Page 8 of Give Him a Chance

“Look,” Bernard said hastily, “there has been some sort of mistake.”

The bailiff on his right smirked mercilessly. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure there’re many men out there who would like to be in Lady Lucy’s keeping.”

Bernard considered punching the man in the nose, handcuffs or no handcuffs, but realized it was probably a difficult thing to attempt.

Besides, it could hardly win him favors at this point.

I should never have agreed to this last assignment, he thought dismally as murmurs rustled through the court like a cool breeze on a summer morning. He should never have accepted Hovell’s promises that he would be out of here swiftly, and with no need to return back to serving his country.

He’d done enough, hadn’t he?

“But—but—” The woman was spluttering, her eyes wide, and her complete attention fixed on the judge gave Bernard another opportunity to examine her.

She was lovely, that was clear; but now that he had another look, he saw the intelligence in her eyes, sparkling and clear, even a tad furious.

Nowthatwas interesting. When Bernard had first swept his gaze across the court, as he always did, it had been to impress and dazzle, and this Lady Lucy, whoever she was, had taken the brunt of it. It had pleased him to see her flush, not realizing she was here to…

What? Ruin him?

Or save him?

His chest puffed up. Was she an overzealous devotee? Did that mean shelikedhim, liked ‘Bernard’ at least?

He felt the breath escape his lungs. He couldn’t exactly ravish a woman with the title of ‘lady,’ though, could he?

“I cannot possibly take charge of a man like that!” Lady Lucy was declaiming loudly to anyone who would listen.

A slow smile crept across Bernard’s face.Protesting—and too much.

So the plans had changed, after all, and this was neither one of his courtroom devotees nor an actual lady of Society. Well, he would not have suggested the idea himself to Hovell, but it was a good one. Perhaps it would have been too complicated to falsify the records on a transport ship. Perhaps Hovell had realized there was no possibility of bribing the right men for that task and so had concocted this ridiculous charade with this intriguing woman and the judge. Of course. Why else had the man emptied the courtroom?

Bernard relaxed into his seat. If that was what it was to be, then that was what it was to be. Certainly not his idea of a clever plan, but just the sort of thing Hovell would have come up with.

The man had never been able to resist a pretty face.

“You cannot think to put a criminal in my custody!” the apparent Lady Lucy was saying hotly, her cheeks pink as she marched toward the judge’s seat. “I-I mean, a man d-driven to-to… Well, I mean, he’s a… a… And I’m alady!”

Ouch.That was a mite harsh, Bernard thought ruefully. It was a good thing he wasn’t a criminal, and that he knew full well she was only pretending to be outraged by the judge’s suggestion.

Otherwise, he might have found his feelings somewhat dented.

Still, he was not paid for putting together the plans. Just enacting them.

Time to act.

“And I refuse to be put in this woman’s custody!” Bernard said in a clear, outraged tone.

The bailiffs and solicitors remaining in the courtroom stilled, all present save for Lady Lucy herself—and if she had been a real lady, Bernard would have eaten his boot. The idea of a lady, a daughter of nobility, stepping into a courtroom like this and playing the fool!

“Yourefuse?” Lady Lucy repeated, her eyebrows rising in evident astonishment. At least, astonishment for the any of the bailiffs or solicitors not in on the plan. The spectators must have their sport. “What mean you by that, sir?”

Honestly, he would have to speak to Hovell about the actresses he was finding. “Merely that I have no wish to be cast aside by the justice system just when I was about to prove myself innocent!” Bernard retorted, doing his best to look mortally wounded, letting out a gasp as he shook his head slowly. “It is a disparage to my name, to my conscience, to my reputation!”

“I cannot have a man in my keeping. What on earth would I do with him?” Lady Lucy hissed to the judge, just loud enough for Bernard to hear.

A slow smile crept across his lips. Oh, he knew what he’d like to do with this ‘Lady Lucy’ when they got out of this courtroom. If she was indeed an actress, as he supposed, then she would surely not be immune to his charms nor unreceptive to his overtures.

It had been a long time since he had found himself in the embrace of a lady…