Page 13 of A Talent for Temptation
She bristled. “Quinn is not an arse!” She dragged her corset on over her shift, though she had no hope of fastening it without help.
“Quinn?” Fulkham stared hard at her. “How long have you two been—”
“Months, actually.” Quinn went over to stand behind her so he could lace up her corset. “She didn’t want you to know because she didn’t think you’d approve.”
“Damned right I wouldn’t,” Fulkham ground out. “She’s worth ten of you.”
“Well, that’s certainly something we agree on,” Quinn muttered as he helped her get her gown on.
The minute he finished fastening the buttons, she strode over to face down Fulkham. “You’re wrong about him! Quinn is honorable and good and . . . and honest, somethingyou’reincapable of. What’s more, he’s terribly brave. Why, he just risked his life for me!”
Fulkham’s gaze narrowed on Quinn again. “Did he, now?”
Quinn stifled a groan. Bloody, bloody hell. “Meriel—”
“Yes, he did,” she said stoutly. “He saved me from abduction by some fellow who was probably sent on behalf of whomever it wasyouwanted me to spy on tonight.”
Fulkham’s mouth dropped. “Are you mad? Youtoldhim about the spying?”
She sniffed. “Yes, I did. I got tired of inventing excuses for why I always had to cancel plans withhimbecause ofyou,” she said, poking at Gregory with her finger. “That’s why he came here in the first place—because I’d been forced to cancel again. So he came over to talk to me, just in time to stop a man from trying to carry me off.”
“Anarmedman?” Fulkham said in alarm.
“Not exactly. I mean . . .”
“So where does the ‘risked his life’ bit come in?” Fulkham asked, clearly suspicious.
“Well. I . . . I had already pulled out my knife to defend myself when Quinn confronted the villain, who then pushed me into Quinn.” She tipped up her chin. “And I accidentally . . . er . . . stabbedhim.” She pointed to Quinn’s bandaged arm. “And it’s all because ofyouand your infernal machinations!”
Judging from Fulkham’s hardening expression, he either knew or had guessed the truth about the abduction. Quinn’s world was about to come crashing down about his ears.
Cursing himself, he headed for his clothes. Forthis, he’d better be dressed.
As Quinn tied his cravat about his neck to make up for his lack of a shirt, Fulkham drawled, “My ‘infernal’ machinations had nothing to do with any abduction attempt, I assure you. Do you know why I’m back so early?”
The hard edge to the man’s words made Quinn’s stomach roil. Fulkham knew, all right. Someone must have alerted him.
Meriel didn’t yet seem to notice the tension in her brother-in-law’s voice. “To chide me for not showing up at your stupid ball to do one of your stupid missions?”
Fulkham was clearly taken aback to hear her speak to him so harshly. “Er . . . no, of course not.” He glanced from her to Quinn and scowled. “I’m here because—”
“Because apparently he has somehow found out that the abduction was all a sham,” Quinn said wearily. If anyone was going to tell her the truth, it would behim,not bloody Fulkham. “So he probably came to save you from me andmymachinations.”
She whirled to stare at him agape.
“The man who tried to abduct you was my servant. I planned the whole thing so I could step in to rescue you, and thus prove my . . . worth to you.”
A glint of amusement appeared in Fulkham’s eyes. “Actually, I wasgoingto say that I’m here because I got word that the princess didn’t attend the ball after all, and because my meeting ended early, but—”
“Wait a minute,” Meriel interrupted. She fixed Quinn with a glittering gaze. “You’re telling me that you frightened me half out of my wits just topretendto rescue me from abduction?”
Quinn cringed to hear it put like that. “Yes. You were never in any danger, love.”
“Don’t call me that!” She strode up to him, her face showing such betrayal that it filled him with self-loathing. “You don’t know the meaning of the word. You let me think that I had been the cause of your getting hurt, that I had putyouin danger! And all because—”
“Because I’m an idiot.”
“You’ll get no argument fromme,” Fulkham muttered.
