Page 104 of The Lady Needs a Rogue
“Ah, there has to be. We both know Macie rebels at any attempt to rein her in.”
Rein her in.Why in blazes would anyone want to hold a brilliant woman like Macie back from following her own heart?
“The lass has a mind of her own.”
“Now that, my friend, is putting it mildly. She’s a force of nature.” Jon pointed to his hair. “You see these gray hairs? Each one should have my sister’s name on it. But enough of that. Iknow what you want to discuss.” He smiled broadly. “Consider the contracts yours, my friend.”
By hellfire, the deal was done.
He’d secured the contracts for his family’s distillery. He had justified his family’s trust.
“That is tremendous news. You won’t regret this.”
Not until I tell you the truth about Macie. And me.
“I’ve seen no mention of her name in the scandal sheets. For that alone, I owe you, Finn. A blasted miracle, I’d say.”
Jon’s tone was like a burr beneath Finn’s heel. His view of Macie as a crisis to be managed was so blasted far from the truth.
“Ye trusted me to watch over her.” Finn kept his tone deliberately bland.
“You earned every one of those contracts. And then some,” Jon said. “I suppose Macie’s charade kept her out of trouble while it held the heiress hunters at bay.”
Jon’s attitude rubbed against the grain. Suddenly, Finn understood why Macie chafed against the restrictions of her life. But he held back the first words that came to mind. For now, he had to speak his intentions.
“Jon, there’s something ye need to know.”
“We’ll work out the details of the contracts. My assistant handles all the business with numbers and calculations and such,” Jon went on. “I must admit, I had my doubts. But there is a code of honor among rogues like you and me.”
Logan coughed against the fist he held to his mouth.
“Wouldn’t you say so, Finn? Some things are simply off limits.” Jon studied him over his steepled fingers. “Simply not done.”
As Logan made another deliberate cough against his balled hand, Finn followed his gaze to the open door.
Bollocks.
Amelia strolled through the doorway with Macie by her side. Nell and Mrs. Johnstone lingered in the corridor outside the room.
“Hello, Logan. Please pardon the intrusion,” Amelia said with a soft smile. “We did not wish to interrupt.”
“Yer presence could never be considered an intrusion,” Logan said. The look in his eyes made it clear he was as besotted with his wife as he had been on the day they exchanged their vows.
“I wanted to share our latest acquisition with the ladies. I so adore the watercolor piece.” Scanning the room, she frowned. “I thought it was hanging behind your desk.”
“I asked Murray to display it in the front dining room.”
“A delightful placement,” Amelia said. Her eyes narrowing, she offered Finn a perfunctory greeting, then turned to Jon. “It’s good to see you’ve returned safely from your journey.”
“All is well at the Inverness store. We shall soon be open for business.”
“How wonderful.” She slanted Macie a speaking glance. “Ladies, shall we proceed to view the painting?”
“Of course,” Macie said. “I do require a moment, if you don’t mind.”
Amelia sent Finn a speaking glance. A warning. “Of course.”
Macie flashed her brother a soft smile. “A code of honor among rogues, you say? I had no idea such a thing could exist.”
