Page 94 of Sands of Sirocco
Why was he disguised like a servant?A scruffy beard hung low on his chest.
She swallowed hard, her tongue seeming to stick to the roof of her mouth.
A range of emotions clawed its way through her.Anger, irritation, relief … and something else she couldn’t quite name.
“Your presence is requested, my lady,” Noah said before handing William the tray of champagne glasses.He put his hand on Ginger’s elbow.“If you’ll permit me.”
William drew his head back, his lips parting.“My dear fellow—”
“Oh, William, dear, we will have to continue discussing this later.I’m certain it must be urgent.Please lead the way, sir,” Ginger said, her cheeks flaming.As they hurried through the courtyard, she didn’t look back at William.“You could have found a more appropriate way of interrupting,” she hissed.
“Yes, I feel terrible.‘Dear’ William looked like he was in the middle of something important.”Noah didn’t slow, making it nearly impossible for Ginger to keep up with him without tripping.
“Will you slow down?I’m not upset that you whisked me away, but what on earth are you doing here?”And where was he leading her?Not back to the party.He went back into the palace through one of the servants’ entrances on the ground floor.A few servants exiting there gave Ginger an odd look, but no one dared to say anything.
Noah diverted her down the dimly lit corridor, a maze of closed doors.He opened one, then pulled her inside it.
As he closed the door, she attempted to catch her breath.They appeared to be in some sort of butler’s pantry, but the only light revealing the space came from a small window on the far side of the room.“What are you doing?”
Noah’s fingers tightened around her elbow.“I might ask you the same.”
“I’m attending a party, for goodness’ sake.”
He lifted a wry brow.“I meant strolling in the moonlight with your cousin.But yes, I was surprised to find you here.You need to leave at once.”
She bit her lower lip.“William had just proposed to me when you interrupted, actually.”Would he be jealous?He hadn’t seemed to be bothered by William’s presence too much.
Noah smirked.“Then I see my timing was perfect.”He raised his hand to her chin, tilting it up toward him with his fingertip.“I can’t say that I blame him.You look ravishing tonight.”He dipped a kiss to her lips, and she startled at the feel of his theatrical whiskers against her skin.
Then, relaxing into his kiss, she almost forgot what they were doing there.She’d never understood the allure of kissing until she’d fallen in love with Noah.
Tears misted Ginger’s eyes, overwhelmed by the strength of her feelings toward him.“I’m sorry for leaving you the way I did yesterday.”She’d known she would see him again, but the last few hours of not knowinghowhad frustrated her in a way it hadn’t before.She flung her arms around his neck, her pulse speeding.“I’m so sorry.”She buried her face against him.
Noah’s lips were warm against the soft curve of her neck, his arms closing tightly around her waist.“It’s already forgotten,rohi.I’m sorry too.And we’ll speak more of it later.But you need to leave.Immediately.You can’t be here tonight.”
“Why?”She pulled back, surprised at the force of his words.“I need to speak to you.I found Freddy Mortimer … or, at least, the man who used that pseudonym … and then reported to Mr.Osborne.”
Noah took her hand as though to delay them another moment.“You’re quite good at this sort of thing.They knew what they were doing when they targeted you.”
His words made her heart squeeze with worry.“Targeted me?”
“I think Osborne may very well be working for Stephen.”
Working for Stephen?She shivered.He echoed her own conclusions about Osborne.“What do you mean?”
“Captain Young is dead.He died this afternoon.”
His words registered with the sourness of spoilt milk.
Dead?God Almighty.
Ginger cleared the thickness at the back of her throat and gripped his forearm to steady herself.“No … it’s not possible.He had serious injuries, to be sure, but nothing that would kill him.”
“I’d asked my friend Alastair to put a man to follow him.The man saw Peter Osborne enter the hospital this afternoon.Shortly thereafter, Young died.”
Ginger’s fingers curled against the soft skin of his arm.“You think he murdered him?But why?”
“Maybe Young remembers what I did for him well enough.His word could condemn me, but also exonerate me.It’s quite a different thing to charge a man with murder compared to assault.”
