Agnes gave an indignant gasp, as she turned and stalked off.
Fanny narrowed her gaze on her companion. “Was it necessary to be so rude? She merely has an infatuation.”
He didn’t appear repentant in the slightest. “As do I.” His voice lowered. “But by the end of this evening, I hope to have my desires satiated.”
“If I didn’t know better,” Fanny said firmly, her patience wearing thin. “I would think you were being rather crude.”
“Oh, I can bemanythings, Miss Grouseman,” he returned smoothly, as he stepped forward, causing her to retreat until she was against the wall. “May I suggest we find a quiet location in which to further—”
“No one backs Fanny into a corner,” a dry, male voice interceded, followed by a long-suffering sigh. “You do try my fortitude, Mr. Linneman. I thought I had already made myself clear when it came to your behavior toward Miss Grouseman. But perhaps it is merely that you are too ignorant to comprehend a simple command.”
Fanny could barely hold back the relief that nearly brought her to her knees.Jonathan is here!Her eyes stung with tears as she drank in his handsome visage. It was amazing how much had changed between them since the first day they’d met, when she had landed face first in the mud at his feet. He looked resplendent in his white cambric shirt and snug fitting black trousers, jacket, and matching waistcoat.
Mr. Linneman, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as admiring. A vein in his forehead stuck out prominently, a sure sign that he was trying to hold back an angry outburst. “Youdareto brand me a scoundrel when you are the one who is known to take advantage of innocents. You, my lord, are a hypocrite!”
Jonathan winced, as if the words met their mark, but Fanny could read the truth in his eyes. He was allowing Mr. Linneman this moment of glory. “I confess that may have been true at one time, although I fear you were misinformed where any ‘innocents’ were concerned. But that is all in the past, for I am quite besotted with one particular lady these days.”
His eyes warmed like emeralds as they lit on Fanny, and her spirits soared heavenward.
Instead of backing down, Robert merely chuckled. “I do hope that you aren’t referring to Miss Grouseman, for she is already spoken for. In fact, I can rather guarantee it.” That’s when he turned to her and said the one thing she had been dreading to hear. “She will come with me if she wants to ensure her father and the rest of his conspirators, ever see the light of day again.”
***
JONATHAN GAZED AT FANNY. She had paled to such a degree that he thought she might actually faint.
He glared at the revenue officer with more than a touch of dislike. The man was a pure snake to threaten a lady.Hislady. “I should call you out,” he said quietly, and with every bit of maliciousness he could inject. He almost hoped the man accepted his offer, for Jonathan had always been a rather crack shot.
Unfortunately, Mr. Linneman was just as composed as before. “You’re a fool, Lord Castleford. And the entire town knows it.” Robert laughed, a harsh, cruel sound. “Tell him, Miss Grouseman. Tell him how you, Lord and Lady Marwood, and the entire village of Polperro have duped your lover into believing that this ball was actually to honorhim, when it was merely a cover-up for what transpired at Talland Bay this very night.” He shook his head. “And you, Lord Castleford, were just too conceited to believe it.”
Fanny’s dark eyes lifted to meet his with a mixture of shame and regret. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was only trying to protect my father.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” Robert snapped. “I’m afraid he is on his way to gaol at this very moment.” He grinned in a calculating manner, as if he knew he held all the cards. “However, I might be persuaded to clear up this little misunderstanding, if you come away with me.”
“She’s not going anywhere with you. Now, or ever.” Jonathan was surprised how calm his voice sounded when all he wanted to do was rip the man’s throat out.
He supposed a jab to the jaw would have to do.
One minute Mr. Linneman had victory shining out of his eyes, and the next, he was sprawled across the ballroom floor, blood dripping from his nose. “Youbastard!” he snarled. “I shall see that you are brought up on assault charges for this!”
His outcry caught the attention of several people. Within moments, the dance floor emptied, as they became the object of conversation. A buzz of excitement spread throughout the room as they watched the scandalous scene unfold.
“You can certainly try,” Jonathan returned evenly. “But I would think very carefully before you did so. Such as the fact your case against Mr. Grouseman doesn’t support any evidence.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Robert demanded as he scrambled to his feet. “My men apprehended him and five others not an hour past!”
Jonathan turned his head to glance at a nearby group of men in formal attire. “Do you meanthosemen?” He shrugged. “I could be wrong, but it appears that they are enjoying some punch and light conversation—”
“This is...impossible!” Robert sputtered, his eyes bulging in disbelief. “I received word from my second-in-command—”
“Then I fear he sorely misled you.” Jonathan went for the kill. “In fact, it wasyourmen who were caught red-handed smuggling items from a ship docked at Talland Bay.”
By this time, Robert’s face had grown to a mottled shade of red. “Preposterous!”
“It doesn’t seem that way to the magistrate. Ah, right on time, Mr. Howell.” Jonathan spoke to a man that came forward, separating himself from the crowd. He waved a hand at Robert. “I believe this is the man you are looking for.”
Robert’s eyes widened at the sight of the irons in the magistrate’s grasp. “What is the meaning of this?”
Mr. Howell replied. “Mr. Robert Linneman, you are hereby under arrest by the authority of the King of England for illegal smuggling on the coast of Cornwall.”
