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Authors: Ashe Barker
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appeared oblivious to his employer’s discomfiture as he crouched to pick up the shattered remains of her fine china teacup from around her chair. “I’ll just go and find a cloth. Please excuse me.”
As soon as the door swung shut behind him, Victoria rounded on her tormentor. “Your suggestion, sir, is outrageous. Utterly scurrilous. You are without honour or morals.”
He took another sip. “Up to a point, I suppose I could agree with you. Though I might be moved to challenge ‘scurrilous.’ I mean you no harm and I believe you would find the arrangement to be of some benefit. At the risk of sounding overconfident, I think I can promise you a good time in my bed, Victoria.”
“Can you? Can you indeed? And would your wife be there with us, enjoying this ‘good time’?”
“My goodness, what exotic tastes you do have. I had not intended to include anyone else in our arrangement, but if you would prefer company…”
Victoria rose to her feet, her fists planted firmly on her desk. She leaned forward and glared at him. “Sir, you are an utter blackguard. You are both faithless and immoral. I will have nothing to do with this seedy little arrangement you have dreamed up. Indeed, I am insulted, mortally so, that you might even consider this a contract I would enter into. How dare you?”
Adam Luke appeared unconcerned, which Victoria discovered enraged her further. Had the man no conscience whatsoever? She remained standing as he sipped his tea again, glancing in the direction of the door as Mr. Timmins returned carrying a cloth.
She held out her hand to take the rag from him. “I’ll do that. Please, would you escort Mr. Luke from the premises? He is leaving.”
Mr. Timmins hesitated, glancing from one to the other. He did not relinquish the cloth.
Adam Luke offered her clerk a truly dazzling smile. “Miss Wynne is mistaken; my business here is not entirely concluded, at least not to my satisfaction. Please, would you be so obliging as to attend to the mess, then you may take the rest of the afternoon off.”
“But—” Victoria started to protest, but was silenced by an abrupt wave of Mr. Luke’s hand.
He continued. “Please be seated, Victoria. We still have much to discuss. More tea?”
Uncertain why she obeyed him, Victoria nevertheless sat. She fumed in silence as Adam Luke poured her a replacement cup of tea, and Mr. Timmins dealt with the drink she had spilt earlier. No words were spoken between the three of them until the clerk backed toward the door.
“I will see you in the morning, Miss Wynne. It was pleasant to make your acquaintance, Mr. Luke.” At a brisk nod from her nemesis, Victoria’s only possible ally in this matter scurried off to enjoy a rare half day of free time.
Adam placed the fresh cup before her on the desk, then resumed his easy pose in the chair opposite. “So, shall we continue? I believe I may not have made the situation entirely clear.”
“Please do not trouble to elaborate, Mr. Luke. I have heard enough.”
“I am not married.”
“What? Do you take me for a completely gullible fool? Please do not add falsehoods to your string of failings, Mr. Luke. I assure you that list is already quite lengthy enough.”
“I am not married,” he repeated, enunciating the words with care, “though I can appreciate where the misunderstanding arose. I recall you made mention of a Mrs. Luke over breakfast at our last meeting. I should have cleared up the misunderstanding then.”
“And what misunderstanding might that be? A wife is a wife, not a ‘misunderstanding.’”
He nodded, still unperturbed. Had he no shame at all? “A wife is indeed a wife. Unless she is a sister-in law. Then, I believe she might be adequately described as a misunderstanding, would you agree?”
“What are you babbling about? You are a married man, Mr. Luke. You told me so, Mrs. Jennings told me so. Of course it may suit you to deny it now—”
“Babbling, Victoria? I have been
As soon as the door swung shut behind him, Victoria rounded on her tormentor. “Your suggestion, sir, is outrageous. Utterly scurrilous. You are without honour or morals.”
He took another sip. “Up to a point, I suppose I could agree with you. Though I might be moved to challenge ‘scurrilous.’ I mean you no harm and I believe you would find the arrangement to be of some benefit. At the risk of sounding overconfident, I think I can promise you a good time in my bed, Victoria.”
“Can you? Can you indeed? And would your wife be there with us, enjoying this ‘good time’?”
“My goodness, what exotic tastes you do have. I had not intended to include anyone else in our arrangement, but if you would prefer company…”
Victoria rose to her feet, her fists planted firmly on her desk. She leaned forward and glared at him. “Sir, you are an utter blackguard. You are both faithless and immoral. I will have nothing to do with this seedy little arrangement you have dreamed up. Indeed, I am insulted, mortally so, that you might even consider this a contract I would enter into. How dare you?”
Adam Luke appeared unconcerned, which Victoria discovered enraged her further. Had the man no conscience whatsoever? She remained standing as he sipped his tea again, glancing in the direction of the door as Mr. Timmins returned carrying a cloth.
She held out her hand to take the rag from him. “I’ll do that. Please, would you escort Mr. Luke from the premises? He is leaving.”
Mr. Timmins hesitated, glancing from one to the other. He did not relinquish the cloth.
Adam Luke offered her clerk a truly dazzling smile. “Miss Wynne is mistaken; my business here is not entirely concluded, at least not to my satisfaction. Please, would you be so obliging as to attend to the mess, then you may take the rest of the afternoon off.”
“But—” Victoria started to protest, but was silenced by an abrupt wave of Mr. Luke’s hand.
He continued. “Please be seated, Victoria. We still have much to discuss. More tea?”
Uncertain why she obeyed him, Victoria nevertheless sat. She fumed in silence as Adam Luke poured her a replacement cup of tea, and Mr. Timmins dealt with the drink she had spilt earlier. No words were spoken between the three of them until the clerk backed toward the door.
“I will see you in the morning, Miss Wynne. It was pleasant to make your acquaintance, Mr. Luke.” At a brisk nod from her nemesis, Victoria’s only possible ally in this matter scurried off to enjoy a rare half day of free time.
Adam placed the fresh cup before her on the desk, then resumed his easy pose in the chair opposite. “So, shall we continue? I believe I may not have made the situation entirely clear.”
“Please do not trouble to elaborate, Mr. Luke. I have heard enough.”
“I am not married.”
“What? Do you take me for a completely gullible fool? Please do not add falsehoods to your string of failings, Mr. Luke. I assure you that list is already quite lengthy enough.”
“I am not married,” he repeated, enunciating the words with care, “though I can appreciate where the misunderstanding arose. I recall you made mention of a Mrs. Luke over breakfast at our last meeting. I should have cleared up the misunderstanding then.”
“And what misunderstanding might that be? A wife is a wife, not a ‘misunderstanding.’”
He nodded, still unperturbed. Had he no shame at all? “A wife is indeed a wife. Unless she is a sister-in law. Then, I believe she might be adequately described as a misunderstanding, would you agree?”
“What are you babbling about? You are a married man, Mr. Luke. You told me so, Mrs. Jennings told me so. Of course it may suit you to deny it now—”
“Babbling, Victoria? I have been
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