Page 45 of Pride: The Rogue
The bloody sod. “I see.”
“What do you seethistime, Lachlan?” Livian rejoined with her patent humor.
“He didn’t want his sisters-in-law underfoot.”
She stared at him, this time, with sadness. “You are determined to see the worst, and expect it, in people, are you not, Lachlan? Throughout history, people, time and time again, have given plenty of reasons for a person to be less than trustingand more suspicious of others.” She went on to explain. “My brother-in-law is as devoted and loving as Verity. He was the one who insisted I learn how to protect myself and personally instructed me on how to do so.”
He grunted. “Given your display earlier tonight, he did an admirable job.”
“Are you always this reluctant in your praise, Lachlan?”
“I generally don’t find many reasons to give people praise on account the majority of people don’t deserve it.”
Despite himself, and despite the strong urge to hate the bastard for having let Livian go gallivanting of on her own throughout England, he felt a begrudging respect for the gentleman’s discernment.
Livian gave him a long, pitying, look. “How sad.”
Latimer’s skepticism remained strong. “If your sister and brother-in-law are devoted and loving,” as she insisted, “then why did they let you go off?”
“Letme?” Another laugh erupted from the lady’s, full, beguiling red lips. “Lachlan, do I strike you as a woman who requires anyone’s permission?”
No, he’d allow her that.
“Verity and Malcom would keep me about forever, if I let them. I didn’t wantmyselfunderfoot.”
“So you just left?”
“Yes.” Livian gave a somber nod. “With no destination in mind, no plan in my head, I left.”
He narrowed his eyes. Surely, she hadn’t been so careless—
Livian rolled her eyes. “Of course, I’m not so careless.”
Latimer squirmed. “I didn’t say you were.”
She smirked. “You didn’thaveto.”
For the thousandth time in less than a night, he found this slip of a beauty unnerving the hell out of him.
“Very well,” he pressed his palms flat upon the table and peered more closely at her, “where are you destined for, darlin’?”
His brave, direct, spirited, companion’s courage flagged for the first time. She studiously avoided his gaze.
It hadn’t been his entry into her bedchambers or the way he’d pinned her under him. It hadn’t been when he’d stalked over to her table and called her out. Or when she’d revealed there was no Mr. Lovelace.
But rather…this question.
Folding his arms, Latimer sat in patient wait.
He had all night.
Not that he’d need it. In a short time, he’d gathered enough about the chit to know her pride wouldn’t let her avoid him, forever.
Sure enough, after her thorough sweep of the empty taproom, Livian brought her shoulders back, and looked him in the eye.
“I’m going to meet my husband.”
Her husband?
