My Fair Lily(53)
Even Jasper thought better of leaping up to greet her. Instead, the coward scampered out of the room as though his tail were on fire. She heard the crash of another pot and whoosh of soil scattering across the marble floor as Jasper slipped and slid his ungainly way toward the stairs.
Ewan finally glanced up. “How did you get in here? I thought my grandfather banned you from ever stepping foot in his mausoleum again.”
“He has, but I’m not about to let a crusty old man or his hulking footmen stop me from talking to you.”
He rose and came to her side, his eyebrow arched. “So you strong-armed your way through their defenses? Impressive.”
She glowered up at him. “How could you do what you did last night?”
“Easy. I simply raised my fists—”
“You know that isn’t what I meant.”
“I made no promises to you, Lily. Never said I’d play by society’s rules. That was your idea, not mine.”
She shook her head and sighed. “Is this how you make amends with Desmond and Evangeline? By almost killing Desmond?”
“My cousin deserved the beating. I let him off too easy at Madame de Bressard’s. The coward sent his villainous underlings to Tattersalls to hurt you. I wasn’t about to let him get away with that despicable stunt a second time. It was the proper thing to do. I should have taken care of the matter sooner.”
She wanted to insist that he was in the wrong, but couldn’t. She was just as angry over that incident and furious that the Tattersalls authorities had done nothing about finding their attackers. Nor had Ewan’s grandfather chastised Desmond for his untoward behavior. She sighed in partial surrender. “Did you have to do it in the most exclusive gentleman’s establishment in London, in front of the most influential men in England? Couldn’t you have waited until he left his club?”
“You mean ambushed him in a dark alley? It isn’t my style.”
“Yes... no. Uncle George intended to look into the matter. He would have taken care of the insult to me.”
“Insult? The bastard struck you when he couldn’t get to Meggie at the dress shop, and then tried again at the horse auction. He happens to be my cousin, therefore my problem. Do you think I’d let your relatives risk their lives on a Cameron clan matter?”
She wanted to wrap her hands around his neck and throttle him. “You were very lucky last night that—”
“Desmond was the lucky one. I still may kill him.”
“You’ve played into his hands. Now, everyone believes you to be the madman he claims you are.” She glared at the thick-headed Scot, wondering how he was ever going to gain admittance to White’s or any gentleman’s club for that matter. Worse, how was he going to fulfill his father’s wish to reconcile the family? His cousin was doing a very effective job of pushing him away. Ewan was doing all he could to help him.
“Lily, I don’t give a damn.”
“Spoken like a true Cameron. Oh, yes. I’ve read up on your clan history and wasn’t in the least surprised to learn that you’re the most feared fighters among the fierce Scots, the most infuriatingly honorable—”
“Thank ye, lass.”
“I didn’t mean it as a compliment. You lose your estates to the Crown every few centuries and spend the next few centuries trying to gain them back because of your stubborn, twisted sense of honor and your penchant for spilling blood. You go to war and worry about the consequences later, when you’d be better served thinking first... oh, what’s the use? You’ll be fortunate if the Prince Regent lets you off with just a warning.”
He crossed his arms over his broad chest and planted himself directly in front of her. “Are you quite through blistering me?”
She took a startled step back, suddenly realizing she might have come at him a little too forcefully. He was a laird. A duke’s grandson. A very large and muscular one. The proud leader of a warrior clan. “Oh, Ewan. I’m sorry. I spoke out of concern for your well-being and simply forgot myself.”
“Ye’re forgiven,” he said softly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’m sorry, too. And the Prince Regent did come after me.”
“What?”
“I still have my lands, but I’ve been fined by the Crown.” He returned to the desk and lifted a parchment from it, handing it over to her.
She took the parchment from his hands and read it. “Outrageous! I’ll see what Uncle George can do about reducing it.”
“Ye will no’, lass.”
Oh, his brogue was thick again. “But it’s a fortune!”