Noble Scoundrel (Peril & Persuasion Book 1)

by Amy Sandas

  “I don’t intend to. Just until he’s safe.”

  “He’d be safe with me.”

  Though she believed him, she still couldn’t see any reason she’d allow Frederick to be put at unnecessary risk. Still, it was possible a valid need for him to leave the house might come up at some point. If Hale wished to test his security measures by taking her on a drive through the park, it might not be a bad idea.

  She nodded. “Tomorrow, then.”

  Hale took a step forward, coming up right beside her where she still stood resting against the wall. Katherine held her breath as she turned her head to look at him, but he was just opening his bedroom door. He gave her a silent look before nodding in the direction of her own bedroom down the hall. “You’d best be turning in then. Before your candle burns out.” Then he smiled and her belly fluttered. “Unless you’re thinking to join me inside?”

  She actually glanced past him into the room, softly illuminated by a low-burning fire in the grate. The bed appeared impossibly large in the flickering light.

  As an odd trembling began low in her body, she turned away with a quick, “Good night, Mr. Hale,” then strode swiftly down the hall to her room.

  She thought she heard a low chuckle behind her, but when she glanced back, the hallway was empty.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The next afternoon, Katherine stepped outside dressed for an outing, infernal bonnet and all. The day was perfect for a drive. Warm and breezy with dappled sunlight filtering through the trees that lined their street in Mayfair. It was odd to think an enemy could be lurking nearby, waiting for another chance to make a move.

  With a cautious gaze, she looked up and down the street for anyone who might appear out of place.

  She saw nothing unusual.

  She did, however, see Hale, dressed in fawn breeches and a black coat, waiting beside the open-top barouche. He wore no hat, but his hair was secured in a neat queue and a neckcloth completed the look. Even if he put forth true effort, Hale wasn’t a man who’d ever look polished or refined. He was too rugged and bold for such descriptors and Katherine rather liked him that way.

  Not that she’d ever tell him that.

  Keeping her expression as indifferent as possible, she glanced away from the bodyguard to note that Mr. Newton was in the driver’s seat and one of the footmen who’d begun training with Hale had taken position in the back.

  As she stood poised at the top of her front steps, Hale turned from where he’d been talking in low tones with Newton. When his verdant gaze fell on her, his mouth curved into a smile. But this wasn’t one of his twisted smirks or a brazen grin. It was a simple expression of pleasure and it curled her toes.

  With her knees gone a bit wobbly, she continued down the front steps to Hale’s side. “Are we ready?”

  He bowed with a wide gesture of his hand. “Just waiting for you, duchess.”

  Still unsettled from the effect of his smile, she replied stiffly, “I believe I told you not to call me that. It’s inappropriate.”

  His smile tipped into wickedness. “Exactly why I won’t stop doing it.” He leaned toward her as a lock of his tawny hair slipped free from his queue to brush his hard cheekbone. “You should know by now that I live for being inappropriate.”

  Looking up at him with an earnest expression, she noted, “And you should know by now that I expect you to do as I say.”

  His grin faltered as heat flared in his eyes a moment before the green darkened to a mysterious, sensual shade. He cleared his throat in a way that had her low belly clenching deliciously. “I do know it.” His voice lowered even further until his next words were nothing more than a velvet murmur. “Someday, sweet dove, I hope you’ll let me show you just how enjoyable it is to do what I say.”

  Her breath faltered at the thought. But it wasn’t a rush of anxiety claiming her at the idea of handing control to this man. Because she knew he intended his words to be taken in a sensual context, the possibility of what he suggested inspired a tingling sort of eager expectation.

  Flashing a smile that was both dangerous and—Lord, help her—exciting, he offered a hand to assist her into the carriage. “M’lady.”

  Of course, his hands were bare, and as her fingers, encased in fine kid gloves, slid over his roughened palm, she recalled how they had felt against her bare skin that day he’d attended her injuries and how he’d skillfully massaged her tight muscles just last night in the darkened kitchen. Strong, assured, commanding. But also gentle and patient.

  As she ascended the first step into the vehicle, she made the mistake of sneaking a quick peek at him. She should have known he’d be staring back and far too close. In that brief moment of eye contact as they came nearly level with each other, she couldn’t help but see the brazen hunger in his gaze.

  She quickly averted her gaze and hastened into the barouche. Taking the seat facing forward, she struggled to steady her breath. Somewhere out there, for some unknown reason, someone was plotting against the Blackwells. She had to remember that no matter how unbelievably distracting Hale proved to be.

  As soon as the man climbed in behind her and took up position on the seat opposite, they were off. Though she was determined not to be distracted by Hale’s presence, it wasn’t long before her gaze was drawn to him as he sat in the center of the opposite seat, practically lounging with his booted feet braced wide and his large hands resting on his thighs.

  And once again, he was staring back. Amusement flickered in his eyes.

  Wonderful.

  She narrowed her gaze.

  He grinned.

  Her belly flipped and she looked away.

  The park was already busy with a flow of smart chaises, daring phaetons, and stylish baroques. Ladies in vibrant-colored riding habits with jaunty hats rode alongside dapper gentlemen in top hats and fine leather gloves. Clusters of debutantes strolled the walking paths in their prettiest day dresses with their chaperones following a few steps behind.

  The point of a park promenade was to observe and be observed. To encounter casual acquaintances in hopes they might become more closely associated. To make oneself available to potential suitors in an environment that allowed for private and ofttimes intimate conversation right under the eyes of the masses.

  Katherine was well aware of all the different reasons a person could have to attend the park during the busy social London season. She’d simply never cared to understand why someone would bother. It just seemed like such a grand performance.

  A short grunt brought her attention back to the man across from her. He’d stretched one arm across the back rest and had crossed an ankle over the opposite knee. He looked far too relaxed and dangerously attractive in the casual posture with the sun turning his dark blond hair to a rustic gold. “Now what?” Hale asked with an arched brow.

  Katherine released her breath on a sigh. “Now...we circle through the park.”

  His gaze slid to hers. “That’s it?”

  With a shrug and a dismissive wave of her hand, she replied, “That’s it. I know very few people in town, so it’s unlikely we’ll encounter anyone with whom to socialize. It doesn’t matter, anyway. We’re not here for pleasantries.” She gave him an expectant look. “You mentioned a demonstration?”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. “Can’t you just relax, dove? It’s a lovely day. Enjoy it.”

  “You realize our enemy could be watching us right now.”

  “I do.” His gaze flashed with intent. “In fact, I hope he is.”

  “Do you always court trouble?”

  “Don’t need to. Trouble and I are already intimately acquainted,” he corrected with a wink.

  Though his tone and manner were teasing, Katherine couldn’t help but be reminded of his confession from the previous night. “Yes, but you’ve taken steps to change that,” she noted.

  A shadow passed through his gaze, and she got the sense he was regretting what he’d told her over the plate of cold food. She didn’t
want him to regret it. For some reason, she wanted him to feel like he could trust her as much as she was coming to trust him.

  “Was it very difficult?” she asked, “Your childhood?”

  He reclined farther in his seat, tossing her a sardonic look. “No more difficult than it is for any runt of the rookery.”

  “A runt?” The term surprised her and she tried to picture him as a small young boy but couldn’t manage it. His strength and virility were simply too undeniable. “That’s impossible.”

  He gave a rough chuckle. “I assure you it’s not. I’ve been the weakest and I’ve been the strongest.” His tone was flat when he added, “Trust me when I say stronger is better.”

  The thought of Hale ever feeling small and defenseless made her stomach drop as a protectiveness similar to what she felt for Frederick rushed through her. It was ridiculous to feel such a thing for the indestructible man before her, but it didn’t go away.

  “Do you have any siblings?” she asked.

  His expression was resistant, but surprisingly, he answered her question. “I’ve an older half-sister.”

  “Did you grow up together?”

  Hale released a heavy sigh and shifted in his seat to face her more squarely, spreading his feet and resting his hands on his thighs. The look he gave was half-annoyed, half-indulgent. “Why so curious?”

  Katherine arched a brow and answered honestly. “I’d like to know more about you. You’ve thoroughly investigated my family. Am I allowed to know nothing of yours?”

  He narrowed his gaze for a moment before giving a short grunt. “Lissy’s twelve years older than me. Her ma took off years before I was born; mine wasn’t much to speak of. With our father a raging drunk, Lissy did her best by me, but she had other worries.”

  He paused to hold her gaze for a moment, as though assessing just how much she wanted to know. Katherine stared back with open interest.

  With a low grunt, he continued, “When Lissy was fourteen, Da sold her to a bloke who wanted her for his own. She ran off instead. If that was the only way she’d get out of the rookery, she was going to do it on her terms.”

  Katherine pondered what he said. And what he didn’t say.

  “It must have been difficult...after she left.” The thought of him being left in the hands of a violent father while still so young and vulnerable made her chest ache. But the child had grown into a man who could create fear in an opponent with nothing more than a hard stare. A man who also spoke softly to a shy little girl and held her with infinite care.

  He shrugged. “She came by when she could—when she knew Da was away. She forced me to learn my letters and sums and later helped me get work at a bawdy house.” He glanced away, scanning the park around them. “My sister is focused. She puts herself first because no one else ever has. She’s built a grand life for herself by doing so.”

  “It’s very commendable.”

  His jaw was hard as he looked back to her. “For a prostitute?”

  “For anyone,” she clarified.

  There was a pause as he stared at her. Then he noted roughly. “Not many would see it that way. Least likely a duke’s daughter.”

  The slight sneer in his voice had Katherine tilting her head thoughtfully. “Another reason I’m grateful for an unusual upbringing with an eccentric father. Of course I’m aware of how society often judges people for things they’ve no control over, but I’ve little experience with that.” She glanced down at her hands as she smoothed a crease in her day gown before lifting her gaze again to his. “I prefer to allow a person’s actions and attitudes tell me who they are.”

  She couldn’t read his expression then. It was too stern. Too heavy and still. Then he issued that low humming sound that always managed to resonate through the deepest parts of her. Leaning forward, he braced his elbows on his knees to ask in a roughened voice, “And what do my actions and attitudes tell you, dove?”

  In an instant, she felt several things; heat—always heat—a tingling rush through her chest, a lovely weight in her low belly, and a quickening of her pulse. She was tempted to look away. To break the intensity of his stare. But she was no coward, so she met the challenge and the question honestly.

  “You’re unabashedly coarse and bold in your manner.” He gave a snort and she arched a brow. “Characteristics I suspect you intentionally emphasize on occasion, which suggests you’ve a proud nature and you’re undaunted by others’ opinions of you. The ferocity of your response to threats against anyone under your care reveals a deep sense of loyalty and an innate need to protect.” She couldn’t stop from sending a swift gaze over the breadth of his shoulders and the solid strength obvious in his arms, even beneath the coat. “That you could use your exceptional strength and physical power much more liberally than you do tells me you use it as a last resort. You are never brutal without proper cause.”

  She’d noticed as she was speaking that his expression had seemed to grow more and more closed with each of her revelations. Until the last, when he gave a caustic laugh and leaned back in his seat.

  “Proper cause? Is the gold claimed by the winner of an illegal fight cause enough?”

  “Survival is.”

  His gaze sparked while his mouth tipped into a rueful smile. “I didn’t fight to survive. I was doing just fine as flash man to the bawds.” His tone lowered suggestively. “And got plenty of perks with the job.”

  “Then why did you take up boxing?” she asked, genuinely curious.

  “Glory? Gold? Because I’m bloody good at it?” He shrugged dismissively.

  It was a non-answer, but she didn’t argue further. He didn’t even realize he’d just proven most of her previous points.

  “What do you hope to do once all this is over?” she asked.

  The way he narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow suggested he was reluctant to answer. She hoped he’d be as up-front about his future as he’d been about everything else. For some reason, it mattered a great deal to her that he would move on to something meaningful after his job with them was finished.

  “Will you go back to offering loans to men who bet on the fights?”

  He started shaking his head before she even finished the question. “No.”

  She tilted her head. “Then what?”

  There was a brief flicker in his gaze before he replied casually, “I plan to open a training center. For men hoping to make a living by their skill and might. Flash men and bouncers.”

  “Bodyguards,” she added with a smile, recalling his request for a reference.

  A twitch softened his lips. “Aye.

  “I suspect you’ll quickly have more clients than you know what to do with.”

  Rather than reply to her declaration of confidence, he simply stared back at her, his mouth curling subtly at the corners. Then he gave a short nod and turned to extend his gaze beyond their carriage.

  She tried not to note how the shift of his attention felt like a loss. She’d enjoyed speaking with him. Learning about him. Mason Hale had been steadily proving to be far more multifaceted than she’d first imagined.

  They’d gotten well into the park by now, and no matter where she looked, she saw the same thing. Casual people doing casual things. No one looked familiar. No one seemed inordinately threatening or suspicious.

  Except...maybe there?

  A gentleman riding toward them on a large grey gelding couldn’t seem to glance away from their carriage. He even paused to tip his hat. Katherine narrowed her gaze at the stranger until he’d passed.

  When the same thing happened as they rode past a couple of young bucks standing near the Italian fountains, anxiety tripped through her. But then one of the gentlemen staring back at her stiffened and sent a sharp elbow jab into the ribs of the man beside him. Both young men turned and walked swiftly in the opposite direction.

  Turning to Hale, she noted the heavy scowl darkening his brow and realized it was his menacing countenance that had startled the gentlemen. It was od
d to have someone so ready to battle on her behalf and a strange warmth filled her.

  When he turned to look at her, the glowering expression immediately cleared. “You’re drawing some attention, dove.”

  “I noticed that,” she replied thoughtfully. “Do you think those men could be involved in the plot against Frederick?”

  He laughed. “Not a chance. Those two had nothing more sinister in mind than bedding you. Thoroughly.”

  Katherine didn’t understand why the man felt the need to tease her with such a ridiculous and inappropriate suggestion. “I doubt...”

  Her next words slid from her mind as she noticed a strikingly familiar figure standing beneath a tree across the lawn. It was the same gentleman she’d spotted the day she and Frederick had gone shopping. Today, in the afternoon sunshine and general gaiety of the park, the man’s detached manner appeared distinctly out of place, and the sight of him caused a tingle of trepidation to cross her nape.

  “What is it? What did you see?” Hale’s expression was ruthless and focused. The intensity coiled inside him made her think of a lion preparing to pounce.

  Katherine glanced back to where the man had been standing, but he was gone. How was that possible? There was no horse nearby, no carriage waiting. She scanned the area around the tree but there was no sign of him.

  Had she conjured the man from her imagination?

  “Lady Katherine.” Hale’s deep voice brought her gaze back to him.

  “It was nothing.”

  His eyes sharpened. “Don’t lie to me, duchess. You’re practically trembling. You saw something. Tell me.”

  She wanted to argue that she wasn’t trembling at all, but she couldn’t deny the quiver of foreboding that remained within her. “It could be nothing,” she clarified.

  “I’ll determine that.”

  She sent a quick but thorough glance back toward the oak where she’d seen the man in the silk top hat and then scanned outward from there.

  Still no sign of him.

  “I thought I saw someone I recognized. No one I know personally but someone I’d seen the day our carriage was overtaken.”