Page 67 of The Lady Needs a Rogue
“I wouldn’t say it if it were not the truth,” he said. “Ye have a true talent, Macie. Now, back to my question. Are ye ready for this charade of yers to be over?”
“It’s rather early in the game, don’t you think?”
“I’ve reason to think it’s a game we should not be playing.”
“Perhaps that explains why you haven’t even been trying. Other than glowering at Mr. Aylesworth and a few nervous nobles, you haven’t given anyone a reason to believe you were not merely watching over me.”
“Ye didn’t need me shadowing yer every move.”
“It’s not just that. You know what I mean.” Macie met his eyes. “You know the terms of our agreement.”
“Terms of our agreement?” Again, he rubbed his jaw. “Ye sound like one of the solicitors who pens the documents for our company.”
She hiked her chin. “I have no doubt you understand what I mean. I am tired of having to suffer the attentions of boors and fools and cads.”
“I see that, lass. But ye shouldn’t be willing to shut out every man because of these foolish blokes.”
I’m not.Macie drank in the slightly gruff sound of his voice.I don’t want to shut you out.
Oh, dear.The thought jarred her. She couldn’t possibly be falling for Phineas Caldwell. That was the last thing—the very last thing—she needed.
“At the moment, that’s a chance I’m willing to take.” She forced a thin smile.
“Ye’re sure of that?” Finn’s eyes narrowed as he seemed to study her. “Ye wouldn’t want to give the intrepid explorer Aylesworth the wrong idea, now. Would ye?”
“That will not be a problem. Mr. Aylesworth is interested in my skill behind a camera. Nothing more.”
“I would not wager my last dollar on that, lass. He is a man. And he has eyes in his head.”
Macie bit back a grin. “Why, Finn Caldwell, if I didn’t know better, I’d suspect you were jealous.”
“Not a chance.”
“Well, now that we’ve settled that, may we move to another topic of conversation?”
The notes of a waltz filled the room. He glanced toward the ballroom floor. His eyes lit with a low fire as he turned back to her. “If ye’re set on playing this game, it’s high time we make our move.”
A whisper of warning played in her thoughts.I’ve reason to think it’s a game we should not be playing.Perhaps he was right. Was this scheme mere folly? Or was there a risk to this charade, if only to her heart?
Banishing her doubts to the recesses of her mind, she squared her shoulders. “Shall we give them something to talk about?”
He flashed a sly grin. “If that is what ye want, who am I to deny a lady?”
Chapter Twenty
As the strainsof a waltz droned on, Finn gazed into the narrowed eyes of the woman he awkwardly led through the motions of the waltz. He smothered a chuckle at the irony of her words.Shall we give them something to talk about?
Macie had certainly gotten her wish, hadn’t she? Though not in the manner she’d anticipated.
As if she’d read his thoughts, her mouth dipped down at the corner, not quite a frown.Bloody hell.He winced as Macie’s not-so-dainty slipper mashed his toes. Again. Was she deliberately stepping on his feet? No, he doubted that. She’d nibbled her lower lip, as she tended to do when she was embarrassed or worried.
By thunder, between the two of them, they could do nothing right. While weaving through the dancers in the ballroom, they’d clumsily collided with another couple, nearly toppling the bejeweled crown perched upon a scowling socialite’s upswept hair. Moments later, Macie had nearly detached the preposterous tail from a dandified lion. Not that she was completely at fault. The scrawny noble within the costume had seemed nearly overwhelmed by his bulky, ridiculous mane. Even so, her cheeks had turned scarlet while she apologized for the single errant step that left the appendage dangling by mere threads.
For his part, Finn had not felt so bloody awkward since he’d been a green lad squiring about his first debutante. Eachstep was uneasy, as though he wore weights on his legs, each movement overly stiff as he held her as far from his body as the dance would allow. As for his own aching toes, he’d lost count of how many times Macie had managed to tread lightly—and not so lightly—upon his feet. With each wayward press of her shoe against his, he gave silent thanks for the decision to wear sturdy boots with his half-hearted attempt at a costume.
By the time they’d suffered through a few dances, Macie’s mortified reaction to trampling upon the bloke’s costume had eased, though her features were still a bit pinched. Through her terse, plastered-on smile, she appeared as ill at ease as he was. Perhaps even more so. Had she sensed the truth he was unwilling to speak?
You haven’t given anyone a reason to believe you were not merely watching over me.
