Noble Scoundrel - Amy Sandas Page 0,28

aware that the new Duke of Northmoor was in London, but someone had hired men to take Frederick.

They needed to sort the facts from the suppositions. There had to be something to point them in the right direction.

And in the meantime, Frederick needed protection. Until they knew who was behind it all, her brother would be in perpetual danger. A bodyguard was actually an excellent idea. Someone well-trained, fearless, intelligent, and loyal. Someone who could understand the manner of men they’d be facing and readily thwart further attacks.

She could practically hear her brother’s voice. Someone like Mr. Hale.

Maybe she should send a letter to Lord Shelbourne. He’d recommended Boothe when Frederick had first gone missing. He might also recommend a worthy bodyguard.

But then again...Boothe hadn’t really done much. He hadn’t actually found Frederick. Hale had been the one to bring them to him.

And the retired Runner certainly hadn’t held his own against the former boxer in a fistfight. The day after she’d brought Frederick home, Mr. Boothe had come around to the house. He’d been bruised and apologetic over how easily he’d been dispatched by Hale. Katherine had assured him all was well, and the man had been visibly relieved to hear that the young duke had been returned. At the time, she hadn’t been completely certain his relief wasn’t due to the fact that he wouldn’t have to face Hale’s fists again.

After having witnessed that particular bout, she wholly believed in Hale’s undefeated status.

What would have happened if the most recent abduction had been attempted with Hale in the carriage?

She’d been twisting the length of her hair around and around her wrist as she’d been thinking, and she released it now with a puff of breath.

Was she actually considering Frederick’s suggestion?

Her one and only priority was her brother’s safety. A task that was twofold: they had to ensure he wasn’t vulnerable to another attack, which meant a guard, and they needed to investigate into the source of the threat and eliminate it.

They couldn’t begin to focus on the second part until the first was addressed.

But Hale?

His manners were crude, his attitude irreverent and far too bold. But what did any of that matter if the man kept her brother out of harm’s way? Whatever the source and cause of this threat to Frederick, it was beyond anything either of them had faced before. Her brother was everything that mattered.

She couldn’t lose him.

Chapter Ten

Over the years, Mason had occasionally helped aspiring boxers ready themselves for the ring. He’d also trained men for positions at bawd houses, gambling dens, and other establishments that benefited from having competent bouncers. It had been a way for him to stay fit and physically conditioned, but he’d never considered focusing on training as his main vocation.

Now that his debt to Freddie had been repaid and the boy had been reunited with his sister, Mason needed to start planning for a new future. Running stakes for fights had been lucrative, but it was unstable, risky, and occasionally dangerous. With Claire his main priority, he needed to look toward work that was more consistent, and training fighters and bouncers seemed like a good option.

He’d come to his study intending to work on developing more of his plans in regard to the possible new venture. Instead, he sat at his desk thinking of how the woman upstairs had looked with her auburn hair falling in messy waves around her shoulders. And the way her brown eyes flashed beneath furrowed brows when she was annoyed. There was something uniquely intriguing about her features that struck a bold balance between a sort of delicate austerity and simple elegance.

With a sound of frustrated surrender, he withdrew some paper and a piece of charcoal from the desk drawer and began to sketch in broad strokes that eventually transitioned to more detailed lines and delicate curves. After several minutes he paused to take a critical look at the result. He’d managed to capture the basic elements of Lady Katherine’s appearance—the fine bone structure, the wide eyes, the plush lips, and straight, almost heavy eyebrows. But he couldn’t see the fire. The intensity of the woman herself.

He was about to start again on a fresh page when there was a soft knock on the open door. Lady Katherine stood in the threshold.

Her light blue frock was creased and rumpled, her hair was still a tangle down her back, and her injured arm was tucked into the sling. She shouldn’t be on her feet with