“Avoiding him, or speaking cruelly to him for no reason, would come back to me, and to my parents. He’s practically family.”
Vale lifted an overhanging brow. “He’s also a gambler, you know. You dislike gambling. And gamblers.”
For a moment it felt odd to have someone else quoting her own strictures to her, but she knew Matthew had already told Captain Vale about his own gambling misfortunes, and about those of Uncle John Temple. If Vale’s plan was simply to remind her that she disliked gamblers, though, it seemed like a fairly pitiful one. The larger question she wanted answered was how Aden had known this conversation would come up in the first place. It was off-putting, almost. And yet it also provided proof that she’d sought out the perfect man to assist her.
“I said, ‘you dislike gamblers,’” the captain repeated. “What is your response?”
Don’t give up your information too easily, she repeated to herself. “How am I supposed to respond? You’re correct. I dislike gamblers.”
“Aden MacTaggert is a gambler.”
She shook her head. “You are a gambler. Aden MacTaggertwasa gambler,” she corrected, sending up a silent prayer that Aden knew what he was about. Vale thought himself the smartest, cleverest man in the room, and yet Aden had guessed very nearly the exact words of his conversation. Twice. “He’s given it up.”
They waltzed in silence for a moment. “For you, I assume?”
“What do you care?”
“I don’t. But several weeks ago, your brother said you had no serious suitors, which causes me to ask when, precisely, he declared himself?”
“Well, I’m sorry if your spy was so occupied with his own betrothal that he missed me smiling at someone, butunless you’ve had a change of heart and my happiness matters to you, I don’t imagine it signifies.”
“It does not.”
“Then don’t speak of it again.”
The lying exhausted her. She never would have thought prevaricating took so much effort. At the same time, it felt… powerful. Robert Vale played by his own rules, so why the devil couldn’t she do the same? Especially if it tipped the odds ever so slightly against him. But the horrible man continued to gaze at her, so she kept her expression angry rather than smug.
She had little enough reason to feel smug, anyway. If she’d sent Vale in the correct direction, she’d perhaps given herself and Aden the very slightest chance of getting in a blow. That didn’t mean she’d won the war, or the battle.
“You will turn him away,” Vale said again, sending a glance in Aden’s direction.
“I asked you n—”
“You and I will marry for love. At least as far as everyone else is concerned. Another suitor, some interloping Highlander or not, puts the lie to that story. I won’t have it.”
Oh, he wouldn’t have it, would he?More than anything she wanted to step on his toe, shove him to the floor, and tell him that shewouldhave it. Miranda took a deep breath. “I will say something to him.”
“Before the end of the evening.”
“Clearly you know nothing about how people behave in polite Society,” she pointed out, just barely keeping her expression neutral when a muscle in his cheek jumped.Hah.She’d delivered a blow. Finally. “No one turns away a suitor in public. Much less at a grand ball. Not unless he’s committed murder or something.”
It was mostly nonsense, of course, but she had to think that Vale wouldn’t know that. He needed her to joinSociety, so he hadn’t been in Society until now. At least that had become her theory. She hoped she was correct.
“You tried to keep something from me. I don’t like that. Do not do it again.”
Miranda lowered her head. She needed to watch her tongue; Vale was not Aden, and he wouldn’t respond with humor or mere exasperation. Vale could hurt her—and her family—if he chose to do so. “I won’t apologize,” she hedged. The balance between pushing as hard as she could and still being compliant was becoming untenable, but she had no other option at this moment but surrender.
“Smile while you’re sulking, then.”
She smiled, but didn’t mention that the pleasant thought she conjured was him on his arse with a bloody nose. Vale no doubt thought he’d just fended off a very minor threat, an inconvenience, a stone on his well-tended pathway toward Societal acceptance. He had no idea she held on to Aden’s words, to the memory of his mouth on hers, like an iron cloak. The captain could jab at her, but while she had Aden MacTaggert on her side none of the blows could do more than sting.
The waltz ended, and she kept the smile on her face as he escorted her off the dance floor. “Get rid of this MacTaggert, or I will,” he muttered, releasing her as Eloise and Matthew approached. “Ah, Matthew. And the lovely Lady Eloise,” he crooned, his tone perfectly even and respectful. A non-tone, if any such thing existed. No doubt he thought it made him sound charming and reasonable.
“Captain Vale,” Eloise said, inclining her head. Then she hopped forward and seized Miranda’s hands. “You must come with me. I have questions only you can answer.”
Deepening her smile, Miranda allowed herself to be led away from the two men. Thank goodness. A moment or two for her to breathe before she worried over who might claim the next dance. Perhaps Aden w—
“Miss Harris?” a low brogue rumbled from beyond Eloise.
