railing,
''you have also no doubt
noticed that she is very
intelligent and observant."
That she was. And so,
surprisingly, was Mohan. And in
ways far beyond his years.
"Do you think anyone's here already?"
Aiden asked, willing to trust
the boy's assessment.
"My father's enemies,
perhaps yes. My father's friends,
not yet."
''They'll come when you're
summoned back to India,"
Aiden mused aloud. ''Until
then, their larger interests are
served in keeping her
around."
Mohan slowly smiled. "You
are a very intelligent man,
Mr. Terrell," he said, the buoyancy back in his
voice. "I believe
that I may be persuaded to think that it was
wise of
Miss Alex to hire you."
"Persuaded?"
"I would like a white
stallion to ride about London."
Aiden chuckled. "What
you'd like and what you'll actually
get are two very different
things."
Mohan studied him for a moment
and then shrugged his
shoulders. "One should at
least try."
“Fine. Nothing ventured,
nothing gained. Let's see if we
can find some brooms and clean
this place up a bit while we
wait for Miss Radford to join
us."
He half expected Mohan to say that
cleaning the stable
was Preeya's work, and when he
didn't and headed to the
tack room instead, Aiden
counted it as a sign of sure success.
He let the boy go to explore
on his own, knowing that Mohan
would appreciate and do well
with the freedom. Still
leaning against the stall
railing, he stared down at his dusty
boots. How long would it be
before the raja called his son
and the royal tutor back to
India? A week? A month? A year?
Would the assassins arrive
after the missive or would Alex
be dead before she could
receive it?
Next week would be on his
watch; he could protect her.
Maybe he'd still be here even
a month from now. But if the
summons was issued after Lal's
replacement arrived ...
He'd just have to make sure,
before he left, that the new
guard understood that Alex
needed to be protected every bit
as much as Mohan did. Yes,
that's what he'd do. It would be
enough and he could go away
without his conscience bothering
him. But why the hell hadn't
she said something to him?
It was
the most disconcerting ride she'd ever taken. Aiden
Terrell sat opposite her
either staring out the window or appraising
her as if she were some sort
of rare and exotic bug.
She'd thought several times to
politely inquire as to what
was concerning him. but hadn't been able to find so much as
a pause in the steady stream
of commentary that had been
pouring out of Mohan since the
moment the rented carriage
had started to roll.
Lord only knew what had
transpired in the stable before
she arrived there, but clearly
something rather momentous
had. Mohan was more excited
and happier than she'd ever
seen him; leading her to think that
whatever had happened
was generally good. On the
other hand, Aiden Terrell was
quiet and decidedly pensive.
She didn't know what to think
of his behavior. It was so
different from any she'd seen from
him so far. Although, she admitted, as the carriage
turned
and slowed, there was a
certain deliberate quality to his silence
that seemed to be typical of
him. As far
as she could
tell, nothing Aiden Terrell
did was less than wholehearted.
The carriage eased to a stop
and Mohan bolted for the
door, throwing it open and
bounding out before she could
catch him.
"Mohan!" she called
after him. "Slow down and be care ful!"
Aiden stepped out and turned
back, offering his hand.
Alex took it and allowed him
to help her to the ground, her
gaze narrowing past him and her
stomach filling with dread.
They had arrived at a snowy
field filled with rows and rows
of carriages of every sort.
And Mohan was running headlong
into their midst. The ground
was so slippery underfoot.
He was going to lose his
footing in the snow, fall, and crack
open his head.
''Let him run and
climb,"
''you have also no doubt
noticed that she is very
intelligent and observant."
That she was. And so,
surprisingly, was Mohan. And in
ways far beyond his years.
"Do you think anyone's here already?"
Aiden asked, willing to trust
the boy's assessment.
"My father's enemies,
perhaps yes. My father's friends,
not yet."
''They'll come when you're
summoned back to India,"
Aiden mused aloud. ''Until
then, their larger interests are
served in keeping her
around."
Mohan slowly smiled. "You
are a very intelligent man,
Mr. Terrell," he said, the buoyancy back in his
voice. "I believe
that I may be persuaded to think that it was
wise of
Miss Alex to hire you."
"Persuaded?"
"I would like a white
stallion to ride about London."
Aiden chuckled. "What
you'd like and what you'll actually
get are two very different
things."
Mohan studied him for a moment
and then shrugged his
shoulders. "One should at
least try."
“Fine. Nothing ventured,
nothing gained. Let's see if we
can find some brooms and clean
this place up a bit while we
wait for Miss Radford to join
us."
He half expected Mohan to say that
cleaning the stable
was Preeya's work, and when he
didn't and headed to the
tack room instead, Aiden
counted it as a sign of sure success.
He let the boy go to explore
on his own, knowing that Mohan
would appreciate and do well
with the freedom. Still
leaning against the stall
railing, he stared down at his dusty
boots. How long would it be
before the raja called his son
and the royal tutor back to
India? A week? A month? A year?
Would the assassins arrive
after the missive or would Alex
be dead before she could
receive it?
Next week would be on his
watch; he could protect her.
Maybe he'd still be here even
a month from now. But if the
summons was issued after Lal's
replacement arrived ...
He'd just have to make sure,
before he left, that the new
guard understood that Alex
needed to be protected every bit
as much as Mohan did. Yes,
that's what he'd do. It would be
enough and he could go away
without his conscience bothering
him. But why the hell hadn't
she said something to him?
It was
the most disconcerting ride she'd ever taken. Aiden
Terrell sat opposite her
either staring out the window or appraising
her as if she were some sort
of rare and exotic bug.
She'd thought several times to
politely inquire as to what
was concerning him. but hadn't been able to find so much as
a pause in the steady stream
of commentary that had been
pouring out of Mohan since the
moment the rented carriage
had started to roll.
Lord only knew what had
transpired in the stable before
she arrived there, but clearly
something rather momentous
had. Mohan was more excited
and happier than she'd ever
seen him; leading her to think that
whatever had happened
was generally good. On the
other hand, Aiden Terrell was
quiet and decidedly pensive.
She didn't know what to think
of his behavior. It was so
different from any she'd seen from
him so far. Although, she admitted, as the carriage
turned
and slowed, there was a
certain deliberate quality to his silence
that seemed to be typical of
him. As far
as she could
tell, nothing Aiden Terrell
did was less than wholehearted.
The carriage eased to a stop
and Mohan bolted for the
door, throwing it open and
bounding out before she could
catch him.
"Mohan!" she called
after him. "Slow down and be care ful!"
Aiden stepped out and turned
back, offering his hand.
Alex took it and allowed him
to help her to the ground, her
gaze narrowing past him and her
stomach filling with dread.
They had arrived at a snowy
field filled with rows and rows
of carriages of every sort.
And Mohan was running headlong
into their midst. The ground
was so slippery underfoot.
He was going to lose his
footing in the snow, fall, and crack
open his head.
''Let him run and
climb,"
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