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ll!
Karim awaited us outside, face even more wooden than usual, arms crossed in front of his massive chest. The moment he saw me, his posture tensed, and I could have sworn his beard stood on end with trepidation.
‘Oh no.’ Raising one hand, I waved a warning finger at Karim. ‘Don’t you dare! Don’t you-’
‘Karim,’ Mr Ambrose interrupted me ruthlessly, ‘Miss Linton is being stubborn.’
‘What a shockingly astounding development, Sahib.’
‘Indeed. It will be your duty to return her safely to London-’
‘Hey! I’m not a package you can just return to sender!’
‘-and watch over her while I am away.’
The Mohammedan’s face betrayed only the barest hint of soul-deep suffering. ‘Must I really, Sahib?’
‘Yes.’
‘Very well, Sahib. I hear and obey. For you, I would brave the fiery pits of hell.’
‘Hey!’ Threateningly, I raised my parasol. ‘Watch what you’re saying!’
Mr Ambrose and Karim ignored me completely, holding each other’s gaze and nodding, in some strange male ritual of understanding.
‘She shall be safe with me, Sahib.’
‘Adequate. Then it is time.’
This was all going too fast. Far too fast. He couldn’t go now! Not now that he and I…not now that we had just… He couldn’t! And he definitely couldn’t send me back with just Karim for company!
‘Please don’t do this!’ I couldn’t ever remember begging Mr Rikkard Ambrose for anything. I was far better at demanding. But I would beg now. I would beg to come with him, to be by his side and have his back! If I didn’t, no one else would. ‘Please!’ Pushing aside a startled Karim, I grabbed Mr Ambrose and pulled him close. ‘Please don’t go without me. I can’t let you…just please.’
In moments like these, I really hated and envied the ability of Mr Rikkard Ambrose to keep his face stone-hard and free of emotion.
‘I can’t. Dalgliesh will be waiting for just such a chance. Where I’ll be going…He’ll be lying in ambush.’
My grip tightened. ‘And you think that argument will convince me to let you go?’
‘No. It’ll tell you why I cannot take you with me.’
My fingers were now wrapped so tightly around his arm they would probably leave permanent creases in his ten-year-old mint-condition suit. Strangely, he didn’t seem to care. His eyes, deep, dark and bottomless as the ocean, didn’t move from mine for a second.
‘Miss Linton?’
I swallowed hard. ‘Yes, Sir?’ The well-rehearsed reply slipped over my tongue without my even noticing.
‘Let go.’
‘No, Sir.’
Reaching up, he cupped my face with his free hand. Not fair!
‘Let go of me, Mister Linton. That is an order!’
It was like a stab to my heart. He truly didn’t want me to come. Did that mean…did that mean he didn’t want me anymore? At all?
I had rejected him, after all. Was it now time for him to return the favour?
