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“There are always rumours in a village like this,” Sophia replied for want of anything more useful to say.
“This isn’t a rumour,” he assured her.
Jeb suspected that if he said to her that she could go now she would lift her skirts and high-tail it to the end of the road as fast as her dainty feet could carry her. But was that because she was wary of what shimmered between them, or had something to hide?
Determined to rattle her a little to see what response he would get, Jeb deliberately shifted so that he blocked her erstwhile view of the end of the street; her goal.
“Several quite expensive items have been stolen over the last several weeks, and they all have been taken from people around my father’s table. To add insult to injury, the thief struck again at dinner last night and stole two valuable trinket boxes.”
“Oh?” Sophia asked as casually as she could manage.
She suspected she had guilt written on her face but then reminded herself that she had nothing to feel guilty about. It wasn’t her who had done anything wrong, it was Delilah. “From your father’s, you say?”
The too innocent look on her face warned him that she did indeed know something. Now all he had to do was figure a way of getting the truth out of her.
“Two quite ornate trinket boxes were stolen while everyone was taking their leave last night. They were there all night, right up until the moment people left. I have just brought them back from London, you see? They are worth a small fortune and are quite treasured pieces. It is important I get them back as a matter of urgency. So I am going around all of the guests to ask if anyone remembers anything unusual?” He tried to keep his voice as casual as possible, but he was aware that it held an undercurrent of tension.
He studied every blink, every twitch, and her overall reaction. At first, he saw blandness, but that was quickly replaced by worry and fear. Hidden concern brought her brows down until she looked terrified.
She has spirit, I will give her that much, Jeb mused as he watched the way she sucked in a deep breath and straightened her shoulders before she levelled a glare at him that could have withered ivy.
“I remember them being there when we went into the ladies retiring room,” she said somewhat defensively. “I am afraid to say that I cannot remember much about the time we left. I was busy with my cloak, you see? It was a little chaotic because the Harvells dithered on so much. I am sorry, but I canno
t remember anything that might help you. Have you tried any of the others?”
She hated having to lie to him. She could see no reason why she should have to be put in such a position, and resolved right there and then to have it out with Delilah once and for all. It was evident she now had to force her aunt to agree to return the stolen items as a matter of urgency, especially now that the Lord’s son was looking for the trinket boxes.
Jeb nodded slowly. “Nobody seems to have seen or heard a thing when any of the items were stolen. It is strange, don’t you think? That so many people could be in one place and not see anything?”
Sophia sternly warned herself to remain as relaxed as possible. She rather suspected that this man had just read her mind though because, when she looked at him, his brows lifted as if it say; ‘well, go on then, tell me.' It certainly felt as though he could see inside her to the emotions she was desperately trying to hide. To her consternation, she felt a betraying flurry of feminine awareness swirl through her. In spite of her best efforts not to do so, her gaze swept over his face anyway, and came to rest on the chiselled curve of his lips for far longer than was wise.
Jebediah Hutchinson was not the kind of man who usually drew her attention. He was too tall. At well over six feet, he drew attention amongst his peers through his sheer size alone. His well-built and muscular physique made him a commanding presence that drew the attention of everyone the other night, and had the propensity to make everyone more than a little wary. Although he had a very straightforward and practical manner about him, Sophia suspected he was extremely intelligent, and would make a formidable opponent when angry. With that in mind, and with Delilah’s current behaviour hanging over her, Sophia knew it was wise to turn a blind eye to the sternly chiselled jaw, the lushness of his full lips, and his rather incredible eyes.
Realising then that this time she was staring at him, she gave herself a stern mental shake and smiled somewhat dispassionately at him as her mind raced for a way to leave before she did something foolish and rash, like simper.
“If I remember anything I will let you know,” she promised huskily. “Well, I must be getting on.”
“Let me escort you,” Jeb offered smoothly, blithely ignoring the gentle tug of attraction.
A muscle ticked in his jaw through his determination not to let his smirk burst forth, but it was a close thing. He had seen that stare and knew she was feeling exactly the same as he did. He almost heard her groan, and smothered a laugh when she looked longingly at the end of the road in much the same way a dog would stare at a juicy steak. Before she could raise any objection, he waved in the direction she apparently wanted to go. “After you.”
“But you don’t know where I am going,” she protested, but was forced to take his arm anyway.
“I don’t mind,” Jeb replied unconcernedly. “I will go where you go.”
He smiled when she sighed, although couldn’t quite work out if she was hiding a curse or a sigh of longing. He suspected that Miss Sophia Carney would be a relatively easy conquest to make, if he wanted to make her a conquest, which he didn’t. Well, not entirely. Well, not right now in any case. Or did he?
He frowned at that and turned his attention to the end of the road.
Do you want to make her a conquest? A small voice asked him.
Sophia wasn’t usually the love them and leave them type. If he did make her a conquest then it would mean settling for a heck of a lot more than a brief tumble. Was he ready for that? Especially with someone he hardly knew?
She closed her eyes in a silent prayer and wondered what she would have to do to get rid of him. As they wandered in somewhat stilted silence down the main street toward the posting office, she scoured the path ahead for any sign of someone she might know. Unfortunately, the Harvells were not out and about yet. Nor were half of the village from the look of it because the only two people taking in the morning were her, and the all too good looking Jebediah Hutchinson.
“I don’t really want to put you out,” she gushed when she couldn’t stand the fraught tension a moment longer. Without snatching her hand off his arm she had no choice but to wander alongside him and try to block out just how right it felt.
“Where are you going to on a beautiful morning like this?” He suspected from the parchment in her hand that she was off to the posting office, and this was confirmed not but a minute later when she waved the letter.
