Page 28 of Temptress in Disguise
Indeed, both Chance brothers seemed pleased.
They parted ways with the agents, agreeing to keep each other informed of their progress. Once outside, Aaron drew Aramis aside and spoke in a hushed but irate voice.
Naomi took the opportunity to speak to the stern fellow in the oversized greatcoat, their driver for the next few days. “Good evening, Mr Gibbs.” She introduced herself and mentioned the unusually wet weather.
“If we’re to work together, Mrs Chance, know I’m not one for small talk. Odds are you’ll find me rude and my manners coarse. But I get the job done.”
“Then let us agree to be frank.”
“Suits me fine, ma’am.” The man shuffled in his seat.
“Don’t get down, I can climb in unaided.”
“If you can’t use the handle, you’ve no hope of solving the case. I’m paid to keep you safe, not open doors and carry pretty hat boxes.”
She bit back a grin. “That’s good to know. I may be small, but I’m stronger than I look. I give my opinion freely and won’t hold a grudge.”
The man doffed his hat. “Happen we’ll get along nicely.”
“I’m sure we will.” Naomi opened the door and climbed into the conveyance. She relaxed against the cold black leather.
Aramis joined her a minute later. The vehicle rocked on its axis as he dropped into the opposite seat and shut the door. “I told Gibbs to head for Mrs Maloney’s bookshop in Lime Street. Say now if you have another suggestion.”
What options were there for a woman of no fixed abode?
“I’m not sure who Mrs Maloney is, but if she’s important to you, it’s only right I meet her.” If the lady was the closest thing he had to a mother, would she be disappointed he’d not married for love?
The carriage lurched forward and picked up speed.
Although hardly any time had passed since she’d persuaded Aramis to take her to Highgate, it felt like a lifetime. Conversation flowed easily between them. She felt safe in his company. Though he was known for being cold and heartless, the air was alive with other sensations. Excitement. Intrigue. Dare she say desire?
When she asked how he met Mrs Maloney, he stared at the passing buildings, a little lost in his own thoughts. “Despite Aaron’s best effort to take care of us, we would have died on the streets had Mrs Maloney not given us a place to stay.” He sighed deeply. “I’ll never forget how good it was to sleep without the fear of being robbed.”
Lydia's comments entered her mind as she listened to his impassioned tale.There’s no substance to him. The man fights and fornicates. Though they say he’s a master at both skills.
While the latter was undoubtedly true, Aramis Chance was far more complex than one might imagine.An enigma one felt compelled to examine. Was it foolish to think something magical lay beneath his dangerous personae? He oozed a potent masculinity, but there was a softer side she’d been privileged to glimpse.
“It must have been difficult to adjust after living in Mayfair. Mr Daventry told me your father’s family disowned him and paid him to change his name.”
“My father was born without a conscience. He lived without a conscience and died without a thought for anyone but himself.”
“And yet his sons are loyal, honest men.”
He studied her intently, his dark eyes like the depths of a forbidden forest. “We strive to be everything he was not.”
“Yet people say you’re cold.” She’d thought twice before speaking her mind, but she would rather offend him than lie. “You feel nothing. You said so yourself.”
He inclined his head. “Then forgive me for not explaining myself properly to a stranger. Sentiment makes a man weak. I avoid lowering my guard with everyone other than the people I trust.”
Then you must trust me, she thought.
Why else would he offer an explanation?
She held his gaze. “Are we strangers?”
“Not anymore.”
Something in his velvet-edged voice made her heart flutter. She didn’t know how to define their relationship. They’d not known each other long enough to be friends. They were not lovers. Yet she felt connected to him in ways she could not explain.
