Silence Breaking

26. Fragrant Yellow Flower in the Happy Moonlight

Mr Rikkard Ambrose stepped from the shadows of the trees like a wraith from the bowels of the underworld – only that wraiths from the underworld probably were a lot more warm and friendly. The way he was looking at me...

I was in trouble.

Big trouble.

'Interrupting?' I smiled a smile so bright it nearly hurt my face. 'Good heavens, no! Why would you be interrupting anything? There's nothing here to interrupt. I'm totally uninterruptable.'

'Pleased to hear it, Miss Linton. Captain.' He gave the captain a nod so sharp I was surprised it didn't cut the poor man's head off. 'Miss Linton, do you perchance know where your brother is?' His cold eyes pierced me. 'I need to talk to him about a certain business matter.'

I swallowed. 'I'll help you find him. You don't mind that I leave you to yourself, Captain, do you?'

'No, by all means go look for your brother.' He gave me a nod, his eyes darting back and forth between Mr Rikkard Ambrose and me. 'We'll talk later.'

I felt his cold gaze burning into me.

Don't be too sure about that. First, I have to survive the next half hour.

'Yes. We'll talk later.'

And Captain Carter – the bloody brave, foolish man – reached out and gave my hand a gentle squeeze goodbye. I could practically feel the air freeze around me. The good captain, however, noticed nothing whatsoever, and with a last 'Au revoir, Miss Linton,' strode off towards the house.

There were a few long, long moments of silence.

'Au revoir?' enquired an icy voice from beside me. I didn't dare to look at him. What if he –

Before I could finish the thoughts, hard hands grabbed me and whirled me through the air. In a flash, we were among the trees, hidden from view. My back slammed up against the trunk of the tree, my front against him. I was caged in, unable to escape. Breathing hard, I gazed up into his deep, dark, dangerous eyes.

'Now, Mr Ambrose, Sir...don't go jumping to any conclusions.' I cleared my throat. 'I don't know how long you were watching us. You might have seen us, um...standing rather close–'

'I did.'

Oh crap.

'–and holding hands–'

'I did.'

Double crap.

'–but that doesn't mean that he and I...you know...'

He cocked his head like snow leopard contemplating the best way to tear out a throat. He was so close to me. So terribly close. 'Pretend for moment I am very ignorant and do not know, Miss Linton. Why don't you explain it to me?'

Bloody son of a bachelor!

Heat rose to my cheeks. Why, dammit? I had done nothing wrong!

'He...Captain Carter had something to ask me. Something private.'

'Indeed?'

'It's not what you think! I didn't say yes! I couldn't, I–'

'I know.'

I blinked up at him, thrown off track. 'You...you do?'

'Certainly.' Leaning closer, he nailed me to the tree with his stare. 'I heard every word.'

'You did?'

'Of course.'

'Then...why are you so...' I looked at him. The word 'angry' was on the tip of my tongue. But it wasn't the right word. For the look in his eyes, I needed a different word. A word that was a thousand times more terrible. A word that made me shiver inside, that caused my heart to melt and my bones to freeze. '...displeased?'