The man stopped and stood watching, but said nothing.
James cursed himself for not bringing a weapon on this journey.
“What do you want?” James shouted the words this time. “You have some message to deliver?”
The man was silent so long that James had decided to ignore him and make his way back to Lucy, but the minute he started to turn, the man’s voice rumbled across the distance.
“Beck wants you watched. So I watch.”
James gave the man one last glance and continued down the rest of the passageway, pushing his gait as wide as he could to eat up the space between him and Lucy. Surprisingly, Beck’s man made no move to follow. But the relief of that seeped away when he realized it might be because he’d seen exactly where he and Lucy had parted, and he meant to get to her first.
James broke into a sprint when he reached the crossway. Just as he’d hoped, it was a mews that ran behind the shops that lined the street.
There was no real indication that the next building was the rear of the tearoom. No signage. But James couldn’t take time for much exploration. He tried the rear door and found it unlocked.
“And who might ye be?” A red-faced woman wearing an apron and white bonnet planted herself in his path after he’d barely gotten through the door. Her appearance and the wafting scent of roasted savories and baked goods made him sigh in relief.
“I confess I’m a bit lost, my good lady. Is that the way to the tearoom?” He pointed behind her.
“Ye’ve taken the wrong path, braw man. But aye, go on with ye.”
James sketched a little bow and offered thelady the best smile he could muster, then continued down the short hall of the busy kitchen and through a swinging door that led into the tearoom.
Lucy stood out among the other guests. She sat at the front of the tearoom and was the one lady who dined alone. Her sketchbook lay open in front of her, but her gaze was fixed on the window as she watchfully took in the activity on the street.
Had she been watching and seen him disappear from view?
The desire to go to her made his muscles ache with tension, but he preferred taking care with their next steps. The hell of it was that he couldn’t be sure if his watcher had gone back to the street and followed him into the alley.
He had to choose, and exiting through the front door and joining the crowds back on the street where they could hire a carriage seemed the best course.
As soon as he started toward her, Lucy turned.
“James.” The sweetness of her grin warmed him from across the room. He couldn’t recall anyone in his life ever looking so pleased to see him. But somehow it also heightened his fear. Not for himself, but for her.
“I’ve only had tea so far. I decided to wait on food so we could dine together, but I’m famished.”
“I’m afraid we have to go, Lucy.”
“Just a quick bite? They have a lemon cake thatlooks scrumptious.” She reached for the menu at the edge of the table.
“We must go now.”
The same hollowness he’d felt when informing friends that they’d lost their investment because of his foolishness opened up inside him as he watched Lucy’s pleasure at seeing him turn to disappointment.
“I’m sorry. But I would not insist if it wasn’t urgent.”
“Has something happened?” She stood, collecting her things as she watched him, searching his face for the answers he wasn’t giving her.
“Can we discuss it once we’ve hired a carriage and are on our way out of Edinburgh?” James helped her finish filling her bag and slung it over his shoulder before dropping a few coins on the table and leading her through the front door.
“Are we not catching the train in half an hour?”
“A carriage would serve us better.” James glanced each way down the street, and though the foot traffic had thinned under the darkening sky, he didn’t spot the watcher.
A hansom cab rattled by, and James moved toward the curb, scanning ahead for another.
“There’s one.” Lucy waved the driver down.
