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“Do what you like with them,” Tahlia assured him. “As long as they are out of this house, I don’t care where they go.”
Connor nodded and wrapped them back up. He then placed them in the safe alongside everything else. “We will keep everything in here for now. I will hide the key in the house somewhere they are not likely to find it.”
“Where?” Tahlia demanded.
Connor smiled. “It won’t be a secret if I told you, now would it?”
She rolled her eyes again.
“Tahlia, let me deal with the message to Tate,” Connor pleaded once everything was safely tucked out of sight with the carpet repositioned over it.
“I can’t,” Tahlia replied sadly. “My uncle said that I was to do it personally and I intend to carry out his wishes.”
“Tahlia.” There was a tone of caution in Connor’s voice that was completely lost on Tahlia who was already shaking her head.
“My uncle would never put me in danger, Connor. There can be no danger in this, surely? I am just passing a message on; a message that doesn’t mean all that much to me.”
Connor leaned forward and cupped her chin in his palm. Their eyes met.
“What happened to you today then? How can you say that you do not face danger?” He pointed across the room to the door that led into the hallway. “What happened today with that man who took a shot at us? Can you be positive they weren’t firing at you?”
Tahlia went cold all over. She shivered with apprehension but, even so, something deep within her refused to believe for a second that her uncle would deliberately risk her life. Not when he knew that Joseph was back in Rutland waiting for her.
“Given that neither of us can be sure who they were firing at, it is my job to protect you now. Therefore, I cannot leave this house, and none of you are to go anywhere either.” When Tahlia opened her mouth to object, Connor lifted a hand to stall her. “Oscar cannot protect you in a house this size all by himself, and you and I both know it.”
“Connor,” she protested when Cecily gasped and sidled closer to Oscar. “I appreciate your concern, I really do, but it isn’t necessary. I can go to Mr Tate’s house now, and then spend the rest of the day going through my uncle’s things. As soon as I have decided which items to keep, they can be packed, and we can leave London. I have an appointment with the solicitor in the morning. After that, we can leave, and stay away until this Sayers person is behind bars where he belongs.”
The anticipation in her voice unnerved him. The last thing he was going to do was sit back and let her leave again. Not now that he had found her after three long years of searching. He mentally cursed when she made her way to the door.
“Tahlia,” he called.
When she appeared intent on ignoring him, he raced after her. Thankfully, neither Oscar nor Cecily followed. Slamming the door closed behind him he caught her elbow as she was about to open the door.
“I will not let you do this, Tahlia,” he snapped.
Tahlia heaved a sigh and dug deep for her patience.
“I don’t believe it is your place to give me permission to do anything,” she declared waspishly.
“I am trying to make sure you are safe.”
“I am safe,” she said bluntly. “It is strange that things only start to happen to me when you enter my life again. I mean, I have gone through all of my life and have never been mugged. You turn up and, in the same morning, I am attacked twice. Not only that, but you are standing next to me when I am shot at by a total stranger. If you wish me to remain safe, I suggest you let me take this message to Mr Tate and stay out of sight.”
“Tahlia, wait.” He placed one palm on the door to prevent her from leaving. Leaning toward her, he stared her in the eye. “I will come with you. You can’t wander into this stranger’s home unannounced. You are a single woman. It is too dangerous for you to go out alone. Oscar can’t protect you. He can’t fight attackers like I can, and Cecily is absolutely useless in the smog. She has no idea where she is. Look at how easily she wandered off last time. You need me, and you know it.”
He wasn’t entirely certain he was talking about just his escort to the Tate residence. He wanted her to need him, the man, as well.
Tahlia hesitated. She knew that Oscar wouldn’t be able to hold his own against determined muggers the way Connor had. She looked at him. There was something intense and watchful in his gaze that drew a shiver down her spine.
Strangely, it had nothing to do with fear, or foreboding, it was desire. She was so in tune with him that she was acutely aware of the very air he breathed. When he stood so close to her it felt as though he was drawing the air right out of her lungs. Startlingly, she became acutely conscious of every muscle, fibre, and bone in his muscular body the longer they stood together, and she found herself succumbing to him whether she wanted to or not.
“Alright,” she replied softly. “Just keep your face hidden. I don’t want anybody to realise it is you.”
Connor nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. Before she could move, he slammed his lips onto hers to seal the agreement, and stole her breath in the process. She could find the will to do little more than moan deep in her throat and allow him to take whatever he wanted. It was scandalous. It was shocking, and embarrassing that she had such little self-control around him. He only needed to look at her in a certain way and he stole her willpower.
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The sudden rattle of the library door broke them apart. By the time Oscar appeared in the doorway, Connor was pulling his cloak on and moving away from the door.
