Amanda Scott - [Dangerous 04] Read Free Page B

please?”
    He did so at once, and when he looked up, his eyes were wide with astonishment. “I’ve never heard of such a thing,” he exclaimed. “Your father must be—” He broke off, flushing deeply.
    “As you clearly were about to say, sir,” Letty said smoothly, “my father must be fully confident of my ability. I promise you—as it was not necessary for me to promise him—that although he grants me full access to his London accounts, I shall not beggar him.”
    “No, no, I am quite certain … That is to say, this is all very unusual, and I hope you will not hesitate to send for me if you have questions about anything, my lady. Your father clearly believes you possess an understanding superior to that of most young women, but he cannot realize how easily some unscrupulous person might take advantage of so inexperienced a … a young person of either gender.”
    “That is precisely why I want you to describe my exact responsibilities, Mr. Clifford,” Letty said with a patience she did not feel. “I readily admit that I do not know all the laws, or even which ones specifically pertain to my house. I am not inexperienced in other matters, however, and I can assure you that I shall attend competently to anyone for whose welfare I am responsible.”
    Angry chattering erupted in the outer office, and at almost the same moment, the door between the two chambers burst open and Mr. Fox said urgently, “I beg your pardon, sir! That is, I regret to say … Please, sir, there is a wild beast let loose and a young person chasing it. I can deal with most things, as you know, but monkeys in law offices is something I don’t, and won’t, hold with, sir.”
    Mr. Clifford leapt to his feet. “Monkeys!”
    Also rising, albeit with less haste, Letty said calmly, “Only one, sir. I am afraid he belongs to me.” Raising her voice, she said, “Come, Jeremiah. I am here.”
    As the little monkey darted into the room and leapt to Letty’s arms, Jenifry Breton appeared in the doorway behind him and said ruefully, “I’m sorry, my lady. I attached his chain to his collar, but he unhooked himself, the little scamp. Then he got away, and when that man opened the front door, he just dashed inside.”
    “Never mind now, Jen,” Letty said with a chuckle. “At least he did not get his hands on my pistol.” Noting Mr. Clifford’s scandalized expression, she said, “I was only teasing, sir.”
    “It relieves my mind to hear that you don’t carry a pistol, my lady.”
    “Oh, but I do carry one,” Letty said. “That is to say, I generally keep it in my coach when we travel. My mother gave it to me,” she added demurely. “Jeremiah would never take it, though. I daresay the traffic frightened him, that’s all.”
    “Indeed,” Mr. Clifford said dryly. “Well, I trust that the others for whom you are so quick to take responsibility will prove more manageable than he is.”

TWO
    V ISCOUNT RAVENTHORPE STRODE SWIFTLY up the Strand toward St. James’s. He had dismissed his carriage before entering the solicitor’s office, for he had not wanted to advertise his presence there either by leaving it standing at the curb or by having it go round and round the block. The Strand at Villiers Street was not a back slum by any means, but a nobleman’s carriage would nonetheless soon draw notice.
    He was a tall man, over six feet. Thus his long stride would cover the distance between Clifford’s office and Brooks’s Club in good time. Despite his carefully expressionless demeanor, his thoughts were in such turmoil that at Charing Cross he nearly stepped into the path of a team pulling a heavy dray wagon.
    An urchin’s cry of, “Hold up there, mister,” brought his head up just in time to avoid disaster. Tossing a sixpence to the delighted lad, Raventhorpe paused just long enough for the dray to pass before striding on again into Cockspur Lane and Pall Mall, his long coat flapping around his ankles as he went.
    He wondered if