Page 30 of Road Trip With a Rogue

She ground her teeth. Fine. He’d left her with no other option.

She was just going to have to drug him.

Chapter Fourteen

The arrival of their meal provided the perfect opportunity. Daisy busied herself washing her hands, pouring water into the bowl while Vaughan directed the servant to put the dinner plates and glasses on the table.

When it was his turn to wash, she pulled the tiny flask of laudanum from her jacket pocket and tipped a few drops into his glass.

The liquid was clear, but she quickly topped it up with wine from the bottle of burgundy the girl had left. She slid into her seat, her heart pounding guiltily, and slipped the little vial back into her pocket.

Vaughan crossed the room and took his place opposite her, and the table was so small that his knee brushed against hers. She shifted her leg and tried to concentrate on the delicious scent of shepherd’s pie, instead of the prickly heat that tingled up her thigh.

“This looks delicious,” she said, taking a large sip of her own wine.

The intimacy of the scene struck her full-force. There was barely enough space for the plates and glasses, and there were no servants hovering about to act as silentchaperones. The sound of the taproom filtered up from below, a general hum of laughter and conversation, and the fire and single oil lamp provided a cozy, flattering glow.

Vaughan started on his food and she forced herself not to stare at his lips or the way the muscles in his jaw moved as he chewed. She took a bite herself, willing him to take a sip from his glass, but he seemed more intent on eating than drinking.

She’d already finished half of her own wine by the time he finally reached for his glass. His long fingers toyed with the stem, rolling it back and forth so the liquid swirled in a deep red wave, and she held her breath. She wasn’t sure exactly how much he’d have to drink; Ellie had said a few drops would be sufficient to make a big man sleep.

He raised the glass to his mouth. Daisy followed the movement, but when he paused with the rim just pressed against his lower lip, she lifted her eyes and found him watching her with a devilishly amused expression.

“Daisy, my treacherous little darling, why don’t you tell me exactly what’s in my wine?”

She inhaled sharply. “What?”

He gave the contents of the glass a cursory sniff. “Arsenic? Hemlock?” His lips curved as she shook her head in automatic denial. “Don’t bother to deny it. I saw you in the mirror.”

Her horrified gaze flicked to the long cheval mirror positioned in the corner of the room. The damn thing was perfectly angled so that he would have been able to see the table—and her—while he washed his hands.

And he’d obviously been watching.

Bloody Hell.

Heat scalded her cheeks but she managed a careless shrug. She’d been caught. No point in denying it. “Asleeping potion. Ellie makes it. It contains laudanum, amongst other things.”

His brows rose, but he looked more amused than annoyed. “Were you hoping to leave me here and go after the runaways on your own?”

“No. We’ve already agreed that would be a stupid idea.”

“Ah, so you were trying to render me insensible to have your wicked way with me.” There was laughter in his tone. “That’s rather unsporting. I do like to be conscious when women make scandalous advances.”

“I wasn’t going to make scandalous advances,” she said crossly. “I was trying to make sure you don’t bother me in the night.”

“Bother you? How do you think I mightbotheryou?”

The teasing glimmer in his eyes showed just how much he was enjoying making her squirm. The beast.

“You might snore,” she said. “Or steal all the covers.”

“I might do those even if you drug me. And that’s not what you’re afraid of. You’re afraidI’llbe the one making scandalous advances.”

“I’m not,” she said with perfect honesty. “There must be half a dozen pretty, willing barmaids in the vicinity. You’ll have no problem propositioning one of them, if you’re inclined. You’ve no need to resort to someone like me.”

He tossed the doctored wine into the fire, where it hissed and spat on the hot logs, then slid her glass toward him, topped it up, and took a healthy swig.

His eyes met hers. “I won’t touch you, Hamilton.”