He had asked for a moment alone. "I want the truth, Rochdale. Were you planning to bed that girl?" Rochdale slowly swirled the brandy in his glass and took his time answering. "I might have done, if I hadn't known to expect a rescue party. She admitted she'd told her cousins what she was doing, so I knew Lady Somerfield would come after her. As much as I'd have enjoyed it, I did not wish for her ladyship to find us in the act. A pity. But there you have it." "And so you had hoped to bed her. An innocent young girl." Rochdale smiled. "What would you do if an exquisite creature like that threw herself at you? She's a headstrong little vixen. She will not take no for an answer." "You tried saying no?" "Well, perhaps not precisely. But I could see what she was up to. I was at that ball, too, you know. I saw what happened. The girl was embarrassed about your affair with her aunt. And angry enough to get back at her by doing the same thing." "She did this because of Lady Somerfield and me?" One more disaster to plague him with guilt.
