He was suppose to protect his heart, not lose his own...
Callen has always had a stoke of luck with everything. The ladies to his missions, he succeeded in them all.
But all Callens luck strikes out, Literally...
When a daring mission cost his life...
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Several hours after the confrontation with her aunt, Elizabeth realised how difficult a task she'd set herself.
The cold Callen was back.
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He didn't even glance her way as he entered the dining room, pulled a chair out, then took a seat; while she- an admiring breath leaked past her lips-couldn't pull her gaze away. Gracious heavens. If she'd thought him handsome in pirate garb, he was twice that dressed all in formal black. The colour made him appear more bronzed, his eyes more blue, his hair more golden than brown. No wonder Mary Crew had fallen all over herself when relaying the take of hoe she'd spied him in the street last year. At the time Elizabeth dismissed the girls ramblings as slightly delusional, even going so far as to call her a twit. Indeed, Mary had only caught a brief glimpse of him, but if anything, Mary had severely understated Callen's charms.
"Ahem."
Elizabeth started, then reluctantly tore her gaze away.
Aunt Katherine stared at her as if she'd been caught with her petticoats down. Elizabeth looked away.
The seating arrangement for dinner had been chosen by her aunt, thereby putting Callen on the opposite end of the table, Edward to her right, her aunt to her left. Katherine had thrown a tall epergne bearing roses and white tulips between them for good measure. It wouldn't be so bad except that even with all the table's leaves removed, the table still resembled a cricket field. She looked down its long length and tried not to squint. A spyglass would be helpful.
It was a sentiment which was to repeat itself as she strained to listen to any fragment of conversation which happened to drift on lazy air currents her way. She leaned forward, tilting her head to catch Callen's response to her aunts latest question.
"What . . .like to know . . .lady?" was his faint reply.
"Well, for one thing I'd like to know how you propose to find out if Mr. Barrow is actually the countess's solicitor. The sooner we return home, the safer I will feel."
Elizabeth heard her aunt's response clearly enough, which was why she thought she might have misheard Callen when he replied, ". . .going to ask him."
