Free Kilgannon by Kathleen Givens Page B

meeting. I'm fine, thank you, sir. And your"
    "Delighted to see ye waiting on the step for me."
    "I am not waiting for you, Alex," I said crisply. "What are you doing here?"
    "Coming to find ye, lass." He grinned up at me.
    "How did you know where we were?"
    "Yer brother. He's a great source of information." Alex stepped up to the stair I was on. The green of my dress was the same as his kilt, and he smelled like soap. I took a deep breath. So much for my nonchalance. Before I could gather my thoughts he opened the door and spoke to someone for a moment, then returned and, catching hold of my elbow, began to guide me down the stairs.
    "What are you doing?" I asked, although it was obvious.
    "Borrowing ye for an hour or two. I just left word with the girl to tell Louisa. Yer waiting on the stair made it vastly easier to spirit ye away, and I'm grateful for yer cooperation."
    I stopped. "Alex, I can't. Louisa will be furious. She'll say you've compromised my reputation. You will have."
    "Nonsense," he protested. "There's nothing wrong with a walk in the middle of the day in a crowded city. How can I possibly do anything to ye in a crowd? Forget yer reputation. Yer own view of yerself is more important than others’ view of ye, lass." I shook my head. "Mary," he said, his tone earnest now. "Listen to me. I leave tomorrow for the Continent. I couldna leave without talking to ye one more time. That's all I ask, just a walk in the middle of the day. I'm not going to cosh ye on the head and drag ye off to my lodgings."
    "Louisa—"
    "Louisa kens me better. Come, lass, I just wanted an hour with ye." He looked at me and then grinned. "Here are yer choices: my lodgings, willing or no, or a quiet walk through the streets of London with witnesses." He was laughing now, and after a moment so was I. Damn the consequences, I thought, and I took his arm.
     
    AS WE WALKED, ALEX ASKED ABOUT MY DAY AND listened attentively, though I knew he couldn't possibly be interested. Still, his courtesy was charming. When we passed a park he led me into it and stopped under a tree, gesturing up at it with a smile. "How do ye like my lodgings?" he asked with a grin.
    I laughed at him. "You're living in a tree?"
    "No, but I thought if I took ye somewhere without walls ye might be less suspicious of me." His expression changed from merry to unreadable, and when he spoke again his tone was quiet. "I'll not harm ye, Mary Lowell, nor would I ever force ye. Ye can trust me." He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course, that's just what I would say if I had evil intentions, is it not? How do I let ye know I'm trustworthy?" I looked at his worried expression, at the way the vest emphasized the lines of his body and the way his hair lay against the soft wool of the plaid.
    "If I did not think you were trustworthy, Alex MacGannon," I said softly, "I would not be here with you now, compromising my reputation."
    Alex smiled. "Aye, well, there is that." He let his arms fall from his chest and straightened his shoulders. "Well, now that yer reputation is irrevocably compromised, what else d'ye suppose I can get ye to do, Miss Lowell?" he asked, his tone lively again.
    "I think that's sufficient, Lord Kilgannon."
    "Aye, probably," he said, nodding. "Just as well, since I'd have to admit I have no lodgings."
    "Where do you live?" I gestured to the tree. He shook his head. "Then where are you staying?"
    "On my brig."
    "On your ship?"
    "Aye," he said, his eyes lighting up. "Do ye want to see it?"
    "Won't that compromise me further?"
    "Not if I don't take ye below decks . Besides, Angus and Matthew are there. They can be yer chaperons."
    I laughed and waved a finger at him. "Oh, yes, Alex, that would be grand. I'll explain to Louisa that since I did not think it proper to be alone with one man, I was alone with three. I'm sure she'd agree I acted most wisely."
    "There's a lot more than three men. The whole crew should be coming back by now."
    "Even better.