Page 43 of Bargaining for the Barrister
She snorted, then quickly bit her cheeks to keep from laughing. How she needed this after the shock she’d faced only moments before. “Yes, you were quite right. It was a look of longing. I know a barrister like yourself must be incredibly decisive, but a woman suddenly greeted by old friends she’d hoped she wouldn’t greet again for a very, very long time is likely to have a change of heart.”
His eyes crinkled in silent laughter. “As you can see, my knowledge of a woman’s heart is sorely lacking. As my way of apologizing for my ineptitude, I will forfeit all my independence to you for precisely one hour. And then Ian will drag me from your side and most likely lecture me until the sun comes up tomorrow.”
Her toes curled and her cheeks warmed at his words. One hour was not enough. But that he would do this for her, even though he knew it was his mother and Lady Kellen’s way of baiting him, meant a great deal. “You have all my gratitude. An hour is precisely what I require to regain my bearings.”
He hovered his hand over hers, which was snug around his arm. After a moment’s hesitation, he let it cover hers, spreading warmth up her side. “What are friends for? Now, do you want a show, or do you want a quiet but dedicated companion?”
“A show?” she asked, hardly imagining what he could mean.
He grinned, revealing his dimpled cheeks. “A show it is.”
“Wait!” But she did not get a chance to argue, because Paul propelled her toward the drawing room.
Chapter 19
Just inside the threshold ofthe drawing room, Paul took one last glance at Ian, who as a favor to Paul, was still stuck in a fabricated story about how he’d met Mr. Turner before. Paul gave him a signal with a nod and steered a protesting Louisa into the room. He could still hear in his mind Ian’s frustrations from their walk into the house.
“I had devised our escape, and you’ve ruined it. What do you think you’re doing?”
Paul’s answer had been, “I’m doing what any of the Rebels would do. I’m saving a damsel in distress.”
What he hadn’t had time to say was that he knew Mr. Davies, and even if Paul had to leave later, Ian wasn’t going anywhere. Someone would have to keep a constant eye on Mr. Davies—the man had been suspected, in one of Paul’s cases, of beating a woman of loose morals. Mr. Davies was proven innocent, but he’d still been found in a disreputable house, and Paul had no respect for the man. Mr. Turner was no better. He’d looked at Louisa with hungry eyes and a wolfish grin. As a man of the law, Paul wasn’t going to pick any fights, but he was always up for a game of wits.
And so it was that Paul had willingly walked into yet another trap of the matchmaking mamas. One hour. That was all. And when he finished with his show, he was determined to convince Ian to take a turn guarding her.
Paul led Louisa to an empty settee and made a show of flipping up the tail of his riding jacket and sitting squarely beside her. Mr. Turner entered at the precise moment he began his act. Paul hoped it wouldn’t be too entertaining, because Ian would likely have his neck at the end of it. While he wasn’t the greatest actor of the Rebels, he had had to step into roles in a pinch. His time in the courtroom adjusting his argument for different personalities had raised his confidence that he could make something believable happen to stave off the men from Louisa for at least one night.
The drawing room at Bellmont was built to accommodate a large group. Several sofas and chairs were placed strategically throughout the room and often rearranged depending on the size of the company expected. Today, four sofas were set in a sort of diamond configuration, with the top of the diamond open, allowing for a wide aisle. Paul had strategically seated Louisa near the top—the farthest seat from the others—and then put himself closer to her than he ought to, nearly pinning her arm under his. Instead of recoiling at the direct touch, surprisingly, he relished it.
Looking over at the others, he knew every move he made would be seen. He did not like to be the center of attention, but he did like rising to a challenge. Staking a fictitious claim on Louisa to give Mr. Davies and Mr. Turner a clear message was his only objective.
“Is this part of the show?” Louisa whispered, shifting her arm so it was no longer beneath his.
He turned, putting his face much too close to hers, as if they were having an intimate conversation. “Absolutely. Do you think they’re convinced?”
Her eyes widened, and he held her gaze for several long beats. Her blue eyes expressed their surprise, but he did not think she objected to his nearness. Even so, he had little experience with women, and his performance was no doubt painful for everyone watching. A hint of lavender-vanilla reached him, and his heart pulsated in uneven increments. He hoped everyone in the room was catching this because he couldn’t think of a thing to say to prolong his position. His gaze fell on her full lips, and desire made him forget momentarily that he was acting. Whipping his head back to a forward position, he was pleased to find that, indeed, everyone, including a shocked Lady Kellen and an angry Ian, had seen his rather forward behavior. It took another moment to regain his breath.
Lady Kellen pulled out her fan, her face an unnatural shade of pink. “The weather is stifling, is it not?”
“I thought it looked like rain.” Mr. Davies did not take his eyes off Paul, as if he were trying to figure out where he remembered seeing him.
Paul stared back, readying himself for his second move. He moved his hand to his thigh, casually shifting it so his pinky overlapped Louisa’s pinky. She flinched but did not move her hand away. He was impressed by her bravery but not surprised. He imagined she could brave a tougher crowd than this. Mr. Davies’s gaze dropped to their hands, and his jaw clenched, making his round face expand.
“Mr. Sheldon, how do you know our dear Miss Cox?” Mr. Turner asked. His arm was up over the sofa, far too relaxed for a man who was being thwarted. It didn’t seem to matter to Mr. Turner one bit if Louisa liked him or not. Such an attitude of indifference seemed more conniving than even Mr. Davies’s. At least Mr. Davies seemed to have some genuine interest in Louisa, or he would not be so incensed.
“Louisa and I met only a couple of weeks ago.” Paul dropped her given name as casually as he could, but he knew it came at a personal cost. He was digging himself a grave, and it would take no small effort to climb out of it. “In fact, she was residing at my house until recently.” He puffed out his chest like Tom did when he bragged about something and grinned at Mr. Turner, hoping the man would take the bait.
“It’s fortunate for us, then, that you scared her away,” Mr. Turner said with a laugh.
“Hardly.” Paul’s smile dropped in an instant. “We merely thought it more prudent for her to stay here.” He turned and gave Louisa a warm gaze, her cheeks flushing a dark pink. Would she want to kill him after this too? Perhaps he should give her a few references to good barristers who could protect her should she murder him. But he’d already buried himself this far, so he might as well go all the way.
Mr. Turner’s smile did not falter, but his eyes hardened. Paul was about to expound on his intentions with Louisa just to wipe Mr. Turner’s smile off his face when Ian jumped to his feet.
“Look at the time!” He laughed shakily. “Come, Paul, we have that business to attend to, remember?”
There was no postponing Ian when his face was this desperate—an expression usually reserved for when a mission was botched and it was time to flee the scene. If Paul wanted to convince Ian to protect Louisa once he was gone, he had better comply.
“You’re right. Our business awaits.” Paul had promised Louisa an hour, so to remedy his early departure, he scooted to the edge of the settee and turned and picked up Louisa’s hand, gloved just to the wrist in lacy white. He squeezed it ever so gently, then did something he’d never done before. He lifted it to his lips, turning her hand as he did, and kissed the skin just above the glove’s hem. Everything else had been for the others, but this... this was for him. He held his mouth there for another breath before releasing her.
