Nowhere Near Respectable Read Online Free PDF Page B

Mackenzie patted the horse’s neck. “I traded a pouch of tobacco for him in Portugal. He was such an ugly colt that he was about to be turned into horse stew. We were both lucky that day.”
    Kiri found his obvious affection for his horse rather endearing. Chieftain was far more handsome, though.
    The barn had several empty box stalls—convenient for storing casks of claret—so after Kiri had groomed Chieftain, she led him into a stall and made sure he had hay and water. Then she settled down by the fire. In the flickering light, she examined the knife she’d stolen. It was a sleek, well-made weapon, small enough to go into an arm or leg sheath. The handle was elaborately etched and the short blade had a businesslike edge.
    She was testing the balance when Mackenzie joined her at the fire. He eyed the blade, which happened to be pointing at him. “Is that a warning to keep my distance?”
    “Perhaps.” She turned the knife, watching the reflections on the blade. “Why should I trust you?”
    “I’m not the one who captured you and chained you in a cave.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “True, but you didn’t seem upset to see what your ‘business associates’ had done!”
    His brows arched. “Would it have helped if I’d cried out in horror, ‘You brutes! Release that young lady right now!’”
    She looked down at the knife, thinking that he was distractingly handsome now that she could see him clearly. “They would have laughed in your face, and possibly chained you up next to me. If you’d tried to free me yourself, you would have been stopped immediately.”
    “Exactly. One must know one’s audience,” he said. “If not for Howard, buying your freedom might have worked, but since he didn’t want to let you go, I had to come up with another approach. Playing cards for your fate amused them.”
    She shivered. “Clever, but you might easily have lost. Even winning, the beastly Howard accused you of cheating.”
    “He’s beastly, but not stupid,” Mackenzie said, amused. “I was cheating.”
    She gasped, shocked by his casual admission of dishonorable behavior. “You cheat at cards?”
    “When necessary,” Mackenzie replied. “You wouldn’t have wanted me to lose, would you?”
    She knew her eyes must be as wide as saucers. “No, but . . . you’re a gentleman, and that is not respectable behavior.”
    “I am not a gentleman,” he said with a laugh. “In fact, I’m nowhere near respectable, which makes life easier than if I was a gentleman.”
    Having spent her life surrounded by highly honorable gentlemen, Kiri was fascinated to meet a man so cheerfully dishonorable. “How come Howard didn’t notice that you’d marked the cards when you pulled that deck out?”
    “Because that deck wasn’t marked. It was new, just as I said. But the matching deck that I palmed had marked cards. After I won and Howard became difficult, I kicked over the kettle and one of the lanterns to confuse the situation enough for us to escape.”
    She couldn’t quite suppress her choke of laughter. “I was glad you won, because I knew you’d be easier to escape from than a gang of smugglers.”
    “In the morning the storm should have passed and I’ll put you on the road to Dover. You can escape me then.” He pulled a flask from another internal pocket. “Have some brandy. It will help warm you up.”
    The flask was warm from Mackenzie’s body. Kiri sipped cautiously and discovered that it contained a powerful but smooth French cognac. “The brandy you buy from the smugglers is first-class.”
    “Nothing but the best for my customers.” He reached into another inside pocket and pulled out an irregularly shaped packet wrapped in cloth. “If you’re hungry, here’s some cheese to test your knife on.”
    This time she didn’t even try to stop herself from smiling. “You’ve pulled out money, cards, drink, and now food. How many pockets does that greatcoat have?”
    “Many.” He produced two bread rolls