They worked as a team these two and were entirely cunning when faced with an uncle who had a weakness for his nieces and nephews.
“I shall just wrap your gifts,” the shop’s proprietor said.
When Warwick was finally done, he looked for Samantha but couldn’t see her in the shop.
“Where is your aunt?”
“She walked out the door.”
Raising a hand to Nathan, he urged his nieces outside quickly, heart thumping at the thought someone may have seen Samantha and kidnapped her again.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
He found her a few feet to the left, bent at the waist talking to three scruffy children. His heart settled back into his chest as he moved to her side.
“You can’t walk away from me like that, Samantha. It is not safe.”
“Do you have money, Warwick?” She turned her head to look up at him.
He took out some coins, handing them to her. Samantha had clearly already parted with every penny she’d brought with her today.
“There we go. Perhaps you could use the money to find a place to stay tonight?”
Warwick then listened as she gave out the addresses of Lilly’s two homes for homeless children.
“Aunty Sam is a very good person, Uncle Warwick,” Kat whispered loudly.
He grunted and then took Samantha’s arm as she rose.
“You need to have a care,” he snapped. “Walking away from me is not doing that. Nor is giving every penny you have, and several of mine, away.”
“Someone has to look out for them.”
“Could you not have waited for me to come outside to do that?”
Her lips clamped into a line, which told him she was not about to reply. She then climbed into the carriage with more haste than grace, so he didn’t help her. Warwick followed and lifted the girls up beside her.
Urging the horses on, Warwick, Samantha and the girls were soon heading to the park with Merry and Kat chattering like two birds about their purchases.
“I’m sorry,” he said over their heads.
“For what?” Samantha kept her eyes forward.
“For what I said the other day at the circus about helping in the offices as we are busy. I hurt you, and that was not my intention.”
“Don’t apologize if you don’t mean it, Warwick.”
“Can you just not accept what I have said?”
“I will if it’s genuine. But if you are just saying sorry because you feel it is the right thing to do, then I’d rather not hear it.”
He had three sisters, cousins, and sisters-in-law, and yet women were still a mystery to him.
“It is genuine,” he gritted out.
“So, I can come and work with you then?”
No.“If that is your wish, but I’d rather you waited until we are sure no one else is intent on kidnapping you.”
