Owen frowned, starting to get a bad feeling.
“No,” she protested as Meg brought in the tea tray. “Please, do not look concerned. I think both men are completely honest, as they were with the company when my father was alive. Thomas has never had an inkling of worry, either.”
“This man, Mr. Beaumont—where do I know that name from? At any rate, he is already your managerandyour engineer, and now he wants to handle payments on behalf of Smythe Coal. I do not recommend it. Even the most honest individual can be tempted.”
“What should I do?” she asked, pouring them both tea and handing him a slice of spice cake.
He set the teacup on the table next to him and rested the plate of cake on his lap. Only women would continue indulging in the niceties while discussing such important matters. It was endearing, but he also feared Adelia could make a misstep and take a great loss.
Absently, he put a forkful of the delicacy into his mouth while he considered his next words. It practically melted upon his tongue.
“Delicious,” he declared, devouring it entirely before setting the plate next to his teacup.
“If you don’t mind my saying so, and since you asked me, I would send a letter to this Mr. Beaumont and tell him you have considered it further. You think it best if you handle all the same documents and tasks your brother did, including signing checks.”
“Really?” She sipped her tea.
“Why not? You are an intelligent woman.”
She blushed again. Making her do so was becoming a habit he hoped would never stop. He didn’t like embarrassing her, but it was amusing to bring color to her cheeks with a genuine compliment. Or better, with a wicked touch. In that regard, he hoped she never became so jaded or filled withsang-froidthat her blush disappeared entirely.
“What if I make a mistake? What if I destroy our entire company and put all the miners out of work?”
“Hardly likely. If you have any questions,” he began but hesitated. They were in that area, which was entirely inappropriate given the circumstances. “As I told you previously, you can always ask me or my father, I suppose. It might do him good to distract him.”
“Perhaps,” she said, looking doubtful.
“May I also suggest you send the same letter to Mr. Arnold, so there can be no confusion.”
Her eyes widened. “I wouldn’t have thought of that. I suppose one of these men could do something dishonest by keeping the other one in the dark as to my wishes.”
“Precisely. For the time being, you should make certain both men are notified of anything you tell the other. Then neither can claim ignorance.”
He sipped the tea. As with the cake, it was of the first quality.
“Thank you,” she said softly, and he sucked the hot liquid right into his windpipe.
Coughing, he couldn’t speak. It wasn’t that her politeness and manners were unusual, but he knew how much it cost her to thank him for anything after what he’d done to her family.
“Are you all right?” she asked when his coughing subsided.
He nodded.
“I should be going.” Before he admitted he was falling wildly in love with her, perhaps scaring her off forever. Besides, it was blatantly unfair. He knew she had feelings for him. They hadn’t been coy with one another. Nevertheless, the massive mountain of the earl’s trial and sentencing lay ahead of them, perhaps an insurmountable obstacle to overcome.
Moreover, when the day of the execution came, as it surely would, he wanted to be the one to comfort Adelia and knew he would be the very last person on earth she would allow to do so. It would be best if he held off declaring his deep feelings for her until after the unpleasantness was over. From then on, he would woo her for as long as it took.
“The invitation still stands for dinner, my lord.”
He wanted to groan with the missed opportunity. “Regrettably, I am already elsewhere committed. I would be honored to dine with you another time, especially if there is more cake.”
Standing, he drew her to her feet.
“I can promise you will enjoy far better than this cake,” she said. And as their gazes locked, she blushed again. “I mean from our cook.”
He almost chuckled at her unintentionally enticing words. If she knew how quickly his mind’s eye pictured her lying unclothed upon the length of a dining room table, ready for him to lick and suckle, taste and devour, she would redden from the top of her lovely head to her sweet toes.
For his own part, he felt like a randy schoolboy at how much he desired this quiet, unassuming, absolutely marvelous woman who faced him.
