“Doesn’t everyone?” I had more than most, and every time I fumbled my words, I was one step closer to revealing all of them.
“Some have more than others.” Ash glanced past my shoulder toward the bedroom before his gaze settled on me once more. The telling way his eyes skimmed over my face made me tense with anticipation. I really should step back and bid him adieu, but a force stronger than my will kept me in place. “I wish to ask you a question.”
“You have been asking me questions all night.” I locked my knees when I wanted to sway in his direction. Desiring a man,especially one who could ferret out my past, wasn’t wise. Yet my nipples had ideas of their own.
“I have.” He lifted one knuckle and skimmed it along my jaw, challenging my resolve to remain unaffected. “I would like to ask you one more.”
Raised voices sounded from behind me. “I don’t want you to read the story. I want Birdie to read it. She does the voices best,” Janice said.
“It sounds like you are needed.” He twisted and moved to the door, a reluctant smile curling his lips. He had a very appealing mouth, his bottom lip slightly fuller than the upper.
“Janice gets agitated easily when she is tired.” I followed him, relieved yet annoyed to have our conversation interrupted. It was rare that I had any free time, even rarer to flirt with a man who was interested in me. Unlike Moran. The thought of my employer brought its own complications. Both men appealed to different facets of me.
“Children need their sleep. As do their sisters.” He opened the outer door and stepped into the hallway.
The light from inside spilled out, casting the stairwell in dark shadows. A high window let in enough diffused light to get him safely downstairs.
“Thank you for seeing me home.” I didn’t wish the night to end, but I had to be practical. Responsibility weighed my shoulders, and after the obligatory story, I would seek my own bed.
He shifted on his feet, one hand resting on his hip. “I would like to see you again.”
The urge to tap my feet nearly overwhelmed me. Nervousness settled into the pit of my stomach. Surely he wasn’t about to ask to court me? “I am sure you will since you and Moran are friends.”
“I am not speaking of work. I enjoyed this evening and wish to step out with you again.” His voice took on a husky cast, overt interest in his stare. “You and your sisters are very engaging.”
“Thank you.” A part of me screamed yes, but continuing on this current path wasn’t wise. I had a secret that could land me in Newgate prison and condemn my sisters to the poor house. Yet, looking at him standing so close, my resolve was sorely tempted. In truth, I had never been courted before. “I am flattered, but—”
“Wait, don’t finish that statement.” He reached out and cupped my jaw, his thumb caressing my cheek. With an understanding nod, he leaned in and brushed his mouth across mine. I closed my eyes, my breath catching at the gentle caress. He slid his hand to the back of my neck and I moved into his embrace, a foolish thing to do. Head tilted, he skimmed his mouth across mine in a slow, seductive dance, his beard a gentle caress against my face.
The wine had dulled my senses, and I was tempted to accept his offer of courtship. Moran’s face flashed in my mind, and a wave of guilt washed over me. I broke the kiss, my breath coming fast. “I can’t. I, Frank, well, I can’t. I am sorry.”
“I understand.” He frowned at my comment, his chest rising and falling rapidly under his greatcoat. “I won’t say I am not disappointed. I like you, Mrs. Worth.”
Disappointment rested between us, adding to my shame. “I like you as well but my life is very complicated right now, and I, well, I need time.” By my calculations and barring no unforeseen expenses, Eloise could start running the agency in as little as six months. Once we gained our footing, I would resign my position with Moran and announce my father’s death in the papers. Until then, if there was even a minute chance of losing my position with Moran, I couldn’t risk it. “I am very sorry.”
“You needn’t be.” He adjusted his hat on his head. “I would like to walk you home sometimes. I enjoy our conversations.”
“I would like that. Good night.” I held the door as he turned on his heel and descended the stairs. The kiss lingered on my lips. While my head said I was doing the right thing, my body protested. I closed the door and pressed my forehead to the cool wood.
“Why didn’t you say yes?” Violet asked.
I spun around, my face flaming. “Were you eavesdropping?”
Violet nodded, unabashed by my chastisement. “Yes, I was. He likes you. Why did you turn down his offer to court you?”
“Because things are complicated. Are the girls asleep?” I went toward their room, hoping to avoid this conversation.
Violet followed, undeterred. “Yes, they are asleep, and you didn’t answer my question.”
“There is nothing to tell. You know the situation.” I entered my own room, but my stubborn sister followed. “In case you forgot, he’s an inspector for the Met, and we have secrets to keep.”
“He is a man, and you are a woman. If you married him, you could end this charade.” Violet sat on the end of the narrow bed in the room I shared with Eloise. Like the rest of the house, the paint was peeling in the corner, and the floors needed a polish.
My shirtwaist had an ink stain on the cuff. Frowning, I unfastened the tiny mother of pearl buttons I had salvaged from one of my mother’s dresses, remnants of a previous life full of privilege and gaiety. “Or he could throw me into prison for perpetrating a fraud against a peer of the realm.”
Her face fell. “There is that.”
“Besides, I don’t wish to get married.” I valued my freedom too much. To be dependent on a man wasn’t in my nature. Of course, I was working for a man. A very alluring man who made my toes curl in my shoes. Yet an equally tempting man wanted to court me.
