Tempting Her Reluctant Viscount by Catherine Hemmerling Page B

.”
    Apparently too surprised to do anything but accede to her wishes, Michael quickly stood, and together they ducked out of the building and onto the busy street. It seemed everyone was on their way home and after just a few steps, Hope and Michael found themselves swallowed up by the crowd.
    “Where are we going?” Michael asked when there was a break in the crowd and he was able to reach her side.
    “To the carriage…we may not have much time.”
    “Time for what ?” Michael replied, but his words were lost as Hope darted through a particularly dense group of businessmen and they had to employ some fancy footwork to even stay together.
    Finally, the couple came to where Michael had instructed the driver to wait for them and, after shoving Michael into the vehicle, Hope gave some directions to the driver and then leapt in after him. With a lurch, they were on their way.
    “Hope, will you please tell me where we are going in such a hurry?” She looked at him with wide eyes as she gasped for breath. She wasn’t used to such vigorous exercise, but she was more than pleased by the maneuverability of her current outfit. She had never fully appreciated a gentleman’s ease of movement until now.
    Suddenly realizing she was having the time of her life, Hope grinned at Michael and was surprised to find him glowering at her in the most disconcerting way.
    Her smile faltered slightly. “Are you all right?”
    Exhaling sharply, Michael replied, “I will be fine once you tell me what is going on in that pretty little head of yours.”
    “I am not sure what you mean.”
    “ Where…are…we…going…Hope ?” Michael said slowly.
    “Oh…to Mr. Butt’s, of course,” Hope answered, surprised that he even had to ask. It seemed most evident to her, after overhearing the conversation between the advisor and the other gentleman, that that should be their next destination.
    “Of course?” Michael echoed.
    “Yes,” Hope said. “We need to go now while he and that other man are at the club.”
    “You mean Cochrane-Johnstone,” Michael supplied absently.
    “ Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone? Of course. I knew he looked familiar,” Hope said, mostly to herself.
    Michael shook his head. “But I still don’t understand. Why do we need to go to Butt’s house? I thought we had planned to search Mr. Fearn’s office.”
    “Well yes, we did, but after what Mr. Butt said, I thought it would be more prudent to search his office first.”
    Slapping himself on the forehead, Michael said, “I am such an idiot. He has held onto something that could implicate himself and the others, hasn’t he?”
    “Yes,” Hope replied with some astonishment. “I should have thought that rather obvious.”
    …
    Grimacing, Michael had to agree with her. It was rather obvious, now that he thought about it. He clearly recalled the look of fear in Butt’s eyes when confronted by Cochrane-Johnstone. The man had quickly changed his tune about there being any evidence, but the look on his face belied his words.
    Sighing, Michael rubbed his hands over his face. He was losing his touch. It wasn’t like him to miss such an important clue. And he had been so impressed with himself when his plan to stumble upon the occupants of the office had worked so well. Seeing the admiration in Hope’s eyes had caused more than a moment of pride, as well, he admitted silently.
    “I guess I was too distracted by the mention of De Berenger,” Michael said with some preoccupation, patting her knee distractedly. “Good work, my dear.”
    “Thank you,” Hope said, clearly delighted by the compliment. “This ‘De Berenger’ they were talking about? You know of him?”
    “Ah, not well, actually. I believe he is a Prussian aristocrat I have only met once, which is why I couldn’t quite place him at first, but now I am positive that the man posing as Du Bourg was, in fact, De Berenger.”
    “Really?” Hope asked with excitement. “Now that is big news. You will