And she could not help but wonder if the information and experience she had to offer the Special League would ever be enough. They were fighting a shadowy hydra. One which may well prove impossible to defeat.
At last, they slipped inside the hotel, an impressive edifice from both the outside and in, where the atmosphere was considerably less chaotic than the streets, and yet, still tense. A handful of gentlemen milled about in the lobby, some of them engaged in deep, distressed conversation.
A clerk at the front desk greeted them, appearing nervous to Hazel’s well-trained eye. The young gentleman’s eyes were darting about. She could not be certain just yet whether his reaction was caused by the fear of the unrest surrounding his general vicinity, or if it was because he had something to hide.
“Good evening, sir,” Arden greeted him coolly. “We are here on behalf of—”
She squeezed his arm in warning and spoke over his voice, her instincts warning her with an edge too strong to ignore. “We are here to inquire as to whether or not you have an open room we are free to view. My husband acquired lodging for us at a different hotel, and I am afraid it did not meet my exacting standards. Some hotels in this city are not as concerned about keeping a tidy and clean space, I have discovered.”
She took care to emphasize her drawl, so her words emerged slow as molasses and sweet as sugar. And when the young clerk’s eyes settled upon her, she gave him a bold smile. It was a technique she had used often. Say far too much, make it apparent she was an outsider, lower the other person’s guard, and smile at him as if he were a tall glass of lemonade she could not wait to devour.
Arden made a sound of protestation, likely displeased by the manner in which she had ignored his earlier edict to follow his lead. She remained unaffected. After all, had he truly expected her to obey him?
She patted Arden’s hand and turned her false smile in his direction, telling herself she must look upon him as if he were a man she loved. When their gazes connected, something hot and unwanted flared to life, and she had to work to muster her thoughts. “Is that not right, my darling?”
He cleared his throat, then turned a ferocious frown upon the clerk, who was still staring at Hazel with wide-eyed confusion. “My wife wishes to see a room. You can accommodate her request, can you not?”
“Th-there was an explosion on th-the railway this evening, s-sir,” the unfortunate clerk stuttered. “I-I do not know if we are allowing additional—”
“Have you rooms?” Arden snapped, clearly losing his patience.
And she did not blame him, for they were wasting precious time. But she had a plan she intended to see to fruition. Her instincts had never before led her astray.
“More importantly,” she added, giving the clerk another slow and steady smile, “have you many American travelers who frequent your establishment, sir? Call me silly, if you wish, but I cannot help but think it wise to find lodging in a hotel where my fellow countrymen have also stayed.”
“We…er, yes.” The poor young man blinked, then shifted his gaze to the left once more. “Recently, we have had several Americans.”
The young man’s reaction to her query, coupled with his nervousness, told her everything she needed to know. There were Americans in residence, and it was quite likely some of them were responsible for the bombings today. And further, they had offered him money in exchange for some favors, which explained his awkward mannerisms and general anxiety.
“Excellent.” She smiled so hard, her cheeks ached with the effort. “If you will but direct us to an open room, sir, I will have a look, then we will return directly.”
“Er, room seven is not currently occupied,” he said. “You may have a look there. The door is unlocked. It is to be found down the hall, just over there, on the left.”
“Oh, but the Americans,” she drawled. “I would very much like to know where they are staying, so that I may view a room comparable to theirs, as our expectations are likely to be similar. Tell me, if you please, where those who have most recently arrived are residing.”
“Twelve and fourteen, but I do not believe there are any available apartments near those at the moment, madam.” The clerk paused. “I do apologize.”
Arden’s hand tightened over hers, as if in warning.
But she preceded with her plans. “Thank you, sir. We shall have a look at room seven, as you say, then return forthwith.”
Arden inclined his head toward the clerk, his only response, then led her away. When they were beyond earshot of the clerk, he made his irritation known.
“What the devil happened to you following my lead?” he growled softly.
“I never agreed to such a thing,” she returned through her teeth.
“You were smiling at him as if he alone is responsible for hanging the sun in the sky each morning,” he gritted.
Was the Duke of Ardenjealous? She would be lying if she claimed the thought did not give her a trill down her spine. Even in the midst of their investigations, he was a potent force at her side. And she could not deny her reaction to him, any more than she could deny the longing he triggered within her. The man was a weakness she did not dare indulge in, but one that dogged her every step nonetheless.
“I was smiling at him as if he was a guilty-looking clerk, who was attempting to hide information at the behest of the Americans who paid handsomely for his silence,” she countered. “He had information I wanted, but announcing we are here on behalf of the Home Office or the Special League was not going to accomplish our gaining that information. He would have put up a wall and refused to allow us to climb it. But this way, we not only have access to the hotel, but knowledge of where the current American guests are residing.”
“I concede the merit of your approach, but that does not mean I like it.” His tone was dark and low.
“You do not have to like it, Arden,” she pointed out to him. It was true, after all. She was not his paramour, not his wife, and not a lady he was courting. What had transpired between them the other night in his study had decidedly muddied the waters, but nothing had changed, aside from the unwanted provocation of lust he stirred deep within her.
“You are correct,” he clipped, his tone cold. “I do not have to like it, and neither do I have to respect it. Forgive me for suggesting otherwise. It is merely that, if you wish to use your wiles upon every male you encounter in the course of an investigation, I shall have to prepare myself.”
