Claire Thornton by The Wolf's Promise Read Free Book Online Page B

expected of a man who spent most of his time working at night. For the first time it occurred to her to wonder how active a partin the smuggling trade he took. He surely wouldn’t land the kegs and carry them up the beach himself?
    He glanced at her, and she felt her cooling cheeks begin to flush again. A glint of amusement flickered in the intelligent brown eyes, almost as if he had guessed what she was thinking, then he said,
    ‘Would you prefer tea or coffee with your breakfast, my lady?’
    ‘Oh…coffee, please,’ she stammered, suddenly remembering Sir William’s strictures on the subject of smuggled tea, although she had a dim recollection that now the duty on tea had been so greatly reduced it was no longer an important item on the smugglers’ inventory.
    ‘I have written a letter to your father,’ said Benoît, holding a chair for her to sit down. ‘I will give it to you presently.’
    ‘Thank you,’ Angelica said vaguely.
    Her errand was becoming far more complicated than she had ever anticipated. Not only did she have to face the possibility that Benoît might be a traitor; she also had to find a way of dealing with her own irrational attraction to him. She couldn’t believe he had aroused such a strong response within her—no one else ever had. It was probably just a symptom of her anxiety over her father and Harry.
    ‘You’ll be sorry to learn that you’ve just missed seeing an old friend,’ said Benoît pleasantly, sitting down opposite her.
    ‘I have…I mean, have I?’ Angelica stammered, flushing guiltily.
    ‘Sir William Hopwood,’ said Benoît helpfully.
    ‘Oh, Sir William! ’ Angelica exclaimed, trying to sound suitable surprised. ‘What a pity…I mean—’
    ‘It would certainly have been entertaining watching you trying to explain your presence here to him,’ Benoît observed, grinning. ‘Your eloquence and his bewilderment—or perhaps I have that the wrong way round. As you no doubt know, the worthy baronet is seldom at a loss for words.’
    Angelica bit her lip, wondering if Benoît suspected she had overheard his conversation with Sir William.
    ‘I would have done my best not to embarrass you, sir,’ she said stiffly. ‘Obviously I would have been unable to give Sir William a true explanation for my visit. I am a person of honour—even if you are not.’
    ‘But I’m not a nobleman’s son,’ Benoît pointed out, completely unruffled by her comment. ‘No tradition of chivalry flows through my veins. I’m just the son of a poor, hardworking country doctor.’
    ‘Which is how you come to live in such a large house and wear such fine clothes,’ Angelica flashed, before she could stop herself.
    ‘I earned those,’ he replied, an enigmatic gleam in his eyes as he met her hot gaze.
    ‘Yes! By illegal—’ She broke off as Tilly came back into the room with a heavily laden tray.
    ‘Thank you, Tilly,’ said Benoît.
    Angelica waited until the maid had left the room, almost grateful for the interruption. She found Benoît both disturbing and infuriating, but it was hard to imagine he was in league with his country’s enemies. On the other hand, what did she really know of him?
    ‘Do you deny that this house was purchased with the profits of smuggling?’ she demanded, when they were alone again.
    “I would do so with alacrity, if I didn’t think the answer would disappoint you,’ he answered immediately, a faint smile playing on his lips. ‘I believe I told you before that I’m an unromantic businessman.’
    ‘Are you suggesting I find anything…attractive about the idea that you are a smuggler?’ Angelica exclaimed, colouring angrily at the implication that she might find him attractive in any way at all.
    ‘Well, obviously you do,’ he pointed out reasonably. ‘From your point of view, if I don’t have any connections with the smugglers I am unlikely to be able to help you. Your principles as a good, law-abiding citizen—the kind Sir William would