He studied the look of defiance on Miss Carmichael’s face as she spoke with Harlowe, disgust turning his stomach to ice.
Women like her had no place in the world.They had to be snuffed from existence.
Although…
He paused to consider, his head tilting slightly while thinking through all the events leading up to this moment.Something wasn’t quite right.It felt like a perfectly laid out mosaic with one single tile out of place.
Croft and Marsdale were friends.Croft had spent the better part of the evening showering Miss Carmichael with attention.No sooner had he departed than she’d begun flirting with Marsdale.Marsdale had always come across as the honorable sort – beyond reproach.It seemed unlikely of him to seduce the woman his friend was keen on.
And then of course there was the fact that Croft was intent on catching his sister’s killer.He’d made no secret of it.
So maybe…just maybe…this was a trick intended to lure him out.
A far more plausible notion than anything else he’d witnessed these past ten minutes.
With a smirk, he proceeded to ponder his next move.If Croft was indeed attempting to trap him, caution would be required.To better assess the situation, he’d have to come up with a trap of his own.
By the time he arrived home later that evening, an idea was already taking shape.He took a seat at his desk and retrieved two pieces of foolscap, then proceeded to pen the first of two notes.
38
Having concluded his unexpected meeting with Harlowe, Adrian had to make a conscious effort to keep from bursting into the Clearview House parlor and giving Samantha a good shake.Instead, he entered the room as though all was as it should be.
At least she’d had the sense to warn him of what was to come.
Be aware.Harlowe thinks we’re engaged.I’m sorry.
He would have liked some additional details - some hint as to what had occurred.Not quite ready to take a seat on the sofa beside her, he stayed near the window overlooking the driveway.“Tell me everything.”
She sent the door a pointed look, and he instantly shut it, not caring if anyone thought it a lapse in social conduct.He arched an eyebrow, a silent command for her to proceed.
“Very well.”Back straight, she clasped her hands in her lap, ignoring the tea tray for now as she laid out the details of what had transpired.“Harlowe got in the way.I had to explain myself to him which forced me to improvise on the spot.”
“So you concocted the fake engagement.”
“That was later.But the idea did arise from something Harlowe said during that conversation.He questioned the effect my flirtation would have upon you.”
“It must have been quite the show for him to take issue and pull you aside.”He feigned a casual stance, but every muscle was strained to the point of snapping.
“We did as agreed.”
A nerve began ticking at the edge of his eye.He ignored it.“Why would Harlowe care about my reaction to you and Marsdale?”
“Most likely because he, like most others, has no wish to earn your disfavor.”
“I still don’t see why you chose to announce our engagement.”
“Because without it, you’d just be another man looking to get beneath a loose woman’s skirts.But as my fiancé, you’d be thrown over, embarrassed, with no easy way out.Making you exactly the sort of man the killer would sympathize with and me the sort of woman he’d want to murder.”
He dug his nails into the palms of his hands until pain distracted him from the image of her lifeless body covered in blood.It would not come to that.He’d make damn sure to take whatever precautions were needed to keep her safe.
“And the kiss?”There was no avoiding the bitterness in his voice.“Tell me about it.”
She dropped her gaze, refused to look at him, choosing instead to reach for the teapot and fill their cups.
Her silence was worse than any words she might have spoken.Breathing became a chore.Something dark and ugly caught him in its thorny grasp.
One second he was by the window, the next, he was leaning in, spine curving as he clasped her jaw and forced her gaze to meet his.
