently. ‘You are the most contrary woman— I swear that if I said the sky is blue that you would argue it was pink.’
She wrinkled her pretty nose. ‘Sometimes it is. Have you never seen the sunset when—?’
‘I am going to bed, Lisette,’ he announced flatly as he walked determinedly across the room to the door. ‘Try to behave yourself in my absence.’
Lisette kept her chin raised high until Christian had left the bedchamber and then, only then,
did she allow her shoulders to droop dejectedly.
She had buried all her scruples, her dreams for the future, had done the unthinkable and offered to become Christian’s mistress, and he had rejected the idea totally. There had not been the slightest hesitation or doubt. He did not want her.
He could not have told her any more clearly that she had only been an amusement to him in Paris, a diversion on the journey here, one he did not need or want now that he was back in London and was once again every inch the Duke of Sutherland.
* * *
‘What do you mean she went out, Evans?’ Christian demanded. ‘Where did she go? And when?’
His butler looked distinctly uncomfortable. ‘Miss Duprée went out for a walk, possibly two hours ago, Your Grace.’
‘Where?’ he repeated forcefully, hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Christian really had been exhausted by the time he had reached his own bedchamber earlier, and he had not even bothered to undress before dropping weakly down on top of the bed and falling into a deep sleep.
His valet had woken him several hours later, armed with a cup of tea to refresh him and hot water in which to bathe. Christian had enjoyed the luxury of the latter long after his valet had completed his shave and the bath water had become cold.
The bandage on his thigh had come off quite easily after his soak in the bath, and he was relieved to see that the wound was healing well once he had removed the soiled bandage upon stepping from the bath. He had also managed to reapply a fresh bandage himself; he certainly did not need any gossip below stairs concerning how he had acquired such a wound.
Once he was dressed he had gone downstairs in search of Lisette, only to be told that she was not there. Which had the effect of completely undoing all the good work of the previous hours of sleep, followed by the relaxation in the bath.
It was also in complete opposition to what Christian had instructed before going to his bedchamber.
He really was going to have to put Lisette over his knee and spank her—
‘There was something of a...language barrier, Your Grace, but I believe she did not intend to be out long,’ his butler answered uncomfortably.
There would be no ‘language barrier’ necessary once Christian caught up with Lisette. ‘Language’ would not be used, but physical retribution.
‘To be truthful, Your Grace, I was becoming a trifle worried about her myself,’ Evans continued awkwardly. ‘I had assumed she was just going to walk about the square, but she has been gone far too long for that to be the case. A young lady out alone...’ The elderly butler broke off with a wince as Christian gave him a glowering frown.
Although in truth, he could not hold any of his household responsible for Lisette’s actions; she was impulsive and strong-willed to the point where she was a danger to herself and everyone else. Christian could not deny that her impulsiveness and strong will had saved his life a time or two, but he had been perfectly serious earlier when he had warned Lisette of the dangers lurking beyond the walls of this house.
It was not only her identity but also the fact that she was a beautiful young woman, now out and about without escort or chaperone, so leaving herself prey to any of the criminal element that strolled these streets, day as well as night.
‘It is not your fault, Evans,’ he assured him on a sigh. ‘Miss Duprée is...an independent young lady, brought up in the country and used to doing as she wishes. I fear she is not yet used to the ways of the City.’
‘I guessed that, Your Grace.’ The elderly butler nodded. ‘I even offered for her to take young Mary with her for company—the Second Upstairs Maid,’ he supplied as Christian looked baffled as to who Mary might be. ‘But Miss Duprée indicated there was no reason to bother or disturb anyone and that she would only take a stroll outside in the fresh air.’
A stroll that had already lasted for two hours or more...
‘My cloak and hat, if you please, Evans,’ Christian requested wearily. ‘If I do not return for another two hours then perhaps you had better send out a search party,’ he added drily in parting as he swept out of the front doorway of Sutherland House in search of his errant and rebellious house guest.
Chapter Twelve