Page 84 of Marry in Secret
She could see he didn’t want to ask, and she had no intention of enlightening him.
She opened the door. “Good morning, Kirk. Isn’t it a lovely day?”
***
Yes Thomas, no Thomas, three bags full, Thomas. Always said in such a butter-wouldn’t-melt fashion, and with that bewitching smile of hers that turned him inside out and full of knots, hard and wanting and frustrated. And still he had no idea.
He’d commanded ships full of hardened sailors, dammit. He’d fought off pirates, kept five men alive in a hellish journey across the desert by his willpower alone. Survived years in the galleys.
And then, Rose.
A merry dance was right.
He threw her up into her saddle and helped her settle in, then mounted his own horse. Quite a decent hack, too, a thoroughbred gelding. He thanked Kirk. They walked their horses through the early morning traffic to Hyde Park. Rose and Thomas led the way, with Kirk bringing up the rear.
Their argument continued, low-voiced and vehement. She was not going to Barbary. Yes, she was. If he could go, she could go. Danger? If it wasn’t too dangerous for him, surely it wouldn’t be too dangerous for her? Sauce for the gander, sauce for the infuriating goose.
Tempers were rising. As they reached Lily, Galbraith, George and Ashendon waiting at the gates, Rose trotted forward to greet them. Hugs all round.
Every meeting of the members of this family was like a grand reunion after months apart, when in fact they’d all been together last night.
Rose said something and the three women turned to stare at him. Thomas heard her mutter something about “... stubborn, thickheaded, bacon-brained, pigheaded mule of a man.” Rose, Lily and George cantered away, with Galbraith and Kirk coming up in the rear.
“Trouble in paradise?” Ashendon said silkily.
Thomas turned to look at him. “How are those scabs of yours coming along?” he said pleasantly. “Should make a nice showing by the ball, don’t you think?”
Ashendon scowled and they rode along for a bit in silence.
Lily came trotting up to Thomas. “You’re not really taking Rose to the Barbary Coast, are you, Mr. Beresford?” she said anxiously. “It sounds awfully dangerous to me.”
“What? You arenottaking my sister to that hellhole!”Ashendon snarled before Thomas could even open his mouth. “Are you insane?”
“No, I—”
“Oh, but it’sperfectlysafe,” Rose trilled happily as she joined them. “Thomas has assured me that he knowsexactlywhat he’s doing.”
“What I said was—”
“You must be mad.” Galbraith joined them. “That place is notorious. A noxious nest of pirates, slavers and worse.”
“I kn—”
“Oh, but Thomas knows all about it, Edward,” Rose said. “He says it’s perfectly safe and I believe him. I’m so excited to be going. I’ve never been anywhere foreign and exotic.”
“I refuse to allow—” Ashendon began.
“Once and for all, Rose, I amnottaking you with me,” Thomas snapped in a voice that could silence a ship full of hardened seamen. The members of her family blinked, looked from him to Rose and back, then visibly relaxed.
But it was water off a duck’s back for Rose. “You don’t have a choice, Thomas. If you go, I go.”
“I made a promise to those men. I gave myword. Ihaveto go.”
“Fine. And I’ll come with you.”
He groaned. “For the last time—”
“Whither thou goest, Thomas. Whither thou goest.”
