the door behind her with a soft click.
Stopping in the center of the dark hallway, Regan placed her hand to her chest. Her heart thundered, filling her head. She forced herself to take a deep breath. Allowing him to stay was madness. But given she was continuing on with her father’s plan, had she ever been sane to begin with?
Regan shook her head then strode down the hallway. Captain Hazard was a displaced warrior. A man who would help her. A man in her service. And nothing more.
***
“Y ou cannot have him here!” Geoffrey hissed as he stepped behind his desk. His face glowed red at his cheeks. “I will not allow it!”
Regan gripped the fireplace mantel and stared at the russet hair, dark attire, and strong face of her uncle. It did her no good to hate that she was a young lady, unable to live without the chaperonage of her family.
Still, she would rather drive a stake through her own heart before any Chance commanded her. It didn’t matter that he’d been trying to command her every bloody day since her father’s unsolved murder. “Uncle Geoffrey, this is not your concern.”
He planted his hands on his cherry desk and narrowed his pale blue eyes. “Not my concern? Anyone who bears the name of Chance is my concern, girl. And need I remind you, you live under my roof?”
“A fact I would change if society allowed,” she replied tightly.
Regan pushed herself away from the fire and strode to the desk.
“And you, of all people, know my father had no regard for the Chances, Dukedom or no.” Planting her own hands on the shining wood surface, she leaned forward. Anger pressed at her chest like a giant weight. “Now, I shall choose who is fit to be my guard. Captain Hazard will keep me safe while I work.”
Geoffrey’s lips tightened into a hard line. “It was an entirely different matter when a guard was going to follow you to that hellhole you run to like a nursemaid. But to have a man, a man of his low blood, living here with you? It is unspeakable and will raise scandal.” His lips curled back, exposing his perfect, white teeth. “He is the son of a whore and he is in trade. Your names cannot be paired.”
The audacity that he should try to control her life now that her father was in his grave drove her to distraction. She wanted to strike the man standing across from her. The one thing she knew was he never acted outside her grandfather, the Duke of Chiles’ command. And the duke had been trying to rip her father’s tendencies from her since his death.
“Captain Hazard is a respectable man,” she said pointedly. “When society learns he is my guard, that is all that will be thought of. He will be viewed as my. . .“
Regan’s throat closed before she could say the word.
“S ervant ,” finished Captain Hazard. “Nothing more.”
Regan flinched and stood frozen for a moment, unwilling to look at her tall, powerful guard. He’d undoubtedly heard the whole disgusting conversation. She trailed her fingertips over the smooth desk then turned to face him. “Indeed, Captain Hazard. Thank you.”
Geoffrey glared at Hazard. “A servant who does not know his place. People will think that he and you are—“
“I assure you they will not, My Lord.” Captain Hazard’s voice cut through the room like a sharp blade. He cocked his head to the side, the folds of his silk green cravat creasing into his black waistcoat. “I am capable of knowing my place. And you have no choice, unless you wish your niece murdered by a bunch of London toughs. Possibly in your home.”
The muscles in Geoffrey’s cheeks worked as he struggled to maintain his composure. After a few moments of silence, he finally said, “See to it that you bloody do know your place, Hazard.” He swung toward Regan. “Your father was a fool. He was always a fool.”
Anger sizzled through Regan’s veins. “He was your brother and if he was fool, then I would rather be a fool every blasted day than have your kind of
Stopping in the center of the dark hallway, Regan placed her hand to her chest. Her heart thundered, filling her head. She forced herself to take a deep breath. Allowing him to stay was madness. But given she was continuing on with her father’s plan, had she ever been sane to begin with?
Regan shook her head then strode down the hallway. Captain Hazard was a displaced warrior. A man who would help her. A man in her service. And nothing more.
***
“Y ou cannot have him here!” Geoffrey hissed as he stepped behind his desk. His face glowed red at his cheeks. “I will not allow it!”
Regan gripped the fireplace mantel and stared at the russet hair, dark attire, and strong face of her uncle. It did her no good to hate that she was a young lady, unable to live without the chaperonage of her family.
Still, she would rather drive a stake through her own heart before any Chance commanded her. It didn’t matter that he’d been trying to command her every bloody day since her father’s unsolved murder. “Uncle Geoffrey, this is not your concern.”
He planted his hands on his cherry desk and narrowed his pale blue eyes. “Not my concern? Anyone who bears the name of Chance is my concern, girl. And need I remind you, you live under my roof?”
“A fact I would change if society allowed,” she replied tightly.
Regan pushed herself away from the fire and strode to the desk.
“And you, of all people, know my father had no regard for the Chances, Dukedom or no.” Planting her own hands on the shining wood surface, she leaned forward. Anger pressed at her chest like a giant weight. “Now, I shall choose who is fit to be my guard. Captain Hazard will keep me safe while I work.”
Geoffrey’s lips tightened into a hard line. “It was an entirely different matter when a guard was going to follow you to that hellhole you run to like a nursemaid. But to have a man, a man of his low blood, living here with you? It is unspeakable and will raise scandal.” His lips curled back, exposing his perfect, white teeth. “He is the son of a whore and he is in trade. Your names cannot be paired.”
The audacity that he should try to control her life now that her father was in his grave drove her to distraction. She wanted to strike the man standing across from her. The one thing she knew was he never acted outside her grandfather, the Duke of Chiles’ command. And the duke had been trying to rip her father’s tendencies from her since his death.
“Captain Hazard is a respectable man,” she said pointedly. “When society learns he is my guard, that is all that will be thought of. He will be viewed as my. . .“
Regan’s throat closed before she could say the word.
“S ervant ,” finished Captain Hazard. “Nothing more.”
Regan flinched and stood frozen for a moment, unwilling to look at her tall, powerful guard. He’d undoubtedly heard the whole disgusting conversation. She trailed her fingertips over the smooth desk then turned to face him. “Indeed, Captain Hazard. Thank you.”
Geoffrey glared at Hazard. “A servant who does not know his place. People will think that he and you are—“
“I assure you they will not, My Lord.” Captain Hazard’s voice cut through the room like a sharp blade. He cocked his head to the side, the folds of his silk green cravat creasing into his black waistcoat. “I am capable of knowing my place. And you have no choice, unless you wish your niece murdered by a bunch of London toughs. Possibly in your home.”
The muscles in Geoffrey’s cheeks worked as he struggled to maintain his composure. After a few moments of silence, he finally said, “See to it that you bloody do know your place, Hazard.” He swung toward Regan. “Your father was a fool. He was always a fool.”
Anger sizzled through Regan’s veins. “He was your brother and if he was fool, then I would rather be a fool every blasted day than have your kind of
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