spoke instead. “Frederick explained how he came to be in your company. There is no way to express my gratitude for your part in rescuing him from such a terrifying fate.” He tilted his head but didn’t reply. “I could offer a financial reward.”
He gave a soft grunt. “I believe you already did.”
Katherine lifted her chin. “I apologize for misunderstanding your part in the situation, but I would be happy to stand by my offer.”
“Since triple of nothing is still nothing, that’s what you owe me.” She opened her mouth to argue. The man deserved some sort of compensation. But he spoke first, lowering his voice so the children wouldn’t overhear. “I owed Freddie a debt. Now we’re even.”
She searched his rigid features.
Already this evening, she’d seen his mouth curved in a bold grin, tilted in an irreverent smirk, and curled into something resembling a snarl. As she watched, the momentarily serious press of his mouth began to soften. One side twisted slightly upward and she tensed. Lifting her gaze, she looked into eyes that glittered brightly with amusement and something else.
Heat rushed through her as she instantly recalled how he’d held her against the wall and the way his voice had growled dangerously in her ear. Her belly swirled and her legs became weak.
Oh my god! Could she be feeling desire for this great hulk of a man?
The idea was astounding, but as his smile deepened and the stirring inside her grew stronger, she had to acknowledge it wasn’t impossible. She was not a prudish sort, and at twenty years of age, she wasn’t entirely ignorant of the concept of lust, though she had very limited experience with it personally. Still...what she felt in response to Hale was overwhelming and entirely unexpected.
Locking her knees, she tightened the muscles around her spine. “We should be going.”
Hale held her gaze for a moment longer before extending his hand to Frederick. The firm handshake and curt nod appeared to say more than any words could have. And Frederick seemed to understand perfectly as he lifted his chin and nodded in return.
When the brute turned back to her, he offered neither handshake nor nod. Just an intensely focused stare as he lowered his chin to a cocky angle. “Lady Katherine.”
She arched a brow to show his irreverence meant nothing to her as she replied, “Mr. Hale.”
But the way his lips pressed together as if holding back amusement before he rolled them in against his tongue had her disdainful expression sliding away as more fluttering sensations erupted in her core.
She glanced quickly to the children.
Although Frederick appeared his usual stoic self, Katherine could see the pain in his eyes after he gave Claire a heartfelt embrace. Then he stepped back to allow Hale to scoop the little girl up in his arms.
Cornflower-blue eyes welled with tears as the girl asked, “Fweddie be wight back?”
“I’m afraid not,” Frederick replied simply.
As Claire’s bottom lip extended in a pout that immediately began to tremble, Hale’s expression revealed a deep shadow of helplessness. It was there for just an instant and then gone again, and Katherine felt a brief compulsion to offer some sort of comfort or encouragement. Luckily, the moment passed before she had a chance to embarrass herself as he mumbled something to the girl about Frederick needing to go home.
Understanding that a quick exit might be best at that point, Katherine turned and placed a hand on Frederick’s elbow to lead him from the room. Once in the entry hall, they could hear soft, hiccoughing sobs and Hale’s low, rumbling tones as he tried to soothe the girl’s sadness.
Katherine’s chest tightened with regret, but there was no way to avoid certain partings. Glancing at Frederick, she could see he was doing his best to conceal his emotions behind a firm expression. He’d been through so much.
Chapter Six
The drive to Mayfair was quiet. Though she had her brother safely back in her care, Katherine couldn’t forget everything he’d told her about his abduction.
Or...abductions, rather.
Though Frederick’s cleverness had helped him escape the first kidnappers, his empathy and compassion had kept him in the clutches of the second. A shiver chilled her skin. If not for Hale, she might have lost her brother forever.
The Duke of Northmoor’s London residence was disturbingly quiet when they arrived, as it always was.
For decades, the house had kept a bare minimum of staff—just what was needed to maintain the place. And Katherine hadn’t bothered to hire on more even after they moved