Page 56 of His Scandalous Viscountess
Lucifer nodded, a crisp movement that revealed far more than she thought he’d prefer. “How would you describe his demeanor?”
She paused for a moment, considering her recent interactions with the man. “He is a bit dark, and quite irreverent at times. But he is steady and dependable, and his sense of honor is stronger than most peers of the realm.”
Lucifer smiled. “Do you like him?”
She blinked. “Do I like him?”
“Yes, do you like having him around, meeting him, chatting with him?”
His dark eyes bore into her, as though seeking out every last detail he could unearth.
“I don’t really speak to him, in particular. But I shall say my sister Ros seems to have a fondness for him. I often walk into a room and find them engaged in quiet conversation, though it usually ceases once they realize I am there.”
Lucifer sat a moment and considered her response. “One last question. Do you trust him?”
Julia answered without hesitation. “Implicitly.”
Lucifer cocked his head. “Why?”
“You said one last question.”
She tried to hide her smile. It amused her that a simple, one-word answer did not satisfy him.
He waved his hand in the air, as though swatting a fly. “The why was inherent in the original question. Your terse answer left me little choice but to articulate it.”
She considered his question a moment. The truth of her answer rang through her in an unexpected peal, and had she not been sitting, it might have sent her to her knees. “I trust him because the two people I care most about in this world do. And in a moment when most men would have stepped back, he stepped forward and offered my sister the protection she needed. And he continues to provide her that shelter, even now. He may not embody the commonly accepted vision of a British hero, but somehow, he serves as my sister’s.”
A strange look danced through Lucifer’s gaze as he stared at her. She might have labeled it jealousy, but he was far too practical a man to bother himself with such an emotion. As quickly as it appeared, it was gone.
A knock on the office door shattered the moment.
“Come in.” Lucifer beckoned, though he remained where he was.
Curious about who might be joining them, she turned in her seat, peeking around the wingback-style chair. She gasped in surprise. “Wolf!”
Her voice caught his attention immediately, though from the frown marring his handsome face, she gathered he was not as pleased to see her as she was to see him.
“What are you doing here?” His demand was laced with surprise, fear, and quite a bit of anger.
Julia knew instantly what Lucifer had been about. “I imagine the same thing you are.”
Wolf’s right brow lifted. “You came here alone, to meet with him?”
He pointed at Lucifer, who sat smugly in his chair.
Annoyed with his overly imperious tone, Julia harrumphed. “Oh, do come and sit down. All this craning around the chair to look at you is giving my neck a spasm.”
Wolf grunted, but joined their little group, taking a seat in the empty chair. “I assume you sent her the same note I received?”
Lucifer offered a devious grin. “Indeed. It seems I timed the deliveries well. Now that I have received payment, I shall provide the information promised.”
Julia cast a glance at Wolf and noticed that his frown had gotten worse, the expression seeming to carve into his face where his brows drew together. And she imagined this was all part of Lucifer’s plan.
But why? Why have this little drama play out in such a fashion?
“I believe you were about to share the informationwewere summoned here to receive?”
“Of course.” Lucifer paused a moment, looked at a paper on his desk, and then back up at her. “Lord Wallthorpe has been here and a number of other establishments over the last few weeks. He has been playing deep and losing. With few exceptions, I’ve seen this type of behavior enough times,” he cast a speculative glance at her, “to know what the cause of it is. Considering he owes me one hundred thousand pounds, and that he owes Callaghan sixty thousand, I can only imagine his total debt is monstrous. I dug around after realizing the magnitude of his potential problems to see if he is as solvent as his gambling suggests.”
