Page 18 of Beyond Scandal and Desire
Never before had she given so much thought to hands, never before had any so fascinated her.
“Thank you.” She sounded breathless, embarrassingly so, as though unnerved by him, by his presence, when in truth she’d never felt safer in her life. “How did you know what he’d done?”
“I witnessed his bumping into you. I doubted it was innocent or an accident.”
“But he was attired in such fine clothing. A child of the aristocracy.”
“A kidsman will find a way to dress the children he manages so they blend in with their surroundings. Makes them more effective at picking pockets if they’re not suspected of being thieves.”
“How do you know such things?”
“The streets upon which I grew up”—he glanced around—“were not so posh.”
His words piqued her curiosity. Where had he grown up? How was it that he now gave the appearance of being a gentleman? What had his life been like? How had he garnered success? It had to have been a slow process to get to the point of having the means to tear down structures and rebuild them. But something else nagged at her. She blamed her next question on the duchess and her varied suspicions regarding the good intentions of people. She trusted very few. “Quite the coincidence, you being here to rescue my bracelet.”
“More fortuitous, I should think, that I happened to be in the area shopping for a parasol for my sister. Once the lad disappeared and you noticed the absence of your jewelry, you’d have never seen it again.”
There was the slightest chastisement in his voice, as though he fought not to be offended that she was questioning his sudden presence. She felt rather ungrateful that she had. “Quite right. I would have mourned losing a bracelet that had once belonged to my mother. Is your sister about?”
“No, the gift is to be a surprise. For her birthday.”
“You’re a rather thoughtful brother.”
“Hardly. I’m seeking peace. She’s mentioned at least a dozen times during the past week that she is in want of one.”
“M’lady, perhaps we should continue on with our errands,” Nan suggested quietly, her diplomatic way of informing Aslyn she’d been talking too long on the street with a gentleman to whom she was not related. At least she thought that was her purpose. She couldn’t be completely certain, as she’d never before spent so much time in the company of a man other than the duke or Kip. No suitors had ever called upon her, because they’d thought it would be a waste of their time, that she was spoken for, or would be in short order.
“Yes, we must be off.” She held up her hand, the sunlight catching and glinting off the pearls. “Thank you again for the rescue.” She lowered her voice, barely able to hear the words she uttered. “And the other.”
“Yet you returned it.”
So Mr. Beckwith had seen after the matter. She wasn’t surprised. Even if Mick Trewlove wasn’t a client, Mr. Beckwith was a man of considerable resource. “It would be inappropriate for me to accept a gift such as that from a gentleman I barely know.”
“I delivered it in such a manner than no one of any consequence need know of its arrival.”
“I would have known.”
“Do you never do anything you ought not, Lady Aslyn?”
Right that moment, she was thinking a good many things about the wonderful shape of his mouth that she ought not. “Again, thank you for rescuing my bracelet. I shall pay more attention to my surroundings when I take my daily stroll through the park at four—to ensure no one else takes advantage of my naiveté.”
He lifted a thick dark eyebrow. “Hyde Park, I presume.”
Wondering at her boldness, she could merely nod. Had she truly just arranged an assignation? She couldn’t deny that the man intrigued her, that she’d like to know more about him. Perhaps because he was forbidden and never before had she been so daring as to risk seeking out that which was forbidden—not even a biscuit from the tin when the cook wasn’t looking. She’d always been so deuced good. Where was the harm in a little naughtiness that wouldn’t go beyond a walk?
He tipped his hat. “I shall keep that in mind should I ever find time for a stroll through the park. Good day, Lady Aslyn.”
“Good day, Mr. Trewlove.”
She watched him walk away. He cut a fine figure, his strides long, but unhurried. He had such broad shoulders. She suspected he could heft and cart around any burdens, regardless of their weight.
“He’s the sort the duchess has warned you about, m’lady,” Nan said quietly near her shoulder.
Yes, she very much suspected he was. Strange how at that precise moment—weary of being so innocent, so protected, and in fear of her own shadow—she couldn’t seem to make herself care.
Business was thriving at the Mermaid and Unicorn tonight, but then Mick had yet to see an evening when it wasn’t. The excellent fare was delivered by confident girls wearing saucy smiles who knew if any gent dared pat them on the rump, the proprietor would have him banned from ever coming back. In spite of the raucousness, the men behaved. No one wanted to be on Gillie’s bad side—especially her brothers, two of which, Aiden and Finn, were presently sitting at the table with him, taking long slow draws of their beer while he preferred the whiskey served in his sister’s establishment.
“Did I earn the extra shillin’, guv?”
