Page 73 of The Lady Needs a Rogue
“With every beat of my heart, I want ye more.”
Gently, she pressed her hand to his chest, her warmth penetrating the linen of his shirt. Bloody hell, was she bent on driving him mad?
“Your heart is strong, Finn. And true.” She raised up on her tiptoes and kissed him again, the caress soft and delicate and sensual. “As is mine.”
A familiar voice cut into the quiet moment. Blast it, was that Nell? Taking a step back, he met Macie’s slight, sudden frown. So, she’d heard it, too.
“She’s signaling me. Just as we’d agreed.” Macie’s voice held a quiet tone of resignation as she quickly eased out the crumples in her skirts with the heels of her hands.
Without another word, Finn smoothed Macie’s wayward curls into place. At least, as well as he could. There was nothing to be done about the rosy flush on her cheeks, he thought, smiling to himself.
“Let’s go.” He caught her hand in his. “Before the queen’s guard itself comes searching for ye.”
“That would be best,” she said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself.
He opened the door and scanned the corridor.No one in sight.He motioned to Macie to follow him.
They’d made it to the end of the corridor before Nell encountered them. “Oh, thank heaven,” she said breathlessly. “I was hoping to warn you.”
“Warn me?” Macie’s forehead furrowed.
“That dolt of a baron is carrying tales that you were accosted... by Finn.”
“Oh, that lying sot,” Macie said between her teeth.
“You need to return to the ballroom,” Nell went on. “Lady Fenwick has dispatched the fellow who watches over the security of the house to look for you.”
He resisted the urge to utter an epithet. “That bloke is not going to be content until he’s had an encounter with my fists.”
“That will not help matters. You’ll need a suitable explanation for where you’d gone.” Nell’s gaze swept over Macie. She smiled. “Beyond what one might assume.”
“You mean beyond what is obvious,” Macie said with a sly little grin.
“I suppose I do.” Nell motioned to them to follow her along a different hallway that led to the back of the ballroom. “Jason showed me this route.”
“Jason?” Macie asked as they hurried down the corridor.
“One of the musicians. He’s the violinist... I think.”
“Thank goodness you’ve spent the evening getting to know everyone,” Macie said.
Nell’s dark curls bobbed as she shook her head. “Not everyone. I could give a fig about those pinched-face debutantes. So, do you know what you’re going tell them?”
“If the question arises, I’ll simply speak the truth. At least, the first part of it.”
They entered the ballroom through a door behind the musicians’ stands. Shadowed as it was, it was possible that few noticed or cared about their obviously covert reappearance.
Within moments, Finn felt a penetrating gaze directed his way.Bloody hell. Lady Fenwick stood on a balcony, appearing to survey the crowd through opera glasses. Lady Drayton stood to her right, her pinched features growing even more tight as she stared down at him.
“Yer favorite hostess has spotted us,” he said to Macie.
“It would have to be her, wouldn’t it?” Macie sighed in resignation.
“Oh, dear,” Nell said. “On the bright side, perhaps she’ll cool her attempts to make a match.”
“Not likely,” Macie said. “A little tarnish on my name won’t dull the shine on my father’s shillings.”
Suddenly, an ox of a man who wore an ill-fitting suit rather than a costume stepped into their path. He stared down at Macie. “You’re Miss Mason, are you not?”
