His fleeting smile disappeared and his brows lowered as he slowly stalked toward her. She was suddenly grateful for the desk between them. Though in all truth it was symbolic at best since he’d already demonstrated how ineffective a hardy piece of furniture was in stopping him from getting to her when he wished to.
Rather than leaping over the desk, as she half feared he might, he placed his hands flat on the surface. The stance forced him to lean forward, bringing his large body and handsome face far closer to her than she was expecting.
She refused to step back. Let him try his intimidation tactics and see how far they’d get him.
His voice was a near growl. “If you can’t accept that I’m gonna do the job my way, duchess, then we end it right here.”
“Don’t call me that,” she commanded sharply, fighting her reaction to his proximity. “My brother is a duke but I’m not a duchess.”
His laugh was short. “You may as well be. And you’re evading. Should we call off this arrangement?” he pressed.
He wasn’t going to back away. And neither was she.
Chapter Fourteen
As Katherine stared back at him, she acknowledged the instinctive urging inside her—the need to keep him near.
For her brother’s sake, of course.
And that meant she’d have to trust Hale as Frederick did.
But not before the man found a way to understand and respect her position.
“Mr. Hale,” she began with a stern spine and lowered chin. “I’ve been responsible for Frederick since he was an infant. Our mother became ill shortly after his birth and did not survive the year. My father was obsessively focused on his work and could not be bothered with things relating to child-rearing. At the age of eight, I decided my purpose in the world was to keep my baby brother safe and happy. When I started seeing all he was capable of, I vowed to ensure he’d have the freedom and means to achieve his greatest potential. Something that is obviously hindered by the current threat—not to mention the risk to his life.”
She paused to meet his steady gaze. “Understand, it wasn’t easy to simply hand over the duty of protecting him to you. But I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t trust you. All the same, I must insist you keep me informed of your plans and activities as they relate to Frederick.” She set her chin. “If you cannot do that, I’ll find someone else.”
His deep-set eyes narrowed and a crease formed between his brows. He seemed to be searching for something. Something he apparently expected to find deep in her eyes. His intent focus was unnerving but she did not falter.
After a moment, he replied. “Don’t worry, dove. I understand.” His voice lowered. “You like being in control.”
The way he made the observation—the heavy and oddly intimate nature of his voice—gave her the unsettling sense that he’d just gained access to something very vulnerable inside her. She ignored the heated tingling that had been triggered by the thought to reply. “I insist upon it.”
She watched as the muscles of his jaw bunched and released. With a low, rumbling hmm, he straightened, finally giving her some space to breathe. A wicked and irreverent grin tilted the corners of his mouth. “Then I’m guessing you’ll want a report.”
She gave a short nod, not trusting her voice to be as assured as she needed at the moment.
“The house has a few vulnerabilities that’ll be taken care of before the end of the day, but for the most part, your residence is secure. I met with your footmen this morning and chose a few that I’ll train so they’re better prepared to handle close-contact physical threats. This is in addition to the tasks they already perform.” A flash of teeth. “I promised additional wages.”
Katherine waved that aside as a matter of course.
“Martin, the lad assigned to the third floor today, is more capable than he looks.” He lowered his chin to say earnestly, “I wouldn’t have chosen him if he couldn’t manage it.”
Though she wasn’t sure what Hale had seen in the young servant, she found herself accepting his assurance. But it didn’t answer her main question. “I’m more concerned with why it was necessary to leave the house in the first place. I understand you took on this role rather abruptly, but if you need time to settle any personal matters, I’d like you to arrange it with me directly, prior to taking time away from your duties here.”
He lowered his chin. “I’ve no personal matters.”
The way he said it gave her pause, but she refused to think too deeply on it. “Then could you please explain what was so important you had to leave the house today?”
The crease on his brow returned as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I needed to follow up on a few things that came to mind when Freddie recounted the details of the two attacks.” He looked pointedly at her sling. “From what he described, you’re damned lucky you weren’t hurt worse in your leap from the carriage.”
“We did what was necessary to escape.”
“You both could have been trampled to death.”
“But we weren’t,” she argued. “And you’re evading. Where did you go, Mr. Hale?”
“I went to see a man skilled at uncovering stubborn secrets and deceptions. I asked him to find out all he could on your cousin Warfield and to see if anyone else of your father’s acquaintance is hiding anything that might be relevant to your situation.”
Katherine tilted her head. “You asked your friend to spy on my family?”
He tossed her a half grin. “Just doing my job.”
She thought of the list in her pocket. It was still very broad, but perhaps Hale’s man could discover information that might be helpful in reducing it further.
She withdrew the folded paper and extended it toward Hale. “Could you have your man look into the people on this list? It’s everyone I could think of
