Secrets and Lies by Marie Higgins

Author:Marie Higgins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Marie Higgins
Published: 2024-01-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Ashton stared out the window of his office toward the street, looking at nothing in particular. Every little thing that had happened last night ran through his mind, keeping him from doing any work. The railway had already come across some issues this morning, which he had quickly fixed. Then, when trying to add up the columns in the weekly ledger, he had been absent-minded, forgetting to carry the eight to the next line. He gritted his teeth, not believing how careless he’d been, especially since he had always been so bright when it came to math.

He blamed his lack of concentration on one woman. Nicole Bastian.

Why had he allowed one woman to twist his emotions so quickly in such a short amount of time? It was obvious why he’d become fascinated with her at Lord Reynolds’ masked ball. Plain and simple, the woman was stunning, both in physical beauty and her personality. The times he’d met up with her after the ball was just as rewarding. She had somehow mesmerized him, and heaven help him, he enjoyed being in that mental state—as if he were always floating on a cloud.

He kept going over everything Glynn and Larson had told him last night, and his anger kept rising He gritted his teeth, not being able to tolerate the confusion in his head, but mostly, he couldn’t stand the pain in his heart from the doubts.

Was she the thief? Was she the enchanting woman he had gotten to know—or the fairytale character that had two sides?

A sharp knock sounded on the office door, and Ashton’s elbow slid from the edge of his desk, and he pitched forward, nearly hitting his head on his inkwell. “Enter,” he said. Collecting himself, he sat on his chair and tried to remove his dazed expression. He busied his hands, rearranging papers that littered his desk.

Mr. Wiggins opened the door but didn’t step into the room. “Mr. Lee, Miss Bastian is here to see you. Are you available?”

Ashton caught his breath as his body froze momentarily. What is she doing here? “Yes, I’m available. Please show her in.”

Ashton pushed away from his desk and stood, adjusting his waistcoat and cravat. Would he act like a smitten schoolboy as he had done lately whenever looking upon her? Yet the doubts he’d had since his dinner party clouded his judgment.

When Nicole sauntered into the room, he held back a sigh. As always, she was breathtaking. Today she wore a pale pink gown with white lace over the bodice, which cascaded halfway down the dress. The neckline was modest but showed him her delicate throat...skin that he wanted to caress with his lips. Her hair hung down her back in loose ringlets instead of being piled on top of her head. He liked seeing her light-brown curls circling her neck and shoulders instead of the fancy styles many women had taken to wearing.

He shook away the thought, wondering how he could get rid of those ideas for good.

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