not understand your sarcasm. I should think you would he alarmed to learn that the tale I told
you may well he true and that a friend of yours is also a blackmailer's victim. Why are you angry with
me?"
"I suggest that you construct a reasonable hypothesis to explain my irritation."
"I beg your pardon?"
"A guess, Mrs. Bright. Make a guess."
Iphiginia's mouth dropped open. Now he was being more than sarcastic. He was becoming impossibly
rude. She swiftly composed her expression when she noticed three lounging dandies gazing raptly at her.
She blocked their view with her parasol.
"This is ridiculous, Masters. Why are you annoyed with me?"
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Because I have come to the obvious conclusion that you are very likely the blackmailer."
"What on earth?" Iphiginia came to a complete halt. She yanked her arm free and whirled about to
confront Marcus. "You go too far, sir. What do you think I am?"
"A clever, scheming little adventuress who has gone one step beyond the pale." Marcus's voice was soft,
but it was weighted with steel. "Last night I found your silly masquerade amusing."
"My lord, please-" "I was even going to go along with the charade for a whites I will admit that you are
far and away the most interesting female who has crossed my path in some time. However, this morning
when I learned the truth, I decided that you were no longer nearly so amusing, madam."
"No longer amusing? Of all the stupid, idiotic, offensive things to say. You clearly do not know what you
are talking about. I will not stand here and listen to your accusations, sir." Iphiginia turned on her heel.
She could bear the tittering laughs of the lounging dandies.
Marcus put out a hand and caught her arm. "Not so fast. I have one or two questions to put to you,
Iphiginia' "
"I have better things to do than answer your insulting questions."
"Such as?" "Such as find the blackmailer," Iphiginia hissed. "Let me go, my lord, or I promise you, I shall
scream."
"They'd take it, we are not inDrury Lane. Kindly cease the theatrics." Marcus brought her forcibly
around so that she was once again obliged to face him. "Unless, of course, you want news of this little
scene to be all over Town this evening?"
"Why should that concern me? Everyone in Town is already talking about us, my lord."
"You must believe me when I tell you that the gossip can get a great deal worse than it already is. If you
persist in quarreling with me in the middle of a public thoroughfare, I promise you that it will."
Iphiginia flushed. "Is that a threat, Masters?" "It is. If you do not maintain at least the pretense of being a
lady, I am not going to continue acting the gentleman. I swear, if you try to walk away from me, I shall
put you over my shoulder and carry you off to someplace where we can continue this discussion without
an audience.
Iphiginia was seething. "You would not dare." "Would you care to place a wager on that, Iphiginia?" he
asked much too softly. "It was one thing for me to carry a swooning lady out of the Fenwicks' ballroom
last night. It will be quite another if I haul you off as though you were a sack of coal this afternoon."
Iphiginia contemplated her options for a few seconds. She was acutely aware of the growing number of
stares aimed in her direction. More than one head had turned. More than one ear was discreetly cocked
in an attempt to overhear the fascinating exchange that was taking place between Masters and his new
paramour.
It was obvious from the ruthless set of his jaw and the unyielding line of his mouth that Marcus was in a
dangerous mood. He was apparently willing to stage a humiliating quarrel for the entertainment of the
fashionable shoppers inPall Mallif Iphiginia did not accede to his wishes.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Very well, my lord." She gave him a brittle smile as she placed her
you may well he true and that a friend of yours is also a blackmailer's victim. Why are you angry with
me?"
"I suggest that you construct a reasonable hypothesis to explain my irritation."
"I beg your pardon?"
"A guess, Mrs. Bright. Make a guess."
Iphiginia's mouth dropped open. Now he was being more than sarcastic. He was becoming impossibly
rude. She swiftly composed her expression when she noticed three lounging dandies gazing raptly at her.
She blocked their view with her parasol.
"This is ridiculous, Masters. Why are you annoyed with me?"
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Because I have come to the obvious conclusion that you are very likely the blackmailer."
"What on earth?" Iphiginia came to a complete halt. She yanked her arm free and whirled about to
confront Marcus. "You go too far, sir. What do you think I am?"
"A clever, scheming little adventuress who has gone one step beyond the pale." Marcus's voice was soft,
but it was weighted with steel. "Last night I found your silly masquerade amusing."
"My lord, please-" "I was even going to go along with the charade for a whites I will admit that you are
far and away the most interesting female who has crossed my path in some time. However, this morning
when I learned the truth, I decided that you were no longer nearly so amusing, madam."
"No longer amusing? Of all the stupid, idiotic, offensive things to say. You clearly do not know what you
are talking about. I will not stand here and listen to your accusations, sir." Iphiginia turned on her heel.
She could bear the tittering laughs of the lounging dandies.
Marcus put out a hand and caught her arm. "Not so fast. I have one or two questions to put to you,
Iphiginia' "
"I have better things to do than answer your insulting questions."
"Such as?" "Such as find the blackmailer," Iphiginia hissed. "Let me go, my lord, or I promise you, I shall
scream."
"They'd take it, we are not inDrury Lane. Kindly cease the theatrics." Marcus brought her forcibly
around so that she was once again obliged to face him. "Unless, of course, you want news of this little
scene to be all over Town this evening?"
"Why should that concern me? Everyone in Town is already talking about us, my lord."
"You must believe me when I tell you that the gossip can get a great deal worse than it already is. If you
persist in quarreling with me in the middle of a public thoroughfare, I promise you that it will."
Iphiginia flushed. "Is that a threat, Masters?" "It is. If you do not maintain at least the pretense of being a
lady, I am not going to continue acting the gentleman. I swear, if you try to walk away from me, I shall
put you over my shoulder and carry you off to someplace where we can continue this discussion without
an audience.
Iphiginia was seething. "You would not dare." "Would you care to place a wager on that, Iphiginia?" he
asked much too softly. "It was one thing for me to carry a swooning lady out of the Fenwicks' ballroom
last night. It will be quite another if I haul you off as though you were a sack of coal this afternoon."
Iphiginia contemplated her options for a few seconds. She was acutely aware of the growing number of
stares aimed in her direction. More than one head had turned. More than one ear was discreetly cocked
in an attempt to overhear the fascinating exchange that was taking place between Masters and his new
paramour.
It was obvious from the ruthless set of his jaw and the unyielding line of his mouth that Marcus was in a
dangerous mood. He was apparently willing to stage a humiliating quarrel for the entertainment of the
fashionable shoppers inPall Mallif Iphiginia did not accede to his wishes.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Very well, my lord." She gave him a brittle smile as she placed her
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