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Connor wondered if she had been followed when she left the house that morning.
Oblivious to his thoughts, Thalia continued. “He had the papers ready, so I signed them. I also have some business I need him to conduct for me, and we discussed that while I was there.”
Tahlia weighed her options. Nobody but Connor knew what had happened this morning. At the moment, she needed someone to confide in about it all. If only so she could make sense of what had happened and decide what to do next.
“Shouldn’t I report what happened to the magistrate?” she asked with a frown. She glanced outside, but the prospect of going back out there had very little appeal.
“I will do it,” Connor sighed. “I think I saw a bit more of your attackers than you did.”
Happy to hand that particular task over to him, Tahlia nodded.
“So, you own this house now?”
He pursed his lips as he looked around the huge room. It was luxurious, if a little unfashionable. It would make a wonderful home once a few changes had been made. He was so lost in the changes he would make that he was shocked when she spoke
Tahlia glanced around the room. “I have decided to sell it. However, before it can be sold, it needs to be emptied. I have had to pay a brief visit because there are a few things of my uncle’s I wish to keep. I was sorting through everything when I found a package of letters my uncle had kept in the study. In them was a note to me that he had written in the weeks prior to his death. He told me he had left me something at the solicitor’s offices. He asked me to fetch it and read its contents.”
“So you dropped by there this morning and had a meeting with the solicitor.” Connor sighed. “There were no instructions with the key?”
“That is all there is,” Tahlia lied and waved vaguely toward the contents of her purse. “Apart from a gold necklace and my pearl bracelet, there is nothing on me that would make anyone want to pester me with such determination. I think that this has all been some sort of opportunistic game for muggers who make full use of the thick London smog to target victims at will. After all, when the conditions are this bad, who is around to see what they are up to?”
When Connor didn’t agree with her, Tahlia moved toward the window and stared out into the smog. There was a faint reflection of the fire behind her in the glass and she studied it while she considered the morning’s events. She wondered what Connor thought about the morning’s events, and didn’t have to wait long before she received her answer.
“Given that they already had your bracelets off you during the first mugging in the alley, I think it is safe to assume that they were after the key. They may know what this key opens,” Connor replied. “You need to be very careful, Tahlia, because they have gone to great lengths to get it off you today. Thankfully, the smog today protected you from prying eyes. However, they may not give up so easily the next time you leave this house.”
“Oh, rubbish,” she protested, shaken at the thought. When Connor remained stoically silent, Tahlia turned to face him. “I am sure that there will be other people reporting muggings on a day like today. Who would want a grubby old key, anyway?”
“Did you get a good look at the man in the alley?” he asked when she began to edge toward the desk again.
Tahlia reluctantly turned her gaze toward him.
“Who?” She demanded instinctively and then winced when she realised who he meant. Glancing toward the street again, she sighed deeply. “Er, no. It all happened so fast.”
Connor nodded. He had memorised every characteristic of the man, and would recognise him in a heartbeat if he ever saw him again. However, he had barely caught sight of the second would-be thief before he had disappeared. As for the person in the carriage; he had no idea if that person had been male or female.
“What about the note?” he prompted.
“I haven’t read it yet,” she said, hoping he would drop the subject.
He didn’t. “Don’t you think you should?”
Tahlia sighed and shook her head. “Not now. I need to do that alone.” She turned and looked at him.
“Why?”
“Too many memories,” she whispered. She wasn’t just talking about memories of her uncle either.
Connor nodded in understanding. “How have you been, Tahlia?”
Tahlia didn’t want to acknowledge the instinctive tug of attraction she felt toward him, and tried desperately to block it out, but it was there anyway. She remained in place, with one shoulder propped against the shutter of the window, studying the reflection of the room behind her. It wasn’t the contents of the room she was watching. It was Connor. She didn’t watch him for long. Although she remained where she was, she tensed as she watched him move to stand behind her.
“Tahlia,” he whispered.
“I am fine, thank you,” she replied, not making any attempt to move.
Connor tipped his head to one side, silently willing her to look at him.
“No, I mean, how are you?” he whispered, ensuring this was more than a mere cursory question.
