Page 43 of Stolen By the Rogue
Gus, being his usual self, bowed low. “Augustus Trajan Jones at your service, Miss Scott.”
A clearly unimpressed Jane held out her hand. “There is no need for such formalities, Gus; George has explained about your professional occupation. Or, should I say, line of business? As for the grubby bits which your fellow, rogue of the road, accidently on purpose left out, Lady Alice was kind enough to impart them to me. I have no illusions.”
Gus righted himself and gave a questioning sideways stare at George. “What exactly did you tell her? And what did Alice say?”
For the first time since they had found the letter, Jane managed a smile. George let out a small sigh of relief.
“George told me that you have a beautiful yacht calledthe Nightwind—a vessel which you use to smuggle goods into England. I am yet to meet any friends of George who are not up to their eyeballs in illegal activities,” replied Jane.
Gus gave a dirty chuckle. “Ah, now I understand why Alice Steele thinks you are the best thing to ever happen to George. You have this blackguard’s measure. Promise me you will marry this rascal and make an honest man of him.”
Jane slowly shook her head. “I’m afraid you all have it wrong. George and I are merely business partners. Once this private venture is over, I expect he will go back to his old life, and I shall move on with mine.”
The spark of hope which had flared in George’s heart at Gus’s demand for Jane to marry him was instantly snuffed out. She had no intention of ever being his.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“So much for you promising to change your ways and live the life of an honest man,” said Jane.
She wasn’t even going to pretend that she was happy about him disappearing with Gus to a mysterious locale somewhere along the Kentish coast. They were smuggling in contraband, and that was all she needed to know. It set her temper to boiling point.
I am not going to ask them anything else. I really don’t want to know.
He sighed. “This was not of my choosing. Gus needs my help. Stephen is busy working a case for one of his clients. Monsale is still in the country, and there is no one else who can go.”
“What about Harry or is he too good for that sort of work?” she replied.
The fifth member of the rogues of the road never seemed to get his hands dirty.
“Harry only deals with the legitimate side of the business these days. Alice had that condition included as part of the marriage contract. If he ever touches anything illegal, she can cut him off without a penny.”
Clever girl. She is trying to protect her man.
From the time she had spent with Alice, Jane had learned enough of the woman to know she would make good on that threat if Lord Harry ever decided to be foolish.
“Gus will need to look for someone else going forward. That is if you are serious about changing your ways. Or perhaps you are not,” she replied.
“I have made a commitment to Gus, and I am going to keep it. The only thing you need to concern yourself about is staying away from leery shopkeepers,” he bit back.
She shot him an irritated scowl. This argument was giving her a headache. “I am perfectly safe here. And I will keep the loaded pistol with me at all times. I promise that if at any point during your absence I don’t feel right in staying at the house, I shall decamp to Harry and Alice’s home. Is that enough for you?” said Jane.
George cleared his throat. “I will be back in a week. In the meantime, just try and keep a low profile.”
In the years since her family had died, Jane had learned to take care of herself. It was annoying to hear a man deliver such rigid instructions—especially when he had no legal standing over her.
As if you have any right to tell me what to do. I am the one who decides my life.
“Please,” he added.
Her shoulders sagged as the last of the fight fled her. This was a pointless argument she was never going to win. “Alright. While I wait for you to return, I will keep searching through the house for any other clues. I don’t believe that a simple love letter could have been enough to keep Jane Whorwood interested in this house. There has to be more to it than that,” she replied.
God, please let there be more. I can’t have wasted all that time over nothing.
George set his bag on the floor of the parlor and pulled Jane into his embrace. She accepted the soft kiss he placed on her lips, then returned the favor when he gave her his puppy dog eyes. No woman could refuse a man when he wielded those sorts of weapons.
“You might think that I am being overbearing,” he said.
“Which you are.”
