Page 34 of The Hired Hero
“Well?” A mop of unruly brown hair hung over a high forehead, framing a slender, almost delicate face whose high cheekbones and pale complexion only added to the ethereal appearance of the young man framed in the doorway.
His dark hazel eyes, by far the most striking feature of his visage, were narrowed in annoyance until the fellow suddenly recognized the earl.
“Julian!” he exclaimed, laying aside a sable brush and absently wiping his hand on the front of his paint-spattered linen shirt. “Lud, what?—”
Davenport took Caroline by the elbow and brushed past his friend, drawing the door shut behind them. “Sorry to intrude on you, Jeremy. I know how much you dislike being interrupted in your work.”
Caroline found herself facing a large artist’s canvas, which was resting precariously on a rickety easel. It depicted a landscape with the sea in the background—and was rendered in a style of great originality and imagination. The light and colors were delicate but dazzling, wrought with a passion and technical skill that took her breath away.
“Oh,” she said impulsively. “What a marvelous work!”
The earl gave an involuntary smile. “I see you have gained a new admirer. Trust me, she doesn’t often voice a compliment.”
“She?” His friend regarded Davenport’s disheveled state, then shifted his gaze to the boyish figure beside him. “You aren’t by any chance foxed, are you, Julian?”
The earl snorted in disgust. “You know me better than that. Why do you ask such a stupid question?”
The young man’s brows arched as he looked again at Davenport’s companion. “She?” he repeated.
“Oh, that. Perhaps we should sit down, Jeremy,” advised Davenport. “I suppose explanations are in order.”
The earl’s friend motioned to a couple of simple pine chairs arranged around a small table at the back of the cramped room. It was only then that Caroline realized he had only one hand. His other arm ended in a stump shortly below the elbow, and the shirtsleeve was rolled up and pinned closed to keep from flapping in the breeze that was blowing through the window.
With a look that conveyed his acute embarrassment, Jeremy made a bit of room among several stacks of leatherbound books and took a seat on the edge of a narrow wooden bench.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, staring at the floor with an expression Caroline found endearing. “I rarely…entertain.”
That elicited a laugh from the earl. “To say the least.” He glanced around at the cluttered space, which was crammed with rolls of linen, bottles of linseed oil, pigments and jars that were bristling with a variety of brushes in all shapes and sizes. In one corner, a group of finished paintings was carefully slotted into a wooden rack. “You’ve been busy, I see.”
Jeremy nodded. “Thanks to your help, Julian, I?—”
The earl cut him off. “Never mind that now. I’m afraid I have a favor to ask of you.”
The young man’s eyes lit up. “Anything.”
Davenport let out a harried chuckle. “Perhaps you should wait until you hear what it is.”
That finally drew a smile from Jeremy. It made his boyish face look even younger, observed Caroline, though she hadn’t missed the fine lines etched around his eyes and mouth. Light-hearted laughter did not appear to come easily to him.
“It doesn’t matter what it is, Julian. Surely, you know that.”
“First of all, can you take care of Nero for a short time?”
His friend nodded, looking slightly mystified.
“We shall also need to find some clothes for Miss—the young lady here. And I need to borrow a small sum”—he glanced pointedly at Caroline—“which shall be repaid shortly.”
As Jeremy only looked more puzzled, the earl sighed and proceeded to give his friend a brief summary of what had occurred over the last few days.
At the end of the explanation, the young man gave a low whistle and slanted an appraising look, mixed with more than a touch of curiosity, at Caroline. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then hesitated and turned back to Davenport instead.
“I fear I’m not terribly plump in the pocket at the moment, but you are welcome to what I have. As for clothing, what sort of, er, garments do you need?” Again, his eyes strayed to Caroline and her all-too-visible legs.
Davenport gave a short laugh. “A good question.” He cocked his brow inquiringly at her.
“Even though it will no longer fool whoever is…pursuing me, it may be easier for us if I remain dressed as a man,” she replied. “We’ll be able to move about with greater freedom.”
“I have a…friend who has a younger brother. I believe he is about the, er, right size.” Jeremy blushed slightly at the intimation that he had taken note of Caroline’s measurements.
