Page 51 of The Rogue's Last Scandal
Her hand slid down, cupped his arse, and drowned his voice of reason.
“Charley.”
His hand had found her breast. He batted back his conscience.
“Charley.”Louder now.
Her sweet hands squeezed him and deafened the voice.
“Charley”Two vises gripped him, hauled him up, and landed him across the room into a bookcase. A door slammed. “What the devil,” Bink roared. “My wife?” Bink’s fist crashed, rattling the desk.
When his vision cleared, Graciela had turned away and was struggling with her veils. And Bink...Bink’s eyes glowed with amusement.
“Someone besides McCollum saw us,” Charley said. “Oh hell. They’ll think Paulette and I...Oh hell. Paulette—”
“Will laugh about it. McCollum is speaking to his clerk right now.”
Charley righted himself and smoothed his waistcoat. “I don’t trust the man.”
“The banker?” Graciela asked in a small voice.
Embarrassed she was, and it was his fault. He straightened her veil.
“Charley means the clerk.”
He looked at Bink, who was retrieving a quill that had jumped off the desk when he pounded it.
“I believe we’re holding better cards than Kingsley,” Bink said. “The stakes are too high for McCollum to side with him and Carvelle. The clerk, however, might be looking to supplement his salary.”
“Exactly,” Charley said, his head clearing.
McCollum slipped into the room and closed the door. “Your people are in place.” He frowned, distressed by all the day’s events, no doubt.
“Good.” Charley offered Graciela his arm.
“Wait.” She gripped her hands at her waist. “Mr. McCollum. I should like to know when I may take my money.”
McCollum’s eyes widened and quickly narrowed. His lips pursed. “Your guardian—”
“No. I must leave this country. For that I need my money. When may I have it?”
“Until you are of age, your guardian has control of that. Unless you marry sooner, and the decision will be your husband’s.”
Charley could not see her face under the heavy veil. He could not read her eyes or see the set of her mouth or the twitch of her jaw clenching. He did not need to. Her spine straightened into a stiff line and told him everything he needed to know.
And he decided. They would marry, and he would give her control of every penny and then set her free.
On the wayback to Shaldon House, Graciela sat squashed next to Mr. Gibson in this plain carriage, with Charley across from them. Neither man spoke, to her, or to each other. Nor did they look at her. Their attention was divided equally between the windows on each side of the coach.
She longed to rip these veils from her eyes so she could also see properly. All the shadows showed her were the legs of their guards’ horses and the men’s rugged boots.
The shadows compressed her chest and she fought for a breath.
Charley’s hand touched hers briefly, and the edge of the veil lifted an inch. “Deep breaths, Graciela. You must wear this bloody disguise until we are home.”
“It is not my home,” she spluttered.
“Nor mine,” said Mr. Gibson, and she heard in his voice a deep concern that took her out of herself. He had a wife and child he was thinking of.
“Ah, well, until we have reached sanctuary, then,” Charley said. The veil stretched at an angle like a jib sail, and she found she could catch some air now. It was, however, intoxicating air, filled with his scent and his attention.
Unless I come along.Warmth expanded her chest and flew up into her cheeks. His presence might be a hindrance, because once she arrived in the new world, she intended to search for her father. Unless he would help her.
But…would he give this up—his brothers, his sister, his father—to come with her and Reina? So tempting it was, to have Reina, and her money, and these deft hands that could manage even this flimsy bit of netting.
She pushed the thought away. He would only interfere and try to direct her.
She must speak with Francisca and Juan, she must prepare them to be ready to depart quickly at a moment’s notice, when she somehow had acquired her funds. It would not be difficult. They had nothing left but the clothes on their backs and each other.
The coach jolted, andcrack!Charley crashed onto her, pushing her into the squab. A horse shrieked and men’s curses filled the air.
