with him. And there are… other reasons."
"It would be too difficult to be Jin Kang if sometimes you are Troth?" She frowned at him. "A Chinese would not ask such a question."
"But I am not Chinese, and neither are you, not entirely." The sense of connection he felt with "Jin Kang" was stronger now. Wanting to know everything about her, he asked, "Are you content with your life?" Her chin lifted. "I am well treated and my master values my abilities. I consider myself fortunate."
"Yet your life rests on a lie, which could break underneath you at any moment," he said, as much to himself as to her.
Her gaze turned to ice. "Are you threatening me?"
"Good God, no. Destroying your life would be a poor return for your saving mine. I shall tell no one your secret."
She relaxed a little. "Thank you. It will be easier if Chenqua does not realize how careless I have been."
"You were heroic, not careless." He studied her face. "How old are you?"
"In
Western
reckoning"—she
calculated—"twenty-seven.
Soon
twenty-eight."
Though she looked younger, she was a woman grown, trapped in a life where she was not a woman at all. "Have you ever wished to visit your father's land?"
For a moment, her eyes were clouded with almost unbearable longing. Then she shook her head. "My joss binds me to China."
"Joss?"
"Fate. Fortune. Joss sticks are burned to petition the gods for good luck." He'd seen the smoldering sandalwood sticks and even heard the word used, but hadn't thought to ask the meaning. "See how much I am learning already?" Carefully he sat up and leaned toward her. "Wouldn't you like to have someone with whom you could relax and speak freely, rather than always playing a role?"
Her mouth twisted. "The fact that I saved your life does not give you the right to question me, Lord Maxwell."
Realizing that he was being damnably rude, he settled back again. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid that you fascinate me."
"No doubt you find all freaks and monsters fascinating," she said acidly.
"Good night, my lord. Do not go alone into public places again. The men who attacked you were hired, and the person who wanted you dead may try again."
He frowned, realizing that he'd almost forgotten the attack. "Why would anyone want to have me murdered?"
"I have no idea. Perhaps an enemy of Chenqua wanted to create a situation that would cause my master great problems. Or perhaps you've made enemies of your own, with your too-frank tongue."
"It is the way of my people to be frank. I've said nothing in Canton to make mortal enemies." From what Gavin had told him about the local politics, it seemed more likely that someone had wanted to injure Chenqua. The death of an English lord who was one of Chenqua's trading partners would be a great scandal in both China and the West. "How did you learn that I was to be attacked?"
"An informant of mine in Hog Lane heard two gang members boasting of the money they'd earn for killing you. He had the wit to come to me as I left the hong."
"So you are indeed a spy."
"I am. And you have cause to be grateful for it."
She walked out, her chin high, every inch a Scotswoman. He guessed that she'd be Jin Kang before she'd gone another dozen steps.
He rubbed his aching head, thinking of the spark of attraction that had flared between them when "Jin Kang" had shown him how to hold a calligraphy brush. Never in his wildest imagination could he have believed that the shy clerk was really an incredible woman warrior who could defeat six thugs with her bare hands.
But now that he'd met her, how could he forget her?
Despite her fatigue, Troth reported the night's events to Chenqua as soon as she returned to Honam Island. He received her in his private study, wearing a hastily donned robe and a stern expression. "What is so urgent that you must disturb my rest?"
She bowed deeply. "I apologize most profoundly that such a useless creature as I has interrupted your sleep, but two hours ago there was an attempt on the life
"It would be too difficult to be Jin Kang if sometimes you are Troth?" She frowned at him. "A Chinese would not ask such a question."
"But I am not Chinese, and neither are you, not entirely." The sense of connection he felt with "Jin Kang" was stronger now. Wanting to know everything about her, he asked, "Are you content with your life?" Her chin lifted. "I am well treated and my master values my abilities. I consider myself fortunate."
"Yet your life rests on a lie, which could break underneath you at any moment," he said, as much to himself as to her.
Her gaze turned to ice. "Are you threatening me?"
"Good God, no. Destroying your life would be a poor return for your saving mine. I shall tell no one your secret."
She relaxed a little. "Thank you. It will be easier if Chenqua does not realize how careless I have been."
"You were heroic, not careless." He studied her face. "How old are you?"
"In
Western
reckoning"—she
calculated—"twenty-seven.
Soon
twenty-eight."
Though she looked younger, she was a woman grown, trapped in a life where she was not a woman at all. "Have you ever wished to visit your father's land?"
For a moment, her eyes were clouded with almost unbearable longing. Then she shook her head. "My joss binds me to China."
"Joss?"
"Fate. Fortune. Joss sticks are burned to petition the gods for good luck." He'd seen the smoldering sandalwood sticks and even heard the word used, but hadn't thought to ask the meaning. "See how much I am learning already?" Carefully he sat up and leaned toward her. "Wouldn't you like to have someone with whom you could relax and speak freely, rather than always playing a role?"
Her mouth twisted. "The fact that I saved your life does not give you the right to question me, Lord Maxwell."
Realizing that he was being damnably rude, he settled back again. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid that you fascinate me."
"No doubt you find all freaks and monsters fascinating," she said acidly.
"Good night, my lord. Do not go alone into public places again. The men who attacked you were hired, and the person who wanted you dead may try again."
He frowned, realizing that he'd almost forgotten the attack. "Why would anyone want to have me murdered?"
"I have no idea. Perhaps an enemy of Chenqua wanted to create a situation that would cause my master great problems. Or perhaps you've made enemies of your own, with your too-frank tongue."
"It is the way of my people to be frank. I've said nothing in Canton to make mortal enemies." From what Gavin had told him about the local politics, it seemed more likely that someone had wanted to injure Chenqua. The death of an English lord who was one of Chenqua's trading partners would be a great scandal in both China and the West. "How did you learn that I was to be attacked?"
"An informant of mine in Hog Lane heard two gang members boasting of the money they'd earn for killing you. He had the wit to come to me as I left the hong."
"So you are indeed a spy."
"I am. And you have cause to be grateful for it."
She walked out, her chin high, every inch a Scotswoman. He guessed that she'd be Jin Kang before she'd gone another dozen steps.
He rubbed his aching head, thinking of the spark of attraction that had flared between them when "Jin Kang" had shown him how to hold a calligraphy brush. Never in his wildest imagination could he have believed that the shy clerk was really an incredible woman warrior who could defeat six thugs with her bare hands.
But now that he'd met her, how could he forget her?
Despite her fatigue, Troth reported the night's events to Chenqua as soon as she returned to Honam Island. He received her in his private study, wearing a hastily donned robe and a stern expression. "What is so urgent that you must disturb my rest?"
She bowed deeply. "I apologize most profoundly that such a useless creature as I has interrupted your sleep, but two hours ago there was an attempt on the life
Similar Books
