Court of Flowers (Sutherland Book 1)

VII | The Grimes

Sasha was staring at him, confusion and disbelief were woven together in her peculiarly beautiful face.

West watched her blue-grey eyes narrow as understanding washed over her face. "There is only one reason why she is there." The condemning curl of her lips bewildered West. "She is a bastard."

He blinked. "She is. We do not share the same father."

She chuckled, her eyes darting to the paper in his hand. Was she considering changing her mind? Because of this? "Her origin should not affect how you meet the task you will be paid to do."

Her small gasp of disbelief and contempt told him she had more opinions on the matter than she necessarily should. "They do affect me in many ways, sir." She was throwing sharp icicles with her cold gaze. "You do not know how these children feel knowing they are there simply because the people who gave them life were too callous with their actions."

Was she one of them? He wanted to ask. No, he did not have to know. Knowing more about this woman was not necessary. Their transaction was purely a formal negotiation.

"I am not requiring you to find a child, woman," he said, his tone reminding her who was paying who. "Our mother, Elizabeth Blackwood, gave birth to my sister in Belcourt. I merely had a year in my life when they both disappeared, so do forgive me if I did not stop them as what your look is suggesting I ought to have done."

She stiffened. "You never saw them again?"

"If I did, I do not have any recollection." He walked to the table where he carefully laid the signed paper and his pen. Turning to face her, he found that she was looking at him intently. His arms crossed over his chest and he rested his hips on the edge of the table. "I have reasons to believe my sister never left Belcourt."

Sasha blinked. "If she is merely a year younger than you, she must now be—"

"Eight and twenty," he interrupted, answering her unfinished question. "You are to look for a grown woman, Sasha, not a child."

Her long, shaky sigh traveled through the still air toward him. He did not mean for his body to react in any way. He was a man, after all, a part of him thought with wonder. A simple sigh from this woman was enough to make him go tight.

He shifted his legs and crossed one over the other, leaning back against the table. "It seems that you have more thoughts of disapproval," he bit out.

He wanted her out of here the soonest he could.

A brief thought flashed his mind. Should he have excluded the sexual clause from the agreement? He could very well need the service of a woman. It had been a while since he had one.

Then the thought was quickly drowned by the bigger, compelling part of him. Never with this woman. He could seek sexual gratification from anywhere else, but never from a Belle.

"Why were they in Belcourt?"

The question was not futile, but West was currently in an illogical battle with himself caused simply by a bloody sigh from a woman sitting ten paces away from him. It was stupid and unwarranted for him, a duke, to be this bemused... distracted.

"As I have said, my lady, I was merely one when they took refuge in Belcourt. No one, especially my father, revealed the reason why. My mother was dead to him since she was found to be carrying another man's child," he lied. "Your next question, of course, is why am I only looking for the sister? We know she left Belcourt shortly after she gave birth. She was never seen again. And your next question shall be, why have I not sought out my sister sooner?" He saw her nod. She was naturally curious and she should know that this curiosity of her could land her in the worst places. But the same curiosity could help him find his sister. "I have for many years. Belcourt is the last place in my search. I had to make certain all other places were covered."