Page 63 of Devil in Her Details

“You believe someone else is involved?” she asked slowly, though the dawning alarm already lit her gaze.

Yes, he did believe that.

The only question . . .

How deep did this web go? And had it followed her to Brighton?

Chapter Thirteen

Lilly’s mind worked furiously.

Blazes, had she overlooked something important? She’d been so ruffled by Calvington’s betrayal and behavior that she hadn’t considered anything before about the source of his knowledge. Had she simply shrugged it off when it popped into her head? She couldn’t really recall.

But now that Dagger voiced this, she couldn’t help wondering who would set her up like this. It was simply unfathomable. She didn’t have enemies. She didn’t even have rivals. One would have to step on toes for that. Lilly didn’t step on toes. In fact, she did her best to avoid toes.

“You really cannot think of anyone?” Dagger asked.

She shook her head, noting how he’d sheathed the dagger he’d been wiping down earlier. Apparently, he wasn’t planning on continuing. “I should have asked Allie, but it’s too late to call them back now. They’d suspect something if I did.”

“Yes, it’s better not to call them back.”

Lilly arched a brow. “Are you still unhappy that I made you hide? I am sorry.” Lilly scratched her head, uncertain how to appease this man. An unreasonable amount of guilt jabbed at her heart. She sighed. “You didn’t deserve that.”

His brow furrowed. “No need to go that far. I’m not someone you introduce to your friends.”

She hated that self-deprecation. “That’s not it. It was purely selfish on my part.”

“No need to explain,” he said gruffly.

“No, I do need to explain,” Lilly said. Even if only to rid herself of this pressure gathering in her breast. Another purely selfish reason. “My friends don’t understand my reasoning for leaving London. Only a handful of people know. They just . . .”

He gazed at her. “Why would the daughter of a duke turn to the life of a milliner?”

“Exactly that.”

“But you haven’t,” he pointed out. “You’ve just sought refuge in this part you’re playing. You’re still very much who you are.”

Yes. But somehow, saying those words didn’t feel quite right. “For a man who was just sulking, you are remarkably understanding.”

“Not as understanding as you might think.”

“Oh?” Lilly asked, intrigued.

He was quiet for a moment, his dark gaze staring at her in a way that made her ears heat up under the scrutiny. She couldn’t look away.

“Hiding a man away like that only arouses their instincts to hunt,” he said.

Her lips parted. What was that?

“The instinct to conquer.” His voice had dropped, rougher than it had been a moment ago. “And let the world know he conquered.”

Lilly blinked. “And you—”

“I want to conquer.”

“That . . . that’s not normal.”

“It’s quite normal, love. You’ve only met civilized men up to now. I’m not civilized.”