Eve had rarely seen Kilsyth lack control, but he was clearly agitated and as wrong as it may be, she enjoyed having him confounded for a change.
“If it is not to pick up after you, then I can assume it is because you still wish for me to spy and seek out French sympathizers among Society for you.”
He stilled and slowly turned, pinning her with a questioning and cautious look. “Whatever gave you such an idea?”
“You did, Lord Kilsyth,” Eve answered calmly before she took another sip of her tea.
“Me? I never uttered a single word about spying.”
“Perhaps not to me, but Pickmore and your friends knew.”
Kilsyth stormed forward. “They told you?” he demanded.
Good heavens, Eve wasn’t certain she’d ever really heard him raise his voice but this bit of information had certainly set him on edge and once again, she enjoyed seeing the calm and controlled Earl of Kilsyth completely flustered. However, the disbelief in his tone and eyes was almost her undoing and it was all Eve could do not to laugh. Instead, she sipped from her tea in an effort to hide her smile.
“No, Lord Kilsyth, you did,” she finally answered as she set her cup aide. “In your fevered state and delirium, you mentioned a number of words. Your friends simply clarified my suspicious.” Though, that isn’t exactly how it had occurred, the words would have continued to bother her and she was quite certain that had she eventually asked the correct questions, she would have gotten the answers she sought. However, Kilsyth didn’t need to know that it was his friends who had let on that what Kilsyth had muttered was far more than words spoken in a fevered state.
“Bloody hell,” he murmured almost too quietly for her to hear as he turned on his heel and thrust his fingers through his hair.
“Are you angry?” He asked after a moment, his back still to her.
“Not about your plans. My anger stems from not beingasked,” Eve admitted. “Instead, you played at making me speak properly all to win a wager and so that I could locate a position as a governess when that wasn’t your intention at all.” She stood. “You didn’t deal honestly with me, Lord Kilsyth and I have no way of knowing if I can trust you. What other plans did you have that I know nothing about?”
“That’s just it, Eve.” Her turned to face her, coming forward. “There are no plans, at least none that resembled my original thoughts. I’d already dismissed the idea of you acting as my spy. I’ll admit, I had a hard time letting go of the plan, but I’ll not put you in danger.”
Eve recalled the list of words she’d written and decided to test what she thought the meanings were. “You wished to keep me. Believed me intelligent and thought I’d make a good spy, but wished to keep me safe.”
Chapter 28
Good God! It was if she could read his mind. “What all did I say?” Did he really wish to know?
Eve smirked and withdrew a list of words from her pocket and handed it over to him.
Hell, Pickmore, knew better, keep her, intelligent, good spy, Society, Eve, safe, devils, idiot, torture, Eve, run away, fool, eternity.
At least he hadn’t professed his love. When those words left his lips, he wanted to be able to watch her face and gauge the reaction in her green eyes.
Eve was angry, and possibly hated him, but he wasn’t willing to walk away. Not just yet.
After taking a deep breath, Henry approached. “I need you, Eve.”
“You can hire another maid or secretary,” she reminded him.
“Not for that, nor will you be my spy either.”
Her eyes widened. “Why not? After it was explained to me, I understood why you’d wish me to fulfill that role. My anger comes from being manipulated and not being told the truth.”
“For that, I apologize, but when that decision was made, I didn’t yet know you.”
“And you do now?” She arched a brow and crossed her arms over her breasts in challenge.
“Yes, I know you Eve.” He took a step forward. “I also realize that there is so much more to know. I can’t let you leave me.”
She sucked in a breath and took a step back.
“Having a ward thrust upon me was rather disconcerting, but we got along well, I’d like to think.”
“You are a tyrant.”
