Alex raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, fine! I admit, not all of my plans have gone as expected.”
“Plans never do.” To her surprise, Alex leaned over and kissed her lightly. “I never planned on falling in love, being this happy.”
Lucia wrapped her arms around him. “Me, neither.”
“I have a plan,” he said, kissing her ear. “Come here.”
“Alex, no! My parents are waiting.” But she was already beginning to feel a delicious warmth course through her, and her resolve was weakening.
“In my plan,” he said huskily, pulling her closer, “they may have to wait a little longer.”
Read the next book in the Regency Spies series, Pride and Petticoats!
Freddie plowed through the house, tugging Charlotte in his wake. "Wilkins," he barked at his valet, who was scampering up the stairs behind them. "I do not wish to be disturbed the rest of the afternoon. No." He stopped suddenly and Charlotte collided with him. "The rest of the week." He looked at his wife meaningfully. "We have work to do."
He might not relish spending even one more moment in his wife's company, but he needed her to capture Pettigru. There were worse assignments than squiring a colonist about and pretending to be smitten by her. He couldn't think of any at the moment, but he was certain there had to be worse.
"Work to do. Yes, my lord," Wilkins wheezed, finally reaching the top of the stairs. "But we must change your clothes. If I do not see to that stain immediately—"
"Dash the bloody stain, Wilkins!" Freddie dragged Charlotte along the corridor until they reached his room, then he burst in, surprising a maid who was tidying the bed. "Out," he said, and she scurried past Wilkins, almost knocking the slight man over.
Charlotte wrenched her arm free of Freddie's hold. "That was certainly entertaining." As usual, her voice was dark and slow and damnably unperturbed. "What do you do for an encore?"
"I'll catch a spy." Color rose in her cheeks, but he cut her riposte short. "Stubble it," Freddie said, rounding on her, feeling more perturbed than he had in a long, long time. "If we made a scene in there, the fault lies with you, madam."
"Me? Me?" She put a hand over her breast as though she'd been stabbed. "First you insulted me, and then you allowed your mother to do the same. You are fortunate you escaped with merely a stain on your breeches."
"And you're fortunate I'm a gentleman and a patient one at that. Had you used even a modicum of the manners I spent hours attempting to drill into you yesterday, we wouldn't be in this position. Further, if your maid had any sense of civility—"
"Don't you dare bring Addy into this!" She shook her finger at him. "Blame me if you must. I expect nothing better from you, but no southern gentleman—no American—would disgrace a lady so."
Freddie made a show of looking about the room. "Is there a lady present? I haven't seen her."
There was a gasp, and behind Charlotte Freddie saw Wilkins take a startled step back. Freddie glared at the valet, who retreated further, and shut the bedroom door. Unfortunately, his wife had abandoned her position in the corner of the room and was now steadily advancing on him.
"No amount of money is worth this treatment! I want out of this so-called marriage and out of this godforsaken country as well."
Freddie shook his head, quelling his impulse to yell back at her. "Why do you hate us so much?"
"You killed my family!"
"Do you blame the whole country for the actions of a few?"
She looked away, and Freddie walked toward her, stopping a foot away. "I'm sorry for your loss, but I am not responsible. Hating me will get you no where."
"I don't hate you," she said, still not looking at him. "But I know your kind, and I don't like you, either."
Freddie raised a brow. "My kind? I'm a patriot, motivated by allegiance to my country, as are you. Are we truly so different?" He reached out and fingered a lock of her hair.
"Yes, we are different. You—you're a warrior. You won't stop until you win. My father was like you. He never listened to reason, never considered compromise. You call me prejudiced, but tell me honestly, is there any room for doubt in your mind that Cade is innocent?"
Now Freddie looked away.
"I play at being harder than I am, but how else am I to protect myself? I've lost everything. I have to harden my heart. It's all I have left. But you have everything. What are you so afraid of?"
He looked at her, alarmed that she seemed to see through him so easily.
