Page 67 of A Lady's Dangerous Secret
Charlotte tipped up her chin. “It’s not up to you to determine what I should concern myself with. You can’t make these decisions for me.” Charlotte poked his chest with her finger.
“You’re still healing.”
“I’m improving. What do you think the stress of not knowing what’s going on is doing to my healing?” Charlotte retorted.
James crossed his arms and glared down at her. Charlotte lifted her chin even higher.
“The truth is much worse.”
“You infuriating man. If you truly want to marry me, there can’t be secrets. I will not wed someone who is not honest with me.” Charlotte sat with a huff while guarding her left arm.
The muscle in James’s clenched jaw pulsated. “You’re not going to marry me, because I’m trying to protect you?”
Charlotte shot to her feet again and neglected to take care of her arm. “Ouch!”
James immediately moved toward her with his arms outstretched.
“Don’t touch me. You just admitted that you’re withholding information from me.”
James ran his hand through his hair and took a step backward. He let out a prolonged sigh. “Please sit down, Lottie.”
Charlotte eyed him warily but gingerly returned to her seat. Her arm throbbed. James positioned himself on the edge of the adjacent settee. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs and clasped his hands. “God, you’re a stubborn woman.”
“You’re just noticing that now?”
James chuckled and shook his head. “Not at all. I love your passion, in all forms.” His eyes raked over her body and lingered at her chest.
“James!” Charlotte’s cheeks flushed. She scanned the room and made note of Bailey, who dutifully sat in the farthest corner immersed in her sewing. She must have slipped in while Charlotte’s mind was consumed with the man before her.
James’s face became somber. He leaned back and tried to make himself comfortable. Whether it was the information he was going to impart or his military training, James did not look one bit relaxed. Charlotte fiddled with her fingers while she waited for him to begin. Before he started, he glanced at Bailey, then asked, “Perhaps you would like some tea?”
He made a good point. “Bailey, fetch us tea and biscuits. You can leave the door cracked open for propriety.”
“Yes, milady.” Bailey curtseyed. Charlotte could see her lady’s maid bite her cheek so as not to respond with a quip. It was always an effort on both their parts to maintain the strict roles of mistress and servant that Society made them play.
“As you are aware, the Bow Street Runners and my father’s solicitors are looking for irrefutable proof of my parents’ marriage. In addition, the Runners are trying to determine who Roberts and those hired killers worked for.” James paused.
“And?” Charlotte inched to the edge of her seat anxiously.
“They found paperwork hidden by Roberts. It seems he would hide one or two pieces of information in various locations with the hope of making it more difficult to discover all the pieces. The Runners searched his office and his private quarters, took apart furniture, and looked behind walls and under floorboards. They found pieces of hidden evidence. Who knows what else is hidden elsewhere. From what they have found thus far, it confirms that he had a long history of criminal dealings. It’s shocking no one discovered this until now.”
“What is it?” Charlotte champed at the bit.
“I’m getting there. On one of the discovered papers, the Runners found a flame stamped on the paper without a signature. When the magistrate looked over the body of the man who tried to kill you at the Rowley Ball, he found a small flame tattoo on his wrist. At the time, I thought nothing of it. Once the Runners discovered the symbol on the paper, I had them show it to the magistrate, and he agreed it was identical to the man’s tattoo. Apparently, the Runners have been tracking this flame symbol for years because it’s been associated with many criminal activities, including during the war with Napoleon. They think it representsle Diable.
“The devil?”
“Yes, the King of France’s underworld.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened.
“Can you see why I was waiting to tell you about this?Le Diableis the reason I have men stationed around the house, watching you constantly.”
Charlotte nodded in disbelief while panic spread through her body. She finally found her voice again. “What else do you know?”
“Not as much as I’d like.” James’s eyes darkened. “I did learnle Diablewas busy during the war.Les flammeswere found in any country Napoleon touched and in England as well.”
“The flames?”
