She immediately felt cold without it protectively around her.
All day, she wondered if she should mention it, but it wasn’t until later that night, when she and the Duke were both sitting in the parlor, reading, that she finally got up the courage. Before she could speak, however, the butler knocked on the door and entered with a calling card on a tray.
“The Marquess Redfield is here to see you, Your Grace,” the butler said, holding out the tray to the Duke with a disgruntled look on his face. “I told him it was too late, but he said you would want to see him.”
Immediately, her husband’s eyes found hers, and she knew he was thinking the exact same thing as she:this is it!
“That’s right, show him in,” the Duke boomed.
“But Your Grace, the time!”
“It’s all right, we do want to see him.”
The butler grumbled but turned and left, and moments later, Lord Redfield swept into the room, an unreadable expression on his face.
All thought of the Duke’s arm around her vanished from Rosalie’s mind. Nothing mattered now except playing the part of the ruthless businesswoman, the heir to Lord Carfield’s villainy.
“Your Graces,” Redfield said, bowing low before them both. “Thank you for seeing me at such a late hour. I would not usually dare trespass on your time so late, but you see, I had to think about everything you said, and I just came to a decision. I thought I should come now, before your offer is rescinded.”
“We are glad you came,” Rosalie said. “Please, sit down.” She indicated the chair between her and the Duke.
Redfield nodded in thanks and seated himself in the chair. He looked between the two of them.
“So, tell me,” he said, his voice like a purr, “exactly how much are you prepared to invest in the opium business?”
Rosalie felt her heart soar.
We’ve got him!
Nathan couldn’t quite believe it. Redfield was here, actually wanting to take them up on their fake offer to invest in the opium business. They had fooled him! And he knew it was only possible because of his wife.
And indeed, Redfield was now looking at her. “I was impressed by you, Your Grace,” he began. “I have never met a woman of such bold opinions and unapologetic ambition.”
“My father didn’t raise me to be a woman,” Rosalie said dismissively. “He raised me to be his heir, his real heir, unlike my useless cousin.”
Even though he knew she was lying, Nathan couldn’t help but be impressed. It was a good line.
She isn’t just a reader, he thought suddenly. She is a writer, even if she doesn’t know it yet. She’s writing this in her mind then making it reality.
That was similar to how he was in business, as well; it was an ability to feel out the next lines the other person was about to say and write the scene in a way that would bring about the end results he wanted.
“Well, your father was a very smart man,” Redfield was saying. “And is it you with whom I shall primarily be dealing during this business interaction, or would that be His Grace?”
Rosalie opened her mouth to respond, but Nathan cut her off. “That would be me,” he said, and there was such a note of finality to his voice that Rosalie immediately shut her mouth. “My wife is an astute businesswoman, but opium is a dangerous business, and I will not allow her to be put in any danger. That is nonnegotiable to me, Redfield: she remains outside of the day-to-day business dealings that might endanger her.”
Nathan wasn’t sure why he had said this. It wasn’t as if he and Rosalie were actually going to get involved in the day-to-day operations of opium smuggling. They were just trying to get enough information to shut it down.
But at even the suggestion that his wife was going to be in danger, something had come over him, and he needed Redfield to know—he needed everyone to know—that he would do anything in his power to keep Rosalie safe. And he would end anyone who brought harm to her.
He glanced at Rosalie and was unsurprised to see a slightly raised eyebrow, as if to ask,What are you doing? Don’t ruin this.
Nathan cleared his throat. “I hope that’s clear,” he finished, a little lamely.
“It is clear,” Redfield said, and his eyes once more flicked curiously between the two of them.
Not suspiciously but with interest.
Careful, Nathan. With every word you say, you are giving Redfield leverage over you. Don’t show him your emotions.
