Simon looked down at the man on the ground. A bruise was already darkening on his chin, and he was moaning, “Laffy, oh Laffy. I love you, Laffy.”

“You're Laffy, I presume?” Simon murmured, sliding his gaze up to her face. Really, she was quite an attractive little thing, and from this angle the bodice of her gown seemed almost decadently low.

She scowled at him, clearly not appreciating his attempt at subtle humor—and also clearly not realizing that his heavy-lidded gaze had rested on portions of her anatomy that were not her face. “What are we to do with him?” she asked.

“‘We?’” Simon echoed.

Her scowl deepened. “You did say you aspired to be my rescuer, didn't you?”

“So I did.” Simon planted his hands on his hips and assessed the situation. “Shall I drag him out into the street?”

“Of course not!” she exclaimed. “For goodness sake, isn't it still raining outside?”

“My dear Miss Laffy,” Simon said, not particularly concerned about the condescending tone of his voice, “don't you think your concern is slightly misplaced? This man tried to attack you.”

“He didn't try to attack me,” she replied. “He just…He just…Oh, very well, he tried to attack me. But he would never have done me any real harm.”

Simon raised a brow. Truly, women were the most contrary creatures. “And you can be sure of that?”

He watched as she carefully chose her words. “Nigel isn't capable of malice,” she said slowly. “All he is guilty of is misjudgment.”

“You're a more generous soul than I, then,” Simon said quietly.

The girl let out another sigh, a soft, breathy sound that Simon somehow felt across his entire body. “Nigel's not a bad person,” she said with quiet dignity. “It's just that he isn't always terribly bright, and perhaps he mistook kindness on my part for something more.”

Simon felt a strange sort of admiration for this girl. Most women of his acquaintance would have been in hysterics at this point, but she—whoever she was—had taken the situation firmly in hand, and was now displaying a generosity of spirit that was astounding. That she could even think to defend this Nigel person was quite beyond him.

She rose to her feet, dusting her hands off on the sage green silk of her skirts. Her hair had been styled so that one thick lock fell over her shoulder, curling seductively at the top of her breast. Simon knew he should be listening to her—she was prattling on about something, as women were wont to do—but he couldn't seem to take his eyes off that single dark lock of hair. It fell like a silky ribbon across her swanlike neck, and Simon had the most appalling urge to close the distance between them and trace the line of her hair with his lips.

He'd never dallied with an innocent before, but all the world had already painted him a rake. What could be the harm? It wasn't as if he were going to ravish her. Just a kiss. Just one little kiss.

It was tempting, so deliciously, maddeningly tempting.

“Sir! Sir!”

With great reluctance, he dragged his eyes up to her face. Which was, of course, delightful in and of itself, but it was difficult to picture her seduction when she was scowling at him.

“Were you listening to me?”

“Of course,” he lied.

“You weren't.”

“No,” he admitted.

A sound came from the back of her throat that sounded suspiciously like a growl. “Then why,” she ground out, “did you say you were?”

He shrugged. “I thought it was what you wanted to hear.”

Simon watched with fascinated interest as she took a deep breath and muttered something to herself. He couldn't hear her words, but he doubted any of them could be construed as complimentary. Finally, her voice almost comically even, she said, “If you don't wish to aid me, I'd prefer it if you would just leave.”

Simon decided it was time to stop acting like such a boor, so he said, “My apologies. Of course I'll help you.”

She exhaled, and then looked back to Nigel, who was still lying on the floor, moaning incoherently. Simon looked down, too, and for several seconds they just stood there, staring at the unconscious man, until the girl said, “I really didn't hit him very hard.”

“Maybe he's drunk.”

She looked dubious. “Do you think? I smelled spirits on his breath, but I've never seen him drunk before.”

Simon had nothing to add to that line of thought, so he just asked, “Well, what do you want to do?”

“I suppose we could just leave him here,” she said, the expression in her dark eyes hesitant.

Simon thought that was an excellent idea, but it was obvious she wanted the idiot cared for in a more tender manner. And heaven help him, but he felt the strangest compulsion to make her happy. “Here is what we're going to do,” he said crisply, glad that his tone belied any of the odd tenderness he was feeling. “I am going to summon my carriage—”

“Oh, good,” she interrupted. “I really didn't want to leave him here. It seemed rather cruel.”

Simon thought it seemed rather generous considering the big oaf had nearly attacked her, but he kept that opinion to himself and instead continued on with his plan. “You will wait in the library while I'm gone.”

“In the library? But—”

“In the library,” he repeated firmly. “With the door shut. Do you really want to be discovered with Nigel's body should anyone happen to wander down this hallway?”

“His body? Good gracious, sir, you needn't make it sound as if he were dead.”