“Why did it take you so long to come up here to speak to Lord Rumford?” I asked.
“Because I was talking to Uncle Alfred about Hirst and the guest named Clitheroe.”
“And?”
“And he doesn’t think there’s anything to worry about, hence the wild goose chase.”
“Oh.”
“My delay gave you just enough time to swoop in and take my client from under my nose.”
I was growing a little tired of his accusation. He mustn’t hold me in very high esteem if he thought that of me. Considering prior events, perhaps that was understandable, but it still hurt. “I can see how it looks, but I assure you, my intentions are innocent. Harmony must have been eavesdropping on your uncle and Lord Rumford and decided to put me forward as an investigator. She wouldn’t have suggested it to me if she knew Mr. Hobart was going to ask you.”
I wasn’t entirely sure of Harmony’s complete innocence inthe matter, but I would try to defend her as best as I could. She was going to get a talking to from me later, however.
“Anyway, Lord Rumford is not my client,” I went on. “I don’t think he’s paying me.”
“Because you insisted you didn’t want to be paid.”
“No, because he didn’t offer.”
“He didn’t offer because discussing something asvulgaras money with Sir Ronald’s niece isn’t the gentlemanly thing to do to.” He put an ugly twist on the word vulgar which summed up perfectly what Lord Rumford and his ilk thought of any kind of financial discussion, particularly around ladies.
I sighed. I really hadn’t wanted to step on Mr. Armitage’s toes. “We’ll talk to him now and tell him you’re the official investigator and I’m just…” I sighed again. “Sir Ronald’s nosy, bored niece.”
I crossed the corridor to the door and raised my hand to knock.
Mr. Armitage closed his hand around my fist and drew it away. We stood so close my shoulder brushed his chest. When I looked up, his face filled my vision.
“Don’t,” he said softly.
“Why not?” I whispered.
He simply shook his head and let me go. He walked off, his long strides quickly taking him away from me.
I picked up my skirts and ran after him. “Mr. Armitage.”
He did not slow down.
I quickened my pace. “Mr. Armitage.”
He didn’t respond.
“Harry, stop!”
Finally he halted and turned to me. “You won the case. I won’t say fair and square, but I can’t say I would have been any less devious.”
“Harmony was the devious one, not me,” I pointed out.
“Keep the case. I don’t want your charity.”
“It’s not charity, it’s…sharing. We’ll share the case.”
He firmed his jaw and set off again.
I got the feeling I’d insulted him. Idiot men and their idiotic pride. It served him right if he had to wait a while longer for his first case. It wasn’t my fault. He wasn’t going to starve in the meantime anyway. His mother wouldfeed him every chance she got, and his father would lend him money if he needed it. Harry Armitage would be just fine.
And I had a murder to investigate.
