“Are you sure you are all right?” The worry in her voice, along with the concern in her eyes did not comfort him. He did not want to be coddled, to be seen as weak.
He nodded. “Just a little scuffle and Doctor Timms said it was not serious.”
“Jack works for your family?”
“No, he works for…”
It was then that he realized his mistake. Everyone in the ton thought he was having an affair with Lady Joanna, but for some reason he did not want Anna to think that. But it was too late.
“Yes?”
“Ah, he works for Lady Joanna.”
Anna’s face paled, her expression going blank. Something in the area of his heart pricked.
“It is not what you think.”
“I really have no idea what you are talking about.” Ice dripped from her words.
He hated this, hated lying to her, and in this one thing, he would be honest. “Joanna and I are not…”
She had moved away, in body and mind. He walked to her and touched her arm. She shivered and he was not sure if it was the heat or fear.
“Anna?”
She would not look at him and he needed it, needed the connection to her. He touched his forefinger to her chin and moved it up so that she had to look at him. He could not read what she was thinking.
“I promise there is nothing between Lady Joanna and myself. We are friends, nothing more. She is still mourning my uncle’s death. Even if she were not, she does not interest me in the least.”
He held her gaze for a moment and then allowed for her to pull away. She walked to the window he had been standing in front of a moment earlier.
“She seems your type of woman, Daniel.”
“What does that mean?”
She shrugged which angered him. He could not understand himself, but for some reason, he could take anger from her more than complacency.
“Anna.”
She turned to face him and again he could not read her expression. It was something that frustrated him. She had been an open book at one time. But ever since that damned Dewhurst hurt her she had become a mystery. He could never tell what she was thinking.
“What do you mean she is my type?”
“It is not as if I do not hear of your antics around the ton. It was very hard not to hear of it when Sebastian is your best companion. People tend to enjoy throwing your brother’s bad behavior in your face to see how you will react.”
“Back to the type of woman you think I like.”
Her face flushed with color. “Never mind.”
“Anna.”
“Well, all right. You like dark-haired women with lots of…curves.”
He looked at her for a moment. “How do you know that?”
“Oh for goodness sakes, Daniel, everyone knows what paramours you keep, and if I didn’t I am sure it would not be hard to figure it out from what plays you attend.”
He frowned. Was he that transparent?
“It does not matter in the least. It is your private life. All that matters is that you are not seriously hurt.”
He offered her a smile. “Fit as ever.”
She did not return the smile. If anything, her expression grew more pensive. “The bruises you had on your chest did not look like they were new. What on earth are you about?”
Damn, his mother had not told him she had been in the room when they removed his shirt. Of course, his mother was not acting in her right mind since that note had arrived from the Viper. She had insisted that he leave again, and when he refused, she’d stopped talking to him.
“That was from a gentleman’s boxing match.”
She searched his eyes then her shoulders slumped. “If you do not want to tell me, at least do not lie to me.” He opened his mouth and she shook her head. “No, you will only lie again.”
The sadness he heard in her voice bothered him. Just as he had said days earlier, they had been friendly at one time. Her advancement into womanhood had ruined that. Not because it would not be accepted, but because he could not accept it. From the moment she had arrived he could not keep his mind from wandering into an area where it should not go. It was at that moment he realized just how close he was standing to her. Her body heat warmed his skin and he could smell the rose water she dabbed on her flesh. Oh, that was not a good place to go. But his body did not seem to listen to his mind. Everything in him tensed, hardened. He closed his eyes and the one image that came to mind was Anna, beneath him, naked to his touch.
“Daniel? Are you all right?”
Her voice enticed him. She had always been chatty, but she had one of those deep voices that sunk beneath a man’s skin and sent his senses reeling. It was something that he had dreamed of hearing in his bedroom, thick with sleepy passion.
“Daniel!”
The sharpness of her voice had him jolting back into reality.
“Are you sure you are fine?”
He cleared his throat but not the image of her in his bed. His body responded immediately and it took all of his control not to reach for her.
He cleared his throat. “Yes. And I must be going. Mother is not that happy with me at the moment.”
She nodded and he turned to go.
“Daniel, are you sure you are going to be all right?”
He looked back over his shoulder at her. “I am.”
She said nothing more but let him go. As he jogged down the steps and then stepped up into his coach, he was surprised to find Jack sitting across from him.
“I have a feeling you are going to have a problem with the lady.”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked, even knowing the answer.
“According to Jeffries, she might have seen the man who attacked you.”
“Who the bloody hell is Jeffries?”
“Her driver last night. He said she asked him if he recognized the man, and when he said he didn’t see him, she described what he was wearing.”
The implications of her seeing the man playing Viper sent a shiver of panic flushing through his blood. Ice chilled his gut. If Viper saw Anna, if he had recognized the coach, she could be in danger.
“Bloody hell.”
Chapter Eight
The moment Anna spotted Daniel approaching her group, she frowned. The musicale she was attending was not thought to be a big attraction to unattached rakes. The men here were either married, like her brother, or too young to tell their mothers no. He barely gave attention to the people who tried to stop him on the way to her. Even as irritated as she was, she could not help the thrill that danced through her blood. What woman would not be? He cut a fine figure in his evening clothes. Daniel was a lean man, all muscle and strength. The crowd unconsciously moved out of his way.
Besides his build, he was a beautiful man. It belied his rather cynical view on the world, but it never failed to gain attention from women—young and old. His gaze never left hers as he methodically moved in her direction. Her pulse hammered in her throat. The way he looked at her, it was as if he owned her.
“Lady Anna?”
She had to bring herself back from her musing to pay attention to Lord Greenwood.
“I do apologize. You were saying?”
He continued talking of his hounds as Daniel muscled his way into her group. She focused on Greenwood. Or tried to. But with Daniel so near, she found herself thinking of other things. Like how he looked without his shirt.
Stop it.
She could not go down that path. But even as she told herself not to, Daniel inched closer. She assumed no one else would have noticed it, but she did.
Finally, Lord Greenwood stopped talking and looked at her expectantly.
“I am sorry, what did you ask?”
“I said that your mother is right excited about the house party my father is throwing.”
“Hmm,” was all she said before she took a sip of warm lemonade. It was the second time he had mentioned the house party and her mother had yet to say word to her. The
re was a good chance she planned on kidnapping Anna to make her attend.
The first swipe of a bow across strings was the first indication that the musicale was to start. It was her one chance to escape the crowd for a moment.
“If you gentlemen will excuse me, I need a moment.”
All of them nodded but Daniel. She hurried to the retiring room, hoping to escape all of them and possibly much of the performance. She liked music, but sopranos were not her thing. Once she had wasted as much time as she could, she was the last of the women in the area. She stepped out into the hall to find Daniel leaning up against the wall.
“What are you doing here?”
He smiled. “I thought I could escort you back to your seat.”
That was a lie because she had no seat and he knew it. Daniel knew she hated sopranos and she did everything in her ability to stay far away from the performance.
“Indeed.”
She did not move, but crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. He tried to stare her down but it did not work. She stayed silent, waiting.
He grimaced. “Dash it, if you must know, my mother made me attend, saying that I owed her an appearance because of the fright I gave her.”
That did sound like Lady Adelaide. She was not above using blackmail to get her son to do her bidding.
“What I would like to know is why you are here?”
She widened her eyes. “All young ladies love musicales.”
Daniel chuckled, the sound of it sending a shiver down her spine. “Most young ladies, but you hate sopranos.”
She made a face. Few people knew her hatred of sopranos…but she only knew the real reason. That she would not tell anyone for all the gold in England. “Truth? My mother made me attend also. It was the only thing I could do to divert her attention from the fact that I ran from the ball last night.”
“What were you doing down there?”
He did not have a right to know, but she truly did not care if he did. “A couple of the boys have been ill. Mrs. Markham is a worrier and I had to attend to them. When I show up we are more likely to get a physician there.”
“Nothing serious, I hope.”
She shook her head. “Just a bit of sniffles, a little fever. They will be right as rain in a few days.”
They lapsed into silence as the sounds of the soprano filled the air around them. She could not seem to think of one thing to say, not with him looking at her like that.
“I must get back or Mother will not be happy,” Anna said.
He nodded but did not look away. His solemn expression held her captive.
“What? What is it?”
“It has been a long time since you have dressed like that.”
She looked down at the ball gown and frowned. “You have seen me dressed like this before. Why, I was wearing my ball gown the night…”
“Ah, I believe my mother mentioned I ruined it.”
“You did not. It was already dirty from attending the boys at the orphanage.”
He nodded. But said nothing. Again. She had to resist the urge to fidget, to do something to break his concentration. At the same time, she could feel the excitement rolling through her.
“What?”
He cocked his head to one side. “Am I making you nervous?”
Yes, he was, drat the man. Her pulse fluttered. What was he about? She could not understand his tone. It was one he had never used with her, one that had her body heating. In fact, she had heard him use it for other women…not her. She was never the subject of his hot stares, or his seductive tone.
“Daniel, stop it. I will not be toyed with.”
He widened his eyes. “Is that what I am doing with you?”
Anger and embarrassment surged through her, unsettling her stomach. “I…never mind. I must get back. Alone.”
She said nothing more as she turned away and walked away, very aware that he watched her every step down the hall.
Daniel waited a few moments before returning. It would not do for people to see him follow her out. Although, that had been what he wanted to do. From the moment he had walked into the musicale and had seen that horde of men surrounding her, he had wanted to do nothing more than to toss her over his shoulder and take her away.
He’d spotted her the moment he’d stepped back into the ballroom. Lord, she was a vision tonight. Blue had always been a good color for Anna. With her flawless ivory skin, the blond hair and blue sparkling eyes, she was a vision in the silk she wore tonight. It hugged every curve, allowing him to appreciate the way she had grown. Anna had always possessed a slight figure, but now there were curves a plenty. Not to mention breasts that were far too exposed for his liking—again. Lord Greenwood was practically drooling on them as he blathered on about his damned dogs. What was her mother thinking letting her out of the house dressed that way?
It hit him in that one moment. Her mother may have enticed Anna to go out to get donations, but she was trying to get the girl married off. Of course she was. Didn’t his mother say as much?
It angered him on her behalf. Anna had said she did not want marriage. Did her mother pay no attention to her whatsoever? Of course she did not. Victoria was as much of a meddler as his mother.
“Surprised to see you here,” Sebastian said from beside him.
He glanced at his friend. “I wish I could say the same for you. The fact that you do Colleen’s bidding is embarrassing.”
Sebastian smiled. “The benefits are worth it.” Then his smile faded. “I need a moment of your time.”
Daniel nodded and followed him out onto the terrace.
“Lord, I hate sopranos.”
“It must run in the family,” Daniel murmured.
“Ah, yes, Anna hates them too. But then Mother enticed her with the hopes of getting donations from people. From what I gather she has not been able to do any fundraising because of her harem of men who follow her around.”
“Yes, of course, that is to be expected with the dress she is wearing.”
Something passed over Sebastian’s face, but Daniel could not discern the look he gave him.
“Yes, well, I am here to talk to you about her.”
Every fiber of his being tensed. Had Sebastian guessed his regard for his sister? “What is it?”
“There seems to be a problem down at the orphanage.”
“Yes, she told me. A couple of the boys were sick.”
“No. A few nights ago, someone tried to break into the place.”
“Break in? To that orphanage? What would be the reason?”
“I have no idea. I have put a man on it, doing a little digging, but I cannot seem to come up with one motive for a person to want to break into the place. Never mind the fact that the residents are in an uproar about it. They do not take kindly to someone even attempting to hurt something that is linked to my sister.”
Sebastian said it with a heavy dose of pride. Daniel understood. There were not that many ladies of her rank who helped with charities, let alone ran the whole place.
“What do you want from me?”
Sebastian studied him for a moment and then said, “I know you have contacts.”
His stomach roiled. He had done everything he could to keep things from Sebastian. Not because he did not trust him, but because he needed to protect him. If his enemies thought Sebastian knew anything, they would not stop in trying to obtain information. They would hurt him, his family…anything to gather the information. He opened his mouth to deny it, but Sebastian held up his hand.
“Do not even lie to me. I do not want to know about them. I would never breach your privacy on that matter, but I am asking for you to ask a few of your…associates about it.”
He nodded.
“I would be grateful. I am right proud of her work there. She has done a lot and I would hate to forbid her to go because it has grown too dangerous. I am not sure I would succeed anyway.”
“I have to agree with you there. Your siste
r has never been one to listen to the dictates of society.”
Sebastian laughed. “Oh, when has anyone in my family done what society dictates?”
Daniel laughed. “I cannot think of the last time you did. Other than marrying your countess.”
A fond smile curved his friend’s lips and Daniel felt a twinge of envy. The accident that had led to their marriage had been just what Sebastian had needed. And he would be lying if he said he was not jealous of their bliss.
“I will contact a few people, see if they have heard anything. I assumed they would have told me if they had already.”
Sebastian frowned. “Why would they?”
Because he had ordered surveillance on the orphanage last week when he had heard she was involved with it, but he could not tell his friend that. It spoke of too much interest.
“They would let me know because of our association.”
Sebastian nodded. “Understandable.”
The soprano belted out the last few bars of her song. “Good God, that is horrible.”
Sebastian laughed. “Yes. Fairly shrivels the goods. I best be getting back.”
Daniel nodded as Sebastian drew past him. He stopped and said back over his shoulder, “Take care of yourself, Daniel.”
Had Anna told him of his injury? No she would not have told him, thinking to save him from embarrassment. “I always do.”
Sebastian nodded and slipped back into the ballroom. Daniel took a few moments to gather himself and then turned to follow his friend when his mother stepped out.
“You are not behaving, Daniel. You did not even listen to any of the singing.”
“Sebastian wanted to talk to me about the orphanage. There seemed to be someone trying to break in the other night.”
Immediately, his mother’s smile faded. “Nothing serious I hope?”
“They did not get in, but I will have Jack ask around.”
She nodded.
“Was there something you wanted?” he asked.
“Yes. I wanted to go to the Fillmores’ Ball with Lady Victoria.”
“You do not need my permission to go to a ball.”
She made a face. “Daniel, behave. I need you to attend to Lady Anna.”
“What?”
“Well, Victoria is a little suspicious after last night and is trying to drag the poor girl to the ball. Anna wants to go home.”
The Spy Who Loved Her: Once Upon an Accident, Book 3 Page 8