Any other man would have noticed the near-indiscernible pause before Kilmartin spoke.
Hart wasn’t most men. He wasn’t even human.
But when you’re with Fleur, you feel that. And so many damned things.What else was this rapid descent into madness if not the most pathetic of human emotions? All of thesefeelingsweakened him. Made him forget himself. It was why…
No,shewas why Hart wasn’t seated at a damned event he himself was hosting, beside a woman he was supposed to be courting.
“I don’t want your apologies,” Hart said in silky tones. “I want to know where you’ve been.”
Kilmartin spoke carefully. “I was seeing to all the assignments you tasked me with, Hart. What else would I be doing?”
“I find it convenient that you and another one of my guests should both happen to miss the dinner portion of my damned gathering. A gathering Ionlyagreed to in order to shut up my brother and save face for the wrong that the family did me.”
“You’ll have to remind me which guest, Your Grace.”
Hart’s eyelid twitched. Kilmartin sounded so damned bloody amused, Hart wanted to make the other man swallow his even, pearl-white teeth.
“The onlyotherguest who failed to arrive,” Hart snapped.
“We almost did.”
We.
With a single word, Kilmartin united himself with Fleur.
Hart’s world went red. “Have a care, Kilmartin.” He issued that silky warning. “I’m not in a particularly good humor.”
“No, you aren’t. Not since your meetings with a certain lady.”
He didn’t take the other man’s bait. His man-of-affairs had gotten too comfortable. It was another error Hart had made and would correct.
Kilmartin scanned the area.
He narrowed his eyes. “Looking for someone?”
“Indeed.”
Hart stiffened.
“I’m verifying that Lady Tremaine or anyone else has come to check on your whereabouts. Your current absence will draw far wider whispers than that of mine and Lady Fleur’s late arrival.”
“Protecting my reputation,” Hart said frostily. “How good of you.”
Kilmartin pinned a hard stare on him. When he spoke, he did so with steady calm and control that Hart couldn’t seem to bloody manage anymore.
“Why don’t you stop dancing around what it is you’re dancing about, Hart, and say what is on your mind. This is about Lady Fleur.”
The hell it was. It couldn’t be. A fresh sweat moistened Hart’s skin, and a knot constricted in his stomach.
“You presume much, Kilmartin.”
The other man kept up his assault. “You employ me to give you truths.”
“I employ you to handle my accounts, business affairs, and private affairs I authorize. At no point did I make it part of your job to tell me anything about the young lady.”
“Actually, since you’re being so blasted irrational, permit me to remind you.” Kilmartin took one bold, warning step forward, until their chests nearly bumped. “Conducting research on the lady is exactly what you ordered me to do. Why did you send meto Rundell’s? What inquiries did you direct me to make about Rutland’s? What—?”
“Enough!” Hart thundered.
