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Rose’s stomach dropped and a sick dread filled her. She covered her mouth with her hand as tears sprang to her eyes. She nearly doubled over in the hall, her hand reaching out to the wall to brace herself. Her worst fears about Will had just been confirmed. He was a thief and a liar. And to think, she’d been about to give him her heart and soul.
“Once I have the goods, I’ll give you the finder’s fee.” Bridgeton replied. “Thanks for this.” Bridgeton added.
Footsteps approached the door and Rose realized she was about to be caught. The hall was too long to retreat down and the plant wouldn’t fully hide her. She started to crouch behind it when her knee knocked into the plant making a loud thud.
“What was that?” Bridgeton asked.
“I’ll check,” Will said. Rose stopped breathing as he appeared in the doorway. His eyes swept down the hall in the opposite direction and for a split second she thought he wouldn’t see her until his gaze swung in her direction.
She didn’t even see his reaction before he was in front of her, blocking her with his back.
“What was it?” Bridgeton asked.
“Nothing, of course. Likely a servant dropped something down the hall.” Will cleared his throat, his broad back completely shielding her from view. “Are you certain you want to do this? It’s risky, as I said last night.”
“You worry too much.” Bridgeton chuckled. “It’s likely why Highwater never gave you more responsibility.”
“Fair enough,” Will gave a deep growl. “All the same, good luck.”
Rose barely had time to contemplate how he could sound so calm, almost bored as she hid behind a plant just behind him when Bridgeton shook Will’s hand and was gone.
Before she’d even sighed with relief, Will spun around and hauled her against his body. “What in the bloody blue blazes were you doing?”
His touch was gentle but his face was dark with anger. “I…I…was just walking by.”
Then he dropped his chin into the crook of her neck and gathered her closer. “You could have been hurt.”
Rose blinked. Why wasn’t he more concerned about the fact that she’d overheard him planning a robbery? The knowledge was destroying her from the inside out. He was the one man who’d understood her need to find the jewels who seemed to delight in their exchanges rather than be threatened by them.
He sparked such strong need in her but now, she couldn’t possibly continue to pursue a relationship with him. “Thank you for keeping me safe,” she said through a shuddered breath. “I should go.”
He pulled his head back and looked down at her, his eyes narrowing. “You, my little troublemaker, are not going anywhere.”
That snapped her out of her grief and replaced it with anger. She pushed at his chest. “You are calling me the troublemaker?” she hissed. “I heard what you were planning.”
“You were eavesdropping,” his voice dropped low and deep.
She straightened, which barely brought the top of her head to his shoulder. Tipping her head back she gave him what she hoped was a fierce glare. “Don’t judge me. I am not the one committing—”
But his hand at her mouth stopped her. He pulled her back into the library, as she struggled to get away, and then pushed the door closed with his foot. “You are the smartest woman I know. Surely you can’t think I would plan an actual criminal act with the door ajar.”
That made her stop struggling. Because now that he mentioned it, he was far more intelligent than that.
“It’s a trap that His Grace helped me set. If you’d like to ask him, feel free. Bridgeton will be caught stealing from the safe and will be imprisoned and then your jewels returned.” His brow furrowed. “I know you’ve had some questions about my moral compass, I can’t blame you. But I did think you were one of the few people who thought me smart enough to form a better plan than plotting in front of an open door.”
She raised her hands up to grasp his wrist. Tears stung at her eyes, though she tried to push them away. Because all along, he’d been acting for her benefit. He was trying to get her jewels back. It made so much more sense than him planning a foolish robbery. Slowly, she pulled his hand away from her mouth. “You’re right. I do think you’re far more intelligent than that.”
“Thank you for that.” He cupped her cheek with the hand that had been covering her mouth.
She took a breath. “I would normally have noticed your actions did not suit your character but I’m afraid my own emotions are clouding my judgment. I feel a certain amount of,” she stopped, searching for the word as her heart hammered in her chest, “affection for you and it keeps me from seeing everything clearly.”
His eyebrow raised, just one. “You feel some affection for me?” Then a slow grin pulled up the corners of his lips. “I feel a certain amount for you too. Which is why I have asked you to stay out of trouble. Not that you are listening to me.”
“This truly was an accident. I was just walking by when…” But her voice trailed off as his gaze darkened.
“Still, you made a promise,” his voice had grown deeper, more intimate. “And now you owe me a kiss.”
She caught her breath. Because he was so handsome and he understood her and what she wanted and needed. And because she loved him like she had never loved anyone else. “You’re right. It’s only fair that I pay what I agreed to. Best that we act in good faith from here on out.”
