Chapter Eleven
The Right Honorable Miss Bernice Namath
The wine and food cut through the tension I had carried with me ever since Ash had waylaid me outside the publishing house. I was glad of his presence for the incident with the girls. Watching the gentle way he interacted with them warmed my heart.
Ash pushed his bowl away and patted the napkin over his appealing mouth. He’d been keeping them entertained with exploits that were suitable for children. Violet had hung on his every word. “That was delicious.”
“I am glad you enjoyed it.” I tried not to stare at him too long. It was hard to credit that a man was in the house and a very attractive one at that. The clock on the wall chimed the hour. Common sense said I should be tired after the full day I had, yet I was oddly awake. My little sisters, however, were not. “Girls, thank Inspector Ash...ton for sharing such delightful stories with us and then you need to wash up before you find your bed.”
“We just washed up for dinner,” Janice protested on a yawn.
I shared an amused glance with Ash, my heart picking up more than it should. This afternoon, Moran had the same effect on me. I broke the contact and focused on my sisters. “You need to wash more than once a day,” I replied. The argument was a familiar one with her.
Ash stood as the girls shuffled from the table, each thanking him in turn. He wished them all good night.
“I will be there to tuck you in.” It was my nighttime ritual to read them a story to put them to sleep. I began to push my chair back when he stepped behind me.
“Let me assist.” Ash pulled my chair out for me, ever the attentive gentleman. He might appear intimidating, but he had an easy away about him that drew me in.
“Thank you.” I stood on wobbly legs, being sure to step back to avoid further contact. The sound of Violet directing the girls from the other room offered me a bit of assurance. I wasn’t exactly alone with him. The thought sent goosebumps along my arms, an odd sense of expectation coming over me.
“I should be leaving.” Ash turned and walked to where his hat and coat were hung on a peg on the wall. The blue coat enhanced the width of his broad shoulders and fair coloring. He pulled the coat down, and the peg fell to the floor. “I am sorry about that,” he said.
“You needn’t apologize. It has been loose for a while.” The entire flat needed one repair or another. Eloise and I did what we could to fix things. I held out my hand for the peg and he laid it in my palm, his hand warm against mine. The room had gradually chilled over the course of dinner. My awareness of him held the cold at bay. “I will fix it.”
“If you have a hammer and nails, I can repair it for you.” He angled his head, his gaze sweeping the flat before it returned to me.
“That is very kind of you but unnecessary. I am used to doing most things myself since, well, sense my fa—er, Frank’s death.”
“Frank? I thought you said his name was William.”
“ItisWilliam.” My pulse leaped at yet another misstep in a long list of ever-growing lies. Losing my father and nearly going to the poor house had forced me to become more independentthan I used to be. “I call him Frank since his father was William senior.”
“I see. What was Frank’s profession?” he asked.
“He was a clerk in an accounting office.” Since I was in trade, it made sense that my deceased husband was part of the merchant class. In my head, Mr. Worth had been a studious man with excellent grammar who doted on my every word. Unlike Moran, who argued with me over my choice of words and told me outright that he wasn’t romantically interested in me.
“A respectable trade.” Ash placed his hat on his head. “I don’t have a head for numbers. Moran does.”
Had he read my mind? “It comes with running a business. You have other strengths that, frankly, are off-putting.”
His brow shot up at my statement, curiosity reflected in his blue stare. “Indeed, what pray tell are they?”
“You have a way of asking questions that make me wish to offer more than I probably should.” I shook my head and crossed my arms, confused by my own imprudent need to make such a bold observation.
He moved closer to me, not touching but near enough that I could feel the heat emanating from him. “Are you admitting to having secrets?”
