Page 4 of To Resist a Scandalous Rogue
Apparently, he was not the only one struggling with the results of circumstances outside his control.
He reached into his coat and withdrew his flask. Unscrewing the top, he held it out to her. “Here. I think you need this.”
Her head jerked back, and he felt her scrutinize him. “I wouldn’t say Ineededit.” She paused as she took it from his grasp and raised it to her nose. “What is it?”
“Whisky. My grandfather’s distillery makes the best whisky in the kingdom.”
“We’ll see about that,” she murmured, tipping the flask back and taking a healthy draw.
Finlay’s eyes widened when she didn’t choke or sputter at the taste. “Not your first sampling, I assume.”
“You assume correctly.” She returned the flask and stretched her arms out behind her, relaxing back. “Thank you. It did help.”
“And?” he asked, drawing the vowel sound out.
She chuckled, the sound once again playing on his nerve endings. Finlay never knew a laugh could be an aphrodisiac. “It’s good.”
He pressed a hand to his chest in feigned shock. “Just good?”
“I’ve a fine palate.” She fluttered a hand at him, the shadows not able to hide its dismissive note. “When you travel and can’t be sure of the water, liquor is sometimes the only alternative.”
Finlay opened his mouth but didn’t have a response. He hadn’t had the luxury to travel, his father preferring him to remain close to home. The business of being the heir to a storied earldom squelched adventure quite thoroughly.
“If you could return to any of the places you visited, which would it be?”
She tapped a finger against her chin. “I wish I could have spent more time in Egypt exploring the great ruins in more depth, but I’d have to say…” she paused and bit the tip of her finger before she continued, “Bombay. I have friends there, and I long to see them again. I left quite suddenly, and I didn’t get to say goodbye to many of them.”
He looked up at the sky as he considered the note of vulnerability that edged her words. Before he could formulate a reply she asked, “And what of you, sir? Where would you travel, if you were free to do so?”
It was his turn to be silent, as he contemplated his response. Suddenly he knew. “The West Indies. My sister and brother by marriage have spent the better part of the last year in St. Lucia and some of the surrounding islands, where he owns sugarcane plantations. I’d love to see and explore all the places they describe in their letters.”
“So, go,” she said. “I’m sure you possess the ability to do so.”
“I’m afraid it’s not as simple as booking passage and setting sail.” Finlay shrugged. “I’ve a myriad of responsibilities to tend to.”
“Don’t we all?” she murmured, taking the flask from his hand and helping herself to another drink. “But if you’re a guest here, I’m assuming you aren’t without wealth or consequence. Can you not task someone else with these responsibilities so you can pursue adventure?”
He wanted to tell her the only responsibility he’d had, until his father was forced into exile, was to not embarrass the family name. His father had withheld information on estate matters, refused to divulge investment details, and shrugged off any questions Finlay had about finances. He’d long thought his father simply believed him incapable of handling the affairs of the earldom, but now he suspected the earl didn’t want him to know of his many sins.
Instead, he said, “If only it were that easy.”
“You said that with no small degree of self-pity.”
“I beg your pardon?” Had the impertinent chit really just said that?
“Oh, is this where you feign outrage over a perfectly reasonable observation?” She chuckled and took another sip. “You’re a man. A wealthy one. Shouldn’teverythingbe easy for you?”
“If everything were easy for me, I doubt I’d be here, subjected to the sharp tongue of a surprisingly audacious woman.” Finlay wasn’t certain what response he expected to his rather rude comment, but her delighted laugh caught him by surprise.
“Cor, I’ve never been called audacious…at least not to my face.” She cocked her head to the side. “I believe I like it.”
A grin teased his mouth despite his best efforts to restrain it. “And why would being accused of insolence please you?”
She lifted a shoulder. “I suppose an insolent woman would never be underestimated. Impertinence surely accompanies backbone.”
“Do you think you’ve been underestimated? Overlooked?”
Angling her face away, she took a sip of whisky and didn’t answer.
