Perhaps he should have brought Miss Sanford a book on the Chinese languages in the event she needed smoothing over. He bowed. “Miss Sanford. You are looking lovely this afternoon.”
Her smile dimmed a bit. “Good afternoon, Mr. Rose. You are looking lovely as well.” She might not hold grudges, but she wasn’t about to allow any sort of the flirtation by which Dante lived his life.
She waved at the sofa next to her. “Will you have a seat? Before we leave, I think we should go over a few things.”
He hated more than anything being out of his element. She knew the ton. She knew the languages. She knew how to maneuver around in social events. He refused to be the dummy who walked by her side, only to give her protection and the persona of the besotted beau. “Yes. There are a few things I would like to get straight before we start this investigation.”
Miss Sanford dipped her head in acknowledgement.
“Sir Phillip saw fit to have two people work on this assignment. Although I bow to your expertise in languages and how to move about in Polite Society, I have no intention of sitting back and watching you work.”
When she merely continued to look at him, he continued. “Foremost, my job is to keep you safe—”
She held up her hand. “I don’t need—”
He held up his hand. “You do. That is one thing I will not compromise on. Despite your feeling of being in control, there are circumstances we might encounter which will require a bit more strength than cursing someone in Arabic.”
She actually smiled.
He continued. “If there is to be any snooping or other potentially dangerous activities, I will do those.”
“No.” She took in a deep breath. “I can do more than translate. I’ve been on investigations where I’ve had to snoop. I’ve even been on an investigation where I had to attempt to seduce a man.”
His heart dropped to his stomach. “No. That will not be allowed. Never. Not at all. Did you hear me say no?”
She smiled again. “I did. Aside from my other talents, my hearing is quite strong.”
“There will be no seduction. Nor attempts at it. If anyone is to do seducing, it will be me.”
“Of the Ambassador? My goodness, based on your reputation, who would have known you had those inclinations?”
He jerked and his lips tightened. “That is not what I meant.” He waved his hand around. “Never mind. There are other issues to discuss.”
Miss Sanford raised her chin. “Yes. It is now my turn to make demands.”
Lydia was quite tired of Mr. Rose laying down rules and ignoring her ability to contribute to the assignment in ways other than translating. However, in her experience, starting off with a friendly, positive manner always worked best. “I understand your concerns, Mr. Rose. I also concede that since I have no intention of following through on an attempted seduction, that might not be the best way to gain answers.”
He snorted.
“I will ignore that rude sound you just made and continue. I am able to snoop as well as the next agent of the Home Office, and in the past, I’ve uncovered vital information that way. However, instead of debating who has the best methods of uncovering information, I suggest I offer you some suggestions about a garden party.”
She grinned when he groaned.
“Firstly, if we are to pretend a courtship, it would be wise if you stayed by my side as much as possible. Also, at these sorts of events, there is little formality. We will be free to stroll the grounds, speak with whomever we choose and partake of the refreshments. The most important thing, of course, is to keep our eye on the Ambassador and see who he speaks with.”
He nodded and stood. “I suggest we leave.”
She stood and shook out her skirts. She’d spent the night before tossing in her bed, thinking about pretending a courtship with Mr. Rose. Ever since the kiss he subjected her to and her automatic response, she’d had to tell herself she had no interest whatsoever in the man in a romantic way.
It hadn’t been easy. A renowned flirt and rogue, she would have to protect herself from his attentions. She huffed as they settled in his carriage. He thought to protect her from harm.
Who would protect her from him?
The ride was silent, and for the first time in her social life she felt a bit uneasy arriving at the garden party. It had been years since she had an escort to an event. Since she’d given up pretending to be on the husband hunt, and no longer needed to have a chaperone following her about, she preferred to arrive in her own vehicle, by herself. And leave the same way.
Having her own carriage was best since Mr
. Rose was not the first man she’d been forced to slap. Or do other things that prevented further debauchery.