A Scandalous Portrait (The Rose Room Rogues #1) - Callie Hutton Page 0,43

a side-saddle.”

“You ride astride?” His voice was so high he squeaked.

“I do. Less dangerous when you take those high jumps.”

She wasn’t quite sure what he mumbled but most likely she was probably better off not knowing.

He practically tossed her into the carriage, followed her in and slammed the door.

“Really, Hunt, you’re tossing me around like I’m some sort of rag doll.” She adjusted her shirt and tucked an errant curl into her hat.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

The carriage started their journey and Hunt leaned forward. “You will do exactly as I say when we arrive at Melrose’s house. No arguing, suggesting, or going your own way. Agreed?”

She lifted her chin. “That sounds rather tyrannical. I thought we were partners in this.”

Hunt leaned forward. “We are not partners. You are here because you wheedled your way in.”

“What if I don’t agree with those terms?”

He grinned and pulled out a rope from under his seat. “I will tie you up and leave you in the carriage. My driver has instructions to drive around the area with you inside until I come out of the house.”

Diana huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Despot.”

“Just so.”

They both grew silent as the carriage came a halt. “Melrose’s house is about a block and a half from here. We will walk close to the houses, avoiding the streetlights. With us both dressed in black we should be virtually invisible. Oh, and remember to keep your face pointed toward the buildings.”

Diana’s heart sped up at what they were about to do. Despite the best plan Hunt had, as he mentioned before, something could always go wrong. What would happen if they were caught? Would they be arrested? Could they end up in jail? She shivered as Hunt held out his hand to assist her from the carriage.

Another benefit to wearing trousers. She really did not need assistance getting into and out of carriages. It was too bad women were banned from wearing such things.

Hunt held her hand as they made their way up the street. He turned them into an alley and made his way up the steps to a back door. He placed his hand on the door latch, turned it and it opened. He pulled her inside.

Diana took a deep breath. This was it.

Hunt stopped once they were inside and the door closed. He had to get his mind off Diana’s legs encased so detectably in those trousers and onto the job he needed to perform. He had to find written information that would tie Melrose to the anarchists. Then his job—this assignment—would be finished.

Diana could then plan the wedding, and he would make the arrangements for their wedding trip. Again, his mind drifted to matters other than what they were doing. Bringing Diana along, with her scandalous outfit and familiar scent, was definitely making this assignment more difficult. They needed to search Melrose’s library—the most likely place where any papers were stored—and get out.

Marcus’s contact had provided Hunt with a rough sketch of the floor where the library was situated. Taking Diana’s hand again, he led her up the back stairs to the first floor.

He counted down three doors and then opened the fourth. The library. They entered quietly, and he closed and locked the door. Just in case someone wandered around at night and tried to access the library. They might think it odd that the library was locked, but it would give them time to decide what to do to avoid being caught.

The room was dark, but someone left a small oil lamp lit. Hopefully that was a usual thing to do and any wandering servant would not think it odd to see a bit of light coming from under the door. It was his experience that servants were so well-worked they rarely left their beds once they arrived there.

“You start with the books on the shelves over there.” Hunt waved in the general direction of the south wall. “I will go through his desk and also look for a safe where he might have papers.”

He breathed a sigh of relief when Diana nodded and walked away from him. She picked up the oil lamp and placed it on the floor where she sat and began to pull books out.

He doubted very much if there were papers hidden in the books, but it was a way to keep Diana in sight and out of trouble while he searched the desk.

He’d brought a small lantern—the same one he used when he searched Mallory’s gallery.