To Caro, who considered herself attuned to the nuances of language, the words seemed very carefully chosen.
“And yet,” she pressed, “the night it happened, it was clear to me that you suspected it might have something to do with your involvement with the radicals in Scotland.”
“I am, on rare occasions, wrong,” he quipped. “But to answer your question, yes, I considered it a possibility. But I have uncovered nothing that would suggest it is the case.”
“You are quite sure?”
Another hint of hesitation. “Not entirely. I shall, of course, keep looking into the matter. But for now, it seems there is no reason to fear any further threats.”
“Thank you for the reassurance, Lord Strathcona.” Crunch, crunch—the pebbles crackled under the tread of her shoes. “Now, kindly dispense with the platitudes and tell me what you really think.”
Alec could almost hear the tiny flashes of fire crackle and spark beneath the dark fringe of her lashes. Her eyes, an unusual gold-flecked hazel color, were intriguing enough to begin with. But when her passions were aroused, they lit with a mesmerizing mix of heated hues that seemed to swirl down, down to some secret depth.
A man could drown in such treacherous currents.
He angled his gaze to a twist of ivy behind her right ear. “I have told you all that I know, Miss Caro.”
“Indeed?” Her eyes narrowed. “So why do I feel you are not being entirely forthright with me, sir?”
Alec raised a brow and waggled it up and down. “You are asking me to explain the complex workings of the feminine mind? That, I fear, is beyond the power of my feeble intellect.”
She made a rude sound and stepped closer to confront him. “Ye gods, you are an impossibly provoking man.”
Ye gods, you are an impossibly alluring lady.
He could feel the heat of her aroused ire pulsing against his skin, bringing with it the beguiling scent of verbena, edged with a more exotic spice that he couldn’t put a name to.
He inhaled and, for a flickering instant, felt a little dizzy.
“Hmmph. I am quite certain there is more to this matter than you are telling me, sir.”
Exhaling sharply, Alec managed to break the strange spell that held him in thrall. “Believe what you wish, but the truth is, you know as much as I do about the reasons for the incident.”
“Have I your word on that?”
“Yes.” Honor allowed him to reply without batting an eye. She did now possess all the facts. As for his conjectures, those he wasn’t about to share with anyone.
Especially a headstrong hellion.
During the trouble in Scotland, Caro Sloane had proved she was more than ready to
charge in where angels should fear to tread. Courage, passion, fire that blazed bright as a mountain sunset.
Such fire could lead a lady into serious trouble.
“I suppose I shall have to be satisfied with that,” grumbled Caro, as the first leaden drops of rain splashed on the brim of her bonnet.
Taking her arm again, Alec quickly turned them back in the direction of the Pump House. “Indeed you should be. As far as I’m concerned, the matter is resolved.”
“I’m not quite as convinced as you are,” she protested. “I think the matter requires further investigation.”
God forbid.
“You need not concern yourself with that,” he growled. “Leave it to me. If there is anything you should know, I shall pass it on.”
He pretended not to hear her muttered “Ha!” over the rumble of distant thunder.
Chapter Four