Page 37 of A Wicked Game

“Shame he didn’t come as Neptune. Or a merman. That man has a chest that deserves to be seen. It’s a crime to hide it away under layers of fabric.”

“Aunt Prudence!” Harriet choked on her champagne.

“Oh, pfft.” Constance waved her fan. “When you get to be as old as Pru and I, you get to say whatever you like.”

“I’m not sure that’s anactualrule—”

“Course it is. And if it isn’t, it should be.”

Harriet had no way to counter such logic. Bowing to the inevitable, she turned and found Morgan in the crowd, predictably surrounded by a gaggle of women. Unlike Tristan, he wasn’t wearing an eye patch, but a jaunty red kerchief was tied around his throat above an open-necked shirt that seemed to have far too many buttons undone for decency.

She tried not to stare at the illicit snatches of smooth, tanned skin she glimpsed whenever he moved. A pair of black buckskin breeches hugged the contours of his legs and he’d tied a black, fringed scarf around his hips in lieu of a belt.

Her breathing hitched just a little.

Morgan glanced up and caught her eye over the heads of the women around him. With a charming smile he extricated himself from their clutches and weaved unerringly through the crowd to stand before her. He bowed with an extravagant flourish.

“Miss Montgomery.”

Since she, too, was wearing trousers, she gave him an extravagant bow back.

“Captain Davies.”

“I’ve just seen your father, in the cardroom. I introduced him to my surgeon friend John Saunders.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“And since Montgomerys need more-than-average persuading,” he continued, “Ialsointroduced him to a Mister Edward Bronte, on whom John successfully performed cataract surgery last year. It’s one thing to speak to a doctor about an operation, quite another to meet aman who’s actually had it done. Edward can answer any questions or concerns your father might have.”

“Thank you,” Harriet said again, truly meaning it.

Aunt Prudence snorted elegantly from her seat at Harriet’s side. “Good Lord. If you can convince Henry Montgomery to change his mind about anything, Captain Davies, then you deserve another shiny medal from the Admiralty. The man’s as stubborn as a mule.”

“A trait I suspect runs in the family,” Morgan drawled, so politely that it took Harriet a moment to realize she’d just been insulted.

“I’m not stubborn. I’m principled. There’s a difference.”

“Whereas I’m thoroughlyunprincipled.” Morgan sent Aunt Constance a smile that had the older woman fanning herself vigorously. “I confess, diverting her father’s attention was all part of my wicked plan to steal Miss Montgomery away.”

Aunt Prudence chuckled. “You’re a handsome rogue, I’ll give you that. Off you go, then. You young things get out there and dance.” She made a shooing motion with her knitting needles toward the center of the room where several couples were forming for the next set.

Morgan put out his hand. “Shall we?”

Harriet couldn’t think of a way to refuse. She surrendered her empty champagne glass and took his hand.

Chapter Sixteen

Neither of them was wearing gloves. The moment Harriet placed her fingers in his, a jolt of energy flashed between them. He sent her a private smile that made her stomach roll over like a breaker on the shore.

Instead of joining the dancers, though, he led her around the edge of the dance floor and out into the main hallway. Carys and Tristan were still welcoming guests, but Morgan ignored the commotion and drew her away from the crowd.

“What are you doing?” Harriet hissed in alarm.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m abducting you. Like any self-respecting pirate.”

His grip was firm and impossible to escape. He tugged her round the corner and into one of the mansion’s long corridors. A footman carrying an armful of cloaks, hats, and canes turned into a doorway on the left, but Morgan kept going until he finally ushered her through the very last door on the right.

He closed it behind them with an ominous-sounding click. The noise of the party muted, as if they were suddenly underwater.

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