“Have you ever experienced a burning need to do something irrational, Mr Trent?”
“Indeed.”
If only she knew why he held his hands clasped in his lap.
If only she could hear the internal war raging.
“From the moment I raised the candle to the window and watched you walk away, I knew I could not remain at home and do nothing.”
No doubt the lady suffered from boredom. She needed a husband and children to occupy her time. A charitable cause to give her purpose. So why did he feel the need to give her an adventure of a lifetime?
“Danger lurks on every street corner, Miss Vale,” he said in a devilish tone merely to test a theory. Did fear make her feel alive? From the sudden rise and fall of her chest, clearly, the answer was yes. “Are you prepared to stand by my side and fight against the evils of this world? Are you prepared to risk your reputation to do what is right?”
The lady’s lips parted again on a sigh as if experiencing a lover’s first thrust. Good God, he wanted to probe, to push deeper, harder.
“Are you prepared for what people will say if they see us together, Miss Vale? They will presume we have been intimate, that I make love to you night after night in that quaint hotel room.” Perhaps his imagination was getting the better of him. “Can you cope with a tarnished reputation?” His reputation was so tarnished, no amount of polishing would remove the blemishes. “Can you cope with receiving the cut direct?” Despite his teasing, he would do his utmost to ensure it never came to that.
Miss Vale swallowed. Numerous times her gaze drifted to his lips. “I believe someone murdered my cousin, Mr Trent. Had the villain got his way, I would be ruined for any other man.”
Not for him.
The thought invaded his mind,
lay siege to his restraint. He accepted that people had flaws, else would he not be the greatest hypocrite?
“What sort of person would I be if, knowing all of that, I let fear dissuade me from my cause?” Miss Vale spoke in earnest. “But equally, I know my limitations. I need you, sir. I need your help if I am to gain justice for Mr Vale and Mr Farrow, justice for myself.”
Did she know how her words spoke to his heart? No one had ever needed him. No one had ever wanted him.
“It seems your honesty can break down barriers, Miss Vale.”
At the present moment, he feared he might do anything she asked. But if she wanted to feel blood pumping wildly in her veins, to risk everything to gain justice for a man he deemed unworthy, who was he to argue?
“After hearing scathing untruths from my parents, Mr Trent, I respect those who are candid.”
For a moment, he could do nothing but stare. It was as though she had stolen into his mind, read from the script he’d forged over his lifetime. He considered telling her to call him Lawrence or Trent, but for both their sakes they should maintain a degree of formality.
“Then I shall speak plainly. When we visit Mr Bradley tomorrow, you must not use your real name. While we know his brother was a member of the Brethren, we know nothing of this man’s affiliations.”
And while Mrs Crandall seemed convinced Isaac Bradley was a quiet, scholarly man, her word could not be trusted.
Miss Vale put her hand to her chest. “No doubt you’re right, but what name would I use? It has to be something I’m unlikely to forget.”
“One that will make people overlook your unconventional habits. It would be better to create a different persona. Might I suggest that of a young widow? Few will believe that a woman with your attractive countenance would choose spinsterhood.”
The batting of her lashes was the only sign she appreciated the compliment. “Miss Trimble is a spinster and is remarkably graceful. I lost count of the times gentlemen ogled her during dinner.”
Lawrence arched a brow. “Are you certain it was Miss Trimble who captured their attention?”
“Undoubtedly. Miss Trimble oozes a confidence that is highly infectious. She is proficient in five languages and extremely well-travelled.”
“And why is she staying at Jaunay’s?” Was she there to meet her French lover?
“I have no notion. I did not ask for fear of revealing my reasons for venturing to town. But she is generous to a fault and insisted on paying for my meal.”
Suspicion flared.
Swindlers looked for opportunities to lure the unsuspecting into their traps. After he had secured rooms at Jaunay’s, he would be interested in meeting Miss Trimble. “Miss Trimble is a lady of means?”