Page 18 of The Last Chance
“Leave it in the basket.” He dragged his hand down his face and refused to look at her. “Can you not eat quietly? Anyone would think you’ve lived in a cave for the last twenty-eight years.”
“What’s wrong with acknowledging the pleasurable things in life? Would you prefer I complain about our current predicament?Should I spend every hour sobbing until they hang me from the gallows?”
He looked at her then, his head shooting around as fast as a compass finding north. “Don’t say that, not even in jest. I’ll not rest until the real culprit is behind bars.” He closed his eyes briefly and cursed under his breath. “You have cream on your chin.”
“Have I? Where?” She’d hold his attention if it killed her.
“As you only have one chin, it should be obvious.”
She knew exactly where it was, but human interaction weakened his resolve. In this game of wills, the friendly card unsettled him more than the angry one.
“Has it gone?”
With a fleeting glance, he said, “No.”
She tried not to laugh as she wiped the wrong side of her chin. “Can I reach it with my tongue?”
“Saints preserve us. If you can’t keep cream off your chin, what hope is there of you catching a murderer?” He pulled a black silk handkerchief from his pocket and thrust it at her. “Here. Keep it.”
Strange that his last comment should cause her heart to pound. Owning something belonging to Aaron Chance was a remarkable feat indeed, more so because he gave nothing of himself.
The silk was soft in her hand, the smell of his shaving soap divine. She wiped her chin with her finger as he glared out the window, then slipped his handkerchief into her pelisse pocket.
“It’s probably best I eat no more,” she said.
“If it means saving me from hearing the constant licking of your lips, I agree. I’ll tell Baptiste you want ham and eggs tomorrow.”
Joanna chuckled to herself.
What was his problem?
Did he spend his life in perpetual bitterness? He was presentin body and mind but not heart and soul. What made him happy? What filled him with joy? He never laughed. He never smiled. Though she thought she’d seen the corner of his mouth twitch when she’d called him a prized ape.
It was not a topic for conversation now.
Not when he had retreated to his lair.
Despite being unable to find her father and brother, she would try her utmost to find Mr Chance. He was hiding somewhere beneath that magnificent body and gruff temper.
“Lord Howard had a new mistress,” she said, drawing him out with a snippet of gossip. “By all accounts, she is new to town. I heard mention of it last night when Mr Jenkins accused Madame Rossellini of being the elusive paramour.”
Mr Chance turned in the seat, ensuring their knees didn’t touch. “That explains the argument that erupted shortly before Howard accused my croupier of cheating. When I spoke to Sigmund this morning, he remembered men goading Howard, saying he lacked the skills to keep an exotic woman entertained.”
Why any woman would waste a minute of their time on such a feeble fool was a complete mystery. “It shouldn’t be difficult to find her. You could ask your patrons, or I could call on Gabriel. He will surely?—”
“I’ll not involve Rothley,” Mr Chance said sharply before modifying his tone. “The fewer people who know of our predicament, the better. We were told to conduct a discreet investigation.”
“The worddiscreetdoes not exist within theton.” People were suspicious by nature, none more so than those who idled their days away. “The gossips will soon discover Lord Howard was found dead in my house. I’ll be surprised if Daventry can keep it a secret for a day, let alone a week.”
Mr Chance relaxed against the squab and dragged his hand through his thick, black hair. “I have an idea, though I expect you’ll disagree.”
“What? That we conduct separate investigations to speed up the process?” He’d probably spent the last twenty minutes thinking of ways to get rid of her.
“No.” He shifted in the seat. “That we plan your escape.”
“My escape?” Her blood ran cold.
“If the evidence is stacked against you and they mention taking you in for questioning, I can have you out of the country within hours. We must be one step ahead of the authorities.”
