Irish, and they all hate the English, so there will be no running about alone by any of us. Understood?”
The three of them nodded. Finley knew the remark was mostly directed at her, but she wasn’t about to get her knickers in a twist over it. He was right. They weren’t in London, and there was danger in this city for all of them.
“Good.” He leaned back in his chair and reached for his cup of coffee. “Finley, you have an engagement with Dalton tonight, correct?”
She chewed and swallowed the bite of egg in her mouth. “Yes, though I think dinner is just a formality. I reckon he’ll want me to join his enterprise. He’s fond of rough girls.”
“No doubt he plans to seduce you,” Griffin remarked thoughtfully. When Finley’s cheeks turned red, he added, “Into his gang, of course. I’m sure he’ll waste no time now that he’s seen what you can do.”
It was as much of a truce as he was probably going to offer, and she was glad for it. In fact, she liked him all the more for not making it too easy for her.
She knew there really wasn’t much point in having a crush on Griffin. A duke would be expected to marry someone of his own social sphere—not that Finley wanted to marry him! But he wouldn’t make her half so mental if she didn’t like him.
Emily perked up. “I’m going to listen to Mr. Tesla give a talk at the New York Repository of Science this evening. I’m so excited!”
“I’m going with her,” Sam added. Finley noted with amusement that he did not sound half so enthusiastic as his companion about the evening.
“And I am off to a party,” Griffin remarked. “Seems dukes are quite the popular commodity here in Manhattan.”
Sam made a face. “I thought the aristocracy was one of the things the Yanks hate about us.”
“You can take the American out of England … ” Griffin grinned. “It might be fun to be introduced to the Knickerbocker set.”
“Lots of rich heiresses trolling for a title,” Sam remarked. “Be careful you don’t come back engaged.”
Finley’s stomach dropped, but then Griffin laughed. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Then he turned to her. “Don’t worry, Fin—” her eyes widened “—I’ll have my P.T. if you run into trouble. So will Sam and Em. We’ll be there in a flash if you need us.”
Both relieved and annoyed that he hadn’t sought to ease her mind as to the heiress issue, Finley was nevertheless comforted by the fact that her friends would come to her rescue if she telegraphed them.
She didn’t think she would need them. She was fairly confident in her ability to get and hold Dalton’s attention. She was also confident in her own ability to break his arms should he cross any lines.
She could break the arms of any heiresses who thought to catch themselves a duke, as well, but she kept that to herself.
“I need to go do some work,” Emily announced suddenly, pushing her chair back from the table. “Come with me, Sam.”
The big dark-haired fellow looked down at his plate. A lone sausage lay there. “I’m not done.”
“Bring it with you. Come on.” She looked impatient. Sam shrugged and obeyed.
Finley barely had time to say goodbye before they disappeared.
Griffin chuckled. “Do you think Emily wanted to leave us alone?”
“Certainly seems that way,” she replied, her own smile wry. “Listen, Griffin—”
He held up his hand. “Tell you what—you don’t apologize, and then I won’t have to apologize. Let’s just say that all is forgiven and never speak of it again.”
“But I want to speak of it.”
That seemed to surprise him. “You do?”
“Yes. I’m sorry that I’ve behaved the way I have. It’s no excuse, but I’m still trying to find out who I am, so it’s difficult for me to know exactly how to behave at times.” It felt good to say this out loud. “Also, I’ve never really had anyone in my life I could trust, no one beyond my mother and Silas. You are right to expect it from me, and
The three of them nodded. Finley knew the remark was mostly directed at her, but she wasn’t about to get her knickers in a twist over it. He was right. They weren’t in London, and there was danger in this city for all of them.
“Good.” He leaned back in his chair and reached for his cup of coffee. “Finley, you have an engagement with Dalton tonight, correct?”
She chewed and swallowed the bite of egg in her mouth. “Yes, though I think dinner is just a formality. I reckon he’ll want me to join his enterprise. He’s fond of rough girls.”
“No doubt he plans to seduce you,” Griffin remarked thoughtfully. When Finley’s cheeks turned red, he added, “Into his gang, of course. I’m sure he’ll waste no time now that he’s seen what you can do.”
It was as much of a truce as he was probably going to offer, and she was glad for it. In fact, she liked him all the more for not making it too easy for her.
She knew there really wasn’t much point in having a crush on Griffin. A duke would be expected to marry someone of his own social sphere—not that Finley wanted to marry him! But he wouldn’t make her half so mental if she didn’t like him.
Emily perked up. “I’m going to listen to Mr. Tesla give a talk at the New York Repository of Science this evening. I’m so excited!”
“I’m going with her,” Sam added. Finley noted with amusement that he did not sound half so enthusiastic as his companion about the evening.
“And I am off to a party,” Griffin remarked. “Seems dukes are quite the popular commodity here in Manhattan.”
Sam made a face. “I thought the aristocracy was one of the things the Yanks hate about us.”
“You can take the American out of England … ” Griffin grinned. “It might be fun to be introduced to the Knickerbocker set.”
“Lots of rich heiresses trolling for a title,” Sam remarked. “Be careful you don’t come back engaged.”
Finley’s stomach dropped, but then Griffin laughed. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Then he turned to her. “Don’t worry, Fin—” her eyes widened “—I’ll have my P.T. if you run into trouble. So will Sam and Em. We’ll be there in a flash if you need us.”
Both relieved and annoyed that he hadn’t sought to ease her mind as to the heiress issue, Finley was nevertheless comforted by the fact that her friends would come to her rescue if she telegraphed them.
She didn’t think she would need them. She was fairly confident in her ability to get and hold Dalton’s attention. She was also confident in her own ability to break his arms should he cross any lines.
She could break the arms of any heiresses who thought to catch themselves a duke, as well, but she kept that to herself.
“I need to go do some work,” Emily announced suddenly, pushing her chair back from the table. “Come with me, Sam.”
The big dark-haired fellow looked down at his plate. A lone sausage lay there. “I’m not done.”
“Bring it with you. Come on.” She looked impatient. Sam shrugged and obeyed.
Finley barely had time to say goodbye before they disappeared.
Griffin chuckled. “Do you think Emily wanted to leave us alone?”
“Certainly seems that way,” she replied, her own smile wry. “Listen, Griffin—”
He held up his hand. “Tell you what—you don’t apologize, and then I won’t have to apologize. Let’s just say that all is forgiven and never speak of it again.”
“But I want to speak of it.”
That seemed to surprise him. “You do?”
“Yes. I’m sorry that I’ve behaved the way I have. It’s no excuse, but I’m still trying to find out who I am, so it’s difficult for me to know exactly how to behave at times.” It felt good to say this out loud. “Also, I’ve never really had anyone in my life I could trust, no one beyond my mother and Silas. You are right to expect it from me, and
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