Page 74 of Temptress in Disguise
“I want you to have the freedom to make honest choices.” He faced the wall and began hacking at the hunk of grey stone, shutting her out. “Money shouldn’t be a factor in any decisions you make.”
Desperate to feel close to him, she smoothed her hand over the bulging muscles filling his shirt sleeves. “I don’t care about money. I care about the things that matter most. I care about you.”
He inhaled sharply and met her gaze. “And I care about you. It’s why I offered to make your life a damn sight easier.”
He had missed the point. She would live above Mrs Maloney’s bookshop if it meant spending her days and nights with him. Was she expecting too much from a man most people considered heartless?
Perhaps he was distracted by thoughts of freedom and vengeance. He threw the blade to the floor, wrapped his fingers around the iron bars and shook the gate so violently the stone securing the latch crumbled away.
They both breathed a sigh when the gate flew open.
“Now to find that witch of a woman who locked us in here.” He snatched his coat and cravat from the floor and dressed. His blade was blunt, but he slipped it into the sheath inside his boot. “I’m not leaving without answers.” When she shivered, he pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders and kissed her like it might be their last. “We’ve much to discuss when this is over. We need to stop dancing around the truth.”
Aramis took her hand and led her back to the manor, though she had trouble keeping up with his lengthy strides. The house stood in darkness. That didn’t stop him kicking the servants’ door until the impact splintered the frame.
Inside, the rooms smelled damp and dusty. The once plush drawing room was now a makeshift bedchamber with blankets and cushions strewn over the floor. They stepped over dirty plates and apple cores, examined the cold embers in the grate. After inspecting every room, they found a note from Miss Cooper on the cluttered desk in the study.
Naomi attempted to decipher the poor handwriting. “It’s addressed to Edwin. Miss Cooper said we came looking for him, and she was forced to take matters into her own hands.” The tone suggested the woman was more than his servant.
“Where the hell is she?” Aramis barked.
“She says no amount of money is worth hanging for and has left for good this time.” Naomi turned the letter over in her hand. “There’s no mention of where she’s gone.”
Aramis punched the air. “What in God’s name is going on here?”
She tried to piece the puzzle together. “So, Edwin Budworth is posing as the caretaker. Hence the reference to the man with many faces in the journal. What if his brother discovered he’d assumed another identity and had killed Mr Holland? Perhaps Edwin hit his brother with the bust of Julius Caesar to silence him.”
Aramis yanked the desk drawer open and rummaged inside. “Perhaps Lydia discovered her lover was a lying murderer. That’s what caused her to leave the theatre halfway through the performance.”
“It would explain why she abandoned me.” Naomi regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. “Strike that from the record. I lapsed into the fool who wants my sister to care.”
Aramis looked up, his gaze warming her. “It’s natural to make excuses for her. You have a kind and loving heart. Why wouldn’t you expect the best from others?”
The sudden creak of the boards in the hall made them both freeze.
Aramis crept around the desk, snatching the marble paperweight. “If things become ugly, you must run,” he mouthed.
“I’ll not leave you,” she whispered, her heart slamming against her ribcage.
I’ll never leave you by choice.
He stepped in front to shield her from the intruder.
The door handle rattled.
Silence.
Seconds passed as she listened for retreating footsteps.
Then the door burst open.
A dark figure filled the doorway.
Sheer terror held her rigid. She couldn’t move or speak. Her only thought was finding the strength to save Aramis.
“Aaron?” Aramis’ shoulders sagged in relief. “What the hell are you doing here? Did Daventry not tell you it was too dangerous to follow? Sergeant Maitland is looking for Naomi.”
Aaron Chance stepped into the room, exuding a raw masculine energy that would have most people fleeing for cover. “I’m quite capable of evading a fool like Maitland. Do you think I’d leave you here without protection?”
