Chapter Twenty-Three
“Running back to town will do ye no good.”
Gerard’s words slammed into her like a stormy gale. Had she stumbled into a quagmire from which there was no escape? The idea gutted her.
She wanted to look away, to avoid his penetrating eyes. But she met his gaze and held it. She had to be strong, stronger than the fear that threatened to overtake her will.
“If I am understanding the situation, there is a strong possibility that a cold-blooded killer will track me down and find me. Here. If that is the case, my very presence endangers the others. I cannot take that chance.”
She would leave before Sally took her vows. The mere thought of it was a dagger to her heart. Swallowing against a miserable lump in her throat, she squared her shoulders and blinked back the traitorous tears.
Gerard kneeled beside the chair. He reached out and brushed a rogue teardrop from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “If ye wish to return to London, I will accompany ye.”
“No.” She caught his hand and stilled it. “I neither want nor need your protection.”
“Ye cannae leave this place without a means of defense.” Gerard’s expression was fierce. “I willnae allow it.”
“Is that so?” His arrogant tone stirred her defiance. “You do not control me. I will do what I think is best. I certainly do not need your permission.”
“Ye cannae take such a foolish chance. If something happened to ye—”
“If something happens to me…how very dramatic. I suppose you are going to say you could not live with yourself.” She struggled to compose her rampaging thoughts. “And after only one night in your bed?”
Harrison hiked a brow, but kept his silence.
“I came after ye before I’d ever touched ye, lass. I will protect ye, wherever ye are.”
“Is it me you are protecting, or the clue to the amulet you seek?”
Emotion darkened his eyes. “What do ye think, lass? Do ye think I took ye to bed to get to the bluidy Dragon’s Eyes?”
She shrugged, even as tears she refused to shed burned her throat. “Seduction comes easily to a man like you. I do not doubt you believed I’d be easier to manipulate if I were half drunk on passion.”
His jaw hardened, as if he’d braced himself after a blow. “Ye’re wrong, Evie. If I’d wanted to, I could’ve searched every inch of your room for the blighted card Graham gave ye. I took ye to bed because I couldnae help myself.”
Harrison cleared his throat. “Lady Evelyn, we will protect you. You have my word. As for you and my brother…those emotions may be sorted out at another time. But for now, you must turn over that card. It is a matter of great urgency.”
“Is it now?” She came to her feet. Brushing past Gerard, she marched to the door. “I do not see it that way. As long as I possess the card, the bastard who is searching for it has a good reason to keep me alive. I see it as an insurance policy.”
Gerard closed the distance between them with long strides. His large, warm hands draped her shoulders. “That card cannae keep ye alive. But I will.”
She gulped against the lump in the back of her throat. Soon, she would be away from this rake who’d used her desire for him as a weapon. She’d be damned if she’d give him the card Graham had entrusted to her. Once she returned to London, she’d pay a visit to Scotland Yard. Those fine investigators would know its worth and would be able to return it to its rightful owner.
“I am leaving this place. Your assistance is not required—I will secure a conveyance. Please, do not think to follow me. We would not want to cause a scene.” With a sweep of her skirts, she turned on her heel and opened the door. “Good-bye, Mr. MacMasters.”
…
Gerard sank into the chair, resisting the urge to charge after her. The lass needed some time with her thoughts. He’d get nowhere with her now while her emotions were frayed.
“Well, that didn’t go as planned, did it? Bugger it, you could not resist dipping your wick.” The censure in Harrison’s eyes struck him like a bare-knuckled blow. “The lass doesn’t trust you. Given what I’ve just learned, I cannot say I blame her.”
Gerard scowled. “Ye cannae believe I took her to bed on false pretenses.”
“By hellfire, I know you’re a better man than that. But she has cause to believe the worst.”
Some of the tension in his gut eased. At least his brother did not believe him an utter cad.
“There’s something about her, something I cannae define…from the first, she’s gotten under my skin like no other woman.”
“I understand,” Harrison said. “Believe me, I do. But the damage is done. You need to stand back while I attempt to reason with the lass. I will arrange a secure escort back to Inverness, and from there, transport to London.”
“The hell ye will. I came here to protect Evelyn. And I intend to see this through.”
Harrison came to his feet and paced the length of the carpet. He plowed a hand through his hair. “Have you lost sight of our mission?”
“What the hell do ye mean?”
“At this point, Lady Evelyn has no intention of giving up the oracle card. Any interaction with you is likely to make her position all the more intractable.”
“Bollocks, man, ye’ve become as tight about the collar as Simon. Intractable positions. Bah.” Gerard leaned back against the upholstery, staring past the steeple of his fingers as he considered his next move. “The lass is headstrong. And she’s been hurt before. She needs a bit of time to cool down.”
“You will not convince her to surrender that card. She is a logical woman. I’ll have a better chance of reasoning with her.”
Gerard slowly shook his head. Rising, he walked to the sideboard and poured whisky in a tumbler. “I dinnae give a damn about that card. At this point, I need to keep her safe. Nothing else matters.”