Page 5 of Beyond the Grave
"I did sneak up on you, cutting off an early escape."
"I heard you. Crutches are not made for sneaking."
"I'll keep that in mind if an opportunity for eavesdropping presents itself."
"If I wanted to escape, I could have."
"Then why do you look as if you want to be anywhere but here with me?"
He whirled around and stalked toward the door. I was much too shocked at his behavior to even squeak a protest. All I could do was stare at his broad back with my mouth open. I snapped it shut when he turned to me after closing the door. I'd mistaken the intention of his purposeful stride. He'd only wanted to insure privacy for our conversation. That boded well. At least the conversation had the potential to go beyond simply discussing Andrew Buchanan's journal.
"Is there something I can do for you?" he asked, taking his seat once more. He picked up the journal and perused the page.
"I wanted to thank you for the gift."
"You're welcome."
"Why did you give it to me?"
"Housekeepers have chatelaines for their keys and other things."
"Not silver ones made by one of London's finest jewelers."
He said nothing.
"Thank you, it was very generous. But a gentleman shouldn't buy his housemaid gifts."
"Considering you're more than a housemaid, I thought to make an exception."
"More than?" I asked, my voice breathy.
"A ministry employee. Her Majesty's necromancer. An overworked housekeeper, housemaid, scullery maid and more besides."
But not his lover. I swallowed heavily. "A plainer one would suffice. I'll have Seth collect it from my rooms and give it back to you."
"No."
"No?"
"I don't want it back. Wear it or not, I do not care. Sell it, if you prefer. It's yours to do with as you wish."
Sell it? He was joking, surely.
"Is there anything else?" he asked, still not looking at me.
"Yes. You can stop treating me like just another member of your household staff."
"Youarea member of my household staff. I treat you all the same."
"Oh? You're kissing Seth and Gus too?"
He closed the journal and set it aside. His hand flattened over the stamped leather cover, and his finger traced the top edge back and forth, back and forth. "We should have spoken about that…incident earlier. I'm sorry, but it cannot happen again."
It was as I expected, yet hearing it put so bluntly felt like a body blow. His capacity to switch off his emotions and speak with utter blandness was boundless. It was a long time before I could trust my voice not to quaver.
"I see. Am I to receive an explanation as to why?"
"You know why." His quiet mumble hardly reached me although we were not sitting all that far apart.
