“I woke up this morning, and like almost every morning for the past several months, I found that the product I’d painstakingly put together the night before is actually little better than a pile of excrement.”
“I’m so sorry about my comments in the park.” Not that they were untrue, or meant to be cruel. Furthermore, she’d had no idea at the time that she was criticizing the publisher himself.
But her words had been cruel. “I never would have…”
He waved a hand, dismissing her apology. “You cannot have known. In truth, I think hearing your insults forced me to realize something important. I’ve been too focused on the mechanics of printing of the paper, believing the content would work itself out.”
Caroline barely stopped herself from taking his hand.
“And the content will get worked out—just not on its own.” But he still hadn’t said why he’d come here… to her mother’s house—she glanced at the mantel—before ten o’clock in the morning.
“Maybe this is all a mistake. I don’t belong at the Gazette any more than I do in the House of Lords.”
When her hand reached out to his, she didn’t stop it this time. Why would he not believe he belonged in parliament? He was an earl, for heaven’s sake.
But she paused to consider other comments he’d made—and the fact that he didn’t like being addressed by his title.
“You belong,” she said. In fact, she couldn’t imagine any place he might go where he wouldn’t. And not because of his looks, but because of the energy inherent in his person—authority, charm, and confidence.
“You belong…” she swallowed hard when her voice caught and then added, “Everywhere.”
Mr. Black swiveled his head around and locked his gaze with hers. “You asked me why I came here this morning.”
“Yes.”
“You said you were the only person I can trust.” He sat silently, staring into her eyes. “Turns out, you’re right.”
“You trust me.” Caroline could feel the corners of her mouth twitching up into a pleased grin. Such simple words. But voiced by this man, they felt like the highest of compliments. “What do you need me to do?”
“It’s a rather daunting request. I won’t think less of you for declining.”
Her toe tapped out a beat, her foot bouncing up and down. “Just tell me.”
She would help him, she wanted to help him, but she couldn’t allow that to foil her original mission—to prevent articles about Reed from making their way into the paper and to hopefully squash the rumors.
Put an end to the ridiculous investigation.
“I need more eyes on that final flat—eyes I can trust.”
This was what she’d wanted to do from the beginning. “You want me to stay late and help… keep watch.”
“Not tonight, of course. You have the Chaswick ball to attend.”
“I don’t have to—”
“But you do.”
Attending one of the most pretentious balls of the Season, however, could not be any lower on her list of priorities. It fell somewhere between bathing Pip after he’s played in the mud and emptying chamber pots. Although that wasn’t fair to Pip.
Pip would never give her the cut.
“No doubt, your mother agrees with me,” he added. Which, of course, was true.
“Will you be there?” It wasn’t an unreasonable question.
“I’m not a debutante.”
“You are an unmarried bachelor, though.”
