AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What I meant was how did you learn it?”
“I taught myself.”
“You taught yourself?” he repeated.
“I was old enough to be speaking when I caught ill but my speech was far from perfect at that age. It helped with learning to lipread, though, when I was recovering, and my mother aided me.”
“I imagine she did not realize she was offering you a skill that would help with something such as gambling.”
“My mother was an unusual woman.” Her smile warmed, her eyes creasing in the corners.
He couldn’t help himself. He didn’t need to know anything more of Demeter than that she had a skill useful to him. But he still asked, “How so?”
Her mouth opened then closed. She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Demeter,” he pressed.
She met his gaze and tilted her head as though sizing him up. “You already have one of my secrets.”
“There are more?”
“My sisters are going to kill me,” she muttered and straightened her shoulders. “You cannot tell a soul this.”
“You have my word.” He crossed his heart.
“I’m not sure what the word of a rake means...”
“I am a rake, Demeter, not a b....” He trailed off with a smile. “Trust me, I am most excellent at keeping secrets.”
“That I do not doubt.” She sighed. “Very well, my mother started up an investigative society. And my sisters and I have carried it on.”
“An investigative society?” he repeated. “And you do...what?”
“Investigate things,” she said as though he were exceedingly simple.
He felt it, if he was honest. He’d never expected such words to come from her. The woman was determined to astound him at every moment. How had he never truly noticed her before? How had he not seen what she was hiding or at the very least had an instinct about her? She was more interesting than every woman in thetoncombined and yet she had always passed his notice.
“Like...private investigators?” He frowned. “Female private investigators?”
Her chin lifted, her shoulders squared. “Yes. We help other women with matters that no one will aid them with. We help people who have nowhere else to turn.”
He lifted his brows.
“You might be surprised, Blake, that us delicate young ladies would do such things but it is a necessary service. There are so many women who are never listened to, never believed.”
Holding up one hand, he reached across then stopped himself, recalling she was dressed as a man and he could not very well be holding her hand tenderly. “I understand.”
She eyed him warily.
“I really do.” What he would have given to have been believed as a child. Perhaps then he would be different. He wouldn’t have suffered at the hands of his father and he wouldn’t be as he was.
He’d have a chance at deserving a woman like Demeter.
Oh hell.
He cleared his throat, shifted back against the hard wood of his chair, and gave himself a mental shake. He didn’t want a woman like Demeter. Ladies like her wanted marriage to stable men without scandalous pasts. Marriage meant old age. Maturity. Death.
Old age meant being like his father.
