Page 20 of A Little Bit Dangerous
But it was too late. The hulking boatswain thumped Mr Chance’s arm in a bid to set his master free. “Put him down and be on your way, else I’ll ruin that pretty face.”
A fight ensued.
Like the devil’s prized brawler, Mr Chance smashed his fists into both men’s faces. He knocked them down and warned them to remain on theirarseselse there’d be hell to pay. “I suggest you avoid dark alleys for the foreseeable future,” he said, his gaze sharp, threatening.
Isabella sensed a hundred pairs of eyes focused on them. She tugged Mr Chance’s arm, eager to pull him away and return to the safety of the carriage.
Sensing her anxiety, he cursed both men to Hades, grabbed her hand and marched back along the wharf.
Isabella jogged to keep up with his long strides. “Now I know why Mr Daventry warned me about you.” He’d mentioned Mr Chance had a volatile temper, not that touching him would stimulate and soothe her in equal measure.
“What did the blackguard say?”
She clutched his hand, taking comfort in his firm grip, while the dock workers along the wharf looked like they were priming themselves to attack. “He said I must remember you’re a little dangerous.”
“A little?” he protested, clearly offended by Mr Daventry’s assessment. “Don’t let my angelic looks fool you. I can be downright savage.”
ChapterFive
Christian’s blood boiled. Not because Daventry had warned Miss Lawton about his character. Or because the man had made a grave error in his assessment. No, Christian always kept his temper in check, but the moment Snell threatened to hurt Miss Lawton, he had lost his wits.
Cursed saints!
Why should he care what happened to a stranger?
Not just any stranger, one he was supposed to despise?
The dilemma was like a civil war raging inside him, his conscience battling with logic. Yet something else drove him forward, an inner knowing fuelling the fire’s flames. Perhaps once he’d found Miss Lawton lodgings, he might banish the woman from his mind.
The lady tugged his hand, forcing him to come to an abrupt halt as they entered Narrow Street. “I need to stop for a moment to catch my breath.”
“We need to keep moving.” Doubtless Snell was gathering reinforcements. They might be set upon by a gang of baton-wielding thugs. “A wise man picks his battles. Only a fool fights when outnumbered.”
God, he sounded like a blasted hypocrite.
“You have a valid point, sir.” Miss Lawton released him, hiked her skirts past her trim ankles and ran.
Christian glanced back over his shoulder before following the lady along Narrow Street. Gibbs was in their sights, sitting atop his box like a sullen bear.
Miss Lawton stopped at the door of the shipping office. “Wait for me in the carriage. I need to question the clerk. Warn Mr Gibbs we must be ready to leave.”
The clerk? The woman behind the counter looked more like a serving wench than a person of business. “I don’t know what sort of men you’re accustomed to, Miss Lawton. But I’ll not wait in a vehicle like an ageing spinster while you place yourself in danger.”
He gestured for her to enter the office while he lingered in the open doorway, watching the street. Miss Lawton approached the crude counter, rang the handbell and waited for theclerk.
The woman appeared, chewing her food like a cow did cud. “Didn’t I tell you the captain is down on the wharf?” She wiped crumbs from her lips with the back of her hand.
Miss Lawton smiled. “You did. But Captain Snell won’t negotiate a price because he cannot recall what he charged Mr Quigley. He sent us here so you might inspect his diary. It would have been the time he sailed to Egypt to bring back historical artefacts.”
The woman tutted. “Tell him to come and look himself.”
“He said he would buy you a drink at the Grapes if you obliged.”
The woman’s eyes brightened. “Oh, did he now?” She turned to a large cabinet and rifled through the drawers, stopping to rub her aching back before rummaging through a pile of papers. “Here it is! Mr Quigley paid two thousand pounds to hire the vessel along with the crew. He paid an extra two thousand once it returned safely to shore. He’s paid the same the last four times.”
“Four times?” Miss Lawton did an excellent job of sounding unsurprised. “And all trips were bound for Egypt?”
The woman nodded. “Snell makes one journey every two years, weather permitting. If you’re looking to sail, it won’t be until next spring. Best offer him more than Mr Quigley if you mean to secure his services.”
