Belong To Me (book 4) (The Fielding Brothers Saga) by Marie Higgins

to work.”
    She let out a few more grumbles of protest. His fingers moved her chin toward him, and his lips nestled hers. He’d kissed her just as he’d done yesterday morning.
    “Charlotte, I’m going out of town this afternoon and I won’t be back until late tonight. If you need anything, let my butler know.”
    Although she kept her eyes closed, this information brought her mind alert. She waited until Ian left the room then sat up and listened for him to leave the house. When the clip clop of the horse’s hooves echoed down the street, she swung her legs off the bed. She shrugged into her wrapper as she snuck into Ian’s bedroom.
    His scent lingered in the air, making her feel warm all over. She pushed away the feeling and moved to his closets, searching through pockets on his trousers and jackets. When she came up empty, she looked through dresser drawers, trying to find any papers with his handwriting, but once again, discovered nothing.
    She left the room and padded down the stairs, hoping the servants wouldn’t hear. She didn’t want to explain why she was sneaking around. Entering his study was easier than she thought, and she closed the door softly behind her. She searched through the files on the desk first, reading each paper or receipt that she could find. After about an hour of going through his desk, Charlotte sighed with disappointment. She’d come up empty. The last place to go was his office, but she’d have to wait until he and his secretary were gone.
    She returned upstairs to her room and dressed in one of her more modest dresses. The yellow cream-colored frock clung nicely to her, and the short waist jacket accented her slender hips. The high neck collar didn’t show any hint of skin, and the long straight sleeves hugged her arms down to her wrists. The straight skirt dragged behind a small train. A matching bonnet completed her ensemble. By the stares and glances from the people on the streets as she rode the buggy into town, she knew she’d dressed well today.
    When she entered her husband’s office, a mousy looking man sat at the first desk. He quickly scrambled to rise. This must be Ian’s secretary. What had he called him…Mr. Stout? She didn’t have time to think up an excuse for being there before the man took off his hat and bowed.
    “Good morning.”
    “Hello. I’m Mr. Fielding’s wife.”
    He nodded. “Mr. Fielding spoke of you. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ewan Stout.”
    When he reached a hand out in greeting, she shook it once before releasing him. “Nice to meet you, also.”
    “I’m sorry, Mrs. Fielding, but your husband has traveled to the next town over to get some supplies. He won’t be back in his office at all today.”
    “Thank you. I suppose I’ll just have to go shopping without him.”
    “Do you need money?”
    “Oh, no.” She smiled. “As I’ve discovered before, all I need to do is say my husband’s name and most of the shop’s clerks fall at my feet.”
    The man laughed. “Yes. Fielding is certainly a well-respected man around here.”
    “Well, I’ll be going. Have a pleasant day, and I hope to see you soon.”
    She exited the building and made her way through the crowd to her vehicle parked across the street. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to wait too long before Mr. Stout left. This morning’s warm sun beat down upon her, making her uncomfortable at times. An hour later, the man finally walked out of the office, closing the door behind him. She glanced down at her pocket timepiece. It was the same time of day as yesterday when she’d been there. As proper as she could, she hurried across the street to his office and tested the door. When the door opened, relief poured through her. Quickly she entered and rushed to her husband’s office. The first place she looked was on his desk. Most of the papers she’d seen yesterday were here, except for the lone article that had captured her curiosity.
    Her gaze skimmed through the papers