Page 8 of Road Trip With a Rogue

He shook his head. “You always were a stubborn little thing.”

She clenched her fist, and he smiled, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “Wait! I have a proposition.”

“What?”

“It’s clear that you’re determined to catch the runaways.”

“I am.”

“Then let me help you.”

Daisy snorted in disbelief. “You? Help me? Why on earth would you do that? Don’t expect me to believe you possess a single shred of decency.”

His teeth flashed in a smile. “Oh, certainly not. I’m famed for my indecency, am I not? But I also like to be entertained, and helping you might relieve a little of my boredom.”

“Was being held up by highwaymen not exciting enough?” she countered acidly.

“A mere skirmish. And besides, I’m already heading in that direction.”

“Why?”

“I’m going north to visit one of my holdings, up past Harrogate.”

Daisy squinted, trying to read his features in the poor light cast by the inn’s lanterns. Was he lying? And if so, why? It couldn’t possibly be because he wanted the pleasure of her company. He could have approached her any time in the past year to renew their acquaintance, and he hadn’t bothered.

She’d ignored the bitter sting of rejection.

“If you’re thinking of claiming the reward for yourself, you can think again. That money’s mine.”

“How much is it?”

“Five hundred pounds.”

He rolled his eyes. “I wager ten times that amount every night at cards.”

Daisy ground her teeth. He was probably telling the truth. He was a duke, for heaven’s sake, at least as rich as her own father. Five hundred pounds might be a fortune to her, vital to ensuring her continued independence, but it was pocket change for him. She rememberedDevlin once telling her he’d made a fortune on the Exchange too.

“I’m not here to entertain you, Vaughan. I’m here to do my job.” She bit her lip and cursed her limited options. Trying to escape him now would be almost impossible, so she might as well pretend to capitulate. When he dropped his guard, she could go on her way.

She stuck out her hand for him to shake. “But fine. I accept your offer.”

He studied her face for an endless moment, as if he didn’t trust her sudden reasonableness, but then his long fingers wrapped around hers and squeezed.

Daisy’s breath hitched as she felt the power of his grip, and she sent up a silent prayer of thanks that he was wearing gloves. The thought of touching his bare skin made her a little lightheaded.

She turned and climbed back into his coach.

Chapter Four

Daisy leaned her head back against the luxurious velvet seat and tried to quash the jittery impatience plaguing her. Allowing Vaughan to escort her to Hatfield was the sensible thing to do. Shewouldbe safer with him than alone on horseback, and it would be foolish to refuse his help simply because he made her uncomfortable. She would accost the two runaways, take them back to London, and rejoice in the satisfaction of another job well done.

Vaughan had stalked into the inn to check on his coachman—and hopefully to keep his word about sending someone back for the highwayman she’d shot. She felt awful for hurting another human being, but she would have felt even worse if she’d done nothing to prevent the coachman’s cold-blooded execution.

She closed her eyes, striving for calm, but every inhalation brought with it the ghost of Vaughan’s scent, and with a groan she allowed herself to remember that fateful night five years ago.

She doubted Vaughan even recalled it. The women he’d kissed probably all blurred into one another, but it hadbeen one of the most significant events of her life. The details were etched into her brain with cut-glass clarity.

The blame was doubtless hers. She’d been fascinated by him from the first moment she’d seen him at one of the wild parties her brothers had hosted at Hollyfield. At sixteen, she’d been told to stay in her room, but she’d always chafed at obeying orders. Besides, she was only looking. No harm in that.