A dangerous glint sparked in Lord Bryant’s eyes. His fingertips dug into her waist, beckoning her closer. She didn’t know what Lord Bryant looked like when he was bluffing, but if she were a betting woman, she didn’t think this was it.

He was at least a little bit upset with her.

Diana turned to Mr. Broadcreek. “You had better leave.”

“But . . .” Mr. Broadcreek said.

“You led her here.” Lord Bryant didn’t take his eyes off Diana’s, even as he growled at Mr. Broadcreek. “You cannot complain of the outcome.”

“Oh, come,” Mrs. Oliver said, grabbing Mr. Broadcreek by the elbow. “Let them be for a few minutes. We will be back to collect Diana in five minutes—not a moment more.”

Mr. Broadcreek took a step toward the door, then stopped, then took another step toward the door.

“Miss Barton.” Mr. Broadcreek wrenched his arm away from Mrs. Oliver when they reached the door. He turned around and pulled on the hem of his jacket. “Are you certain you will be all right alone with him?”

Now Mr. Broadcreek was worried about her reputation after dragging her all the way across town well into the night? The man was shameless.

“I will be quite safe. Lord Bryant only looks dangerous. Inside he is soft like a skein of yarn. Aren’t you, my treasure?” She really needed to figure out what to call him.

“Like a room full of yarn,” he said in that hard way of his.

Diana threw a smile at Mr. Broadcreek. He looked back and forth between Diana and Lord Bryant, his eyes pausing where Lord Bryant still held her at the waist. Diana had never seen him more hesitant. It was almost worth the baron’s wrath.

Lord Bryant indicated with a lift of his head that Mr. Broadcreek should vacate the room. After only half a breath’s hesitation, he turned and left. The door clicked closed, and Lord Bryant immediately dropped his hand from her waist.

“So . . .” Diana looked over the space between them. “You won’t be carrying out your threats?”

Lord Bryant threw his hands up in the air. “What are you doing here, Diana? It has been barely a week since we came to an agreement, and already you are breaking it. You cannot be here. Why won’t you comply with the one single thing I asked of you?”

“I wasn’t planning to come here. Mr. Broadcreek insisted on needing to ask you something. He waited all afternoon and into the evening for you to come into the office. When you never did, he demanded I take him to you.”

“Why do you do what that man says? He isn’t even a good man.”

“Oh, and you are a saint.”

“It doesn’t matter what I am, and you don’t listen to me anyway.”

“Mr. Broadcreek is an influential man. I have that vote coming up, and he knows people in the House of Lords.”

For the first time this evening, Lord Bryant raised his voice. “I’m in the House of Lords.”