Page 80 of The Duke and Lady Scandal
He looked exhausted, and she sensed that the strain was wearing on him too heavily.
Now, a few hours after his departure, she’d mostly put the back room to rights. But she hadn’t worked alone. After speaking to Mr. Fitzroy and returning to Scotland Yard, Ben came back to the shop only an hour later, insisting that he’d secured permission to take the remainder of the day off to assist her.
They’d swept and dusted and refilled drawers that had been dumped for no apparent reason, and now there were only a few items that hadn’t been put back where they belonged.
“I’m missing a fountain pen and a book,” she told Ben, who’d set himself the task of hammering a nail into the broken side of a drawer.
“Maybe under the settee?”
Allie got down on her knees to look. “Clever man.” She reached back and retrieved the pretty pen that had been a gift from her mother. “That just leaves the book.”
“Do you know which one?”
“I do. One of the pirate histories. It was on top of the pile that usually sits at the edge of my desk.” That gave her an idea, and she got up and walked over to look under the desk. Then she checked whether it might have gotten wedged between the desk and the wall. “Why would thieves take a handful of gems and one book when they’d managed to break a safe full of loose stones and finished jewelry pieces?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll let Baker know about the missing book. And be sure to tell him of anything else you notice that’s amiss over the coming days.” Ben wouldn’t meet her eyes. He kept his focus on the drawer, and then he approached to slide it into place in her desk. “That looks right, doesn’t it?”
“It’s looks as good as new. Thank you.” Allie reached up to stroke her fingers along the line of his jaw.
He caught her hand before she could withdraw it and laid a heated kiss against her palm.
They’d been together for hours and barely touched each other, and Allie had longed to reach for him. To soak in the comfort of his embrace. Now she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his middle. She was immediately soothed by the strong, towering warmth of his body.
He wrapped her in a tender embrace and kissed the top of her head.
Allie closed her eyes. “I’m warning you. I could happily stay here for a good long while,” she told him in a voice raspy with exhaustion.
Rather than chuckle, as she expected him to, she felt his body tense and looked up at him.
“Is something wrong?”
His answer was a kiss. Though it was a quick one, a mere tantalizing taste. Not at all the way he usually kissed her.
“How long will you keep the shop closed?” His eyes had darkened to a stormy green. “The remainder of the week at least, I’m assuming.”
“Yes, I think that’s likely.” Allie cast a glance toward the broken safe in Mr. Gibson’s workshop. “I believe the insurance agent will wish to see the safe and perhaps do his own examination before we can see to any repairs. Though I’m hoping to replace it with something better.”
“Hoping?”
“The cost of reimbursing Holcroft for the loss of his diamond will be...” A flutter of panic seized her and the next breath she drew was a sharp inhale. “We’ll have to see what his valuation of the stone is. But it will be steep.”
He dipped his head, and she could hear the grinding sound as he clenched his teeth. She felt that tension in the muscles of his arms as he held her.
“Ben, please tell me what you’re thinking.”
“While the shop is closed, I’m assuming you’llremain at home.” He reached up to cradle her cheek in his palm. “I’m going to ask a constable to stand watch over Manchester Square.”
Allie pulled back, her hands on his shirtfront. “Why? A theft from the shop doesn’t mean I’m in any danger at home.”
“I have reason to believe the theft is connected to...” He hesitated, weighing his next words as he kept his gaze locked on hers. “Other crimes. All of them engineered by the same man.”
“Engineered?”
“He keeps his hands clean. Stays in the shadows.” Ben dipped his head and swallowed hard. “But he has a network of minions who he pays to do his bidding.”
Allie shivered. “You fear what he’ll do next?”
“Of course. Especially now that it’s touched you.” He drew her a bit closer. “If anything happened to you...” He stopped and shook his head. “I will not allow anything to happen to you, so please remain at home and know that a constable will always be keeping watch.”
