Son of a rogue and a gypsy, Hero Fiennes Tiffin was a notorious rake until a shattering betrayal left him alone and embittered in the Welsh countryside. Desperation drives quiet schoolteacher Josephine Langford to ask Hero Fiennes Tiffin to help sav...
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Josephine
"My " Josephine said blankly. "What on earth do you mean by that?"
Looking vastly pleased with himself, the Earl said, "If you will live with me for, say, three months, I will help your village to the best of my abilities."
She felt a clutch of fear. In spite of her bold words, she had never imagined that he might have a shred of interest in her. "In spite of the boredom you would have to endure," she said with defensive sarcasm, "you want me to become your mistress?"
"Not unless you do so willingly, which I don't expect to happen—you seem far too rigid to allow yourself to enjoy the sins of the flesh." His gaze moved over her again, this time with cool speculation. "Though if you changed your mind during the three months, I would be delighted to accommodate you. I've never had a virtuous Methodist schoolmistress. Would bedding one bring me closer to heaven?"
"You are outrageous!"
"Thank you. I try." He swallowed another mouthful of brandy. "To return to the subject at hand, though you would live here in a way that would make you appear to be my mistress, you would not actually have to lie with me."
"What would be the point of such a charade?" she asked, relieved but bewildered.
"I want to see how far you are willing to go to get what you want. If you accept my proposition, your precious village may benefit, but you'll never be able to lift your head there again, for your reputation will be destroyed. Would success be worth such a price? Would your neighbors forgive your fall from grace even though they benefited from it? An interesting question, but if I were you, I wouldn't trust too much in their goodwill."
Finally comprehending, she said tightly, "This is only a meaningless game to you, isn't it?"
"Games are never meaningless. Of course, they do require rules. What should the rules be here?" His brows drew together. "Let's see... The basic terms would be my help in return for your presence under my roof, and ostensibly in my bed. A successful seduction would be in the nature of a side bet—a bonus that would be enjoyed by both of us. In order to give me a sporting chance at seducing you, I would be permitted to kiss you once a day, in a place and time of my choosing. Any loveplay beyond that would be by mutual consent.
"However, after that one kiss, you would have the right to say no, and I could not touch you again until the next day. After three months you would go home, while I would continue my aid as long as it was needed." He frowned. "Dangerous—if I let you draw me into your schemes, I might not be free of the valley for the rest of my life. Still, it's only fair that I risk something significant since you will lose so much if you accept my proposal."
"The whole idea is absurd!"
He gave her a look of cherubic innocence. "On the contrary, I think it would be quite amusing— I'm almost sorry that you won't agree. But the price is too high, isn't it? Your virginity could be sacrificed with no one the wiser, but reputation is a fragile, public commodity, easily lost, impossible to regain." He made a graceful, dismissive gesture with his free hand. "Now that I have established the limits of your desire for martyrdom, I shall ask you once more to leave. I assume you will not trouble me again."
