But now that Lucy had found Finn, something would have to be done. He’d just have to make her see reason, get her to return home. Though he was laughing at that thought even before it had been fully formed. Lucy was just as stubborn as her sisters. Perhaps even more so. As the baby of a trio of formidable women, she’d had to fight to get her voice heard. As a result, she was almost impossible to deter once her mind was set.
And she knew where he was now. It would probably be best, be easiest for both of them, if he disappeared again. The thought of leaving her sent another shard of anguish through his heart. He’d barely been able to turn his back on her the first time. Just now, leaving her in that hotel room had ripped open the scar on his heart and left a gaping, bleeding wound. How could he stand his ground and make her leave if she persisted, as he greatly feared she would?
He’d have to. He was no good for her and had nothing to offer. She might not care about his background or his lack of money, but society certainly would. And even more importantly, her family would never allow it. Brynne would flay him alive if she ever saw him again, no matter what Lucy said, and he couldn’t really blame her. He had kidnapped Brynne’s daughter. But he’d kept her safe from the smugglers he’d worked for—as safe and as happy as possible. If he hadn’t taken her, one of his associates would have. Finn shuddered to think what Coraline’s treatment would have been under their care.
But even if Brynne understood that, he doubted she’d forgiven him. She’d certainly never forget. And Lucy was too close to her sisters for their opinions to not matter to her. Even worse, if Lucy stayed, she’d be noticed by Halford. Lucy was beautiful, unattached, and rich. She’d be irresistible to his boss. He’d been looking for a wealthy wife for a while and though he’d prefer one a little more gently bred than Lucy, he’d overlook that for her fortune.
Finn could not let Halford get his hooks into her. No one would ever be good enough for Lucy but Halford was the worst sort of scoundrel. A criminal who masqueraded as the best society had to offer. Finn had once seen him break a man’s legs for failing to repay a debt and then return to a party with his politician’s grin on his face as though nothing had happened. He’d taken a man’s wife as mistress in lieu of payment on a deal, cheated orphans and widows out of their inheritances, ruthlessly pursued what he wanted and had trafficked in slavery, murder, mayhem, and misery. And those were just a few of the things Finn knew of. Halford was a black-hearted fiend, through and through.
It would be best if Finn left. Went somewhere Lucy could never find him. Where her association with him couldn’t hurt her. Perhaps he could try Australia. Or India. If it weren’t for Halford, that’s exactly what he’d do. But he owed Halford. And he wasn’t going to be allowed to forget that.
“Taggart?”
Finn jerked, startled out of his thoughts. Halford stood looking at him, his brow furrowed. “Are you all right, man?”
Finn straightened. “Yes, of course. My apologies.” He held his hand out, trying to lead Halford out the door. Finn wanted him out of the hotel before Lucy came downstairs.
“Is everything set for my speech?”
“Yes. I’ve done a thorough search of the venue. Everything is set up and secure and I have two of my men stationed inside making sure it stays that way. I’ll have the carriage waiting for you at the back entrance to bring you back to the hotel as soon as you are through.”
“Good, good. Though I thought I should take a few moments to mingle with the crowd afterward. Give them some personal attention. Kiss a few babies and all that. Must give the people what they want, eh?” Halford chuckled and Finn stifled a sigh. The man was an abject bore.
“I don’t think that would be wise, sir. I cannot guarantee who will be in the audience and therefore cannot guarantee your safety—”
“Nonsense. With you at my side, I have no fears. Now, shall we be off?”
“Yes, sir,” Finn said, resigned to another long afternoon of watching the politician swindling his way through another crowd of voters.
“Finn!”
Finn’s stomach dropped.
“Finn!”
Lucy had made her way down the stairs and was marching purposely toward them. Finn tried to ignore her. He turned his back, hoping he blocked the view of her, and tried to steer Halford out the door but Halford was looking over his shoulder at Lucy with an interest that made Finn’s blood burn.
“Well, now. Who is this delightful creature?” Halford asked as Lucy caught up with them.
Finn fumed, his jaw locked tight, anger and a thread of fear pumping through him. Lucy looked from him to Halford, obviously waiting to be introduced. When Finn didn’t say anything she turned her pert little chin up in the air and addressed him herself.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir. I’m—”
“This is my cousin,” Finn interjected. “Lucy.”
Lucy frowned up at him, confusion and hurt shadowing her eyes. Finn was sorry to cause her more pain, but she needed to understand that there was nothing between them. And he couldn’t allow Halford to know how much Lucy meant to him. Couldn’t give him any more leverage to use against him. Making her his cousin kept their true relationship secret and kept her real identity hidden. Hopefully, Halford would assume she was as unworthy as Finn and undeserving of his interest.
“Shame on you, Taggart! You never told me you had such an enchanting cousin. Tell me, my dear, are you in town visiting, or do you live in our fair city? Though surely you must be visiting for I am certain I would have made your acquaintance before now had you been in Charlotte for any amount of time.”
Lucy gave Halford a polite smile. “I just came into town to visit my cousin,” she said, her nose wrinkling a bit at the word. “I’d only just heard he was here. We lost contact during the war.”
“Of course, of course. Such a shame you lost touch,” Halford said, eyeing Finn thoughtfully. “But how delightful to finally meet up again! Well, you must certainly join us. Do you have any plans this afternoon?”
“Yes,” Finn interrupted. “I believe my cousin needs to pack her belongings. She is returning home first thing in the morning.”
Lucy glared at him.
“Oh, that’s a shame,” Halford said, his shrewd eyes darting between them, though he played oblivious to the tension burning between the two. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to stay longer? I’m just on my way to deliver what I believe will be a very enlightening speech and I will be hosting a ball in just a few weeks at my home. It would be wonderful if you could attend.”
“I’m afraid she can’t—”
“Why, that sounds wonderful!” Lucy said, ignoring Finn. “I was just telling Finn that I wished I could stay a bit longer and now I have the perfect excuse. I’m sure my family wouldn’t mind if I prolonged my visit.”
“Wonderful!” Halford exclaimed. “Would you care to accompany us? It would be my pleasure to escort you.” He offered Lucy his elbow, his greedy gaze devouring her in a way that made Finn want to pummel the man.
“That would be delightful, thank you.” Lucy took Halford’s elbow, threw a triumphant look over her shoulder at Finn, and allowed Halford to lead her out the door to the waiting carriage.
Just perfect. Dread settled into a hard, icy knot in his gut. Not only had he not succeeded in getting Lucy to leave, but she had firmly ensconced herself in the lion’s den. She had no idea who she was dealing with and Finn needed to enlighten her. In the meantime, he was going to have the dubious pleasure of watching as she was squired around town by the man he was working for. Which meant Finn would be forced to witness every smarmy move on Halford’s part. And Finn would be in Lucy’s company. Every day.
His sanity would never survive.
…
The carriage pulled up in front of a small courtyard of a run-down factory where a platform had been constructed. Lucy was taken aback at the location. She’d expected Mr. Halford would be addressing a group of upper-class men, perhap
s in an upscale club or a supporter’s mansion or some such place. But the crowd already milling around in front of the stage consisted of largely middle-to lower-class whites. Lucy was surprised to see quite a few black faces among the throng, considering the fact that it was not yet legal for them to vote in this part of the country.
She clambered down from the carriage gratefully. The tension inside had been thicker than frozen molasses with Finn glowering at her the entire way. Well, tough for him. Despite what he said, Lucy didn’t believe that he truly wanted her to go away. That kiss when he’d first seen her…Lucy’s heart skipped a beat at the mere memory. He loved her, she was sure of it. She just had to make the stubborn ass admit it. And to do that she’d need to stick around.
Mr. Halford held out his arm with a gallant smile and Lucy once again took it, letting him draw her into his side. Finn’s look darkened, his jaw clenching so tightly his lips almost disappeared. Well, maybe a little jealousy would help things along. After all, surely he wouldn’t stand by and let her be courted by someone else. And whiling away a few hours with the charming Mr. Halford might be amusing. He seemed pleasant enough and he was certainly handsome. Lucy could think of worse ways to spend her time.
Finn turned away and scanned the crowd while Mr. Halford deposited Lucy near the front. She watched the gathering assembly with interest. There were a good many angry faces among the waiting spectators, which was curious, as the speech hadn’t yet begun. Finn’s voice at her elbow made her jump.
“Some of Mr. Halford’s ideas are a bit unpopular with the public. Well, with the upper-class white public, at any rate.”
Lucy turned to Finn with interest. “Oh. And what would those be?”
“He advocates voting rights for everyone, regardless of race or social status. Including former slaves.”
“Everyone? Even women?”
“I should have said all males. Even he isn’t that progressive.”
Lucy snorted. “Well, it’s something, I suppose. Better than most politicians in the area, I’d imagine.”
“Oh, don’t mistake his policies for his actual beliefs. He’s just a bit more shrewd than most. It’s a huge, untapped voter population. If he’s popular with them, and they turn out in droves to vote, he’s almost guaranteed to win.”
Lucy cocked her head as she gazed at him. “You don’t seem to like your employer much.”
“I loathe him.”
Lucy’s eyes widened and Finn shrugged, his attention on Mr. Halford as the man mounted the stage. “Whether I like him or not is irrelevant. I was hired to be his errand boy and occasional bodyguard. I don’t have to like him for that.”
Lucy followed his gaze. “Shouldn’t you be up there with him?”
“He doesn’t wish to appear fearful. I can keep an eye on things from down here. And another of Halford’s men is on the platform with him. Mr. Halford is paranoid and self-serving. He wouldn’t be up there right now if he thought he was in true danger.”
“Rather cynical of you, Mr. Taggart.”
Finn’s gaze met hers and Lucy fought to breathe. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself in his arms and beg him to love her. But his private rejection had been miserable enough. She certainly had no intention of forcing a repeat performance in public.
“Not cynical. Realistic. I prefer to keep my feet firmly planted in reality, not bury my head in the sand and only see what I want to see.”
“And why do I get the feeling we aren’t discussing Mr. Halford anymore?”
“You need to go home, Lucy. Nothing you do will convince me to change my mind. Staying here will only mean more heartache. Go home.”
Lucy looked away, clenching her jaw against the anguish burning its way up her throat. When she could speak without blubbering like a heartsick fool, she answered him, though she kept her gaze glued to the stage. “I have no intention of returning home just yet. I’ve never been to Charlotte. I should really make the most of my visit while I’m here.” Her eyes focused on Mr. Halford. “Besides, you aren’t the only dog on the prairie, Finnegan Taggart. If you don’t want me, there are other men who might.”
Mr. Halford caught her gaze and aimed a charming smile and bow in her direction before moving his attention back to his rapt audience. Lucy looked up at Finn, gratified to see he’d caught their exchange, and didn’t seem to be at all pleased about it. “Why shouldn’t I stick around and see what might come of it? There’s nothing for me in Boston.”
Finn grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side, away from any prying ears. “Lucy, Halford is not someone you should be getting involved with. You need to stay away from him.”
“Why, Finn? Tell me the real reason you don’t want me to see him.” Lucy held her breath, hoping and praying he’d just fess up and tell her he loved her and couldn’t stand to see her with another man.
Finn’s eyes drifted from hers down to her mouth, lingered. He leaned a fraction of an inch closer and Lucy held her breath. She wanted to press closer, close the distance between them. He wanted to kiss her again; she knew it. Could feel it in the sudden tension in him, the way his grip tightened slightly on her arm, the slight hitch in his breathing.
Then Finn glanced toward the stage. Lucy followed his gaze and saw Mr. Halford briefly frown between the two of them before plastering a grin back on his face. Finn let go of her arm.
“I can’t discuss it here. Suffice it to say, he’s not right for you.”
Lucy forced down the tears that threatened to erupt and straightened her backbone. “Well, by your own choice, my personal life is no longer any of your business. I’ll see whomever I wish to see. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Lucy moved closer to the stage and watched the crowd as Mr. Halford spoke. There were a few faces, those belonging to the more affluent men, Lucy noted, who glowered menacingly at Mr. Halford as he spoke. But the majority of the crowd watched him with interest.
Lucy forced a smile to her face when Mr. Halford winked down at her. No matter what she wanted Finn to think, she’d never be able to replace him. Mr. Halford was handsome, powerful, rich, and well connected. Everything a girl should want. And Lucy didn’t feel even a spark of attraction to him.
Yet, if Finn had his way, she’d have to learn how to live without him. She didn’t know if she could. She’d managed to survive for the last several years by withdrawing into herself. Staying numb, detached. But one look at Finn had blown her carefully crafted facade to bits. It was as though her heart had finally begun beating again.
And with its reawakening came the pain shredding through it. If Finn had his way, that would be something she’d need to learn to live with as well. Because she couldn’t imagine it being whole without him.
Chapter Six
Lucy took a deep breath, enjoying the cool morning air before the heat of the late summer set in. The park across from the hotel was nearly empty this early in the morning and Lucy was happy to be able to wander unimpeded while she contemplated her predicament.
She’d been in Charlotte for two weeks now and she’d made no headway with Finn. The stubborn man still kept his distance from her, though she didn’t think he was as unaffected by her as he tried to pretend.
And a new complication was arising. Philip Halford. Since Lucy spent most of her time sticking as close to Finn as possible, and Finn was Philip’s right-hand man, she had been seeing a lot more of Philip than she’d expected. Philip, much to Lucy’s surprise, seemed delighted by her presence. Compared to Finn’s continued rejection of her, it was a bit of a balm to her spirit to have an attractive man seek her company, even if she did not return his interest.
Lucy meandered back to the hotel and was brought up short by the sight of Finn descending the steps toward a waiting carriage. He looked up and caught her gaze. For a moment, Lucy thought he’d continue on his way without a word to her, but instead, he came toward her.
Lucy watched him approach, her eyes drinking in every inch of him, the way his trousers hu
gged his legs, the snug fit of his vest and coat over his toned physique. She could very happily spend hours just watching him. He came to a stop in front of her and neither said anything for a moment.
Finally, Lucy nodded toward the carriage. “Are you going somewhere?”
Finn nodded. “Halford has a few tasks for me out of the city.”
Lucy tried not to show her disappointment. “How long will you be gone?”
“A week. Maybe two.”
“Oh.” She looked down at the grass beneath her feet. Lucy didn’t want him to go. She’d only just found him and the thought of him being away sent a rush of panic through her that she had a hard time controlling.
“Lucy, I—”
“Taggart?” Lucy and Finn looked toward the hotel to see Philip standing beside the carriage. When he caught sight of them, he hurried over. “There you are, man. You always seem to be disappearing on me. Quite annoying, I must say,” Philip said with a good-natured laugh.
Lucy knew how he felt, though she didn’t feel particularly jovial about it.
“I was just saying good-bye to my cousin.”
“Ah yes,” Philip said, turning his attention to Lucy. “The charming Miss Taggart. Well, never you fear. Finnegan will return shortly. In the meantime, I’d be delighted to help take charge of you. In fact, I’m attending a small musical soiree this evening. I’d be honored if you’d accompany me.”
Lucy hesitated and looked at Finn. Every line of his face was taut, his nostrils flaring slightly, though he was careful to show no real expression. A surge of irritation hit her and she made a snap decision. If Finn wanted to continue this charade, then she could too. Besides, she saw no reason why she should confine herself to her hotel room, pining over Finn while he was gone.
Blood Blade Sisters Series (Entangled Scandalous) Page 45
