Page 14 of Lady Sophia's Lover
“I want to talk about something,” he said quietly.
“When you came to the strong room earlier, you happened to interrupt during a rather tense moment of the questioning, and I—”
“I’m sorry.”
“Let me finish.” A sudden smile curved his lips. “I’ve never known anyone with such a propensity for interrupting me.”
Sophia managed to keep her mouth closed, and his smile deepened.
“Questioning Gentry is hardly a pleasant occupation. I’ve been in a foul mood all afternoon, and seeing you down there was the last straw. I rarely lose my temper, and I regret doing so in front of you.”
Sophia found it amazing that a man of his position would apologize to her for such a slight offense. Somewhat unnerved, she moistened her lips and asked, “Why is it so important that I stay away from there?”
Carefully he took hold of the loose lock of blonde hair that had fallen to her shoulder. His long fingers rubbed the silken strands as if he were releasing the perfume of a flower petal. “I promised myself when I hired you that I would try to protect you. There are some things that a woman should never be exposed to. That strong room has contained some of the most vile people on earth.”
“Like Nick Gentry?”
Sir Ross frowned. “Yes. It is bad enough that you are exposed to the rabble who cross through the Bow Street office daily. But I won’t allow you in the vicinity of men like Gentry.”
“I am hardly a child who needs to be sheltered. I am a woman of twenty-eight.”
For some reason the remark caused his eyes to gleam with amusement. “Well, despite your vast number of years, I would like to preserve as much of your innocence as possible.”
“But I am not innocent. You know that, after what I’ve told you of my past.”
He released the lock of her hair and framed the sides of her face with the tips of his fingers. “Youarean innocent, Sophia. As I’ve said from the beginning, you should not be working here. You should be married to a man who will take care of you.”
“I don’t want to marry, ever.”
“No?” To her surprise, he did not jeer or laugh. “Why not? Because of your disappointment in love? That will fade in time.”
“Will it?” she asked, not believing him. It wasn’t what she had learned about Anthony that had made her a skeptic about love. It was what she had learned about herself.
“There are many men worth trusting,” he told her seriously. “Men who will give you the honesty and respect you deserve. You’ll find one of them someday, and marry him.”
Sophia sent him a flirtatious glance from beneath her lashes. “But if I left Bow Street, who would take care of you?”
A gruff laugh escaped him, and his hands dropped from her face. But his searching gaze held hers, and Sophia felt her insides tighten in response.
“You can’t spend the rest of your life working for a surly old magistrate at the Bow Street public office,” he said.
Sophia smiled at the way Sir Ross described himself. Rather than argue the point, however, she stepped away and viewed his office critically. “I will tidy up in here.”
Sir Ross shook his head. “It is late. You need to rest. Your work will wait until the morrow.”
“Very well. I shall retire for the evening…if you will also.”
He seemed vaguely annoyed by the suggestion. “No, I still have much to do. Good night, Miss Sydney.”
Sophia knew that she should obey without further comment. But the shadows beneath his eyes and the deep brackets on the sides of his lips were proof that he was exhausted. Good heavens, why must he push himself so hard?
“I don’t require any more sleep than you do, sir. If you stay up late, I am capable of doing the same. I also have work to do.”
His brows lowered in a forbidding scowl. “Go to bed, Miss Sydney.”
Sophia did not flinch. “Not until you do.”
“My bedtime has nothing to do with yours,” he said curtly, “unless you are suggesting that we go to bed together.”
