“God help me. You would have to know my family to understand how absurd that notion is. Set one of them loose on the road to Turkey, and they’ll end up by accident in China. No, if it must be done, I’ll be the one to do it—else I’ll have a new set of troubles on my hands.”
His exhaustion began to make sense. “So everything lands on your shoulders,” she said.
“By my choice.” He shrugged. “You may call it a vice, if you like—but if something needs to be done, I vastly prefer to do it myself. Besides, I am the head of the family. For seven years now. So my vice is also my duty.” His smile was wry. “A convenient coincidence.”
His duty, she gathered, being to protect those he loved.
Something inside her softened and warmed at the idea. What had her father always said? A man who puts his family first is a man you can trust.
She wondered if he would have revised his opinion, upon learning that his daughter’s kidnapper fell into this category.
But the crime could no longer raise any righteous indignation in her. Now she understood his desperation to catch the impostor, for the man stood in his way of finding his cousin. “I think it very good of you,” she said. “Not all men take their responsibilities so gravely.” Why, some of them claimed to love a woman, and then jilted her in a foreign country.
He tilted his head in a gesture of puzzlement. “As I said, my aunt raised me. I have no choice in it.”
“But it must be wearing at times.”
He blew out a breath. “Oh, indeed. I’ll not argue that.”
Her heart fairly ached for him. No wonder he’d been prickly and impatient! This dreadful hunt—her wretched former fiancé, the rotter—was preventing Ripton from saving his loved one!
She put her hand back on his. “Well, you mustn’t feel alone,” she said. “We are partners in this task. I want to find the rat as much as you do.”
He smiled at her, and she felt a curious swoop in her stomach. He had a beautiful smile. “Partners, you say.”
She could not read his tone. Perhaps he found the idea ludicrous. A blush prickled her face. “That is, I believe I can be of some use, and surely you do as well, or else you wouldn’t have—”
“Miss Thomas.” His hand turned, his fingers linking through hers, and she went quite still. “Having seen you face down a sea captain twice or thrice your weight, I have every confidence that you are a formidable ally.”
To her amazement, there was no mockery in his voice. His palm against hers felt hot and slightly rough, and he held her gaze steadily, his own look unmistakably approving.
“I thought you said it was a stupid thing to do,” she whispered.
“Stupid, assuredly. But also, I will admit, courageous.”
Courageous! A heady feeling swept through her. Yes, it had been courageous of her. Even he thought so—he, who had no cause to look on her charitably!
A lump came into her throat. After so many months spent enduring Mrs. Pennypacker’s abuse—cringing like a beaten dog; desperate to leave but with nowhere to go; despising her own fear and helplessness—Ripton’s praise felt like a balm to her soul. She fought the sting of oncoming tears, for he would never understand it if she wept.
Instead, she tightened her grip over his and lifted their joined palms into a handshake. “Partners, then.” He would not find her a wanting helpmeet.
He laughed, a soft and mystified sound. “So formal, Miss Thomas.”
She felt a silly smile curve her mouth. “Yes,” she said, “I incline to it.”
But he returned her handshake. Why not? It was wise for a man to wish to be partners with a woman who was brave.
“Very well,” he said, “partners in this matter, officially and formally. And if he doesn’t appear here within a quarter hour—” And then his gaze moved over her shoulder, and his eyes widened. “ Duck!” he cried, and pushed her off her seat.
CHAPTER SIX
Ripton’s shove knocked her to the floor. Then
His exhaustion began to make sense. “So everything lands on your shoulders,” she said.
“By my choice.” He shrugged. “You may call it a vice, if you like—but if something needs to be done, I vastly prefer to do it myself. Besides, I am the head of the family. For seven years now. So my vice is also my duty.” His smile was wry. “A convenient coincidence.”
His duty, she gathered, being to protect those he loved.
Something inside her softened and warmed at the idea. What had her father always said? A man who puts his family first is a man you can trust.
She wondered if he would have revised his opinion, upon learning that his daughter’s kidnapper fell into this category.
But the crime could no longer raise any righteous indignation in her. Now she understood his desperation to catch the impostor, for the man stood in his way of finding his cousin. “I think it very good of you,” she said. “Not all men take their responsibilities so gravely.” Why, some of them claimed to love a woman, and then jilted her in a foreign country.
He tilted his head in a gesture of puzzlement. “As I said, my aunt raised me. I have no choice in it.”
“But it must be wearing at times.”
He blew out a breath. “Oh, indeed. I’ll not argue that.”
Her heart fairly ached for him. No wonder he’d been prickly and impatient! This dreadful hunt—her wretched former fiancé, the rotter—was preventing Ripton from saving his loved one!
She put her hand back on his. “Well, you mustn’t feel alone,” she said. “We are partners in this task. I want to find the rat as much as you do.”
He smiled at her, and she felt a curious swoop in her stomach. He had a beautiful smile. “Partners, you say.”
She could not read his tone. Perhaps he found the idea ludicrous. A blush prickled her face. “That is, I believe I can be of some use, and surely you do as well, or else you wouldn’t have—”
“Miss Thomas.” His hand turned, his fingers linking through hers, and she went quite still. “Having seen you face down a sea captain twice or thrice your weight, I have every confidence that you are a formidable ally.”
To her amazement, there was no mockery in his voice. His palm against hers felt hot and slightly rough, and he held her gaze steadily, his own look unmistakably approving.
“I thought you said it was a stupid thing to do,” she whispered.
“Stupid, assuredly. But also, I will admit, courageous.”
Courageous! A heady feeling swept through her. Yes, it had been courageous of her. Even he thought so—he, who had no cause to look on her charitably!
A lump came into her throat. After so many months spent enduring Mrs. Pennypacker’s abuse—cringing like a beaten dog; desperate to leave but with nowhere to go; despising her own fear and helplessness—Ripton’s praise felt like a balm to her soul. She fought the sting of oncoming tears, for he would never understand it if she wept.
Instead, she tightened her grip over his and lifted their joined palms into a handshake. “Partners, then.” He would not find her a wanting helpmeet.
He laughed, a soft and mystified sound. “So formal, Miss Thomas.”
She felt a silly smile curve her mouth. “Yes,” she said, “I incline to it.”
But he returned her handshake. Why not? It was wise for a man to wish to be partners with a woman who was brave.
“Very well,” he said, “partners in this matter, officially and formally. And if he doesn’t appear here within a quarter hour—” And then his gaze moved over her shoulder, and his eyes widened. “ Duck!” he cried, and pushed her off her seat.
CHAPTER SIX
Ripton’s shove knocked her to the floor. Then
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