"If you hurt her," he said quietly, "I will?—"
"Ruin me," Redford supplied."I would expect nothing less."
Harrison's mouth twitched.
Redford sobered."I will take care of Esme.Honor and protect her.You have my word."
"God help me," he muttered, "I think you may be the only man foolish enough to keep up with her."
"I consider that a compliment," Redford said.
"It wasn't meant as one," Harrison retorted.
Esme's lips curved."Is that a yes?"
Harrison exhaled."I will not stand in your way.If Mama faints, I shall blame Haverleigh's lemonade."
Esme stepped forward, releasing Redford's hand to wrap her arms around her brother.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He held her for a moment, then released her with a gruff, "Do not make me regret this."
"No promises," she said, eyes bright.
Redford cleared his throat."If it eases your mind, Woodmere, I intend to be exceedingly dull about the formalities.Contracts, settlements, all very straight lines."
Harrison snorted."Coming from you, that is the most frightening thing I have heard all evening."
Esme danced with James once—only once, to spare her mother apoplexy—but in that one waltz, the world re-ordered itself.
They kept a respectable distance, their hands touched only where the dance required, but their gazes said all the things their mouths could not.
"So," she murmured as they turned."Proper courtship."
"Terrifying," he murmured."I shall need to purchase new gloves, ones that suggest reliability."
"And I must practice sighing over your handwriting," she said.
"I shall write you letters," he promised."Terrible letters, with dreadful poetry."
Her eyes glowed, a playful smile tilting her lips."I shall correct your subjunctives."
He grinned."We are very badly suited to dullness, my love."
"Fortunately, we are excellently suited to mischief," she said.
They moved among the patterns of the waltz, in step and just slightly out of step, exactly as they always had.Now, there was no pretense that they were anything but accomplices.
When the music ended, Redford bowed over Esme's hand, letting his lips brush her glove.
"Lady Esme," he said, voice low, "may I call on you tomorrow?"
She met his gaze."You are already late, Lord Redford," she said."You have weeks of scandal to make up for."
"Then I had better begin at once," he murmured.
Much later, James stood on Haverleigh's front steps beside Niall and Magnus, watching Esme's carriage roll away.
