Moriarty laughed quietly, a deep and not unpleasant sound. He sat back against the upholstered bench, watching her with a deep curiosity. “While I agree with you on the subject of his need to flaunthis intelligence, I am curious as to your belief in his need to flaunt his benevolence. Continue.”
“He believes himself above the common man in more ways than one. He believes himself to be the arbiter of both truthandjustice. And it is the latter that I cannot suffer. No man is a god. Not him.” She met his dark gaze. “Not you.”
He lifted his glass to her. “Hear, hear.”
She tinked her glass to his and took a sip.
“I am glad to hear you speak in such a way, if I might be frank. I thought I was losing my mind for a time. To see such…blatant hypocrisy at play?” He shook his head. “And to have no one else seem to see it for what it was. Do you know how many laws that man breaks on the regular, simply because he feels it is in the name of the greater good?”
“Who is he to say what is the greater good and what is not?” She tilted her head to the side just slightly. “I am certain you do not wake in the mornings considering yourself to be some paramount of villainy.”
“Mm, only a few of them.” He chuckled, a playfully dark twist layering over his smile.
It made her cheeks go warm.
“Since you are clearly aware of my…extracurricular endeavors, I will be frank—I do not consider myself benevolent, benign, or righteous, Miss Adler.” His smile faded. “I am a terrible and dangerous man who seeks only power and influence.”
“Don’t be so melodramatic. You are a terrible and dangerous man who searches for a game that rises to the challenge of his wit.” She rolled her eyes. “If you were only after power and influence you would be a politician.”
That had him laughing again, almost loud enough to disturb the nearby tables. “Oh, Miss Adler.”
“Irene.”
“Irene,” he corrected with a grin. “You are surprising, indeed. Explain.”
“Someone of your intelligence and capability for manipulation would have the House of Lords wrapped around his finger in a month’s time. No, dear James. You play in the shadows because you enjoy the threat it brings. The challenge. You do not wish to play cards, you wish to play Russian Roulette.”
“I despise games of chance.”
“There are no games of chance when you are playing the person across the table from you. Poker is a game of psychology, not luck.” She sipped her wine again. She had the distinct suspicion she was going to go through a bottle on her own, and she was going to need it.
“Touché, madame.” Glancing behind her, Moriarty sighed. “Apologies in advance for what is about to follow.”
Furrowing her brow in confusion, she had no idea what he meant until the waiter walked up, and Moriarty proceeded to order dinner for both of them. That would be whyshedidn’t have a menu buthedid. She didn’t even notice until that moment.
He ordered her the lamb. He got the duck. Once the waiter left, he looked at her with an expression that simply saidsorry.“If I ordered incorrectly, we can switch plates once they walk away.”
It was her turn to laugh. She’d never had anyone order for her before. It was actually kind of quaint in a stupid way, since it wasn’t something she had to live with every day of her life. “It’s quite fine. I’ll enjoy it, I’m certain.” She’d never had lamb.
“An asinine practice, if you ask me.” He shook his head and sipped his own wine. “Why you are not allowed to simply decide upon what you eat…”
“Because I am not expected to pay for it. I do not think they factor in my salary as a performer versus yours as a professor.” It was her turn to smirk at him. “I’ll slip you some pounds once we leave tonight.”
That had him laughing again. “I am quite capable of paying for dinner, Irene. But I appreciate the thought. Yes, on public record, I expect you do gross more than I.”
“On public record.”
“What is a professor to do, when one must make the mortgage and one has an…overabundance of time,” he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, smiling at her with that wicked darkness again, “but find ways to amuse oneself?”
“And if you don’t believe in love, well, I assume your evenings are spent alone.” There was something about that smile of his that sent a not-entirely-unpleasant shiver through her. She had to remember who she was talking to. Not the fictional character—but the manipulative, malicious demigod behind it.
“I never said that.” He lifted his glass. “Simply because my associations with others are not…permanentdoes not mean they are infrequent.”
That had her biting back a laugh that definitely would have been impolite in her current setting.“Well,”she said through an exhale when she was pretty sure she could speak again without snickering. “I hope that’s not how you expect this evening to end.”
“Mm. No. I expected not. This seems more business than pleasure. At least for now.” He paused. “Do let me know if that changes. Though I would hate to damage your reputation, sullying yourself with a lowly professor such as I.”
“Perhaps it would do the world some good to think a man’s intelligence should be valued higher than his influence or the size of his wallet.” She let out a breath. “Not like I believe it ever will.”
