Page 42 of Lord of Loyalty

Chapter Twenty-Two

“What? In what way have I trespassed?”

Isobel looked so shocked, Will immediately regretted hauling her off in front of an audience, even if it was only Manners and Maybury. All the same, she should have left him to deal with Mathieson in his own way. He was master in his own house, and he’d devised a plan. Why could she not have trusted him?

“I’m sorry, Isobel, but this is my battle, not yours. I know you meant well, but you should have held your tongue.”

“Held my tongue?” Her green eyes sparked, and her cheeks glowed pink. “Don’t treat me like a child. I shall say whatever I wish to say.”

He hung his head. “A poor choice of words. But I would have genuinely preferred it had you said nothing. Have you no faith in me at all? Have I not preserved both our skins thus far, despite deadly danger? Do you really think I’d let a worm like Mathieson defeat me?”

“Ungrateful cur.” She flung her words like projectiles. “I was getting you off the hook.”

“I was about to get myself off the hook. If you’d calm down a moment, I’ll tell you what I had planned.”

“You could have told me last night if you had a plan.” Her mouth hardened, and she pressed back in her chair.

Such a beautiful mouth—lips he wanted to ravish, not reproach. He’d like to lift her into his arms and kiss all that resistance out of her, tame her, have her longing for him. If he could only channel all that passionate anger of hers into something else…

“I’m sorry.” He pushed a hand through his hair and looked down at himself. He was only half-dressed, barely decent. Little wonder Mathieson had thought them lovers when they both ran around the house dressed only in their nightclothes. He settled onto the chair opposite Isobel and forced himself to relax.

And stop having inappropriate thoughts.

“I know the idea was unpleasant to you, but I meant to ask for your hand again. I planned to make it known to the world that you and I were to wed, and intended Mathieson to see the ring that’s wedged on your finger. He wouldn’t need to look at it closely—he’d easily be convinced it was a betrothal ring. Once we were known to be a couple, there’d be little point in him attempting to ruin my reputation. Paulina would soon have shifted her interest to some other man if she knew I was taken. And we could have flushed Pike out.”

Isobel gazed at him, wide-eyed. Good. At least, she wasn’t disgusted by the notion of marriage to him.

“Flushed out Hubert? How?”

“He’s gone to ground since I was attacked, apparently. Manners has a network of helpers across London, but none have seen him. He appears to have let all his servants go and abandoned Marston House—too afraid to show his face lest my assailants point the finger at him. My expectation was, that once word got out of our betrothal, he’d do what he could to prevent our marriage, lest he lose his last opportunity of securing your legacy. He’d have to come out of hiding to do that.”

“You were going to use yourself as bait, you mean. How could you, Will, when you were nearly killed but a few days since?”

There was a wobble in her voice—her anger had subsided, giving way to distress. She still cared about his sorry hide then—he’d been starting to think she didn’t.

He kept his voice soft. “I would be well-protected the next time. I’d have Manners with me, and other men hidden along the route. Aye, I have friends in low places, if you will, and can call upon veterans and mercenaries if required. I’d be in no danger.”

“And I’m supposed to be happy about that, am I?” She leapt to her feet, elfin chin raised defiantly. “It’s as well you never told me of your plan, Will Cavendish, for I would never have gone along with it. Never!”

Before he could stop her, she’d fled from the parlor, and he heard her running up the stairs.

“Trouble?” Aloysius Maybury entered the room, closing the door softly behind him, cutting off Will’s chance of racing after Isobel. Mayhap it was for the best—she was in no mood to listen to him now.

“A little. Nothing that won’t resolve itself, given time. I’m sorry you had to witness that uncomfortable scene earlier.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Your life is a deal more interesting than mine, Cavendish. Would I had one beauty chasing after me, and another defending me so loyally.”

“You think Paulina beautiful?”

“Aye.” Maybury settled himself opposite Will. “A most handsome wench. She’ll make someone a fine wife—but not you, I take it?”

Will shuddered, his nerves taut after the scene with Isobel. “I’ll not be blackmailed into wedlock. No man would.”

“Is there no other fellow who could distract yon golden-haired damsel?”

He pondered for a moment. “There’s the Comte de Velors, I suppose—he’s been visiting them. But the Mathiesons are a traditional family—I doubt they’d smile on any match with a foreigner.”

“And what of the winsome Mistress Marston? She has fire in her blood. She’d make the perfect mistress, I trow.”