She caught her breath, her body instantly aroused. “Me too. For you,” she said quietly on the out breath.
A male voice broke into their reverie. “Would you mind telling me what is going on here?”
Joseph Stephenson stood in the doorway, his dark figure blocking out the light. His gaze went to their joined hands.
“Why do you want to know?” Annie put up her chin.
“Because I am your landlord, and I have a vested interest in your business.”
She forced a smile. She would be a fool if she deliberately antagonized a member of the guild, but it hurt to smile, now she knew his reasons for marrying her. “You gave me notice to quit, sir. I have found somewhere else for the business.”
Joseph glanced from her to Gerald and back again. “I see. I will make you a fair offer for your little enterprise. I would have brought much your way if our contract had gone ahead.”
At least he did business honestly. He could have forged her signature on those documents, and landed her in a hellish mess. “I look forward to your offer, sir.”
Gerald cleared his throat. “Do you intend to make matters difficult for Mrs. Cathcart?”
Joseph spared him a glance. “Why should I? She has a tidy little company, but I own much larger.”
He was fishing for information. How much did they know? Quickly, before Gerald could take up the challenge, she said, “Just so. I do not intend to oppose you in any way, Joseph. I’m sorry our contract did not work out”
He gave a tight-lipped smile. “Be warned, madam; do not oppose me. I will not appreciate opposition.”
Her guileless expression was hurting. “I understand.”
Gerald stepped forward, his fists clenched, but Annie touched his wrist. He froze.
“I appreciate your concern, sir,” she said.
With a slight nod that could, if they wished, indicate agreement, he turned on one heel and left, his footsteps echoing on the floorboards.
“Damnation,” she said, and let out a long breath. “That was a declaration of war.”
“It was?” Gerald faced her and took both her hands in his, smoothing her tight knuckles until she uncurled them. “I thought you were meek and mild. Is he so fearful, then?”
“Yes. What Joseph Stephenson wants, he gets. I’m too small to stand against him.”
He drew her close, so the heat of his body warmed her. “But I am not. I have powerful friends, Annie, and I won’t hesitate to use them, if I have to.”
“Oh!” She had not thought of that, or that he would exert himself that way.
Laughing, he dropped a kiss on her lips. “Oh, yes indeed. It would be my pleasure. I hate bullies. Even if I were not—”
“Where do you want the silver, missus? Do I guard it all night?” They would have no privacy today, perhaps tonight as well.
Gerald turned to face Jem. “There’s no need. I have a safe.” He glanced at Annie and kept her gaze, his own far too warm for her comfort. “You stay here, and I’ll help them move the stock.” He lowered his voice, so his tones hardly carried. “If you go upstairs, to the bedroom, the safe is set into the floor.” Dipping a hand into his pocket, he dropped a small key into her open palm. “Here are the keys. The safe is on the right side of the bed. Lift the rug and you should see where the floorboards have been cut through.”
“Oh you darling man!” Picking up her skirts, she raced up the stairs, and then again, to the second floor.
She didn’t need him to tell her which bedroom.
Entering the room, she breathed deep. Someone had tidied and cleaned the room, but she could hear the ghost of their laughter in the air, and their sighs and moans as they made love.
Shaking herself, she went to the place he’d indicated and found the safe. It was large enough to take some ingots, but not the wire they had ready for patterning. She would take the risk with that. They had deliberately run the stock down, as until this morning she wasn’t sure if she’d have a business to handle. Now she did.
They returned in ten minutes, a soft bag held between them. Gerald was the taller; Jem was as wide as he was tall. Silver ingots were heavy. Annie could hardly lift one on her own. Currently she owned two and a quarter. She had been meaning to visit the bank and put her ingots into their vaults, but she had been too busy and distracted of late.
“My son’s inheritance,” she murmured as they carefully stowed the ingots in the safe. Gerald showed no indication of having heard her, but after he’d taken the keys from her and fastened each lock, he dropped one into her hand and pocketed the other. “Now it will take both of us to provide the unlocking devices.”
Jem nodded. “Good idea, sir.”
Because whoever wanted the keys would have to get through Gerald. He provided a more formidable target than she did. Not that Joseph could know about this safe, but he must know they would have one. It was common practice.