The Unquiet - J. D. Robb [52]
By the light of day it did seem rather contrived. And he could not have known she would escape at the precise spot where he was. Unless it was close to the place where he had told Nesbitt to bring her. And why would he pummel Nesbitt? That was easy: For allowing her to escape.
She mulled it over and then decided she was using more imagination than sense. Indeed, the sensible part of her could come up with its own reasons to avoid Mr. Chase, every single one of those reasons circling around her proven attraction to charming rogues.
Instead of hurrying out to the front of the shop, Lydia worked in the back. There were bolts of fabric to rewrap and tidy, though that was usually Ida’s job, and the endless paperwork of both paying and sending bills. When she made her third error in addition, Lydia decided that she had best confront this bête noire and send him on his way once and for all.
The front of the shop was lit only by natural light coming through the windows and the glass in the door, so she could see without being seen. Either Mr. Chase had magically shrunk in size or he had handed his post over to a boy.
The child was wearing the white scarf, though, so Lydia assumed that he was the Chase-appointed day guard, as if a child that size could be any real protection.
At the moment he was playing some sort of punching game with another boy that was bound to end up with one in tears or enraged. Lydia shrugged. This, at least, was not her problem.
She turned to go back to the work room when she spied a slip of paper pushed under the door. The seal was tight, so she had to unbolt and open the door a little to free the message.
Dear Mrs. Chernov,
Good morning. Two reliable boys are on duty today. If there is a problem, one will run for help while the other assists you. Later, before dark, I hope to return with information on Nesbitt, who he is working for and what that miscreant hopes to gain.
Your servant, Chase
Two boys?Were they his boys? Was he married? That possibility had not occurred to her before. Certainly a gentleman would not have his sons stand guard. No matter if he was married or not, a gentleman like Mr. Chase did not have marriage in mind when he flirted with a shopkeeper.
Lydia mumbled a string of unkind words in Russian, not sure if she was more angry with herself or the mysterious Mr. Chase. Even if he was her knight in shining armor and not in collusion with Mr. Nesbitt, there was a far more compelling reason to dismiss his attentions. A woman’s reputation was a fragile thing. She had learned that in a hard school.
Besides, she didn’t need some man’s help. Had she not managed well on her own this last year? She could find out who Nesbitt was working for as easily as Mr. Chase could. She could take Ida’s brother with her. Arnold was strong enough to handle the heavy bolts of fabric like they were kindling. Surely he would be all the threat she needed if she could find Nesbitt’s butcher shop.
Three hours later, Ida came to the door of the back room.
“Mrs. Chernov, there are two boys loitering across the street. Should I have Arnold come round and scare them away?”
“No!” Lydia calmed her voice. She should never have told Ida about the near abduction. Now she would see danger everywhere. “I know who asked them to wait there, and they are doing his bidding.” Vague as this was, Ida nodded and went back to work.
A minute later she was back. “Oowee. Mrs. Chernov, come tell me if you know this man. Or if he is bedeviling those boys.”
Lydia came out into the shop and caught sight of Mr. Chase as he crossed the street with the two boys.
“Yes, yes, that’s their . . .” Lydia was at a loss as to how to describe Mr. Chase’s relationship to the boys. She cleared her throat and tried again. “That’s the man who came to my aid last night. I believe the boys work for him and he asked them to watch out in case Nesbitt came back again.”
“Very strange,” Ida mused, her eyes still glued to the three across the street. “He dresses well.” Ida