"Lord Hawley, I do realize how this must look to you. The truth is-"
His brows drew together. "You didn't intend coming here to be my mistress, did you?"
"I did ... and I do have more suitable clothes."
"Perhaps. But the fact is you couldn't have worn worse ones."
"I'm offended you think so. As I said to you I may dress as a widow, it doesn't mean I am one underne-"
"I know what you said. What you said is beside the point when you agreed this afternoon to do it in exchange for seeing the papers."
"And I am going to do it in exchange for the papers." A stroke of sheer genius occurred. "I just need to make my necessary preparations in private so we might begin the evening for-"
"Prove it."
Her gaze froze on the embroidered leaf on his waistcoat. "P-prove it?" she stammered.
"If your
