AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She turned her head away, staring vaguely at one of the framed sermons upon the wall. “Most likely, yes.”
“Despite the fact we are investigating this matter together?”
Her head whipped around. “We are not doing this together.”
“It seems like we are.”
“I don’t need your help. I have done this before, as you so smugly pointed out.”
“Tell me more.”
Creases appeared between Eleanor’s brows. Lips pursed, she eyed him for a few seconds. “But why?” she finally said.
“I’m intrigued.” Oliver lifted a shoulder. “Why would I not be? It is not every day one finds out a duke’s daughter has been chasing down criminals.”
“Most of the time it is minor matters,” she admitted.
“Blake’s cousin was guilty of fraud. He was most certainly a criminal.”
“Ah. It was Blake who told you.”
“It’s about damned time too,” Oliver muttered. “We do not usually keep secrets from one another.”
“You cannot blame Blake. It is not something any of us like to share with ease.”
“Because you are fearful of what others will say?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Well, I suppose in a way. Few take us seriously,” she explained. “My stepmother started her investigative society to deal with women’s problems—matters that the law or any other man would not deal with, matters that were dismissed as either made up or exaggerated.”
Oliver nodded slowly. He’d never really considered there might be any need for such a service but now she explained it, he understood why they did what they did. After all, even he was guilty of not believing her when she said someone was trying to sabotage the wedding, an error in judgement he regretted now. It might seem a small moment of doubt but if Eleanor and her sisters were used to not being believed, he rather loathed that he had added to the assumption no one would take them seriously.
He was better than that. At least he thought he was. If he wasn’t, Eleanor made him wish to be.
“Your club has been instrumental in discovering criminal matters, has it not? Surely people take you seriously now?”
Her lips tilted. “Blake must have told you quite a bit so why are you asking me?”
“Because I want to hear it from you.”
Because Oliver wanted all of her stories. He wanted to know every thought that went on behind those quick eyes, he wanted to soften the layers of defense, and see the Eleanor beneath them. He always enjoyed conversing with women, getting to know their fears and worries, their ambitions. However, never had that need felt like an ache deep inside. Never had it felt urgent, as though he might well die if he did not figure her out.
Oliver eased out a breath. If he were clever, he’d stand up right now and head back to the saloon. A little warning sound rang in his head, urging him to flee.
Apparently he was the stupidest man in all of Christendom as he remained exactly where he was, enjoying the way the candlelight burnished her skin and glinted off the jewels in her ears and nestled in the hollow of her neck.
“Before Cassie married Luke, we discovered a group of people who were forging wills,” Eleanor said. “Then when that…” She bunched her hands, then released them. “Well, when I was all but accused of murder, Chastity—with a little help from my sisters and I—found out who really killed the man.”
“I vaguely recall the story.”
“If Chastity had not found out who had really done it, who knows what would have happened?” She toyed with a delicate gold bracelet, drawing his attention to wrists he could likely loop a hand around.
His fingers itched to do just that and draw her close, most especially when he saw the pain etched into her expression. It was easy for him to dismiss gossip. It never had any impact on his life and if anything, a reputation as a rake merely enhanced it. Innocents mostly stayed away and those willing to share his life in the only way that was acceptable to him welcomed the idea.
“You are a duke’s daughter, and you were innocent. Nothing would have happened.”
Eleanor met his gaze. “I am his daughter, I am illegitimate, and I am black. It revealed to me how quickly others were willing to ignore that fact and jump to conclusions because of my skin color.”
He winced. They lived in a world where many people who looked like Eleanor were still enslaved. Whilst many were waking up to the fact it was a heinous crime, there were plenty of people within their midst who would think her inferior. He’d foolishly imagined her rank protected her from the worst of it or she did not pay heed to the words of others. No wonder she’d been hesitant to trust him—she’d witnessed people she thought were her friends turn on her with the slightest provocation.
