Page 72 of An Inconvenient Duke

Calmly, Marcus gestured to the butler to leave them, but as the man retreated into the hallway and closed the double doors behind him, he sent Marcus a worried glance—perhaps fearing for Marcus’s safety. At the way both of her hands clenched into tiny fists at her sides, Marcus didn’t blame the man for being wary.

“Are you all right?” he asked as he stepped around the desk to approach her.

Her eyes blazed. “I thought we were working together.”

“We are.” He removed her bonnet and tossed it onto one of the chairs in front of his desk, then took her shoulders in his hands. “Danielle,” he repeated pointedly, “are you all right?”

“Yes, I am.” But before he could lean in to bring his mouth to hers and give her the kiss he longed for, she interjected, “But we’re not.”

He flinched at her double meaning.

Their lips were so close that hers brushed his with every word. “Notwhen you approach Hartsham by yourself.”

So this was why she was here. The realization washed over him like ice water. He released her shoulders and stepped back.

“You said I could trust you.” Emotion grated in her voice. She shook her head. “Lies, all of it.”

He clenched his teeth. “That wasnota lie.”

“Well, it certainly wasn’t trust! I offered to speak to Beatrice, to learn more before we went after Hartsham. You absolutely refused to let me, said it was too dangerous—”

“Because it was.”

She arched a brow. “But not dangerous foryouto approach Hartsham?”

“That isn’t the same thing.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “From where I’m standing, it’s exactly the same.”

“From whereI’mstanding, not at all. For one thing,” he drawled, crossing the study to the cabinet in the corner where he kept his finest liquor, “the Home Office has given me its help.” He needed a stiff drink. Apparently, so did she.

“Lovely.” The anger inside her was palpable. “However, you hadmyhelp from the very beginning, yet you met with Hartsham without even telling me.”

“Because I couldn’t tell you.”

She gave him a look of betrayal so dark that it shivered into him. “You kept this from me, after I told you everything about Nightingale, after I gave you Beatrice’s name—Dear God, Marcus!” Her voice lowered to an anguished whisper. “After I made love to you.”

Frustration twisted in his gut. He fought back the urge to dash back to her, grab her into his arms, and prove to her right there on the rug in front of the fire how much she meant to him.

“I never lied to you.” He passed over the cognac for whiskey, preferring something with bite for this conversation. “But I sure as hell don’t regret not telling you because it was the only way to ensure that you’d be safe.” He splashed the golden liquid into the glass. “So if you want to believe that I’ve betrayed you in that, then so be it. But I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

She pulsed visibly with anger. “You had no right to keep this from me.”

“To keep you from being killed like Elise?Everyright.” He shoved the crystal stopper back onto the decanter. “And let’s be very clear about one thing.”

He crossed the room to her, coming to a stop directly in front of her and driving his gaze into hers so there would be no misunderstanding about this.

“Making love had absolutely nothing to do with Hartsham. We made love because we wanted to share that pleasure with each other.Noother reason.”

“I wish that were true.” Her face flushed scarlet, but she held her ground and didn’t turn away. “But the only reason we were together that night was because of Hartsham. You’ve only sought me out since your return to London because of Elise.”

“Yes, I sought you out because of Elise. But that is not the only reason why I keep finding excuses to be in your presence.” He swirled the whiskey in the glass to keep his hands busy so that he wouldn’t reach for her. Although whether to shake sense into her or strip her bare, at that moment he couldn’t have said. “Once we’ve caught Hartsham, I very much plan on asking to formally court you.”

Her mouth fell open in a surprised O, as round as her eyes.

“Until then, however, you need to let me do what needs to be done to both find justice for Elise and to protect you.” He held out the glass to her as a peace offering. “And trust me.”

Her hand shook as she accepted the glass and raised it silently to her lips.