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Page 18 of Defying the Duke

“Home. I will arrive early tomorrow and have the deposit ready on time.” She hurried out the office door and down the hall toward the stairway and her path to escape.

His longer strides had him by her side in the hallways. “I’ll walk with you—”

“There’s no need. Your brother wouldn’t expect me to be leaving at this time of day. I’m perfectly safe.”

Jack swung open the door to the stairwell so hard it banged against the wall. “I said I would walk with you.”

She didn’t argue, and he didn’t try to discuss the situation as they walked the familiar route to her home. A lump grew in her throat, and she could barely get any words past it by the time they parted. “Good day, Your Grace,” she said as she ran up the front steps.

CHAPTER 9

When Jack returned to Sutcliffe’s, he found the hounds of hell running amok through the offices. Several of the guards he’d hired were trotting up or down the staircase. Raised voices warned him of something being amiss.

Dainsfield’s voice rang through the open doorway of his office. “I don’t care who you are!”

Jack quickened his pace and followed the shouts. There he found Peter with his cravat half-undone, his hair mussed, and when he turned to look at Jack, a pink swelling below one eye was visible. Jack scowled. He didn’t need to ask what had happened.

The scene not an hour earlier rushed back to Jack. Dinah had been so upset, and all he’d thought about was calming her down. Reassuring her of how important she was to him. Well, this would certainly prove that she was the only thing on his mind.

They’d rushed out of the office without locking the door, and the guard was away on a short break at Jack’s instruction, leaving the hallway unattended. Everything Dinah had been working with was still on her desk or had been when they left. The reports, the ledger…the cash box.

Peter probably thought he’d hit the jackpot to find everything waiting for him.

“Where the hell have you been?” Dainsfield barked.

“Miss Westfall took ill, and I escorted her home.”

“After sending away the guard.” Dainsfield’s brows were drawn so tightly they almost touched. He looked as though he could easily kill Jack with his bare hands.

Jack had no response to that. He wouldn’t announce to anyone listening that he’d had a tryst with Dinah.

Dainsfield saw the police officer enter the room and shouted, “Get him out of here.” He nodded toward Peter to indicate who.

Nomansland spoke quietly to the officer and left the room with him and Peter.

“Shut the door,” Dainsfield ordered.

Jack did so, leaving him alone with Dainsfield. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? Do you honestly think I care? You left the day’s takings in plain sight, and your brother just happened to pick that moment to visit.”

Jack bristled. “You know this wasn’t planned.”

“I know it, but I’m not sure I’m convinced. Nomansland might be able to trust you better than I do at the moment, but what about all the other employees? What about all those dealers we trust to keep our money safe? Bickley and Brown? What’s to keep them from thinking, well, the boss is taking his share. Why don’t I take mine?”

Jack hated how accurate the hypothetical situation was. And he knew what would come next, so he jumped in before Dainsfield could bring her up. “Miss Westfall is completely innocent. I take full responsibility for not securing the money before we left.”

Most of the steam had worked out of Dainsfield’s anger, and he spoke in a tone closer to normal. “Does it matter? The fact is the money was in her care. If we fail to reprimand her, we’ve given the other employees permission to be lax in their duties. It doesn’t have to be money. They can be lazy with anything they’re charged with doing. Sutcliffe’s will crumble into mediocrity.”

Wiping a trickle of sweat off his brow, Jack sighed. His partner spoke the truth. Jack had doomed Dinah from the moment he’d first decided to kiss her. Even before then, when he’d just been toying with the idea. He’d ruined everything for her. “Will you let me explain it to her? You can write whatever formal dismissal you wish, but I’ll talk to her first.”

Dainsfield nodded. “It’s your mess to clean up. I will go ahead and let the agency know we need a replacement. A man.”

Jack nodded.

“And I’m going to make certain Peter is charged with attempted theft. He was handling the cash when the guard returned. A good barrister might be able to keep him from going to prison, but I’ll not aid him in that effort.”

“Good. I hope he gets what he deserves.” Jack was glad someone else was handling Peter’s punishment because if Jack got his hands on him, he might kill the man.

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