Page 22 of The Lady Needs a Rogue
“Chase away?” She pursed her coral lips. “No, that won’t be necessary. Your very presence will serve as a deterrent.” Her gaze swept over him, from the tip of his boots to his head. “You are, after all, a rather imposing man, with your height and what I presume are genuine muscles under your suit.”
Finn could not resist his own curiosity. “Genuine muscles?”
“It’s rather a long story, I’m afraid, but there was one rather unfortunate marquis who thought to impress the ladies with his powerful physique. Unfortunately, at one point during a rather vigorous dance—the polka, as I recall, or was it the mazurka?—the padding beneath his jacket slipped. You can only imagine the poor man’s mortification when hisbroad shouldersended up somewhere they should not have been.” She gave a little sigh. “I did feel badly for that one.”
Jon nodded along. “That was a rather horrific sight. I suspect he’d also padded his thighs. After the excursion onto the ballroom floor, his knees appeared rather lumpy, didn’t they?”
Macie nibbled her bottom lip, as though to stifle the giggle she could not entirely silence. “Oh, dear, I’d forgotten about that. For once,Iwas not the one who created the scene.”
Jon plowed his hand through his hair. “Thatwasquite a spectacle.”
“Indeed.” Macie smiled. “I’d wager my last shilling that will not be an issue for Finn.”
“You should not be commenting on a gentleman’s... build,” Jon said, his expression weary.
“As he has pointed out, I’ve known him since I was a girl. In that time, I certainly was able to observe that he has acquired an athletic build from his sporting pursuits. I see no difference between that observation and noting that his eyes are brown.”
Jon frowned. “You know what I mean, Macie.”
“Myathletic buildis not relevant,” Finn said, eyeing the door.
“To the contrary, it plays a part in the scenario I’m envisioning. I’ve heard rumors that you’re quite good with your fists. Is it true you enjoy the sport of boxing?”
Bollocks.How much gossip had she heard about him since she returned to London? “It is true that I enter the ring from time to time.”
“Well, I’m confident the scrawny milksops I’ve encountered in the city would not want to cross a man who is unafraid of violence.”
He cocked a brow, flashed a purposeful scowl, and went to the door. “Protecting ye is one thing. Playing the role of walking and talkinglord repellentis another. I will not create one scandal while trying to prevent another.”
“Are you positive you want to leave now, Mr. Caldwell?” She cocked her chin. Her eyes were the color of a lush forest on a spring Highland morn. “I know my brother well enough to understand that he is not above applying a bit of leverage to work a situation to his advantage. Now, I don’t know precisely what Jon has offered that would convince you to watch over me like an oversized governess—but are you certain you can simply leave it behind?”
Bloody hell.“Oversized governess? Shakespeare’s shrew had nothing on ye,Miss Mason.”
Her eyes flashed. “Unlike Kate, I have no intention of being tamed.”
“What man would possess the patience?” he asked coolly.
“Macie, what are you talking about?” Jon spoke up, his tone betraying his alarm.
“Come now, dear brother. Surely you don’t think me so naïve as to believe Finn Caldwell’s offer to serve as my unofficial bodyguard is motivated solely by a dedication to protect me from the villains who evidently lurk in every shadow of every corner in London.”
Her words cut, though Finn didn’t entirely understand why he gave a damn. “I meant what I said, Macie. Ye put yerself in positions where ye’re vulnerable. Thevillainsmight not be lurking in every shadow. But the curs are there, even in the ballrooms of the city’s most affluent mavens.”
Her features were set in an impassive expression, but she did not hide the scowl in her eyes. “And you, of all people, took it upon yourself to watch over me. How very noble.”
Jon shot him a look of confusion, but Finn ignored it. At the moment, this was between him and Macie.
“It is nothing of the sort. We both know that. I can protect ye. It’s not complicated.” He felt the weight of the truth he’d omitted even as he spoke the words. He wanted the blasted contracts. The deal mattered to him. And to his family. But above that, he wanted to know Macie was safe while she was on her own in the city. He wanted to be there to watch over her. Somehow, that mattered even more than the bargain he’d made with her brother.
“You’re right—it isn’t complicated. The way I see it, your presence will create an illusion that will work to my advantage.”
“What in blazes are ye getting at?”
“If you don’t walk away... if you don’t leave, I will tolerate your presence as bodyguard of sorts.” She pulled in a breath, as though the words had been difficult for her to speak. “But in the process, you will assist me in creating an illusion.”
“I’m still here,” he said after a long moment. If he had any sense, he’d walk out of the door. Right then. Right there. But somehow, he couldn’t leave her. “What is it ye have in mind?”
“When I’m out and about, you intend to be there, watching over my every move in the name of security. Do you not?”
