Page 8 of The Secret of the Dashing Detective
“Say that with more confidence,” he directed.
“I candothat,” she said, and for the first time today, she took a good look at him. He dressed well, although not nearly as fine as Giles, of course, which she supposed made sense, for his work was far different from what Giles was used to every day. His shoulders were broad, his muscles apparent even beneath the fine cut of his clothes.
His sandy hair was uncovered, his tanned face upturned to the sun. He wasn’t handsome in the traditional sense of most men of her acquaintance with his Romanesque nose slightly hooked to one side, but with his sculpted cheekbones, he was… striking and much more attractive, in a way. He was a man who could take care of a woman.
She was startled when she realized that her pulse was beating faster than usual, which must be from her exertions. For a man like him shouldn’t have her feeling anything out of the ordinary.
“We’ll practice another time,” he said, “but we should return. You had somewhere you would like to go?”
“Oh, yes,” she said. “But I must ask you something first.”
“Very well,” he said, as they began walking back to the house. Juliana had a strange desire to take his arm, but as he didn’t offer it, she of course didn’t make any motion to do so.
“Would you tell Giles where we went?”
He said nothing for a moment, and Juliana snuck a glance at him. He seemed to be providing much thought to her question.
“I suppose if he asked me, I would feel compelled to tell him,” he said, looking back toward her. “Is that satisfactory?”
“No,” she sighed. “But it might have to do. I have a meeting later.”
“A meeting?” he seemed suspicious, which she understood. Most sisters of dukes would not have business to partake in.
“Yes,” she said. “In Holborn.”
“I see.”
“I would prefer that Giles not know about it.”
“Is there any reason to suspect that you might be in danger?”
“None whatsoever,” she said with as much confidence as she could muster. And there wasn’t – for her society had not yet started any activities that would draw attention to them. When they did, well, that might be another situation entirely but she saw no need to concern Matthew Archibald with that right now.
“What time is it at?”
“Three o’clock. The meetings used to be in the evenings, but now that Giles has Emma, he is much less likely to go out to his clubs, and I suppose it is safer for me to be out of the house in the day rather than the evening. Luckily, the rest of the attendees have accommodated me, despite their own schedules.”
“You are the sister of a duke. I am sure most of the members of this mysterious meeting in Holborn are quite pleased to have you in their presence.”
“I am no different from the rest of them. In our endeavors, we are all equals,” she said, waving away his words, not liking to be reminded that she might be seen as different from the others. “Now, speaking of mystery, tell me about yourself.”
He turned to her with one eyebrow raised. “You want to know about me?”
“If we are to be spending so much time together, whyever not?”
“I am working for your family. We are not acquaintances.”
Juliana pursed her lips at the obstinate man. She was intrigued by him, that much she could admit to herself. He was so different from any other man of her acquaintance. He was a detective, yet he seemed to know how to fit in with the upper class when required. She glanced down and caught a look at his hands, remembering what they had felt like when they had helped her from the ground – strong, slightly roughened, nothing at all like the men she was used to.
“How did you become a detective?”
“My father was a constable with Bow Street. I followed his line of work.”
“Why do you not work for Bow Street as well?”
“I prefer to work for myself rather than for someone else.”
“You are working for my brother now.”
