The bandit shrugged. “The frown you wore just now implied otherwise.”
Leah tried to smooth out the furrow between her brows, but it merely deepened. She tapped the side of her cup thoughtfully, and then drained the last of the bitter coffee and sat back to engage fully in the conversation. “It would be foolish of me not to want to meet my brother as planned, but I shall not lie and say that we haven’t always had a… strained relationship. There are twelve years that separate us, and Henry has long considered me to be an inconvenience. I think there are times when he resents me because I am the result of our father’s second marriage.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “A common tale of woe.”
“Indeed.” Leah sat up straighter. “I believe that he intends to marry me off to the first man in his congregation that will accept and I daresay it makes me a bit anxious, but neither will I admit that I would prefer to be here where I cannot speak to anyone in a civilized manner.”
“You think we are not being civil now?” he countered.
“Not completely,” she returned. Tapping her temple, she added, “Not with a mask on to keep your identity concealed. It’s not an easy way to earn trust.”
“A fine point,” he agreed. “But I’m sure you understand why we must protect ourselves.”
“Naturally, but that also doesn’t mean that I feel comfortable conversing with someone I can never truly know.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Is that how you feel about Harlan?”
She frowned a second time, but this time it was due to confusion. “What?”
He leaned forward and the charming smile was back in place. “Come now. You think you can hide it, but something tells me you have already taken a particular fancy to Harlan.”
Leah started. She had been hoping she wasn’t so transparent, but obviously she hadn’t tried hard enough to conceal her interest. “You seem quite confident of your claim,” she hedged.
He shrugged. “I am. But if it will set your mind at ease, I can tell you that there is no one more loyal or devoted than him.”
“To thievery?” Leah suggested primly.
His eyes flashed and she was slightly taken aback at the animosity she saw in his gaze. “Do not assume the worst. Like the masks we wear, some of the best deeds are concealed by alternate means.”
She lifted a brow. “An intriguing theory, but again, one where I fail to see the benefit of putting my trust.”
As the front door opened, her companion got to his feet. “Then, on that score, you would be wrong.” He inclined his head. “Good day, Miss Lindquist. I thank you for the interesting conversation. It has been very enlightening.”
As he walked away, Leah watched him depart curiously, wondering if his parting words were a compliment—or something else.
There was a hushed conversation near the door, and then Hugh and the bearded man left, while Harlan entered the kitchen to rejoin her. As he poured himself a new, steaming cup of coffee, he muttered, “I need this.” Forgoing any toast, he sat down across from her and sighed heavily.
“Something wrong?” she asked, genuinely concerned.
“Nothing that I haven’t encountered before,” he returned evenly.
Realizing that was all that she was going to get out of him, she decided that if he wasn’t going to be forthcoming with any further information, she would retire elsewhere to find something to occupy her time. Scooting back her chair, she said, “Excuse me.”
Finding her way into the parlor, she meandered about the room, looking for an interesting book, or something equally compelling that might cure her boredom. If things continued like this, she wondered if perhaps it might be better to demand to be released and venture on to her brother’s residence where she could endure another sort of frustration.
Unfortunately, for some place that was supposed to be a home, Harlan had a sad lack of anything resembling entertainment. She couldn’t even locate a deck of cards.
She sank down onto the settee and stared into the dormant fireplace. If it might have been permitted, she would have taken a walk down to the river’s edge just to enjoy some sunshine. Now that the weather in England had turned particularly fair, she was anxious to do some exploring. And she had never been the type to sit still for long.
She heard Harlan rummaging about in the kitchen, but soon enough footsteps entered the parlor. “I’m feeling a bit restless.” She glanced over at him. “Would you care for a walk?”
As if reading her mind, she stood and smoothed out her skirts. “Yes, I would.”
Chapter 6
After his conversation with Benjamin, Harlan was feeling the pressure to succeed in a mission that couldn’t be rushed. But considering he was at the mercy of higher powers in London, that were going to start being demanding of answers after what Benjamin had said, Harlan had no choice but to bend to their will. It might chafe to do so, but it would be a relief to put an end to this latest charade once and for all. At first, he’d thought donning the guise of a highwayman would be effective. Now it was just a cumbersome frustration, especially when he wanted to look upon Miss Lindquist with nothing between them.
He had been honest when he’d mentioned to Benjamin that he wasn’t ready to release her just yet. It made him sound like the worst sort of tyrant, but he’d never felt this way about any other woman before. Leah was unique in spirit and personality, and he yearned to know more about her. The moment he claimed she was free to go, he knew the illusion would be broken. Before that happened, he wanted to see if what flowed between them was worth exploring further. Perhaps after the spy was captured, then he might retire from the Home Office and pick up a scythe and become a boring farmer, trade in one field for another, one that was fraught with less peril.
