Page 105 of The Lady Needs a Rogue
“If honor can exist among thieves, then why not rogues like your brother?” Jon questioned in a wry tone.
“Indeed.” Macie’s gaze was colored by an emotion Finn could not entirely read. How much had she heard?
“Aren’t you going to welcome me back?” Jon asked.
“Of course.” Macie graced her brother with a faint smile. “I’m delighted to see you’ve made it back to London, and without somuch as an additional gray hair. I shall have to see to that matter immediately.”
“I do wish you wouldn’t.” Jon appeared oblivious to the not-quite-teasing tone of her voice.
As she spoke, Macie seemed to deliberately avoid meeting Finn’s eyes. “I shall endeavor to remain scandal-free. If one does not hold stumbling upon dead men everywhere I turn against me.”
“I’m told the man who collapsed at the theater was old enough to be our grandfather.” Jon sounded quite rational. “I hear the unfortunate fellow perished from natural causes.”
“We can hope that is true,” Macie said blandly. “I presume all is well in Scotland, or you would not be here.”
“Operations are running smoothly. Until the next crisis, that is.”
“Excellent. Papa will be pleased, I’m sure,” Macie said. “I suppose congratulations are in order, Mr. Caldwell.”
Seldom had Finn felt as tongue-tied as he had at that moment. Seeing his hesitation, Macie added, “For the contracts. How nice that your family’s business will now have a tie to mine.”
He felt as if he were walking into a trap. “The arrangement will provide benefits for both family enterprises.”
“Indeed. I do know how vigilant you are about fulfilling the terms of an agreement.” Her smile was radiant, even as daggers flashed in her emerald eyes. “You certainly met all the terms of our bargain, though I do understand it was a challenge. But you persevered, did you not?”
Bloody hell, she was magnificent. Especially when her eyes gleamed like that.
“Persevered?” Finn shook his head as he met her gaze. “Thatis not the word I would use.”
She blinked and pressed her lips together, appearing to swallow against an emotion she didn’t want him to see. “In any case, this is truly an excellent time to inform my brother of my exciting news.”
Jon sat up straighter, his interest perked. “You’ve finally found a man capable of convincing you to walk down the aisle?”
“No, silly, it’s nothing so banal as that. Not to mention, convenient for you.” A subtle half-smile played on her lips. “This recent development might prove a wee bit scandalous, but I do hope you’ll understand why this adventure is so important to me. Grandpapa would be so very proud of me.”
Adventure.
Bollocks.Finn braced for a bare-knuckled fist to the gut while Jon studied her, looking as if he was preparing for a very large boot to drop.
“Macie, what are you talking about?” Jon asked.
“It is truly the most exciting news,” she said, dropping her voice as if she were sharing a scandalous secret. “You see, Jon, I’ve been offered the opportunity to participate in a research expedition to Athens. I shall be their documentarian. And I’ve decided to accept.”
Chapter Thirty
Acode ofhonor among rogues . . .
My, her brother had certainly made the nature of his bargain with Finn clear, hadn’t he? As Macie wandered through her garden, the words tumbled about in her thoughts. Again. And again. The words had cut her deeply, though Jon had no way of knowing what he’d done. Evidently, Finn had no desire to reveal the turn their relationship had taken.
He had no reason to, now did he? Even as the pain went bone-deep, she had to face the truth. He had not lied to her. Not really. Finn had made her no promises. He’d uttered no declarations offorever. The wordlovehad never passed his lips.
Despite her heart’s dull ache, she knew the truth. Finn had fulfilled the terms of their bargain—the very terms she’d set. She had expected him to play the part of the besotted bodyguard.The heiress and her rake.Those had been her own blasted words. She’d thought herself clever then.
Now, she knew what a foolish game she’d played.
What’s your bloody secret? Macie rebels at any attempt to rein her in.Her brother’s words burned in her mind. How dare he speak of her as if she were an unsolvable problem to be contained.
Her cheeks heated with anger at the very thought. Macie pulled in a long, slow breath to calm herself. Dipping her head low, she drank in the lush aroma of her roses. She closed her eyes, savoring the scent. Such a true pleasure.
