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“I suppose you have seen up enough skirts to know.”
He fixed her with a look that told her now was not the time to be discussing his rakish reputation. She was not certain why she had even brought it up. Maybe to warn herself not to be taken in by his tender care of her, not to let herself weaken.
She would rather the ground open beneath her than offer up another kiss and be rejected yet again, but when he touched her so sweetly and cared for her welfare in such a manner, she could not help wonder if maybe this time he would not say no.
Foolish woman that she was.
Why did she have to start finding Luke attractive now? Why did she find herself craving his touch so suddenly?
“This is the will of the late Mr. Parsons.” She peeled open the bundle of pages and handed it to him.
He cast his gaze over it, taking his time to flick through each of the pages. “It looks fairly normal.”
“Except here.” She gestured to the company name.
“The shipping company.” His dark brows lifted. “That was why you were trying to find them.”
“You can see they have been granted ownership of a house in Scotland.”
He shrugged. “It happens. It could be to repay a debt or because it was a friend’s company.”
“The company does not even seem to exist!” Cassie proclaimed. “But it is more than that. The house was a favorite of Jane’s and her brother had promised it would be gifted to her, either after his death or upon her marriage.”
Luke winced. “Brothers sometimes lie.”
She shook her head. “You knew Theodore. He was a man of honor and he loved Jane sincerely. Do you truly think he would overlook such a matter?”
He rubbed a hand across his chin. “It seems strange but surely she can contest the will?”
“She is trying but we both know it will come to naught.”
“So you were hoping to find out what happened to the house?”
She nodded. “I may have to visit it at some point.”
“That’s over a week’s journey, Cassie. Your absence will be noticed.”
“There is more, though.”
He grimaced. “Of course there is.”
“Jane does not believe Theodore is even dead.” He went to respond and she held up a hand. “And I believe her.”
“Cassie, she is a grieving woman. A brother’s death can be hard to accept, especially when he passed at such a young age and in such a horrific manner.”
“Please listen and try to set aside your assumption that a woman is too fragile to think straight after bereavement. Believe it or not, we are quite able to know our own minds even after such tragedy.”
“Trust me, Cassie, I am entirely aware that you know your own mind.”
“Jane is convinced the body found was not that of her brother.”
“But he—”
“Was identified only by his jewelry and pocket watch. Who could say if that corpse was truly him? And Jane is adamant that he never wore his signet ring on that hand. Not to mention he had given up gaming hells more than six months ago. He should not have even been in that area.”
“He might have had a lapse in judgement.”
“Might have, but when you look at the evidence, it seems odd, do you not think, that if he was merely set upon by thieves, why did they not take his jewelry? And why burn his body?”
