Free Rescued by a Duke by Ruth J. Hartman Page A

him."
    She shook her head. It made no sense. She hadn't always agreed with her brother and had hated the lies he'd told, but they had been all each other had had. Sasha would give anything to have him back. How sad these two brothers didn't get along.
    Garrett darted a glance toward the doorway. "Where is Maryann?"
    "Your brother said he told her you had no need of her this afternoon."
    Garrett's face reddened. "He did, did he?" He leaned down and picked up the book from the floor. "What's this?"
    "Lucien read me some poetry. It was quite lovely."
    "I see." His eyebrows drew together.
    What did he see? It had been quite harmless. And Garrett hadn't been there anyway.
    Laying the book back down on the floor with a thump, he angled toward Sasha. "Please don't ask why, but I'd prefer you didn't spend time alone with Lucien."
    "I hope you're not angry, but you had left and he offered to keep me company. I was not concerned. He did not seem as he had when I first saw him upstairs and was actually quite pleasant."
    He reached for her hands. "It's not you I am upset with. Please don't ever think that. And I'm sorry I was gone so long. It couldn't be avoided. I… it was something I needed to… take care of."
    Mystery surrounded Garrett's previous whereabouts. If he desired Lucien to stay away from her, why had he left them alone in the house? What could be so important? The question of where he'd been lingered on the tip of her tongue. But that wasn't appropriate, especially since he was already out of sorts and his business was none of her concern.
     
    ****
     
    Garrett clenched his jaw. Of course Lucien had slipped in to see Sasha as soon as he'd had the chance. But Garrett's absences couldn't be helped. He'd gotten word from one of his sources about a lead on Sasha's brother's killer and he'd needed to check it out immediately.
    Sadly, it had proved a dead end. Garrett wasn't giving up, though. On the contrary, he was more determined than ever to do this for Sasha. Maybe it would give her some peace. And maybe Garrett might acquire a little of it, too, if he could help her get some closure for her brother's death.
    He needed more detailed information about where Samuel had been that last day and whom he'd been with. Sasha was the logical one to ask, but she was reticent to talk about her brother, the pain still raw. That left using Garrett's well-paid sources to dig up more information. Plus, Sasha had gotten her information from someone who hadn't actually been a witness, so there were details she would not be privy to.
    He sighed. Why had Lucien picked now, of all times, to arrive early? Garrett would have to keep a close eye on him around Sasha. He'd originally thought to place her somewhere safe, with a trusted tenant, but had changed his mind. Word always got out about such things. How would Garrett have explained to someone why he had a young, beautiful woman staying at his home in the first place? And without a chaperone?
    He ran his hand through his hair. There was no way he could stay with Sasha all the time. And maids might not always be counted on to chaperone her properly. Lucien had a way of charming the staff. Especially the women. He'd always had that ability. Unfortunately.
    When new information came in from Garrett's sources, he needed to check it out right away. Otherwise, a good trail might get cold. He couldn't afford to take the chance. And as important as it was to him to discover the identity of the killer, Garrett didn't want to leave the interviewing of possible witnesses to someone else. Especially since the police apparently hadn't been able to find the killer yet, either. Would Sasha take to heart his admonition to not spend time alone with Lucien? Hopefully Garrett would find out soon who had taken Samuel's life.
    Knock. Knock . He glanced up at the doorway.
    "You wanted to see me?" Lucien leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed.
    "Yes. Come in." His brother ambled through the doorway, appearing