Silence Breaking

33. Early Christmas Present

'She's coming back! She's coming back!'

I could hear Adaira's excited cries even though the coach was still pretty far away from the manor house. When I had explained our little ruse to her, the youngest member of the Ambrose family had happily agreed to participate in a little playacting. By the sound of it, she was doing an excellent job.

Next to me, Karim scowled and gripped his sabre more tightly.

'Relax,' I told him. 'As long as I'm guarded around the clock, what can Dalgliesh do?'

He gave me a stare that could have made any man quake in his boots.

How lucky for me that I'm not a man, then.

'Dalgliesh is one man,' he told me. 'India is millions upon millions upon millions. And yet he rules with an iron fist. He is dangerous. He is ruthless. Do not let down your guard.'

I blinked. Was that...concern I had just heard in his voice? Surely not.

'I won't.'

Was that my voice, sounding so uncharacteristically soft? Christmas must be having a bad influence on me.

When the coach rolled to a stop in front of Battlewood Hall, Adaira wasn't the only one waiting for me. Mr Ambrose was there, as was his mother, smiling brightly, and–

Oh dear.

His father.

Who was not smiling brightly.

Before I could come up with an excuse to stay inside the coach, Karim jumped out, unfolded the steps and held the door open for me. Taking a deep breath, I started to descend.

'Miss Linton! I'm so glad you're back!' Adaira was the first to greet me – with a bone-crushing hug instead of a curtsy, which earned her an icy stare of disapproval from her father. He was altogether looking not very approving of the situation.

'Miss Linton?' Stepping forward, he sketched a brief bow. The kind of bow Alexander the Great might have given a lady. It said clearly I'm showing you respect, but only because I feel like it. If I wanted to, I could crush you in an instant.

I curtsied. It wasn't a very deep curtsy. 'Your Lordship.'

Icy, sea-coloured eyes raked me from top to bottom. If I had been unprepared, I might have been intimidated. But I'd had over a year of training. I didn't flinch, even when his gaze bored into mine. 'My wife has spoken very fondly of you, Miss Linton.'

'She has?'

'Oh yes, indeed. She has spoken of you a lot. So has my daughter.'

Oh? Did she mention the time she caught your son and me in bed together?

'How nice.'

'Interestingly enough, even Lord Dalgliesh speaks of you.'

'Oh?'

Less nice! A lot less nice!

Though right now I thought I might even prefer Lord Dalgliesh's company over that of this polished marble monolith of aristocracy. At least in Lord Dalgliesh's case I knew which kind of evil villain I was dealing with.

'So I thought it was time,' the marquess continued, 'for me to come out and personally meet this young lady who seems to have caught everyone's attention.'

I waited for more – in vain. He didn't say anything. He just stood there, scrutinising me in silence. It felt like being laid open with a fillet knife. Only instead of a knife, he was using his gaze. And instead of being prepared for roasting, I was being frozen.