Page 16 of The Risk of Rogues
“Only if you let me smoke this while you do,” he said without batting an eyelash, as if he always got accosted by young ladies on balconies. “I rarely get to sample one of Keane’s American cigars, and I’m not about to give up the chance just because you want to chat.”
Well. The man certainly was blunt, wasn’t he? “Why would I wish to stop you from enjoying your cigar?”
“Come now, we both know that a gentleman isn’t supposed to smoke around ladies.” He cast her an assessing look that gave her pause, though he continued to smoke.
She waved her hand dismissively. “I don’t care about that. Papa was quite the smoker.” She steadied her nerves. “Anyway, what I wanted to discuss was Hart... I mean, Captain Lord Hartley. He told me that he does some work for you occasionally.”
Lord Fulkham turned wary. “Did he, indeed?”
When that was all the man said, she stared at him, a bit put out by the noncommittal answer. “Well?Doeshe do work for you?”
He puffed a moment. “Why is it any of your concern, if I may ask?”
She hadn’t expected that question, though she probably should have. Men never appreciated women butting into their affairs. And now she didn’t know what to say without letting on that she and Hart were... sort of courting.
When she remained silent, he added, “Never mind. It must have something to do with why he asked me all those questions the first night we arrived, about how you went from being Miss Anne Barkley to being Lady Anne.”
She was thunderstruck. Hart hadn’t found all that out from Mama? He’d learned of it from LordFulkham? And how had Lord Fulkham known?
The door to the balcony opened, startling her, and Hart emerged, looking decidedly concerned to see her there with Lord Fulkham. “Anne, what are you doing?” he asked sharply.
Lord Fulkham glanced from her to Hart. “We’re having a very interesting chat. Perhaps you’d like to join us.”
Ignoring Lord Fulkham, Hart held out his hand to her. “Come, Anne, we’re leaving.”
That got her dander up. “Why? What’s the big secret? I don’t understand. Do you work for him or not? No one has mentioned any connection between you two beyond a social one, yet you appear to expect something from him that seems entirely unwarranted.”
When Lord Fulkham burst into laughter, Hart groaned.
She whirled on Lord Fulkham, not in the mood for his amusement. “And if you, sir, are stringing my fiancé along with promises of—”
“Fiancé, is it?” Lord Fulkham interrupted, his humor fading to calculation. He cast Hart a considering glance. “That does explain a lot.”
Hart’s irritation with her seemed to vanish. “Yes, it does, doesn’t it?”
Now both of them were staring at her.
Oh, Lord, she hadn’t meant to say that. “Actually,” she told Lord Fulkham, “the matter hasn’t been entirely decided. I was merely trying to ensure that... I was concerned that—”
“Yourfiancémight not make enough money in future to suit you. Is that it?” Lord Fulkham asked, a bit unkindly.
“Thatyoumight not be treating him fairly. He tends to have an easygoing nature, and sometimes people misinterpret that to mean that he doesn’t care.” She ignored Hart’s curse, going for broke. “And yes, that would affect me, not to mention our children. Because sadly, my dowry is small and I can’t bring much to the marriage, so if he has no steady income because he’s holding on to your idle promises...”
Lord Fulkham chuckled. “Ah, I see. You’re being practical. And protective of your fiancé, whom you assume I’m taking advantage of.”
“Yes!” When Lord Fulkham raised an eyebrow, she floundered. “I mean, no. I mean, are you?”
“This might be a good time to go,” Hart bit out and took her by the arm rather forcefully.
“Hold up, Hart,” Lord Fulkham said. “Lady Anne, what exactly did your fiancé tell you about what he does for me?”
She pounced on that. “You’re admitting that he works for you.”
“Answer the question.”
“He said he does investigations, research, that sort of thing. Rather like a law clerk.”
Lord Fulkham began laughing again. “A law clerk! That’s rich.”
