by Wendy Vella
Gone was the anger and in its place was a wide smile, which had its usual devastating effect on Emily’s insides.
“Emily Tolly is E. Nivers, who would have thought.”
“Yes, well no one knows, so please keep it to yourself.”
“Max and James would be proud of you, as would Eden. Why have you not told them?”
Emily looked away, feeling uncomfortable. She should have told them by now, especially considering her attempts to come out of her room and be part of the family now, but the time had never really been right.
“Still hiding, Emily?”
“I have to go, as I am meeting Max.”
“Excellent. I was just on my way to his warehouse, you can come with me.”
“I have the carriage.”
“We shall send it on its way.”
“No,” Emily hurried to keep up with his long strides as he headed out the front door, “we will not.”
He stopped suddenly, and she barreled into his back.
“Ouch,” Emily grumbled, stepping back with the help of a large, steadying hand.
“We shall discuss your next article, and those thereafter.”
“You really wish for me to keep writing for you?”
“Of course.” He frowned at her. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Why indeed. “Because I’m a woman.”
He made a tsking sound in his throat. “I have four sisters and one sister-in-law, you and Samantha, plus there is Isabella, who is already proving her lungs are healthy, and my aunt. I dare not discriminate against a woman for fear of retribution.”
Emily snuffled. “Not all believe as you do.”
“Forward-thinking is what I am, Emily. Now come along, don’t tarry.” He grabbed her arm once more. “Go and collect your maid and footman, then we will send the carriage home.”
She did as he asked because she wanted to, not because he’d told her, Emily reassured herself. Once she was back on the street with her maid and footman, she found Cam waiting for her.
“Please take the Raven carriage home. Miss Tolly no longer has need of it, or your services today,” he instructed her driver and footman.
“And yet you did not ask me if these arrangements suited,” she muttered, “simply ordered.”
“Be quiet, Emily,” Cam said as his carriage rolled to a stop before him. “Get inside, it’s cold out here.”
She could find no way to argue with him as he’d sent her carriage away, so she got inside, again because she wanted to, plus he was correct, it was cold out there.
“What is your name?” Emily heard him asking her maid.
“Belinda.”
“A very pretty name it is too. In you get now.”
Belinda’s cheeks were flushed as she joined Emily.
“What?” Cam gave Emily an innocent look as she rolled her eyes at him, but she did not reply.
“Now, show me this article you have written,” he said, settling himself across from her and taking up all the leftover room and air in the carriage.
“Please.”
“Pretty please,” he said, holding out one hand.
She did as he asked, and then sat back as he read it. This one was titled, What Do You See Up There In The Night Sky, and she thought it one of her better ones. She sat nervously watching his eyes move back and forth across the page until he’d finished.
“Clever girl.”
“Thank you.”
He tucked it into the inside pocket of his coat.
“I believe that belongs to me.”
“Do you not want it printed?”
“You’ll do that?”
His brows lowered. “I’ve just told you I would.”
“No, what you said was ‘clever girl,’ it is not the same thing at all.”
“I will make sure it is printed. Now, I want to set aside some time with you to discuss writing more of these, so we increase the astronomy for beginners to weekly.”
“Really?” She could not help but smile. “I would love that above all things.”
“Surely not all things. After all, there are those little cakes with the sugar sprinkles on the top.”
“I concede they are good.” For the first time in... well possibly forever, Emily and Cam had a discussion that did not involve argument, teasing, or just general annoyance, and she found she liked it very much indeed. It was riveting. There was still that little charge of tension in the air between them, but she could deal with that if they were discussing her continued writing for The Trumpeter.
“We will get more in-depth at a later date, but now I want to ask why you’ve been avoiding me.”
And just like that she was tense and unsettled once more.
“I-I have not.”
“Yes, you have.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Things,” Emily said, shooting Belinda a look. Some people discussed anything in front of their staff, but she was rarely comfortable doing so, as it had only been in the last few years she’d acquired a maid. She had no wish for Belinda to be privy to what went on between her and Cam... whatever that was.
“What things?” His expression was polite, but she knew better; he was like a bloody tiger waiting to pounce.
“Things. You can’t expect me to remember all of them surely?”
He leaned closer, and Emily tried not to inhale, because then her senses would be filled with him.
“You’re not telling me the truth, Emily.”
“I don’t want to discuss this now.”
Cam sat back. The carriage rolled on for another twenty minutes while they sat in awkward silence, and then he rapped on the roof, and it stopped.
“Why are we stopping here?”
“It’s only minutes to Max’s warehouse and I thought you’d enjoy the walk.”
“It’s freezing!”
“It’s bracing,” he said, “and the exercise will do you good. After all, it would not pay for you to become a layabout. I like my employees to be clearheaded and spritely.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I am not your employee!”
Cam opened the door and stepped down. “Come along.” He held out a hand to Emily, ignoring her shriek. The look she gave him suggested she wished to sink her teeth into it, however, she could do little but comply, as Belinda was watching avidly, and unlike most of his family, Emily was not one for making a scene, a fact he’d counted on. Taking his hand, she joined him outside.
“Take Miss Tolly’s maid home, then come back to Mr. Huntington’s warehouse please, Brian.”
“Right you are, Mr. Sinclair.”
“I don’t want my maid to leave.”
“You will be in the company of your brother.”
She pressed her lips into a small, tight line, and struck out ahead of him.
“I believe the excuses for avoiding me were headaches and a sore stomach.”
He’d realized what was going on when Emily did not appear at the third family gathering, but until today had had no opportunity to question her. The hell of it was, he’d missed her. Missed sparring with her, touching her, and dear Christ he’d missed the opportunities to kiss her. This should have disturbed him a great deal more than it did, especially as the prospect of any future with this woman made him feel like he was wearing a hair shirt.
“I had all those,” she said as he drew level with her. “Now, shall we discuss your new acquisition?”
“Emily, you cannot go on avoiding me. Our families will notice soon enough.”
She sighed. Her slender shoulders rose and fell.
“All right, and I’m sure the madness has now passed.”
“What madness?” Cam took her hand and placed it on his arm. He liked to feel Emily close to him, but he wouldn’t tell her that, just as he wouldn’t tell her he’d dreamed about her several nights in a row. Heated dreams that had him waking painfully aroused.
“You know perfectly well what I mean.”
He’d felt her presence in that printing room with an awareness that was usually only reserved for his siblings. Another strange occurrence had happened when he looked at her; he’d been unable to smell anything briefly.
Odd.
“Ahhh, the kissing.”
She sniffed.
She once again wore the rose coat, with matching bonnet, and it suited her soft, pale skin and gray eyes. She was like an itch he could not quite reach at the moment. Constantly there, slightly annoying, but worthy of attention.
“It will never happen again, therefore there is no reason to discuss the matter further. We shall move on and return to what we once were.”
“Angry with each other?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect.”
Cam saw Max’s warehouses up ahead; he sniffed the air and smelled the herbs and medical supplies he knew lay in one of them.
“Why did you purchase The Trumpeter, Cambridge?”
“Printing has always interested me, so when my uncle told me about it, I went and took a look.”
“It’s an intriguing world, isn’t it? I think The Trumpeter could be turned into a thriving paper, equal to others with some work and planning.”
Her words surprised Cam, because Emily rarely ventured an opinion. He made an agreeing noise to see what came out of her mouth next.
“I think a children’s section would be wonderful. Something for them to read weekly. They would then ask their parents for the next edition. Perhaps an ongoing story?”
“That’s actually a good idea.”
She stopped suddenly and turned on him, eyes sparking with irritation.
“I can have good ideas!”
He loved seeing her face like this, so animated.
“Did I say otherwise?”
“No.” She exhaled softly. “Forgive me.” She started walking again.
“I think the earth just moved beneath my feet, because Miss Tolly asked my forgiveness.”
“It won’t be a habit.”
He wished her family saw this side to her nature, but often she kept it hidden. Emily had a sly sense of humor that peeked out when provoked.
“Would you like to help me with the paper, Em?”
“Pardon?” She stopped again.
“Would you like to help me with the paper?” he said again, patiently. Unlike other noblemen, he and his family owned businesses, ships, and other investments. Max, of course, had his fingers in multiple pies, which had made him one of the wealthiest men in the United Kingdom. However, he was not a nobleman, thus it did not sully his name—not that Cam cared overly, but still he did not talk about his business interests among those who did not share his views.
“You would really let me?”
He’d never seen her so excited. Her face was alive, and the gray of her eyes darker.
“Of course.”
“Truly?”
“If I say of course again will you believe me?” he teased. “But you have to tell your brothers everything.”
That deflated her.
“What is this guilt that you spoke of regarding James?” Frustrated, Cam felt his good humor of seconds ago abating. Only this woman could do that to him, make him feel several emotions in the space of a few minutes.
“As I have told you before, I have no problem with him.”
“That’s another lie. You’re becoming quite adept at those.”
They now stood toe to toe, glaring at each other.
“You told me about your guilt, just not what it was. James is simply a man like Max, but one who had the misfortune of being born with a title hanging over his head. Why do you struggle with that?”
She dropped her eyes first, then muttered something before walking away. Cam was sure he heard the word “brother,” and “disgrace,” but couldn’t be certain.
“Does your guilt stem from your brother, and what he did to Eden and James?” Cam had given this a great deal of thought.
“I won’t discuss this further with you.”
Her expression could only be termed mulish.
“James does not blame you for that.”
“He is a duke!” She turned on him. “I am the baseborn daughter of one. I was raised in squalor, and with no airs and graces. How do you expect me to feel?”
Now they were getting somewhere, Cam thought. All he needed to do was push a little harder.
“I expect you to understand that your brother loves you, and wanted you to live with him and Eden. I want you to understand that to him, you are important, and that your past has no bearing on that.”
Her color was high, breathing rapid, and she was past tempering her reactions. Cam had struck a vein, and she was about to vent.
“I am inferior to him in every way, and if that were not bad enough, my brother’s acts nearly killed Eden and James. How can he forgive me for that? H-how can he not look at me and see?”
“Emily—” He tried to grab her arms but she stumbled backward.
“Damn you, why will you not let this alone! I know he tolerates me because he knows his duty, but nothing more. For the love of God, please stop this incessant probing, Cam, and leave me in peace!”
“No, that is not the truth.” He started after her.
“No more, Cam. Leave it alone!”
He walked behind her, letting her calm as they approached. Max appeared, striding toward them.
“I could hear you two from inside. What are you arguing about now?”
“Nothing,” they both said. Cam did not want to discuss this here... now. He would bring the matter up again, but not until he felt the time was right. He knew she was wrong and that James loved her, he just needed to work out how to get Emily to see that.
“Excellent. Then do you care to tell me why you are walking down the street on this icy day and not riding inside a carriage? Better yet, why are you keeping each other company?”
Emily shot him a look, but Cam kept his mouth closed. He wanted to see how she handled this. It was not his place to tell Max what his sister got up to when he and James were not looking.
“I, ah, well I was coming here, and on the way I stopped somewhere, and Cam was there, so we came together.”
Max’s brows lowered. “Where did you stop?”
Emily looked at Cam, pleading now for him to come to her aid. He remained silent. It was time for her to stop hiding. God’s blood, he had no idea how she kept all the secrets she did inside her head; it must play hell with her peace of mind.
“I went to The Trumpeter.”
“Why?”
She sent him another pleading look, and Cam relented. “You know I recently acquired the paper, Max, don’t you?” Idiot that he was, he didn’t like to see her upset, which was odd as he was always upsetting her.
“I do, and although I find the name ridiculous I think it will be an excellent acquisition.”
“Well, Emily is writing some articles for me on astronomy.”
“Is she, by God? How wonderful.” Max smiled.
Cam saw the guilt in Emily’s face that she was deceiving him.
“I have been writing for them for some time,” she rushed to add. “Mr. Ledbetter, he’s the man I deal with, set up the astronomy for beginners section for me, and I write the articles for it.”
The silence was loud as Max absorbed these words. Hatless, he stood like a large, solid piece of wood, unmoving, just watching his sister.
“I’m sorry,” Emily whispered, making a fist clench around Cam’s heart. The woman was wringing far too much emotion out of him. It really must stop.
“Did you think James and I would be ashamed to hear this news, Emily?”
She nodded, and Max shook his head.
“My past is blacker than most. I’ve sworn, shot people, and done things that even Essie is not aware of, and you think that you writing an article for a paper would shame me?” Max snorted. “I’ll add to that, James is no saint either.”
Max urged E
mily in for a hug, and she went willingly. She could do that with this brother, it was the other one she held at arm’s length.
“My sister the writer,” Max said, testing the words. “I hear your new employer is something of a clodpoll, Em. It will take some getting used to.”
Cam muttered something rude, and followed them into the warehouse where a man was waiting for Max to return.
“Mr. Jackson, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Cambridge Sinclair and my sister Miss Tolly.”
Tall, with wispy brown hair, the man had a pleasant smile on his face.
“Good day to you again, Miss Tolly.” His eyes passed over Cam and settled on Emily.
“Again?” Cam said.
“We share a love of astronomy, sir, and met at the bookstore. Miss Tolly and I discussed a book selection.”
Cam had the sudden urge to gnash his teeth at the man and did not know why.
“You did not tell me you had a beautiful sister, Mr. Huntington.” Mr. Jackson took her hand and kissed the back of it. “It is a pleasure to be introduced formally, my dear Miss Tolly.”
Emily removed her hand as soon as it was polite to do so, and the man left after several more compliments that clearly left her uncomfortable.
“I don’t like him,” Cam said.
“Jackson’s an odd sort, but harmless,” Max replied. “He has been at me for months to let him invest in my latest consortium, but I trust my instincts, and something tells me he is not good with money.”
“Excellent instincts,” Cam said. “I didn’t like him.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“How is Wolf settling in?”
Emily walked at Max’s side as he questioned Cam, and tried to rein in her rioting emotions.
“Very well. He is quiet, unlike my siblings, makes little mess, again unlike my siblings, and is rarely there. When he is, I find him a great deal like Dev, only without the need to lecture constantly. He is the ideal person to share a house with.”
“I’m sure with exposure to you, and time, he shall come about,” Max drawled.
“Very likely.”
Only Cam could make her speech unguarded. He had provoked her into sharing part of her past she’d shared with no one, and that was disturbing. Why could he not just leave her alone? Why the constant poking at her, as if she were an onion that needed peeling, one painful layer at a time.