Even with her heart in danger of breaking, Theodora knew exactly what she was doing in offering herself to Lord Maitland. Men were uncomplicated creatures and often required an added inducement to render the right sort of aid. Although in Lord Maitland’s case, he did really need her. The moment she had stepped into this house, and discovered the disorder of Lord Maitland’s private office, she’d decided where to seek employment.

She had fleetingly studied Quinn Ford since his return to shore and resignation from the Navy, after what was reported as a distinguished and lucrative career. She had noticed his interest on more than one occasion, but had been too busy with her father’s concerns to do anything about encouraging him. He was a man with presence and sense, and that appealed to her more than his handsome face and easy smile for other ladies.

She was looking forward to finding out if the handsome viscount lived up to her expectations—but that would be after she’d straightened out his affairs.

She eased back before he could try to claim a kiss, heart hammering against her breast at her boldness. Sensations she’d set aside for so long stirred her blood a little too strongly for their current location. She had made her offer, and she’d not offer more until he agreed.

Daniel had taught her that timing was everything—in business and in pleasure, too. As much as she missed the man she was to marry two years ago, she couldn’t mourn Daniel forever. She had loved him with her whole heart and body, and not a day went by when she didn’t think of him or regret the future they might have had together.

Quinn Ford was real, flesh and blood, and available by all reports. And he suited her immediate needs for employment, if he could be persuaded. She wanted only brief employment, a casual liaison, and then she’d return to India to take up her former life and mourn her father properly.

This house was perfectly positioned for her needs, too. She wanted to keep an eye on the recovery of their remaining possessions. The coroner would also not ignore the importance of Lord Maitland’s wishes for a speedy investigation, if she nudged the viscount to lend his weight behind her request. The viscount would help her get to the bottom of her father’s death, whether he intended to or not.

“I do need a secretary,” he mused, but then smiled broadly. “However, as tempting as your offer is, I must decline.”

Theodora was taken aback by his refusal, and obvious amusement in her surprise. She had propositioned him in no uncertain terms. And she had no doubt Lord Maitland was fully engaged in her suggestion that they share a bed.

Despite the rebuff, she was quite desperate to win him over by any method she could. She stroked him, a firm caress, because he’d not stepped back out of reach yet. She dug her nails in at the last moment to heighten his enjoyment and earned a grunt in return. Daniel could never resist that. “I’ve no interest in capturing your heart, my lord, if you fear I have designs on marrying you to support myself,” she promised.

“That’s actually comforting.” His smile grew, and then he laughed softly. “But I still decline. I have a mistress. She’s the jealous sort. Hates to share.”

Theodora released him with an oath, turning away to quickly form a new plan. There had been no gossip about him keeping a mistress. Mistresses were often as immoveable as wives. She grew aware Lord Maitland had followed her, though, and she hid a smile of pleasure.

Perhaps he had no personal need for her now, but she would not be so easily thwarted in other areas. She wanted his employment, and to forget that her father had just died horribly. “I accept the restriction.”

“You accept what?”

She turned. “The position of secretary only. I can start immediately. I prefer to be paid by the month, in advance. Lodgings, for myself and my mother, until we can arrange our own close by. In return, I am available to you at any time of the day or night for any correspondence you need written.”

His brows had risen high at her statement. “You are determined, aren’t you?”

Theodora prided herself on her commitment to everything she did. He could wake her in the middle of the night if the mood struck to write a letter, and she’d never complain. “I am my father’s daughter.” Her grief surfaced for a moment, but she quickly suppressed the urge to cry. Weeping would get her nowhere in a world controlled by men. “That will be to your advantage.”

“How so?”

“As you saw earlier, people gossip. Particularly women. Husbands tell their wives many things they don’t know what to do with, so they discuss the matter with other women. Mother and I may be on the outer at the moment, but that will not always be the case. I will share my discoveries with you, and you can use that knowledge to make yourself richer.”

“I am rich enough to last two lifetimes.” His jaw worked, and then he leaned forward suddenly to stare into her eyes. “Let me make one thing clear. I am not my father’s son. I do not now, nor do I ever want to, employ peddlers of information. I do not deal in intrigue.”

Theodora stepped back from his anger, recognizing she’d made a disastrous assumption about Lord Maitland. She had assumed, deep down, he was the same as every other man. Theodora had assumed the former captain to be well connected with the East India Company, too—a company that delighted in political machinations that had ruined many. Perhaps she had underestimated the viscount. “Understood, my lord.”

His lips pressed tightly together as if he were fighting the urge to berate her further. For a long, horrible moment, Theodora feared she’d lost whatever advantage she had gained in her search for employment. She had blundered, and very badly, given the way he stared at her now. His scrutiny was actually quite terrifying.

“You may begin after the funeral, if that is still what you want,” he said suddenly. “I’ll arrange for rooms to be prepared for you and your mother for an extended stay.”

She nodded, and Lord Maitland walked away, hands clenched at his sides.

Theodora rushed to follow him but when she reached the top of the staircase, he was already gone from sight.

Apparently disturbed by Lord Maitland’s abrupt departure down the stairs, her mother stirred. “Millard?” she called.

“Oh, Mama.” Theodora hurried to her mother.

Her mother sucked in a sharp breath as Theodora sat at her side and took her hand. She stared at their joined hands, bare of rings and still grubby from the ash and soot of the blaze under their nails, and fought not to cry again.

“Oh, no,” Mama whispered. Her mother raised her face, showing that tears filled her eyes and her lower lip trembled. “For a moment, I had forgotten he was gone.”

Theodora hugged her mother tightly and kissed her hair as she wept anew for many long minutes. When her crying abated, Theodora released her. “Papa would want us to be strong. To that end, I must tell you, I have made arrangements to save us from utter desperation.”

Her mother stared at her in confusion. “What arrangements?”

“Lord Maitland is desperately in need of a secretary, and has hired me. You will not believe the mess I stumbled upon in his private office while you were sleeping. It could take weeks to sort through, but I will straighten him out in the end, and we will find out who killed Father with his help.”

“I cannot believe Lord Maitland agreed to that,” her mother whispered. “He has been kind enough already. He barely knows us for all that we have been neighbors for two years.”

“It did take some bold negotiation on my part, but it is done, I assure you. We have a roof over our heads and Lord Maitland’s protection for the foreseeable future.” Theodora glanced around to check that they were alone. “But he does not yet realize he will help us clear Father’s name. Those lies Mr. Small told must be repudiated. The slander will surely spread until Father’s memory is besmirched beyond all repair. We must have his help to prevent that from happening.”

Mother bowed her head. “We both know it couldn’t be true.”

“That is not good enough for me,” Theodora fumed. “I want everyone to understand that Mr. Small lied through his teeth about Papa.”

Mother’s breath caught. “Do you plan to deceive the viscount and investigate under his name?”

Theodora nodded, a little pained that her mother had correctly guessed her intentions so soon. In business, one sometimes had to get one’s hands dirty to achieve the results one wanted. “If Maitland asks directly, I will tell him anything he wishes to know about my inquiries. I will not keep secrets.” She wiped the tears from her mother’s cheeks. “Do not worry, Mama.”

“How can I not worry when you will not be honest with him, just as you weren’t with Daniel?” Her mother captured her face. “Your father only asked you to be nice to Daniel, and you ended up engaged to marry him. What else have you bargained away to the viscount?”

“Nothing at all.” She winced though, feeling a fool again. Her greatest bargaining chip was useless when a man had a mistress. He would be immune to flirtation, and his desires would be satisfied by another beyond her control. “My services in exchange for a roof over our heads, payment made month to month, and in advance. Generous terms. Maitland is rich enough that he can afford the expense of two extra women in his household with barely a ripple.”

Yet, it still smarted that her seduction had been so thoroughly rebuffed.

The mistress had been an unknown factor in her assessment of Lord Maitland, but what was done was done. She would make do with a position and go from there. She just had to survive burying her father and do her job well enough to be kept on.

Timing was everything. Theodora had long since learned that in business, emotions only slowed one down and prevented clarity of thought. But not everyone thought as she did. After years of practice, Theodora could easily suppress her emotions behind the busy activity of work.

She longed for such a distraction now. The well of sadness inside her was vast, and she shrank from the pain of losing another loved one.

She had cried copious tears for Daniel, and now would cry in the privacy of her bedchamber each night for years to come over losing Papa, too. In between, she had to be strong for her mother and wipe clean her father’s tarnished reputation.

She would win over the viscount to her cause soon enough. Her first step would be to prove herself invaluable in managing his business affairs and earn his trust—and along the way, she would satisfy her curiosity about this jealous mistress of Lord Maitland’s.

With those goals ahead, she convinced her mother to retire and rest in the hastily prepared bedchambers upstairs.