Page 27

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It became rather obvious very quickly that they were not going to find the watch that night. And still, they tried, in the process helping the barmaid and the other men clean up the mess after the fight. Adam had promised to help replace the broken furniture, and he meant it. He was going to ask his solicitor—he already imagined the man’s surprise—to get that sorted.

So, Adam loaded Beatrice back into the carriage and settled across from her as they headed home. He hissed as his side ached with every jolt.

“You should come inside and let me dress your wound properly,” Beatrice said.

Adam waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll survive.”

“I’ve read quite a bit of medical journals, and it is a known fact that improperly cleaned and dressed wounds can fester, leading to terrible consequences.”

“Do your medical journals warn of the terrible consequences of helping young and innocent bluestockings?” he bit out.

She opened her mouth to respond, but then her eyes narrowed on him. “I did not ask for your help!”

“I couldn’t exactly leave you alone at the masquerade, now could I?” he growled, although he was already tired of having the same argument over and over again. Yet, he couldn’t seem to let it go.

“That seems like an issue between you and your conscience. And even though I am grateful—and do not get me wrong, I am—for you helping me, today’s ordeal was not my fault.”

“Please, enlighten me.” Adam sat back, prepared for her meticulously thought-out reasoning. The woman was nothing if not meticulous. And although he already knew that his lost watch was the result of both their mistakes, he didn’t want to argue, so he’d rather just listen to her talk.

“You offered to help me with three items on my list,” she said, ticking them off on her fingers, “You picked the first item you wanted to cross off that list. And there are far more benign items in there than visiting a pub—which you picked, by the way! And although I am not a sophisticated lady who has roamed every corner of London, even I can recognize that you could have brought me to a pub far more respectable than one filled with criminals and thieves and drunkards!”

Her voice shook, and she was beginning to stutter, but that didn’t deter her from continuing her indignant speech. “Then you proceeded to get drunk and got in a fight which could not have just hurt you but could have put me in peril as well. So, tell me, which of the above actions am I responsible for?”

Adam crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive gesture.

She was right.

He’d put them in just as much danger as she’d put herself, if not more. He was confident in his strength and ability to protect her at the pub. But perhaps he had been overconfident, so much so, that he didn’t even check when his watch got lost.

He’d gotten hurt, and she was the one who’d ended up saving them both by the end of the night. He was not going to admit any of that, however. “The fact remains that by stubbornly insisting you would roam around London on your own, you forced my hand at helping you with your damned list.”

“And you could have taken me for ices!” she countered. “Do not deny it. I know what you’re up to, and I have known it ever since you brought me to this pub. You just wanted to scare me so I wouldn’t want to continue with my list. Well, the joke is on you, because this didn’t deter me even a little.”

Adam shook his head. “You’re quite mad.”

She lifted her chin. “Seems like you’ve met your perfect match.”

A small smile touched Adam’s lips, but he didn’t dare show her that his heart had begun to thaw. The truth was, he was quite intrigued by her. She was fearless, and yes, quite naive. But she had an adventurous spirit Adam wished he possessed. He had always been the safe one. He had only done his duty. When war was waging, he sat on the sidelines playing diplomat. When Gage inherited the viscountcy, he stood by his side, helping him. He had never pursued anything on his own. While Benedict went to war and Gage earned the reputation of the biggest rake in the country as he bore the weight of a hefty inheritance, and even Alan gallivanted all through the Continent, Adam just… existed. He played it safe and did only what was expected of him. And while he could blame this on everyone else, saying that he had to be the responsible one, the one who picked up the pieces after his brothers, the truth was… He wasn’t brazen enough to take risks.

And here was this young and innocent woman. A woman who had only read about adventures from her books. And she was unafraid to step out of her little country cottage and go for what she truly wanted. Adam admired that about the fiery bluestocking, even though he was quite flabbergasted by it as well.

This didn’t change the fact that this world was still too dangerous for her. It didn’t change the fact that Adam had been, for the first time ever, going to try and figure out what he wanted before she stepped in his way.

“Fine,” he croaked, his throat dry and scratchy. “We can share the blame.”

Her eyes crinkled in the corners as she stared at him from behind those large spectacles of hers. “Since we agreed to share the blame, then perhaps we should share the burden of getting the watch back.”

Adam regarded her coldly. “You just want to go to the auction.”

“I do,” she agreed readily. “But I can be of help.”

Adam let out a hoarse laugh. “How? You have no money.”

“Yes,” she agreed readily, folding her hands on her lap like a prim governess. “But I have my wits.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”