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“The Covent Guard,” Marc breathed out. “She wants his name and was offering her approval of me in exchange for theinformation.”
Caroline’s mouth fell open. Of all the ridiculous things! She wasn’t even sure where to begin with all of that. In the first place, Marc didn’t need Rachel’s approval and in the second… “Why would she even think you know hisidentity?”
“Because I do,” he said calmly. “His mask fell off last night when I—” he seemed to search for the best way to say something “—Well, when I knocked him to the ground. I didrecognizehim.”
They’d seen the Covent Guard last night? Why was this the first she was hearing about it? She spun to face himdirectly. “And…?”
“And I beat him nearly to death,” he added with a shrug. “The man threw a dagger at me, Caroline. There are consequences for suchactions.”
That wasn’t what she meant, but… “He threw adaggeratyou?”
“Almost had a new scar,” he said a bit lighter. “Something else for you totouch.”
How could he make light of such a thing? Caroline swatted his chest. “Marcus Gray! Is there a reason I’m just now hearing about allofthis?”
His brow furrowed just slightly. “No one was hurt…well, neither Rachel nor I were hurt. And you know how exhausted we all were lastnight.”
Exhausted, indeed! Caroline scoffed. “I would have managed to stay awake to hear tales of the Covent Guard throwing daggers at you and Rachel.” Heavens! What was wrong with the man? And what was wrong with her daughter that neither of them thought this might be information that should be sharedwithher?
“He only threw one atme. He thought I was kidnapping her, if that makes you feel anybetter.”
“It doesn’t.” Caroline scowledathim.
Marc heaved a sigh. “It’s neither here nor there anyway. I took care of everything. So there’s nothing for you to worry about,mydear.”
He took care of everything? “What in the world does thatevenmean?”
“It means that if she should go in search of the man again, I’ve threatened to whisper his name to Mr. Blackaby and send him to Newgate. And if he should even think of approaching her in the future, he won’t live through our next encounter. I’ve made it all very clear to bothofthem.”
She wasn’t even certain what to say to that. And then…Blackaby. That was an idea. “If you know who the man is, youmusttellBlackaby.”
“And lose my leverage with your daughter?” He shook his head. “Not achance.”
Was he serious? Caroline gaped at him. “Marc, the man is a criminal. He threw a dagger at you.” Heavens! He could have been killed. Rachel could have beenkilled.
“He thought he was helping her,” Marc said softly. “And crime in the area isn’t as rampant since he started his crusade. He’s done more than Blackaby has, Idaresay.”
“But—”
“Sometimes it takes fellows living in the shadows to right the world,” he continued. “Caroline, if the man gets out of hand in the future, I do know who he is. We can deal with him then. But for now, we should leave him be. Besides—” a little smile tipped his lips “—it’ll be quite some time before he’s recovered enough to don a domino and hide in the shadows ofDruryLane.”
“You beat him nearly to death?” she echoed his earlierwords.
“He will not forget me,” Marcassuredher.
Heavens, he was so different than anything she was used to. She couldn’t imagine David doing or saying any of the things he did. Robert either for that matter, and…well, perhaps Luke to some extent. Still… “I do believe we see the world completelydifferently.”
“Do you?” Marc cupped the side of her face with his hands, sending tingles racing down her spine. “We probably do.” His light blue eyes twinkled a bit roguishly as his gaze drifted to her lips. “But I believe we complement each otherperfectly.”
They just might. A sigh escaped her right before he lowered his lips to hers. His thumb caressed her cheek, so softly, so adoringly, she couldn’t help but melt against him. And she was fairly certain that her heartfluttered.
* * *
Marc was severely temptedto scoop her up in his arms, climb the steps two at a time, fall into her bed and ravish her the rest of the night, but… the sound of little slippered feet on marble, some distance away registered in his consciousness. So he lifted his head and smiled down at the most amazing woman in the world, still not certain how he’d ended up with her in his arms. But he wasn’t about to question his goodfortune.
Caroline blinked her eyes open and swallowed hard. He tried not to notice how the movement in her throat made his cock stiffen. “Still don’t know what to do with me?” heasked.
She tipped her head back slightly and her hair tickled his fingertips where he still held her. “I have someideas.”
