"Of course not. She would only worry if she found out there were villains about. Aunt Effie tends to fret about things like that."
"She's not alone in her reaction. I can fully comprehend her feelings on the matter."
Harriet ignored that. "In any event, she has enough on her mind right now. I have promised to try to find a way to give my sister, Felicity, a Season, you see, and Aunt Effie is concentrating on that project."
Gideon's brows rose. " You are trying to finance a Season for your sister? By yourself?"
Harriet heaved a small sigh. "Obviously I cannot do so on my own. The small pension my father left does not stretch far. I supplement it from time to time by selling a few of my fossils, but there is simply no way I could afford a Season for Felicity on what I obtain by that method. However, I have a plan."
"Somehow I am not surprised to hear that."
She beamed enthusiastically. "I have hopes that Aunt Adelaide can be persuaded to help out, now that her miser of a husband has conveniently passed on to his reward. He accumulated a fortune, you see, and contrary to his expectations, he was quite unable to take it with him. Aunt Adelaide will soon take control of everything."
"I see. And you are hoping she will finance your sister's Season?"
Harriet chuckled, obviously pleased with her scheme. "If we can get Felicity to London, I feel certain we can get her married off. My sister is not at all like me. She is actually quite stunning. The men will fall at her feet in droves with offers. But in order to bring that off, I must get her to London. The Marriage Mart, you know."
"I know."
"Yes, indeed." Harriet's expression turned shrewd. "We must dangle Felicity like a ripe plum in front of the Beau Monde and hope that some obliging gentleman will pluck her from the tree."
Gideon set his teeth, remembering all too well his own brief experience of the London Season several years earlier. "I am well aware of how the system works, Miss Pomeroy."
Harriet turned pink. "Yes, I imagine you are, my lord. Well, then, back to this matter of cleaning out my caves."
"Tell me, Miss Pomeroy, have you discussed your findings with anyone else?"
"No. Once I realized that I could not trust Mr. Crane, I was afraid to mention my observations to anyone else. I was concerned that anyone I took into my confidence might, in all innocence, feel obliged to go straight to Crane. If that were to happen, the evidence could be made to disappear. In addition, to be quite honest, I do not particularly want anyone else in that cavern."
"Hmm." Gideon studied her in silence for a long moment as he contemplated what she had just told him. There was no denying Harriet Pomeroy was serious. He could no longer dismiss her as a madwoman or an amusing eccentric. "You are convinced you have seen stolen goods in that cave, are you not?"
"Absolutely positive." Harriet lifted her chin. "Sir, it is very important to me that you act at once to clear those villains out of there. I must insist you deal with the matter as quickly as possible. It is your responsibility to do so."
Gideon allowed his voice to become very gentle. Those who knew him well generally ran for cover when he used this particular tone. "You insist, Miss Pomeroy?"
"I fear I really must." Harriet appeared totally oblivious to the soft menace in his words. "Those villains are in my way, you see."
Gideon wondered if he was losing the thread of the conversation again. "Your way? I do not understand."
She gave him an impatient look. "They are in the way of my explorations, sir. I am most anxious to search that cave for fossils, but I have hesitated to do so until the thieves have been gotten rid of. There is a possibility that if I start work in there now with my mallet and chisel, the villains will notice someone has been in the cavern."
"Good God." Gideon forgot his annoyance over her attempt to order him into action. Her impetuosity was of much graver concern. "If only half of what you are telling me is true, you are not to even think of going anywhere near that cave again, Miss Pomeroy."
"Oh, it is quite safe to go there during the day. The thieves frequent the place only at night. Now, then, about our plans to capture this ring of criminals. I have a scheme you may be interested in hearing. You probably have some ideas of your own, of course. It will be best if we work together on this."
"Miss Pomeroy, apparently you did not hear me." Gideon got to his feet and took one stride forward so that he was towering over the desk.
He braced both hands on the mahogany surface and leaned over it in what he was well aware was a thoroughly intimidating fashion. Harriet was forced to gaze straight up into his savagely scarred face. Her eyes widened in surprise at his unexpected tactics, but she did not appear unduly alarmed.
"I heard you, my lord." She started to draw back.
Gideon halted the small attempt at retreat by reaching out to catch Harriet's chin on the edge of his hand. He realized with a rush of sudden pleasure that her skin was very smooth and incredibly soft. He also realized just how very delicate she was. The fine bones of her jaw felt fragile in his massive hand.
"Let me be quite plain," Gideon growled, not bothering to conceal his intent behind a polite facade. Harriet Pomeroy would run roughshod over a polite facade. "You are not to go anywhere near those cliffs again until I have had a chance to consider this entire matter in more detail and have determined upon a course of actions. Is that quite clear, Miss Pomeroy?"
Harriet's lips parted on what Gideon knew was going to be a protest. But before she could voice it, she was interrupted by a shattering scream from the doorway. Harriet jumped and turned toward the door. Gideon followed her gaze.
"Mrs. Stone," Harriet said, sounding thoroughly annoyed.
"God in heaven, it be him. The Beast of Blackthorne Hall." Mrs. Stone's trembling hand went to her throat. She stared in horror and revulsion at Gideon. "So ye've come back, ye lecherous, murderous bastard. How dare ye put yer hands on another pure lady? Run, Miss Harriet. Run for yer life."
Gideon felt his stomach clench in fury. He released Harriet and took a determined step toward the woman. "Silence, you old biddy."
"No, don't touch me," Mrs. Stone shrieked. "Don't come near me, you monster. Oooh." Her eyes rolled up in her head and she slid heavily to the floor in a dead faint.
Gideon stared at the fallen woman in disgust. Then he glanced back over his shoulder at Harriet to see how she was taking this. She sat gazing at the housekeeper's still form in dismay.
"Good heavens," Harriet said.
"Now you see why I do not spend a great deal of time in the vicinity of Upper Biddleton, Miss Pomeroy," Gideon said bleakly. "I am not held in high esteem in these parts. There are, in fact, one or two people such as Mrs. Stone, here, who would just as soon see me dead."
Chapter Two
"Lord, but that woman is a constant trial." Harriet got to her feet and hastened over to Mrs. Stone's side. She went down on her knees beside the fallen housekeeper. "She usually keeps her vinaigrette about her somewhere. Ah, here we are."
Harriet withdrew the tiny bottle from a voluminous pocket in Mrs. Stone's gray gown. She paused to look up at Gideon before holding the vinaigrette under the woman's nose. "Perhaps it would be best if you were not looming over her when she comes to her senses. The sight of you is apparently what set her off this time."
Gideon gazed grimly down at the housekeeper. "You are no doubt correct. I shall take my leave, Miss Pomeroy. Before I go, however, I will repeat what I was saying when we were interrupted. You are not to go near the cliff caves until I have sorted out this business of the thieves. Is that quite clear?"