myself so close to him. Another block to go.
“I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for all that the two of you have done for us. I’d nearly given up hope.”
“Never abandon hope.” We had reached the beginning of her block. Her father’s house stood in the middle, and though I breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I saw it, I did not slow my pace until we’d reached the stoop. I ducked inside with Anna and asked for the family’s carriage to be ordered for me, but when I exited it after arriving back at the Imperial, I realized that Mr. Harrison was not so easily deterred.
“You will not escape from me unless I allow it,” he said, stepping out from behind the carriage and gripping my arm so hard I knew it would bruise. I twisted to get away from him, but he released me. “And this time I will allow it. But remember, Lady Ashton, that I know where you go, who you see, what you say. It would be remarkably simple to eliminate you.”
He had scared me, but now I was angry, and I spun around to face him. “Then why don’t you?”
“Only because I think you may yet be of some use to me.”
“Highly unlikely, Mr. Harrison.”
“I hear rumors that you’re planning to return to England.”
“Idle gossip,” I said.
“The best kind.” His hands were in his pockets, and I could see he was fingering something in one of them. “I’ve never doubted that you’d choose Hargreaves over Brandon.”
“I’ve no need to make such a choice.”
“Yes, you do.” He handed me a piece of paper. “But you should understand that the likelihood of your saving either of them is negligible at best. Brandon’s case is all but hopeless, and Hargreaves…though he’s capable of taking care of himself, I share your concern that his careless arrogance may prove his undoing.”
I held up the paper. “Shall I read this now or later?”
“It makes no difference. Either way I’ll know your reaction.”
“I’m going inside before you grow even more tedious,” I said. “I do hope you enjoy gauging my response to your missive.” I marched into the hotel and doubled back through the lobby to make sure he hadn’t followed me. He did not reappear, but I found Jeremy sitting on a couch in the smoking room, cigarette in his hand.
“What are you doing still down here?” I asked, taking the seat next to him.
“Nothing.”
“I’ve had an adventurous afternoon,” I said.
“Is that so?” He studied his cigarette as if it held the secrets of the universe.
“Another encounter with Mr. Harrison.”
He bristled. “Did he harm you? I shouldn’t have let you leave the hotel without me.”
“I’m perfectly fine. A bit scared, if I’m honest, but more angry than anything.”
“Do you need something from me, Em?”
“I can’t stand this silence between us. I need your friendship. I miss you, Jeremy, and I hate feeling so distant from you. Will you never laugh with me again?”
“I’ve behaved abominably,” he said, tapping his cigarette on a crystal ashtray.
“You behave abominably nine-tenths of the time. What makes this instance so different?”
He dropped his head against the back of the seat and blew a stream of silver smoke towards the ceiling. “I suppose there’s no use hiding the truth from you.”
“There’s nothing you need hide from me.”
“Oh, Em…” He groaned. “I love you. I suppose I always have. But when I kissed you…” He sat up straight and at last let a smile escape, then shook his head. “You’ve ruined me.”
“Jeremy, I—”
“Don’t say it. I know you love Hargreaves, et cetera, et cetera. Spare me the romantic details, will you?”
“You’ll meet someone else, these feelings will—”
“No, I won’t have it. Don’t tell me to look elsewhere, that my feelings will change. I don’t want them to. You know what an obstinate brat I am.”
“You only feel like this because I’m unattainable. You’ve never wanted to marry,” I said.
“I’ll admit there’s some truth in that, but you needn’t point it out so callously. I may be a cad, but I do have some feelings. You could at least acknowledge the terrible pain I’m suffering.” I could hear the beginnings of a smile in his voice.
“Now you sound like your old self.” I stopped myself from reaching across and patting his arm.
“I see what you’re doing. Afraid to touch me now, are you?”
“I only—” I sighed. “I don’t want to make things worse for you.”
“Things couldn’t be worse for me, and you can blame yourself not only for my own broken heart, but for the demise of the House of Sheffield. I shall never marry.”
“You always were a master of melodrama.”
“We all must have some skill. But my uncle will thank me. If I lead a dissolute enough life, I may die early. He’s always coveted my estate, and even if I should outlive him, his idiot son will inherit. And you, my dear girl, will have single-handedly destroyed one of the oldest families in England.”
“Mmm.” I smiled. “I see now why you don’t want to marry. This makes for a much better story.”
“I shall forever be known as the Bachelor Duke.”
“I can already hear the mothers of every eligible girl in England keening.”
“What’s the provision for bastard children? Perhaps I could father some, and they’d challenge my cousin for the title.”
“They’d never be allowed to inherit.”
“How disappointing. I’ve quite a wonderful vision of them laying siege to Farringdon. Whose side do you think my tenants would take?”
“How generous are you with them at harvest time?”
“I love your cynicism.” He released a long breath. “I feel much better having this out in the open. You don’t despise me for having kissed you?”
“I could never despise you. Besides, this wasn’t the first time.”
“Em! I may be a monster, but I do make a point of remembering which ladies I’ve kissed.”
“I was ten years old. We were by the lake on my father’s estate. I’d fallen out of a tree. You picked me up off the ground, made sure nothing was broken, and kissed me.”
“So you’re suggesting that I make a habit of kissing women I’ve rescued?”
“Yes. And I’ve problems more pressing than your debauched methods of consolation.”
He lit another cigarette and studied my face, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Tell me—did you enjoy it? Just a bit?”
“Maybe a very little bit.” I couldn’t help smiling. “Your… technique has improved over the years.”
“You’re very bad. I shall live on that for the next five years. After that, take heed, I have every intention of kissing you again.”
“And I every intention of avoiding it.”
“You’re right, Em, this is why I love you.”
Chapter 21
I had glanced at the paper Mr. Harrison had given me as soon as I’d walked into the lobby, and looked at it again now as I sat with Jeremy. It contained a single sentence:
“What are you going to do?” Jeremy asked, leaning over to read it with me.
“I don’t know,” I said, and quickly recounted for him all that had happened.
