Page 54 of When a Lady Dares
Her pulse throbbed in her ears. Pulling in a breath, she counted silently, then released it. Perhaps she could turn this situation to her advantage and garner crucial intelligence in the process. If Stanwyck did have information on the men who’d attacked her, she might lead him to reveal his sources.
“Assuming you are correct, I deserve an explanation—why do you believe some foul purpose motivated what happened last night?”
“Those bastards were sent after you. You can’t deny that. I intend to find out why.”
Her breaths felt shallow and erratic. She’d prepared for many scenarios. She’d been trained to throw an interrogator off course. But the earnest conviction in Stanwyck’s words could not be easily dismissed. Concern blazed in his eyes—for her, not himself. Could she trust him?
Or was this a deception he’d set into play for his own unknown purposes?
She could not reveal the truth to him. The risk was too great.
She stripped her voice of emotion. “What do you know about those men?”
“I have reason to believe they are killers. What do you know of Trask’s prior assistant, a woman named Valentina?”
Killers. Valentina.The words pounded in her ears. God above, what had he learned about the Russian medium?
Her mouth went dry, and, for a heartbeat, perhaps two, her knees went weak. But she had to stay in character. And she needed to get away from him. This might all be a ruse to cover his true motives for seeking out Trask.
“My, how very dramatic.” She didn’t try to hide the slight quiver in her voice. Given the circumstances, it would seem quite natural that he’d shaken her. “I see no point in continuing these preposterous sessions. I do not understand why you are trying to frighten me, and frankly, I do not care to try. I will inform Mr. Trask that I will no longer participate in this bloody odd game you’re playing.”
A lightning bolt sizzled in the sky. “This is not a game, Sophie.”
“If you desire further sittings, Trask will conduct them.” Showing him her back, she strode toward the waiting carriage.
His long strides made short work of the distance she’d put between them. “I don’t give a damn about your blasted sittings. Do you think me such a fool that I might swallow any of that rubbish you spout about spirit guides and séances?”
She spun on her heel, facing him. “Then why? Why do you come to Trask’s studio? Why have you subjected me to this ridiculous quest, when you do not believe any of it?”
“None of that matters. Not now. You may be in danger.”
“There is no one who has a reason to harm me.” Even as she uttered the words, a pang of uncertainty twinged in her stomach. She had no way of knowing if her cover identity remained secure, no way to be certain she had not created an enemy through her inquiries.
“I have reason to believe your predecessor was murdered…by the same man who attempted to abduct you last night.”
“Tell me how…how do you know this?”
He rubbed his jaw as if it ached, then took her hands in his. “A colleague encountered a man last night who openly boasted of the woman’s murder. The cur’s description fits the man who attacked you.”
“But you did not hear his words?”
“No.”
She hiked a brow, deliberately skeptical. “A man crowed about being a murderer? A man who may or may not be the bloke who put his filthy hands on me last night…and because of that, you believe I am in a killer’s sights?”
Once again, he dragged his fingers through his hair. So, his confidence was not unshakable. He’d shed his arrogant veneer.
“Sophie, I cannot prove that you are in danger. But the evidence is strong.”
A chill crept along her spine, setting the fine hairs at her nape on end. She pulled in a slow breath and released it. It wouldn’t do to betray her instinctive response to the ring of truth in his warning.
“I believed you to be a logical man. Even your skepticism made sense when viewed through that lens. But this—it’s all too much.”
“Your life may depend on getting out of Trask’s reach. You must leave London.”
“Leave the city? Have you gone mad?”
“You must extricate yourself from his dealings. I don’t know why you’ve got yourself involved in his shady affairs, but a trail of deaths leads to the bastard.” He took a step closer. For a moment, Sophie thought he’d take her in his arms, but he stilled. “I will help you, if you will allow me that privilege.”
