Page 50 of The Secret Life of a Lady
‘Oh, yes. But it’s hardly a game, Hannah.’
‘What favour would you ask of me?’ Her chest rose and fell, trapped in the high-necked riding habit.
He itched to unclasp each little white button running down her front. ‘I’ll tell you tonight.’
‘You want me to promise something blindly? How do I know your information’s even worth it?’ She raised her brows and cocked her head.
‘What about this: I shall tell you my information now. Tonight, I’ll ask my favour, and you determine if the price is worth the reward.’ He understood her need to keep control. As a man once imprisoned, he was acutely familiar with the fear of losing autonomy. This was new territory for Hannah. She was brave and curious, but she also needed to maintain command of the situation. He’d never thought about a woman’s place of constant subservience. Putting himself in her world, the lack of personal control would be untenable. Of course she wanted the same freedom he had in most situations. She had every right to be angry and frightened if that liberty was taken away.
‘What if I decide your information isn’t worth the favour?’ Her hand snaked down to pat Starlight’s neck.
‘Then you send me away unsatisfied.’
‘And you would leave?’
Killian wished they weren’t on horses. He wished he could pull her close and press his lips against hers. Reassure her with his body when words failed. ‘I would leave if you asked it of me. I would stay. I would stop. I would press forward. All at your command.’
She took a shaky breath, then smiled. The ride had restored her complexion, her skin now honeyed from the sun. A new sprinkling of freckles kissed her nose like fairy dust. ‘Alright. I’ll agree to your terms. You’re a terrible negotiator, you know.’
Killian was an excellent negotiator. In the House of Lords or on a battlefield, he was brutal. Fierce. But this wasn’t business. It was something else. Something far more important. Far more precious.
‘Will you share your information, or shall we put this game behind us?’ She raised a haughty eyebrow.
‘Sarah Bright isn’t the only murdered girl.’ Killian couldn’t dampen the sense of triumph he felt when Hannah’s mouth dropped open. ‘Several more were found in Calais and Boulogne. We aren’t looking for a man who has murdered one woman. We’re looking for a man who has killed many.’
12
Hannah felt like she’d been punched in the belly. As information went, this was inflammatory. Multiple women found in coffins. If they couldn’t find the killer, the repercussions would shake London’s very foundation. Fear would spread through the city like a virus. And more innocent girls would die.
Bloody hell!
‘I thought ladies didn’t say words like “bloody hell”.’ Killian’s lips twitched.
Hannah frowned. ‘I didn’t. Did I?’
His green eyes sparkled in the sunlight. ‘You did.’
Shrugging, Hannah clucked her tongue and delighted in Starlight’s quick response as the horse moved forward in a rocking trot. Once Hannah overcame her fear, she relished the thrill of asking a wild animal to follow her command. She couldn’t help thinking of other wild animals who might do her bidding. One in particular. In the duke genus.
Killian caught up with her. ‘While your conjectures about Lord Cavendale are sound logic, surely you agree he isn’t the kind of man who could kill multiple women.’
‘Men can be deceiving, Your Grace. How did you come by this information?’
Killian shrugged, ‘You hardly expect me to reveal my sources.’
‘Nor can you expect me to rule out a perfectly viable suspect.’ She wasn’t willing to cross Lord Cavendale off her list of potential murderers. Not yet. ‘We should head back. I wouldn’t want the party to worry about us.’
‘I want to be clear about something.’ Killian’s eyes flashed dangerously.
‘What?’ Hannah’s belly clenched.
‘I’ll ask a favour of you tonight, but I owe you one as well. Think on that.’ He spurred his horse ahead of her.
Hannah took a shaky breath. What favour did she want to ask of Lieutenant General Killian?To share his heart with me.Impossible. She urged her mount to catch him.
The returning group of picnickers were gathered where the forest met the lane leading to Everly Manor.
Philippa galloped up to Hannah. ‘What happened to you?’ Her eyes quickly shifted from fear to anger.
