Page 136 of The Devil of Clan Sinclair
Macrath hooked his boot in front of one chair leg, pulled it out and sat.
The man’s ears were so large his hat perched on them. Macrath studied him for a minute and offered a deal.
“Tell me where Henderson is, and I’ll make sure you get back to London.”
“Without being in lumber? I don’t want to be in lumber.”
“If you haven’t done anything worthy of going to jail, you’ve no need to worry.”
“I saw you dabbing it up with her. Is she yours?”
“Yes, she’s mine,” Macrath said, biting back his impatience.
“He thinks she’s his. A bit nickey about her, he is. I never meant to be part of this.”
“If you’ll show me where she is,” Macrath said, “I’ll see you get back to London in style with a reward.”
The other man looked slightly less morose at that news. He took a last sip from his tankard, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, stood, and nodded at Macrath.
“Best be about it, then.”
Macrath couldn’t have said it any better.
Virginia didn’t know how long she was unconscious.
Blinking open her eyes, she discovered Paul was on the bunk, kneeling over her. She was down to her black trimmed shift. Somehow, he’d managed to remove the rest of her clothing and his fingers were busy unfastening the bow at the top of her last garment. She tried to stop him, but he merely held her wrists with one hand.
“Stop it!”
“You’re not the Countess of Barrett here, my dear. You’re simply my beloved wife.”
She stared wide-eyed at him, her stomach clenching. “I’m not your wife.”
“But you will be,” he said. “We’re perfectly matched.”
He didn’t appear to be mad, only determined.
“Paul, please,” she said. “The chloroform is making me sick.”
“I didn’t give you that much, Virginia, and a few hours have passed. I doubt you feel the effects as much as you say.”
Appealing to his sympathy wasn’t working. She wasn’t as strong as he was. If she didn’t do something, he was going to rape her.
The idea of him touching her was sickening.
“You’re mine, Virginia. You have to understand that.”
“I’ve never been yours,” she said. “Never.”
“Oh, but you have. You were mine the night Lawrence didn’t want you. You’ve been mine ever since. Lawrence didn’t understand and had to be handled.”
He was smiling at her but there was a glint in his eyes that frightened her. Almost like he was warning her he could do anything.
“What did you do?”
“Why are you asking, my dear? You’ve known all along.”
She shook her head.
