Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (162 page)

Scott

Paine sank into his chair, trying to absorb it all. 'All these years, I thought you were ashamed of me. I couldn't face you afterwards, knowing that I'd disappointed you.' All this time, he'd not once thought that Peyton had anything to apologise for.

Peyton shook his head. 'I won' t fail you again, Paine.

This time, we face Oswalt together. Tell me what you have planned.'

And just like that, he was absolved.

Paine was at peace and he savoured it, even though he knew it couldn't last long. He let himself bask in the knowledge of his brother's love and Julia's honest affection. It would only be a matter of days before the fruits of his hastily dashed notes in London would at Dursley Park.

Within a week,

news would catch up with

him, giving him insight into why Oswalt was after Julia's uncle and what the bastard planned next. Mail would also arrive regarding the business loans he'd proposed to influential members of the
ton.
Soon, the plan would be in motion. They would return to London and the issue with Oswalt could be resolved, leaving Julia free of the man's shadow.

Free to do what? He hadn't been able to adequately answer his brother's questions regarding Julia. In terms of his feelings for Julia, he feared he'd picked the very worst time to fall in love. But what else could it be when the thought of her being free to pursue another caused his stomach to churn?

1 78

Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

Paine's short idyll lasted approximately a week and a day; the end heralded by a note from that

neatly tucked inside a trunk full of Julia's clothes from Madame Broussard. Julia discovered the letter while shaking out the last of the gowns from their meticulous tissue wrappings. It fluttered to the floor, the plain brown-paper envelope a stark contrast in a room filled with a riot of flounces and lace.

Julia bent and scooped up the envelope, concluding immediately that the note was not
an
additional note from Madame Broussard, whose correspondence had been on top of the tissue wrappings and strongly scented with lilacs. She turned the envelope over, noting the masculine

She doubted the letter was for her. First, this letter had been secreted in the trunk in such a way that implied the writer was worried about discovery. Second, the letter was clearly not for her. No one would know where to send a letter for her. No one knew she was with Paine and certainly no one knew she'd visited Madame Broussard's. No one would know she was expecting an order of clothes.

Only

knew. Julia smiled to herself over Paine's consideration for her. In the rush of their departure from London, he'd thought of everything, dashing off that note to the dressmaker so that Julia would have her gowns, at least enough of them. The rest-her evening gowns and fancier town dresses-would be waiting upon her return.