“Think nothing of it,” Nell said, smiling oddly at him. “Youknow I don’t stand on ceremony.”
Devil take it, did he look that poorly? He supposed he oughtto have allowed his man to shave him. Suddenly, the audience felt as if it weregoing to rob his breath. He wanted to speak to Maggie. Alone. A glance in herdirection found her watching him stiffly, her expression indecipherable.
“Lady Sandhurst,” he said to her, “might I have a word?”
Christ, he couldn’t wait to dispense with the formality, totake her in his arms and bury his face in her soft curls, to kiss her sweetmouth, to lose himself inside her body. He was expecting her compliance, sowhen she murmured something that sounded suspiciously like “no”, he was certainhe’d misheard her.
“I beg your pardon?” he asked, noting she remained immobile.
“No,” she said again, more loudly this time so that therewas no mistaking it.
She was denying him, by God. He stared at her, dumbfounded.This was not what he’d imagined. Not at all. She turned her head away, gazingdown into her lap as though she couldn’t bear to look at him. Tobin wassmirking at him as if he’d already taken her to bed. Yes, he was going to tearoff one of the bastard’s limbs, he decided, starting forward.
Perhaps he was a madman. He didn’t know precisely who he wasany longer, but he did know that he wasn’t about to let some fop of a poet runoff with his wife. Who the devil did he think he was, sitting so near to her?Why, his bloody thigh was nearly touching her skirts.
“Haven’t you ever heard of propriety?” he asked Tobin,infuriated by the man’s insufferable air of smugness. “Your poetry is drivel,sir. Complete shite.”
He heard a few gasps at his lack of manners. He didn’t care.He’d been through nearly all the circles of hell, and he damn well wanted whathe’d come here for. He stopped before Maggie, who was once again gazing at himwith large violet eyes as if she didn’t know who he was and what he was aboutto do. But he supposed she was in good company, as neither did he.
He held out a hand to her. “Come with me, Maggie.”
Tobin stood, puffing out his chest in a barnyard cock style.“Leave the lady alone, Sandhurst.”
“Mind your own bloody business, Tobin.” He looked back downat Maggie, forcing her to meet his gaze. He didn’t want to plead beforeeveryone, but bloody hell he would. “Please, Maggie.”
“Whatever it is that you need to tell her can be said righthere,” Tobin demanded, an annoying fly buzzing in his ear despite repeatedattempts to swat it.
“No,” he said slowly, turning to his nemesis. “It cannot.”
Forget the arm. Before he even realized what he was about,he took a lusty swing at Tobin’s chin. And connected with a satisfying crunchof knuckles on bone. It smarted, but he was too pleased with his handiwork topay it much mind. Tobin keeled backward, his eyes rolling back in his head.
Maggie gasped and shot to her feet, her eyes snapping withaccusatory fire. “You’ve knocked Mr. Tobin out, you lout.”
Well, bloody hell. That wasn’t quite the response he’d beenhoping for from her either, but it seemed that he didn’t have much choice. Ifhe wanted to speak with her alone, there was only one way for it to get done.He bent, pressed his shoulder into her midriff and his arm behind her skirts,and hauled her into the air.
“Put me down at once,” she demanded, though her voice was atrifle muffled. She actually had the temerity to knock him on the arse with herfist.
He ignored her. He also ignored the men and women rushing totheir feet and trying to stay his progress from the room. He wouldn’t allow it.Nothing was stopping him now. He may have completely ruined what little emotionMaggie had once felt for him, but he had come too far to offer an olive branchnow.
Nell threw herself in his path, twin patches of scarletstaining her cheeks. “Sandhurst, you cannot simply carry her off as if you’re aHun.”
“Of course I can,” he said simply, gesturing with his freehand to demonstrate the faulty quality of her logic. He alreadywascarrying Maggie off, after all.
“Don’t be an oaf,” she said, walking backward as shecontinued to try—unsuccessfully—to halt his movement. “You mustn’t hurt her.”
“I promise not to hurt her,” he said solemnly, frowning atNell. “You must know I’d never do that.”
She studied his face, her expression pinched, beforenodding. “Very well. Take her to the study if you must.”
Maggie began pummeling his arse anew. “I don’t wish to speakwith you,” she called out.
“You’re not,” he told her. “You’re speaking with the floor.”That simply earned him another swat. Good. Perhaps she wasn’t as immune to himas she would pretend. With a nod of thanks to Nell, he hauled his wife from theroom.
Her husband was a maddening, arrogant, rude, heartless,blustering fool. Maggie pummeled him with all her might as she hung upsidedown. He’d tossed her over his shoulder as if she were a bundle of rags and wascarting her about Nell’s home as if he were a vagabond about to abscond withthe family silver. He wasn’t about to take her anywhere, not if she had a sayin it. She gave him another sound swat as the blood rushed to her head anddizziness began to settle over her. Her ears hummed.
“Sandhurst, cease this nonsense. You’re behaving like abarbarian,” she shouted. Dear Lord, the servants were sure to be witnessingthis inglorious display. Mortification heated her cheeks.
“Perhaps I am a barbarian,” he growled, stalking over athreshold and kicking a door closed at his back.
