Page 32 of A Rogue at Stonecliffe

“You’ll take the carriage,” Lady Lockwood declared.

“Yes. When I go out, I’ll take the carriage.”

“I’ll escort you,” Nathan said. He looked at Sloane. “And I’ll be armed.”

“What about inside the house?”

“Inside the house!” Lady Lockwood exclaimed. “What nonsense. We’re perfectly safe inside. The doors and windows will be locked, and the house is full of servants. No one would dare. Besides, we have that one.” She pointed to Verity. “She can sleep on a cot in Annabeth’s room and keep an eye out during the day.”

“Just a moment,” Verity said. “I’m not really your maid. I won’t be living here.”

“Yes, you will,” Lady Lockwood and Sloane said in chorus.

“Keeping Annabeth safe is our first priority,” Sloane told Verity. “You know that. I can’t be here to protect her, so that means you will have to.”

“But I—” Verity started.

“He put me in charge, and you agreed, Verity,” he reminded her.

Verity’s eyes snapped, but she subsided, crossing her arms and leaning back against the wall.

“So you see, we’ll be perfectly safe.” Lady Lockwood turned a scornful look on Sloane. “I am not running off to Bath to vegetate. Lady Bittersham’s birthday gala is next week, and we have the opera on Thursday.”

Sloane’s eyebrows rose. “You’d rather risk your granddaughter’s life than miss a party?”

“It’s not just any party. Lady Bittersham’s birthday galas are the event of the off-Season.”

Annabeth hid a smile at the expression on Sloane’s face. Her grandmother had managed to silence him, at least for the moment.

Sloane turned to Annabeth. “Why will you not listen to sense? You’re risking your life.”

“Hardly,” Annabeth returned crisply. “If this man wants information from me, he isn’t going to kill me.”

“Killing you is not the only option,” Sloane said darkly. “I realize that you don’t want to do anything I say, but it’s foolish to put yourself in danger just to spite me.”

“Oh, there it is. It’s all about you, as it always is. You make decisions and it doesn’t matter what anyone else says, what anyone else wants.” Old anger welled up in Annabeth, past feelings mingling with present ones.

“That’s not true. I am trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need your protection. I don’t want your protection.”

“Then you are doomed to disappointment. I’m not letting someone hurt you.”

“Someone else, you mean?”

Red skimmed Sloane’s cheekbones, and he clenched his jaw, as if forcing his words to stay in his mouth.

Annabeth went on, “I have to remain here so I can search for this document.”

“You aren’t searching for it. This is government business. It isn’t your concern.”

“Not my concern?” Her voice rose. “I’d say it is very much my concern. Indeed, I am the person most concerned. It is my father who wrote it. I am the one who’s been kidnapped because of it. I am going to help look for it.”

“Blast it. I forgot how bloody hardheaded you are,” Sloane snapped.

“You shouldn’t have. I’ve always been this way. If you’ll remember, I never gave up when I asked you to teach me to sail.”

For an instant Sloane’s hard eyes softened, and a faint smile touched his face. “Asked me? Badgered me constantly is what I’d call it.”