Judith Stacy - Written In The Heart

“Stop, Miss Sommerfield.”

He appeared at her side, jogging along with her. Caroline’s heart jumped into her throat.

“Go away!”

“No, wait. Stop.”

“Leave me alone!” Breathless, she hugged her free hand to her stomach. She could hardly keep going.

“Just stop,” he said. “Please.”

She slowed simply because she couldn’t take another step. Stephen stopped, too, and it annoyed her that he wasn’t even breathing hard, while she was panting like a steam engine.

“What do you want?” she demanded.

“I came to see if you still wanted the job.”

“Oh! Of all the nerve!” Caroline headed off down the street again.

“And—” he blocked her path “—and to…apologize.”

Caroline put her nose in the air and turned her head away.

“Look, Miss Sommerfield, I was misinformed about your…purpose for coming to my home tonight,” Stephen said. “Richard told me you were just what I needed, so when I saw you I thought—”

“—that I looked like a common streetwalker?” Caroline tossed her head. “Well, thank you very much.”

She whirled away and started off again.

Stephen caught up with her and put himself in front of her, forcing her to stop.

“No, that is not what I thought,” he said. “It’s just that it’s been a long time since I—”

Stephen curled his hand into a fist and pressed it against his forehead. “Let me start again. You see, Miss Sommerfield—”

“Oh, never mind.” Caroline dropped her satchel, finally catching her breath. “It’s my fault, anyway. Not yours.”

“Your fault?”

“Yes, mine. Mine, for trusting Mr. Paxton. For being foolish enough to come to your house at night. For thinking you were an upstanding, decent businessman.” Caroline nodded emphatically. “Believe me, I will not make any of those mistakes again.”

Stephen pushed his fingers through his hair, watching her, obviously holding in words that itched to be spoken. Finally, he said, “Regardless of all that’s happened, Miss Sommerfield, I am in need of a—What are you again?”

“A graphologist.”

He waved expansively. “The position is still available. Are you interested in discussing it?”

Her eyes widened. “You expect me to work for you? Now? After all that’s happened?”

“Richard thinks you’re good at what you do,” Stephen told her. “But, frankly, that remains to be seen.”

“You won’t find a better graphologist than me,” Caroline said.

He doubted he’d find a graphologist at all, actually. But he didn’t want to go hunting for one. Not when he had this one standing in front of him, who was exactly what he needed.

“Well, are you interested or not?” he asked.

Caroline pressed her lips together, thinking. Was she being a fool twice in the same night to even consider going back to his house?

Here in the soft light of the streetlamps, Stephen Monterey didn’t look so intimidating. The breeze had blown his hair over his forehead and his chase after her had disheveled his tuxedo.

He had apologized. Mix-ups happened; she understood that.

And she did need the job. Aunt Eleanor had more parties, teas and dinners scheduled, more eligible bachelors to parade her in front of. If one of them actually took an interest in her she’d never fulfill her dream of working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

“I don’t have all night to stand around out here, Miss Sommerfield. Are you interested in discussing the job or not?”

There was something dangerous about Stephen Monterey. Not because of what had nearly happened at his house just now. She wasn’t frightened of him, not in a physical sense. If he’d wanted to hurt her, or force himself on her, he’d had opportunity to do so in his office, and there was nothing to stop him from taking what he wanted at this moment.

No, the danger in Stephen Monterey was something deeper. Something that could seep into her soul. Caroline couldn’t put a name to it. But it tugged at her, nibbled at her already, though she’d only just met him.

“All right, look,” Stephen said. “Come back to the house. We’ll discuss the position there.”

Caroline shook her head. “No, I don’t think I should.”

She felt his stare bore into her, and she could see he was displeased that she’d turned him down so easily. Stephen Monterey was a man used to getting his way.

“You can’t stand out here on the street all night.” The tiniest hint of a smile twisted his lips. “Somebody might get the wrong idea.”

She couldn’t argue with that. Even if Stephen went on his way and left her here, she still needed to get back to Aunt Eleanor’s.

“Come back to the house,” Stephen said again. “I’ll have my driver take you home.”

She’d be wiser to leave now, at this moment. To walk the streets until dawn, if that’s what it took to get home—and away from this man.

They gazed at each other in the dim light of the streetlamp, until Caroline felt herself being drawn to him so intensely it startled her.

But Stephen broke eye contact first and shuffled his feet. “Well, Miss Sommerfield?”

“All right,” she finally said. “I’ll come to your house for a ride home. But nothing more. No talk of hats and shoes and…desktops.”

Stephen pulled in a quick breath and looked pained for a second or two. Then he grabbed up her satchel and held it in front of him.

“Certainly. Go ahead, Miss Sommerfield. I’ll follow you.”

She found Richard Paxton pacing the office when she returned to the house, with Stephen maintaining a discreet distance behind her.

“Miss Sommerfield, I’m terribly sorry about what happened,” Richard said, coming forward.

He was a pleasant-looking man, nearly as tall as Stephen and close to the same age. He had dark hair, and blue eyes that at the moment reflected the sincerity in his words.

“I’m to blame,” Richard said. “I didn’t make clear to Stephen exactly what my gift was.”

“Gift?” Caroline looked back and forth between the two men.

“Yes,” Richard said. “Today is Stephen’s birthday.”

“Your birthday?” She turned to him.

“Yes, and so far it’s been a hell of a disappointment,” Stephen grumbled. “Miss Sommerfield is going home. I instructed Charles to have the carriage brought around for her.”

Caroline stood across the room from the two men as an awkward silence enveloped them all. She willed herself not to look at Stephen, but her gaze darted his way just the same. He watched her. Studied her, actually, like a cat waiting at a mouse hole.

“Can I offer you some refreshment?” Richard asked.

“No, thank you,” Caroline replied.

Another silence stretched in the office. Stephen began pacing behind his desk. She tried to ignore him. In fact, she wanted desperately to ignore him, but he kept looking at her, making her uncomfortable.

After a few moments he stopped.

“You may as well go ahead and show me what this graphology is all about, Miss Sommerfield,” Stephen said. “You’re already here and have to wait for the carriage, anyway.”

It was a reasonable suggestion and, in a way, she was almost relieved to have something to focus on, rather than endure Stephen’s stares.

“Well, all right,” Caroline said. “I guess I may as well.”

Richard picked up her satchel, which Stephen had left by the door. “Where would you like to work, Miss Sommerfield? The desk?”

Caroline’s gaze collided with Stephen’s.

“No!” they said in unison.

Stephen groaned softly and sank into a wing chair in the corner.

“How about this table?” Richard suggested.