Page 27 of Loving Graystoke's Heir

The call that reached Harold Graystoke had him strangling the Diamante Fountain Pen in his hand. “Arrested for poaching? Are your men forgetting what I told them?”

He listened as the man stammered out some kind of an answer, but Harold didn’t let him go on too long.

“Were any of our clients with them?”

“No... no, sir. The men were… scouting some new locations to take the clients on their hunts. Only one of the men was captured, sir. The others got away clean.”

Harold felt a vein pop out of his temple. “You say the word ‘clean,’ but I’m not sure you really understand what it means. Now that he’s been arrested, the police have his name. The other men, they are associated with him. They’ll be found if anyone decides to investigate.” He tapped the tip of his pen on his desk and hit it so hard that it broke, staining the polished wood with ink. “I’m going to have to throw some money at this. A lot of money. So, don’t think you’re free and clear.

“I’m going to expect your men to be extremely careful, and if people come close enough to engage them again, they better not run.”

“Sir? What are you saying?”

“If someone tries to engage them on a hunt, they have guns, they know what to do.”

“Mister Gray-”

“Don’t you dare say my name.”

The other end remained quiet.

“You tell them to make sure no one can say a word against them.”

Silence still.

“Do. You. Hear. Me?”

“Yes, sir. I hear you.”

“Good.” Harold tossed the pen into his trash. “Make sure that you don’t make a mess of this. I pay you enough to make sure of that.”

The phone call ended with a soft click.

* * *

Even though they had more time on their patrol, the group remained in camp and the next group started out early.

Tamsin rallied before Donal returned to the camp. She helped the cook prepare the evening meal. The older man had a sly grin and the most endearing singing voice. He moved around the kitchen like every moment was a joy and Tamsin found his mood lifting her own. By the time they were nearly ready to serve, he’d let her have a few grilled pieces of amadumbe and she was hoping that there might be a few pieces left over when the group had been fed. When he had her cut the root into mid-sized slices to put on the grill, he’d told her she’d like it. And he’d been right. The taste and consistency reminded her of sweet potatoes, and she really loved sweet potatoes.

Footfalls behind her didn’t set her nerves on edge, but when she felt her skin prickle with awareness, she knew that Donal had returned to camp.

The scent of soap was fresh on his skin, and he looked better in what she assumed was his own clothes.

His presence felt like electricity surrounding her body and she couldn’t believe how much she wanted to lean against him and feel that electricity crawl all over her from head to toe. With that tickling her senses she could easily forget all the years and miles that had come between them, but there were still so many questions.

So many questions she wanted to ask.

So many questions she didn’t want to ask, but desperately needed to know.

“Is there any bread?”

Is that all he had to say to her?

She felt her jaw tighten up and she rushed through the rest of her preparation. When she’d put all of the grilled root on the platter, she picked it up and headed out of the kitchen.

“Hey!”

Donal jogged after her and she heard the cook’s laughter, but it didn’t stop her from reaching the main table and setting down her platter and covering it with a cloth.

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