Would Minnie’s family consider him to be cut from the same cloth as Jack? A stealer of daughters? Then he shook his head. He was cut from the same cloth. They ran a secret gaming hell together and why should he care what her family thought of him?
In fact, men like him probably eloped just to prove a point. He was assuming that’s what had happened. Jack and Emily were in love.
He’d been in love once. He’d even proposed, thinking he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Lady Cristina. She was so much like Minnie, like his mother too. Strong, fiery, full of life, love, passion, and laughter. But just like his parents’ marriage, his had been doomed before it could even start.
First and foremost, he’d met Cristina after attending calling hours to visit her sister, but from the start, she’d stolen his attention and he’d spent every waking moment thinking about her, trying to find ways to see her again. By all appearances, she’d felt the same.
The moment he asked her to be his wife, she’d accepted and taken him into her bed. He’d realized she wasn’t a virgin then. Not that he’d cared. But soon, she began begging to move the wedding closer, worried she might be with child from their joining.
He’d relented, wanting his new bride protected. Then she’d pleaded for a spending account for the wedding. Which made sense, except he kept having to replenish the funds.
It wasn’t until a few weeks later that he’d overheard two servants gossiping when he’d arrived at her home for an unexpected afternoon visit. It had been three months since Cristina had bled. They’d only been engaged for a month.
Still, he’d refused to believe that she’d betrayed him. And servants liked to gossip, often embellishing the truth. All people did. He’d rushed into the garden to find her and ask her what they had meant, sure this was a mistake. They were in love. He’d found her soon enough but she hadn’t been alone. He’d found her in the arms of a lover.
He’d broken the engagement and refused to see her or even read her correspondence. To this day, he’d never heard a word of her explanation. Not that it mattered. What infuriated him most of all was that he’d nearly made the same mistake as his father. Married a strong-willed woman who used her power to make her husband miserable. He’d learned his lesson now.
Reaching the Bancroft townhouse, he dismounted and walked up the stairs. He raised his hand to knock when the door flung open. There he stood, fist in mid-air.
“Tag,” Minnie hissed, several strands of hair having fallen loose from her coif. They framed her face in the softest way and he had the urge to reach out and touch one lock of that glorious hair. “They ran away to get married.”
He dropped his fist. “My thoughts too.”
Minnie shook her head, stepping out onto the steps and closing the door behind her. “No, I don’t just think it. Emily’s trunk is gone and in its place was a note. They’ve boarded a ship to Gretna Green.”
“A ship?” Tag scrunched his brow, a deep frown creasing his face.
Minnie nodded, stepping closer, her hand resting on his chest. She’d smelled of fresh grass after a rain. He itched to wrap his hands about her waist and pull her closer. He wanted to taste those soft sweet lips again. She dropped her voice only adding to the intimacy of their position. “Emily doesn’t like long carriage rides.”
He nodded, his chin dropping toward hers. Hadn’t he just relived his past memories? Didn’t he know how this ended? Why was he so tempted by the sweet lips of Minerva Chase?
Chapter Seven
Minnie held her breath as his mouth drifted closer. This was a mistake. She needed a husband and everyone understood that Tag was not interested in the position.
If her mother walked out now and caught them kissing, there would be no stopping her matchmaking attempts. “I should…go inside.” She didn’t move. Her limbs refused to obey.
“I’ll come with you. Your uncle will want to know what I’ve discovered.”
She shook her head. “Don’t. He’s furious and threatening violence against Jack. The last thing we need is for him to decide you’d make an adequate scapegoat.”
He coughed. “I can handle your uncle.”
“Of course you can. You manage unruly men as a hobby. It’s him I’m concerned about. There’ll be no saving this situation if you hurt him.” She stepped back then, reason clearing her head a bit.
But he didn’t let her waist go and suddenly pulled her tight to his chest. “Save what situation?”
What did he mean? “Jack and Emily being accepted back into the family? What else? I wish she’d told us why she’s chosen to run away. It would be much easier to help her if I knew.”
He stared down into her eyes, his fingers relaxing. “Of course.” But he didn’t let her go. “You’re protecting Emily’s future.”
She nodded. “Yours too. I don’t know how your club could be brought up but there’s so many threads tying you to Jack and Emily, I think it best for your secret’s sake you stay out of this as much as possible.”
One of his hands slid up her back, to cup her face. “Thank you, Minnie.”
She nodded. “Now you really need to go. I came out before you rang the bell, but if we’re discovered out here…”
His mouth turned down but his hands slipped away from her and he took a step back. “Tell me if you learn anything new.”