Scot Under the Covers by Suzanne Enoch

Author:Suzanne Enoch
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

* * *

If that was the totality of Aden’s plan to be rid of Captain Vale, he’d failed rather spectacularly. Attempting to claim a dance? As Vale put her hand over his forearm and led her into the center of the ballroom floor, Miranda risked a glance at Aden.

Generally, he made an appearance and then vanished into the nearest gaming room until required again. Tonight, however, he remained at the edge of the dance floor, a thoughtful expression on his lean face and his gaze on … her. He wasn’t being at all subtle, or clever, and she had no idea what to make of it.

“I told you to be rid of him,” Vale said stiffly, facing her and placing one cool hand on her hip.

She hated when he touched her. Stifling a shudder, she put her free hand on his shoulder. “I couldn’t very well tell him we would never suit when he hasn’t suggested that we would.” Just because Aden had mentioned a few things she might choose to say about him, it didn’t mean she meant to simply volunteer everything. As the Highlander had pointed out previously, if she made things too easy, the captain would become suspicious.

“And yet he seems to think you would suit, or he wouldn’t be dogging your heels. I told you to do something about him. The fact that you haven’t turned him away does not put me in a jolly mood.”

“While I don’t give a single damn about your mood, Captain,” she returned, picking her words carefully as she spoke, “that is one of the MacTaggert brothers. Eloise’s brothers. My soon-to-be in-laws.”

“And your point is?”

“Avoiding him, or speaking cruelly to him for no reason, would come back to me, and to my parents. He’s practically family.”

Vale lifted an overhanging brow. “He’s also a gambler, you know. You dislike gambling. And gamblers.”

For a moment it felt odd to have someone else quoting her own strictures to her, but she knew Matthew had already told Captain Vale about his own gambling misfortunes, and about those of Uncle John Temple. If Vale’s plan was simply to remind her that she disliked gamblers, though, it seemed like a fairly pitiful one. The larger question she wanted answered was how Aden had known this conversation would come up in the first place. It was off-putting, almost. And yet it also provided proof that she’d sought out the perfect man to assist her.

“I said, ‘you dislike gamblers,’” the captain repeated. “What is your response?”

Don’t give up your information too easily, she repeated to herself. “How am I supposed to respond? You’re correct. I dislike gamblers.”

“Aden MacTaggert is a gambler.”

She shook her head. “You are a gambler. Aden MacTaggert was a gambler,” she corrected, sending up a silent prayer that Aden knew what he was about. Vale thought himself the smartest, cleverest man in the room, and yet Aden had guessed very nearly the exact words of his conversation. Twice. “He’s given it up.”

They waltzed in silence for a moment.

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