The Watchmaker's Daughter (Glass and Steele #1)(41)

He held her a moment, until she composed herself and stepped back. "Enough of this sentimental claptrap," she declared. "We'll find this Mirth fellow." She suddenly looked at me. Despite her watery eyes, the gaze was as sharp as a blade. "She'll find him." She marched over to me and stabbed a finger into my shoulder. "You'd better, Miss Steele. If you don't, I'll…make you regret it."

They were just words. Easy enough to say, difficult to believe. But Willie's anger wasn't something I wanted to stoke.

"Willie," Mr. Glass chided.

"Goddamn it, woman!" Duke marched over and grabbed Willie by the elbow. "You're a damn fool. Threatening her won't help."

"Paying her isn't doing anything!" Willie pulled free then ran up the stairs, taking two at a time.

Duke shook his head and left too. Mr. Glass gave me a flat smile. "My apologies for my cousin's behavior. She can get emotional at times."

"Over a watchmaker, no less."

"It's a special watch."

"So you keep saying." I waited for him to tell me about his special rejuvenating watch, but he didn't. "Will we resume our search this afternoon then?"

He leaned back against the newel post. "It's late. We'll resume tomorrow." His gaze wandered past my shoulder.

"Harry, dearest, you're back," Miss Glass said. "How was your journey?"

Mr. Glass sighed. "I'm Matthew, not Harry. Have you settled in, Aunt?"

"I'm quite settled, thank you. I do think I'm going to like it here, despite your strange cousin and that other gruff fellow. At least I have Miss Steele as a companion."

"Good," he said, once again glancing at me. "But it's only for a few days. I'll be returning to America on Tuesday."

She waved her hand and headed up the stairs. "Come, Miss Steele, and play the piano for me. This house needs music."

I went to follow her, but Mr. Glass stopped me with a hand on my arm. "She likes you, Miss Steele," he murmured, his face close to mine. "Try to make her see that this arrangement is only temporary."

"I'll do my best. Perhaps it will help if she knew what was to become of her after you leave. Her brother has forbidden her to return to his house."

"She's not going back there," he growled low. "Not while I live."

I nodded in agreement. "But she does need to go somewhere."



A loud bang woke me up. It was very dark, and I could only make out outlines of the furniture in my room. Someone shouted from the depths of the house, too far away to make out their words. I jumped out of bed, hitting my knee on the nightstand, and fumbled for the candlestick and matches.

Another bang echoed through the house, shaking the walls and setting my heart pounding. It wasn't just any bang; it was a gunshot.

Then Miss Glass screamed.





Chapter 9





I abandoned my attempts to light the candle and ran from the room. My shoulder smacked into the doorframe, but I ignored the pain and raced to Miss Glass's room. The house was filled with shouts and footsteps, and the sound of my own heartbeat echoed in my ears.

"Miss Glass!" I didn't wait for a response, just pushed open her bedroom door.

She screamed again, but quieted when I assured her it was only me. I could just make out her shape sitting up in bed, the covers pulled to her chin. "Miss Steele! Thank goodness. What was that noise?"

"A gunshot, I think." I sat on the bed and clasped her shoulders. She shook violently. "Are you all right?"

"I…I think so?"

"Aunt Letitia!" Mr. Glass burst into the room. Even in the dark, he filled the space with his presence. "Miss Steele? I heard screaming."

"That was me," Miss Glass said, crisply. "Matthew, someone is shooting inside the house!"

He crouched by the bed near where I sat. He wore only trousers, and was entirely naked from the waist up. I swallowed and tried not to stare, but I failed miserably. Even in the dark, I could see the straps of muscle across his shoulders and down his arms. Muscles like that didn't appear on the bodies of idle gentlemen. They came from hard work. Or fighting. I tried to lean forward to see his chest.

He caught me and righted me. "Miss Steele? What's wrong?" His hands explored my arms, up to my shoulders and neck. They were warm and strong as they searched me for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

I drew in a breath to steady my jangling nerves. "I, er, that is, we're unharmed. What's happening?"

"I don't yet know." He let me go, stood, and strode out the door, leaving me with a heart beating harder than ever and nerves stretched to their limit. My skin felt warm where he'd touched me.

I stood too.

"Don't go out there." Miss Glass caught my hand. "Wait for Matthew to return."

The shouting had ended, and calm voices filtered to us through the still house. "The danger, if there was one, seems to have passed. I'll return in a moment."

I lit a candle and headed downstairs. Raised voices filtered up from the service rooms, so I made my way to the kitchen. Willie's voice reached me before I saw her. "You didn't lock up. It ain't my fault."