'Rick' she whispered.

I stiffened. Rick?

'Rick? Is that you? Oh God, I...' An unarguably flattering blush rose to her cheeks. 'I probably shouldn't have called you that. We aren't small children anymore.'

'By all means, continue as we were before.' Giving her a long, long look from under dark lashes, Mr Ambrose straightened out of his bow. 'There's no need for ceremony among old friends.'

Old friends? What the heck–

My heart froze in my chest – but unlike Lady Caroline, I wasn't an ice queen. A moment later, the ice splintered, broke apart, and my heart exploded into fire. Hot, red, angry fire!

I stepped on Mr Ambrose's foot.

'Ng!'

'Pardon?' Lady Caroline enquired. 'Did you say something?'

My dear employer, the treacherous weasel, cleared his throat. 'No, it's nothing.'

Oh? I was 'nothing' now, was I?

I pressed down harder on his foot. Somehow, damn him, he managed to maintain an absolutely impassive expression. I might as well have been standing on the foot of an elephant, for all the difference it made.

Time for a switch in tactics.

'Won't you introduce us?' I asked with enough sweetness to fill a dozen pots of honey and still have enough left to sweeten tea.

'Certainly.' With a jerk, Mr Ambrose removed his foot from under mine. 'Mr Linton, may I introduce you to Lady Caroline Elaine Sambridge, an old friend of the family's. Caroline, please meet Mr Victor Linton, my–'

'–his private secretary,' I cut in, bowing to Lady Caroline just about an inch or two. 'I manage his appointments. Which means that if you should wish to see him, you will have to make an appointment with me.'

This time, it was Mr Ambrose who stepped on my foot, and I wasn't quite as successful as he had been in keeping my face expressionless.

Lady Caroline gave me a genuinely happy smile, completely unaware of the marvellous multitude of tortures I was devising for her in my head at this very moment.

'Delighted to meet you, Mr Linton.'

Likewise – not!

Adaira stepped forward hesitantly. It was pretty clear that she knew the other girl but was somewhat intimidated by her extravagant attire. I made a mental note to have a little talk with Adaira about confidence. If she could manage her brother, she sure as heck shouldn't have any trouble with this lady.

'Won't you come inside and have a cup of tea, Caroline? I'm sure you could use something to warm up after the journey.'

'Thank you, I'm quite warm and comfortable thanks to this.' She stroked an admiring hand over her fur coat. 'Isn't it wonderful? The finest quality, all the way from Russia.'

'Um...yes. Quite.'

'But a cup of tea is always welcome.'

'As you wish. Willie? Reginald?' Adaira clapped her hand to call the footmen. 'Take care of Lady Caroline's baggage and–'

'Oh, don't trouble yourself.' Caroline waved Adaira's words away, gesturing at two men in lavish uniforms who had been riding on the back of the coach and now jumped off to hurry and get the luggage. 'My own servants will take care of it.'

'Oh. Well, I see.'

With what I thought was admirable restraint, Adaira refrained from kicking the arrogant little witch. This Caroline was altogether too fond of herself and her money.

Money which Mr Ambrose might find very attractive.

'Ladies and gentlemen?' Hastings the Butler had appeared out of nowhere in the typical manner of perfect butlers and bowed deeply to the new arrival. 'If you would please follow me? Tea is served in the small green parlour.'

'Yes.' Mr Ambrose nodded, his eyes on Lady Caroline. My fingers itched to close around his neck, and not for the purpose of gentle caresses. 'Let's go.'

Oh yes, Sir. We'll go all right – but not where you think!

I did just as the others did and followed Hastings inside. But the moment the company stepped into the entrance hall and redirected its steps towards the small green parlour, my hand fell on the shoulder of Mr Rikkard Ambrose.

'Excuse me, Sir?'

He stopped in his tracks. The others halted and glanced back, wondering what was the matter. I gave them the bright, professional smile I usually reserved for charitable organisations coming to call at Mr Ambrose's office – the official 'sod off' smile.

'I'm so sorry, ladies, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal Mr Ambrose away for a bit. He and I have a very important business matter to discuss.'

And before any of them could say a word, I tightened my grip on Mr Ambrose and dragged him off.

Neither of us spoke until we had reached his room. Tugging open the door, I shoved him inside and followed, slamming the door behind me.

'Well?' He stood there, arms crossed, back straight as a rod, ice glittering in his eyes. The arrogance in every inch of his stance...it was unbelievable! It practically screamed Do you think you could have dragged me here if I didn't want to be dragged? I could have stopped you at any time. I was in control. I still am. And no matter what I say to or do with Lady Caroline, it is none of your business.

He cocked his head. 'Tell me, Mr Linton – what was this important business matter that you – mmmph!'

The rest of his sentence was cut off by my mouth slamming against his. In a flash, his arms unfolded, taking hold of me, crushing me closer – until he remembered that this wasn't exactly a business discussion and pulled away, his eyes glittering.

'Mr Linton...what in Mammon's name...?'

I didn't let him finish.

'You know her?' My voice was rough from the kiss, demanding.

'Who?'

'Don't play dumb with me, Sir!'

'If you are referring to Lady Caroline–'

'You bet I am!'

'–then yes, I know her.'

My fingers, clenched around the lapels of his tailcoat, curled into tight fists. 'How?'

And more importantly: how intimately?

'I do not appreciate being cross-examined in this manner, Mr Linton.'

'Too bad. Get used to it! Now tell me: how do you know her?'

His left little finger twitched. 'Her family's estate is not far from here. We, err...crossed paths occasionally.'

'Crossed paths?' That sounded suspicious.

His little finger twitched again. 'If you must know, Mr Linton, I used to throw things at her. Snowballs in the winter, mud balls in the summer.'

Well, well...that was a nice surprise. Much better than the kind of interactions I had been imagining. For a moment, I indulged myself gazing at the mental image of Lady Caroline Sambridge covered in slush – but then I shook myself. I refused to let myself be side-tracked! There was too much at stake.

'You didn't throw mud at her today!'

'How observant of you, Mr Linton.'

'You...' I had to swallow before being able to get out the words. 'You kissed her hand!'

'Yes. And?'

'And?' I gaped at him. He sounded perfectly casual. 'You didn't do that with any of the others!'

'Quite true.'

'You never even kissed my hand!'

'Of course not.'

'Why not?'

'Because,' he told me in a tone of someone explaining the elementary mathematics of one plus one equals two to a very slow pupil. 'Unlike you or any of the other ladies, Mr Linton, she is immensely rich.'

My mouth dropped open. I had suspected that he wanted her for her money – I really had. But I also had never expected him to just admit it to my face.

'You...you...'

'You seem to have some speech problems, Mr Linton. Is something the matter?'

'You...I hate you!'

'Indeed?'

'I'm going to kill you!'

'Is that so?' He cocked his head, regarding me for a moment. His eyes narrowed, infinitesimally. 'Mr Linton...you aren't labouring under the delusion that simply because she is one of the wealthiest heiresses in the north, I intend to marry this girl, are you?'

I opened my mouth to scream some quite inventive obscenities at him – and then my brain registered what he had said.

'Wait...you aren't?'

'Of course not.' Cool eyes bored into mine, driving their way into my very soul. 'I have varied methods for enlarging my fortune – but marrying is not among them. I do not relish the thought of a business model that, barring murder, can only be implemented once. Besides...' His eyes took on a whole other kind of intensity. '...if I ever planned to claim a woman as my own, I would not waste my time with kissing her hand. I would pursue a very different strategy.'

'Such as?'

I had just time to utter the last syllable of that sentence before strong hands closed around my wrists and I was shoved against the wall, trapped between hard wood and even harder Ambrose. The breath was knocked out of me, and I stared up at the most powerful man in the British Empire, utterly lost to the mesmerising power of his eyes.

'Well, to begin with,' he growled against my ear, 'I would lure her into my room under some pretence, like, for instance...a business discussion.'

'W-would you?'

His lips graced my earlobe, sending a firework through my flaming body. 'Oh yes.'

I managed a weak smile. 'What woman would be stupid enough to fall for that?'

Chuckling, he moved down from my ear, over my neck, caressing my skin with his lips all the way. 'You'd be surprised. Once I have her in my clutches, I would press her up against the nearest wall so she can't escape–'

In flash, his arms shoved my wrists together over my head until he could keep me pinned with one single hand. His free hand began to travel down my side, eliciting a dangerous shiver.

'–then, I would drive her wild.'

'Y-you would?'

'Oh yes.' His mouth had reached my collarbone now and followed the curve until it reached that most sensitive little spot right at the centre. 'If I ever want a woman to be truly mine, I will stoke the fire inside her until she thinks about nothing but me and her, and she will submit. There will be no going back. All that she has, all that she is, all that she dreams will be mine, forever and ever.'

'Oh...'

'So you see,' he said, stepping abruptly away and letting go, nearly causing me to topple over, 'it's absolutely ridiculous to think that I would be interested in Lady Caroline. Shall we go?'

I stood there, panting and gaping at him. 'G-go?'

'Yes, go. To join the others. Or do you wish to waste more time leaning idly against that wall? If so, be advised that that time shall be deducted from your pay cheque. Knowledge is power is time is money, Mr Linton.'

And without another word, he turned and marched out of the room.

*~*~**~*~*

Suffice it to say that Mr Rikkard Ambrose's version of reassurance was not particularly reassuring. I mean, think about it. The man of your dreams kisses you to convince you he cares – then suddenly stops, glances at his watch, and says it's time to stop wasting time and join the lady you're jealous of. That just makes you feel great, right?

Clearly, this battle wasn't over. It might be for Mr Ambrose – but I would be damned if I let that ice queen sink her cold claws into him! He was mine! And anyone who disagreed had better watch their back.

I entered the small green parlour hot on the heels of my employer. Immediately, my eyes zeroed in on him standing in a small group with Lady Caroline and his mother. Ordinarily, that would have reassured me – there was no better buffer against romantic atmosphere than the presence of a mother. But in this case, the eager glow in Lady Samantha's eyes made me suspect she wasn't so much a buffer as a screw compressor clamp.

I was just about to start towards them when, from beside me, I heard a familiar voice.

'Mr Linton! There you are. How fortunate. I've been wanting to have a word with you.'

Dread roiling in my stomach, I turned and came face to face with a smiling Captain James Carter.

'Um...right now isn't really the right time...' My eyes strayed towards Mr Ambrose again. Had he just smiled? At one of her comments? No, surely that was a trick of the light!

'Please. It is important.'

'I'm sorry, but I'll have to–'

'It's about your sister.'

That stopped me in the middle of my sentence. My eyes snapped back to the captain.

'My what?'

'Your sister? Miss Lillian Linton?'

'Oh. Haha. Of course. My sister. Yes.' The dread in my stomach had a growth spurt and prepared to develop into full-blown, adult panic. 'What about her?'

The captain glanced around. 'This is not the best spot for this discussion. I wonder if we could go somewhere more private?'

Any hope I'd still had that he wanted to ask me about a suitable Christmas present for my female alter ego disappeared into thin air.

'Of course,' I groaned. 'Lead the way.'

Beaming, he opened a door to a small side room and stepped inside. I followed, wondering how the bloody stinking hell I was going to get out of this!