Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

C ooper hadn’t said anything since he had caught up to her. Noelle was sure her cheeks were bright red, but it wasn’t from the cold. Despite the weather, they were aflame with heat from Cooper. He had been seconds away from kissing her, and she had wanted it far too desperately.

It would have been so easy to have leaned in and met him halfway, but it would have been disastrous had she done so.

Disastrous for her.

For she remembered what it had been like to kiss him the first time. She had enjoyed it far too much and hadn’t even known him then.

Now, she had spent enough time with him to know how thoughtful he could be. She knew how protective he could be. She knew how much she enjoyed his company.

It was becoming far too real, and while she was sure that to him, this was just a bit of fun, she was finding herself becoming more attached than she should have been. Having to continually remind herself that this was nothing more than a facade to further his business interests.

He might be a better man than she had initially thought, but he was still a businessman and fixated on getting ahead.

He was walking beside her silently, likely annoyed by her rejection of him, but Noelle knew she had just as much reason to learn more about this situation as anyone.

“Why does this all matter so much to you?” she demanded, turning to him abruptly with heated anger that he didn’t deserve but was where her emotion found release. “Is this all just a bit of fun to you? You have done well enough for yourself already. Why do you need these people?”

She realized even as she said it that she wasn’t including herself in the same category as the rest of the houseguests, even though she was just as much a part of them as anyone.

His nostrils flared slightly, but when he answered her, his tone was even.

“I have certain business interests for which I need parliamentary approval,” he said. “If I had the right connections, I could get much further ahead than I could without them.”

“These men are not going to talk politics with you.”

“Perhaps not right away. I also need land. Land owned by people here or those that know them.”

“What are these business interests of yours? What is so important?”

So important that he would use her like this.

“For credibility. And financial backing.”

“There is more to it,” she said, sensing the truth.

“That is nothing you need to concern yourself with. I can handle it.”

“Why? Because I am a woman? Or because you do not trust me?”

“It is not that I do not trust you,” he said, although his expression said otherwise. “It is just better to keep this to myself for now.”

“Why?”

“Because if others were to learn what I am doing, they might use it to get ahead of me. I am certain I have competition. I just don’t know with whom.”

“Does this have anything to do with the investment my father lost?”

“This has nothing to do with Sanderson’s investment,” he said, but she still sensed that he was holding something back from her. However, it wasn’t as though she could force it out of him.

“Well, perhaps one day you will learn to trust me,” she said. “If you ever need to talk anything through, I can assure you that I know more of what I am talking about than most young women. My mother helped my father with many of his business interests and taught me how to do so.”

She turned back toward the house, but he caught her forearms in his hands. His touch was firm yet gentle simultaneously, and she knew that if she asked him to release her, he would have done so without hesitation. But she didn’t need him to.

“Noelle,” he said, capturing her gaze. “I appreciate everything you have done for me and know you are trustworthy. It is just… my trust has been taken advantage of in the past, and it is difficult for me to share much with anyone else.”

She nodded, still uncertain of where they stood with one another, but that would have to wait for another day.

“We are in sight of the ballroom,” she said, gesturing toward the windows, although most were covered in so much frost that it would have been difficult for anyone to see out of them.

“Back in through the front doors, then,” he said. “Remember, anytime this party becomes too much for you, I am more than happy to walk with you.”

“Too much for me?” she repeated. “I should think I would be the one saying that to you.”

“We all need some space now and again,” he said. “Now, come, let’s get you warmed up.”

She wished he meant he would be the one to warm her up, but once they were indoors, he wished her goodnight and sent her off to bed with instructions to a servant to bring her warm milk.

It seemed he was not up to the task.

A pity.

Cooper had always been an early riser, which did not seem to be in unity with the rest of the house guests. He used the time for correspondence, as those in business with him knew where to send him letters. He had found a space in the library at a small writing table. It was much removed from the huge mahogany desk in his London home where he spent most of his time, but it would have to do.

He hadn’t been lying when he told Noelle that his business interests were not the same as those in which her father had invested.

He just hadn’t told the entire truth – that where Sanderson had failed, he had seen space to succeed. He just needed to move a few pieces into place before he could move forward, which a few of these men could provide.

Finished for the morning, he stood and stretched, ready to find the breakfast room and, most importantly, coffee. He was about to exit the library when voices from a room to his right filtered toward him.

“The tract of land between the canal and Lord Christopher’s, yes?”

Why, how interesting. That was precisely the land he had been looking into acquiring.

“We still have his agreement, so long as the proper parameters are in place.”

“The proper people, you mean.”

“Yes.”

Cooper inched closer to the door, needing to know who was speaking. Was he paranoid enough to believe that someone had perhaps killed the deal so that they could proceed without a few of the investors—namely him?

He was sure the others would say no. Yet he had a feeling, and his feelings were not usually wrong. That was how he had gotten to where he was today.

“It is most unfortunate that Hartwell is here.”

Northbridge. Of course.

“He knows enough about the first deal that if he catches wind of this, he might put it all together.”

Too late to avoid that now.

“Do we do the same with him as we did with Sanderson?”

“That might become too suspicious.”

“Does it have to be?”

“I suppose not.”

He needed to know who Northbridge was speaking with. It didn’t sound like Lord John, but a couple of brief conversations were not enough to be certain.

“Send a letter to the same men as before. See if they can come out here.”

“Is now the best time?”

“We must do this now before it’s too late. Trust me on this.”

“How much of this has to do with Hartwell, and how much the fact that you want his fiancée?”

“She is not my motive. She is the prize.”

Cooper balled his hands into fists as red flashed across his vision. He took steps forward, no longer caring about what he would do, ready to slam the door open and tell them precisely what he was thinking when a hand reached out and caught his arm.

He turned around, his fist cocked, but he quickly dropped it when he saw who was there.

“Noelle,” he whispered. “What are you doing?”

“Listening, as you are,” she said, her arms crossed over her chest. “And if you go storming in there, you are not going to learn anything, but instead are going to put yourself in danger.” She reached out, taking his hand and tugging him with her until they were in the shadows of the library across from the study. The study door was open just a crack, but Cooper could understand her thought – that if they waited here, they should be able to see when someone emerged.

She fixed him with a glare, one eyebrow raised as a tendril of her curly auburn hair bobbed down by her temple. She was dressed in a burgundy wool fabric dress, the high, lace-trimmed collar tempting him, but he would have to make do with running his fingers over the delicate white lace cuffs at the bottom of the fitted long sleeves. The small velvet buttons on her bodice were begging him to release them, but now was not exactly the time to concern himself with undressing her. Not when she was still staring at him with such annoyance.

“Now, will you tell me what is happening here, or do I have to ask Northbridge myself?”

He looked from one side to the other, seeking escape. This was far from ideal, but he supposed she was just as involved as he was. Steps sounded from down the corridor, and Cooper realized that they had no choice but to hide in the library, even if it meant they wouldn’t see Northbridge’s companions.

“Very well. Come with me.”

He reached out a hand and led her deep into the library, near the corner writing desk. A pair of wingback chairs sat before it next to the frosty window, and he gestured for them each to take one.

“This does have to do with the railway,” he admitted in a low voice.

“I knew it,” she said, sitting up straight, fire in her eyes. “You lied to me.”

“Not exactly,” he argued. “It doesn’t have to do with the same deal I was part of. I had new plans.”

“Explain it to me, then,” she challenged him.

“One of the reasons I invested in Sanderson’s scheme was because I thought it was a good idea. That part of the country receives decent traffic and is not yet serviced by rail. When Sanderson disappeared, I was disappointed, yes, but I also considered that Cornwall still needed a railway, so why should I not continue it? I began to plan another venture. That is part of the reason I am here. I need a royal charter to expand and gain credibility in my dealings with the noblemen who own land that must be purchased to run the railway.”

“Why do I sense a ‘but’ here?”

“It’s what we just heard in that room,” he said, his voice still calm. “The original deal is not as finished as I thought. I believe that Lord Northbridge and his conspirators in that room are not only continuing with the first deal, but they literally got rid of the people running it so they could move forward with their own.”

She leaned in toward him, her eyes wide. “Do you think they killed Sanderson?”

He shrugged, leaning his chin on his fist. “Maybe. They were talking of bringing someone here from London. It could be whoever they used to eliminate the first men.”

“That is a very severe accusation,” she said.

He nodded, and Noelle rubbed her forehead.

“I am inclined to believe you,” she said. “Men can do stupid things when it comes to money.”

“I agree,” he said. “Which is why this is so concerning.”

“Do you honestly think they might try to get rid of you? Permanently?”

She said it so seriously that he would have chuckled at her dramatics if she wasn’t so close to the truth.

“I have spent my entire life defending myself. It’ll be just fine,” he said, not wanting her to know just how lethal he could be.

“I am more concerned about you. Had I known these dealings would become so nefarious, I would never have involved you.”

“Why would I be in any danger?”

“I am not certain that you are, but regardless, I need to keep you safe,” he said. “If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself.”

“Why, Cooper, are you beginning to care for me?” she quirked a brow and one lip upward, but he shook his head at her blitheness about the whole thing, even though when he did so, her smile fell as though he was denying any feeling for her.

“Promise me that you will not go anywhere alone until we discover what is happening here?”

“Very well,” she relented. “I promise.”

“Good,” he said, somewhat relieved now that she knew all there was to know. He hadn’t liked keeping secrets from her. “Now, apparently, we are going ice skating.”

“Of course we are.” She laughed. “Have you ever skated before?”

“No.”

“Well,” she said, her smile growing, “you are in for a treat. Come, Cooper, let’s teach you how to skate.”