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Her lips tightened as she met his relentless gaze. “There was a man passing in the alley,” she grudgingly confessed. “I convinced him to come into the house and unlock the door.”
His hand grasped her chin as he regarded her with furious disbelief. He was thankful he had never suspected just how foolish she had been. His nightmares would have driven him mad.
“You called a strange man into a house where you were all but alone?” he gritted. “Do you not have any sense at all? Meu Deus. Do you know what could have happened?”
She licked her lips as her gaze abruptly dropped. “I…I escaped.”
His heart gave a painful squeeze. “Raine, look at me.”
Slowly she obeyed. “What?”
“Did he hurt you? Tell me.”
“He tried, but…”
“I will kill him,” he said with lethal softness. “I will track him down and kill him.”
“No. It was nothing, truly I was not harmed.”
“You took a foolish risk.” Instinctively, he shifted to wrap his arms about her. “It is a habit you will no longer indulge in.”
She was wise enough not to try and battle his hold. “How did you find me?”
“I already knew that you lived near Knightsbridge and discovering your cottage was hardly difficult.”
“I suppose, but that does not explain how you knew that I would be out tonight as the Knave.”
“I was watching the cottage when you left the stables. It was a simple matter to have Carlos track you and then set up this little ploy.”
She pulled back with a frown. “Do you often dress as an old woman?”
His lips twitched. In truth he kept a number of disguises hidden throughout his various carriages. Not to mention a dozen different weapons, trap doors and a few bottles of smuggled brandy.
His carriages were custom-made and cost a fortune to build.
“On occasion.”
“Why?”
“Perhaps some day I will tell you, but not now.”
Her eyes narrowed, but wisely she did not attempt to force a confession from him.
“So Carlos was following me the whole time?” she instead demanded.
“Yes. He was rather caught off guard when you deliberately stumbled into such an obvious trap. I can only assume that you were intentionally attempting to capture their attention before leading them on a merry chase?”
She shrugged. “The magistrate is currently playing chess with my father.”
Fiercely aware of just how tiny and fragile she was, he tightened his arms around her. He breathed deeply of her sweet lilac scent. Damn her father. He did not deserve this woman as his daughter.
“So once again you risk your own life to save his sorry neck?”
She stiffened. “Do not speak ill of my father.”
“He is not worthy of you.”
“And you are?”
