Noble Scoundrel - Amy Sandas Page 0,34
her reactions to the man firmly back under her control.
SIXTY-FIVE MINUTES later—just as Katherine’s impatience was starting to get the best of her—Hale appeared in the doorway to her small study located just off the entry hall. She’d chosen that room for this meeting specifically for the fact that it was designed with a purpose similar to the entry. The dark wood paneling, thick Aubusson carpet, and stately portraits covering the walls created a weighted atmosphere of purpose and reverence.
Hale, however, entered the room with a casual, rolling stride and a curious arch to his brow. Throwing his hands out to his sides, he stated boldly, “I’m all yours.”
“Please, have a seat, Mr. Hale,” Katherine replied in her most formal tone as she rose from her chair behind the desk to gesture toward the seating arrangement in front of the fire. It was important she set the expectations for their interactions right from the start.
She was in charge here. Whether he liked it or not.
She crossed to sit in the center of the small sofa and, as she’d expected, he lowered himself to one of the two oversized wingback chairs. Leaning back in the chair, he crossed one ankle over the opposite knee and rested his hands on his abdomen.
Katherine would have expected the ducal setting of their Mayfair mansion to inspire at least a hint of decorum in the man.
Apparently not.
The smile he offered was relaxed and only slightly suggestive.
Or was it Katherine’s hyperawareness that had her feeling like every glance and every smirk held some hidden meaning?
“I hope you and Claire are finding your accommodations to be satisfactory?”
His tawny brows arched. “Quite.”
She refused to blush at the way his relaxed manner highlighted her strained formality. She wasn’t typically so stiff. Of course, she was well-versed in the manners and graces expected of a duke’s daughter. There had just been so few occurrences to put such teachings into practice while in Lincolnshire and even fewer since coming to London.
Yet whenever she was in the same room with Hale, she simply didn’t know how else to behave. It was beyond frustrating to feel herself acting in a way so atypical to her natural inclinations.
“I realized after leaving your home earlier today that I should’ve taken a bit more time discussing what will be expected of you in this position.”
“Someone’s after the lad. Considering your obvious wealth,” he noted with a pointed glance about the room, “I’d guess their motive is money. My job is to make sure no one gets near enough to harm him. What’s to discuss?”
She frowned. “You don’t have any questions about what we’re up against? No concerns with the fact that you’d be putting yourself at risk? No inquiries on the daily movements of the household?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “If you feel such things are important, by all means, go ahead.”
“The truth of the matter is that we don’t yet know who is behind these abduction attempts. We suspect ransom is one possible motive, but...we cannot discount a more violent intention.”
As she hinted at their fear that someone might be trying to truly harm or even kill Frederick, Hale’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light.
“Who’d have such cause?” His question was uttered with somber tension, making her suspect his previous flippancy had been nothing but an act.
“The person who’d most benefit if something were to happen to Frederick would be his heir, our great-uncle the Marquess of Warfield. But he is on the Continent and has been for many years.”
Hale frowned. “There’s no one else?”
“Not that we’ve been able to determine. If the kidnapper’s goal is to demand a ransom, the culprit could be anybody.”
Hale said nothing for a long moment before he spoke again. “It’s obvious the two of you’ve got the blunt to hire an army of guards. You could have the Bow Street Runners at your beck and call, I’d wager.”
Katherine met his challenging gaze with an answering one of her own. “Are you trying to convince me I made a mistake in hiring you, Mr. Hale?”
“I didn’t say that at all,” he noted with a slow shake of his tawny head. “I’d just like to know why you did.”
Katherine considered her answer carefully and decided to provide the easiest honest response. “Because Frederick trusts you.”
It was clear he’d noticed how she’d left herself out of the answer when amusement flickered once again in his gaze. “You put a lot of stock in the boy’s opinion.”
She lifted her chin. “Of course