Page 44 of A Scandal at Stonecliffe

“And that’s why. I think they targeted you, and I think Arden is highly suspect. I wanted to find out if I was right so I could stop him.”

A number of emotions flitted across Verity’s face so quickly he could not be sure what they were. “I—well, that’s, um, kind—no one’s ever...” Verity paused, pressing her lips together, then squared her shoulders and lifted her chin a bit, saying, “Well, I don’t see why you didn’t ask me to help. It isn’t as if I’m useless.”

“No,” he answered quickly. “Of course not. It wasn’t that. It—I thought—I was trying to protect you,” he finished lamely. He didn’t want to think about the notion, more centered in his chest than in his brain, that he had wanted to slay the dragon of Lord Arden and lay it at her feet. To divert her from any further questions, he said, “Whatever I was trying to do, clearly I failed. The most information I got was from a barkeep who told me that Arden has hired men at his tavern. He couldn’t say, though, if he had hired those two particular men. We tracked them down to a house, but I imagine they won’t be going back there now.”

“Still, that’s useful. It gives us some other places to look for them and Douglas. Douglas could have hired them, too.”

“Yes, it seems to be a common transaction there.”

“Did Sloane know anything about them?”

Nathan shook his head. “No, we found out about that tavern from that man Parker.”

“Ah, Sloane’s former enemy that he sold off his illegal businesses to when he went legitimate.”

“Of course you know all about that.”

Verity gave a coy little half shrug.

“Then we found out where those men stayed from the barkeep. And that’s when the chase started.” He shrugged, then asked her the question that had plagued him the whole drive home. “What I want to know is, how the devil did you track us down?”

“Oh. Sally told me—one of those children who were guarding my carriage. She’s bright and I use her to follow people fairly often. As I said before, no one notices street urchins.”

“You had me followed?” Nathan’s voice rose. She nodded, and somehow the lack of embarrassment or guilt on her face added to his quick anger. He jumped to his feet. “Why? Do you think I’m so untrustworthy?”

“No, of course not. I was worried about what you might do—after last night, I just thought you might get into trouble.”

“And of course I’m too incompetent to take care of myself,” he said bitterly.

“No.” Verity stood up, her voice rising, too. “What is the matter with you? Would you rather I hadn’t found you today?”

“That’s not the point.”

“Do you have a point?”

“The point is that you obviously think I have to be taken care of instead of being a help to you.”

“Oh, you mean the way you thought I had to be taken care of and was of no help to you when you went after our attackers?” Verity’s eyes took on a dangerous glint.

“I was trying to protect you!”

“And why is it fine for you to want to protect me, but it’s not all right for me to want to protect you?”

“You do it because you think I’m useless.” Somewhere in the back of his mind, Nathan knew that he should not start down this path, but he could not stop the words that came pouring out. “I have known what you thought of me from the start—that I was a bumbling fool who only got in your way. But I had begun to think you might have changed your view a bit now that we’ve...that we know each other better. But you still regard me as incompetent.”

“I don’t think you’re incompetent.” Verity fisted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “That’s not why I worried about you. It’s not why I wanted to protect you.”

“No? Then why did you do it?”

“Because I care—” She stopped abruptly, looking faintly alarmed, then said, “Because you are my client. I cannot have my clients being knocked over the head or falling down holes. It’s bad for my reputation.”

“That’s not what you were about to say.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “You were going to say because you care about me.”

“Don’t be absurd.”

“It’s not absurd.” His anger and hurt had drained out of him in an instant at her words. “That’s exactly why I wanted to protect you.”

Verity made a scoffing sound and looked away, apparently now fascinated by the view outside the window.