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“Only if you tell me yours.” Then because he was nothing more than a fool, Hawk closed the distance and took one of her hands in his. “You and I need to talk candidly on other matters as well.”
“I won’t deny that.”
“Good.” Slowly, he raised her hand to his lips then flipped it over and pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist where her pulse fluttered. “And Lady Ravenscroft?”
“Hmm?” Her expression reflected pleasure.
“Please call me Hawk, or Montague if you must. I have always detested that name, though.” Suddenly, he very much wished to hear his name in her voice.
“There is nothing to be ashamed of. Montague is a splendid name.” For a few seconds, the same desire she’d had in her eyes earlier when he’d kissed her rolled through those depths.
“Perhaps, but that was the name my father always called me, and it was never with affection.” With a sigh, he released her hand. “There is much to my life I have regretted, and in those moments, I attribute those things to Montague.” He raised his gaze to hers. “But the excellent times? The bright, shining moments when I was able to make a difference, when I proved more than the disappointment my father assumed that I was? Oh, those moments I can lay squarely at Hawk’s feet. And those moments make me proud.”
Why the devil was he telling her this? It was one of the core truths of himself and never had he told anyone that secret.
Her kissable lips curved into a smile. “We all have secrets and failures… Hawk. What we do next is what builds character. And you may refer to me as Belle.”
“Belle?” Now that was odd. “How did Belle come from Amelia?”
“Oh, it’s a bit of a story.” She laughed, and the sound immediately warmed his chest and made him… happy. Merely a coincidence, nothing more. “My middle name is Annabelle. I dislike my given name because it reminds me of a great aunt who was especially strict during my childhood.” Her eyebrows rose. “In fact, there was an incident with mice I could never manage to forget…” A shiver wracked her frame. “That’s why I temporarily lost my mind when I saw that mouse just now.”
If his interest hadn’t been snared before, that hint had done it. “I definitely wish to know more about that story, but none of that tells me why you decided on Belle.”
A blush infused her cheeks. “Since I don’t care for Amelia, I detest Annabelle. So, I settled for Belle. It reminds me of happiness and joy and…”
“And?” Why did her words trail off like that?
“And it’s like the bells that ring on Christmas morning. They’re cheerful and give people hope. That’s why I chose the shortened version many years ago. I’d like to think I bring the same to everyone I meet.”
God, could she be more adorable? “That is a lovely explanation, but somehow it doesn’t fit the image of you I have of a retiring, shy widow who somehow possesses a tart mouth.”
“Only around you.” She edged away from him, came back, and when he thought she might have embraced him, she reached around him and grabbed her cloak. “Do not forget that during your odd jobs about the manor we need to talk.”
He frowned as she once more crossed the floor to the door. “Where are you going?”
“I have a friend coming for tea. Since I’ve gotten a bit disheveled, I must go dress and prepare for her arrival.”
“Oh?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“No.” Belle wagged a forefinger at him. “I know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is no. You may not join us. You have been entirely too naughty and have already had a reward, wouldn’t you say?”
“I won’t apologize for this most recent round of kisses, so I suppose you are correct.” He was having entirely too much fun with the lady, but it had to stop. There was a mission to take care of before he gave more thought to his own needs.
She huffed. “Always a rogue. You are no former solider.”
“Oh, but that was the truth. I attained the rank of a captain, actually, before I became a sp—” He clamped his lips together lest he betray a fact she wouldn’t need.
“A spoilsport? A spineless buffoon? A sparrow?” Then her eyes rounded, and shock clouded those blue depths. “You were a spy. Still are.”
Well, damn.“This is true.”
“Is that really why you are here at Ravenscroft House?”
“I promise to tell you everything, but not now. You have tea to prepare for, and I need to gather my thoughts.”
For long moments, she paused at the door. “If you wondered, you can trust me, Hawk. I have been out of touch with everyone I have ever known for at least five years. No one visits me here, and I go nowhere.” She shrugged but there was a trace of excitement in her eyes that spelled trouble for him. “As far as I am aware, I have no enemies.”
So you assume.But he nodded. “I’ll take that under advisement.”
