Chapter Seven

Had she been daft enough to imagine her keeper would be a handsome young buck? Perhaps. After all, she'd been daft enough to pursue a thief into the back alleys of Chinatown.

"Well, you are not what I expected either," he snapped, vexed with himself for giving a damn what she thought of him. "But there's no help for it. I reckon that's what comes of making such arrangements by proxy."

Her dazed stare changed to a look of bewilderment, as if he'd slipped back into Cantonese. "Speaking of my proxy, where the devil is Hadrian Northmore? I'm told you have a letter from him. I hope it will explain what's going on."

"Er…yes." Sakura rummaged through a reticule that hung from her elbow.

"Mr Northmore told me to give it to you." Itachi eyed her reticule with suspicion. "I thought you said one of the coolies stole that from you."

"Not this." She fished out a sealed packet of paper and offered it to him gingerly, as if she did not want her hand to brush his. "A silver locket I've had for a long time that means a great deal to me."

Seizing the letter from her, Itachi broke the seal and unfolded the paper. He wondered why a thief would have taken the locket but ignored her reticule. And how had the fellow managed to get her locket? The easiest way would be to yank it off her neck, breaking the chain. But that would have left marks and her lovely neck did not bear the smallest nick or bruise.

While a brief inspection of that fair flesh made Itachi's breath quicken, it also made the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. Was she lying to him already, over something so trivial? His earlier misgivings about taking her as his mistress redoubled, even though the prospect stirred all his senses to a keen pitch.

An awkward silence followed while he read Hadrian's letter and digested the news. It seemed he would remain in sole charge of the company's Tokyo branch for the foreseeable future. Though he welcomed the challenge, Itachi didn't like being ambushed by this abrupt change of plans. That included taking on four new workers, none of whom impressed him a great deal at the moment.

Not to mention a prospective mistress who provoked as much doubt as desire. While he scanned the last few sentences of Hadrian's letter, one of the boys addressed Sakura. "I'm sorry we didn't take better care to keep you an eye on you, lass."

"As well you should be." Itachi stuffed the letter into his pocket. "My partner confirms that he has promised you all employment. Considering how poorly you looked after Miss Haruno, I shall be reluctant to trust you with much responsibility."

He'd learned Sakura's full name from the letter, which also confirmed she was the woman Hadrian had hired to be his mistress. But it was already too late for Itachi to think of her except by her given name.

"Don't be angry with them." She stepped between him and the boys, as if to shield them from his anger. "What happened was my fault. I was so taken with all the strange new sights that I dawdled behind the others. I've lived most of my life in the countryside and they come from a little mining village in Durham. None of us had any idea how dangerous a place this could be."

Itachi's opinion of her rose, for being willing to accept responsibility and defend her companions. "Now that you have discovered how easy it is to land in trouble around here, I trust you will all tread more carefully." None of them answered with words. The boys hung their heads, duly chastened. But Sakura tilted her chin a little higher and fixed Itachi with a direct, challenging stare. He was not convinced she'd learned her lesson.

"Let us consider the matter closed." He forced himself to look away from her bewitching grey-green eyes. "While I arrange quarters for my new workers, Miss Haruno, I will send you on to my house to get settled."

Itachi beckoned them to follow him, but when he took a step, shards ofpain slashed through his leg, making him stagger and bite back a groan.

"What's the matter?" Moving too fast for Itachi to evade, Sakura grabbed his arm to steady him, as he'd done for her on the bridge. "I thought you were walking with a bit of limp. Did someone in the crowd strike you?"

He was not prepared for the warmth of her touch or the soft note of concern her lilting voice. It had been a very long while since anyone had cared what happened to him. At the same time his pride chafed at being reminded of his slight infirmity by a beautiful young woman. Concern was too close to pity for his liking.

"It's of no consequence, I assure you." He pulled away from her, with some difficulty. "An old injury I forget half the time—unless I've had a long day on my feet or I am obliged to move quickly on short notice."

"A battle wound?" Bright glints of silver and green sparkled in her eyes. "Were you a soldier before you became a merchant?"

She sounded intrigued, admiring. The truth was far less heroic, but Itachi had no intention of revealing it to her. He'd never told anyone about his ordeal and he was not about to start with a woman who'd thrown his well-ordered world into turmoil within minutes of her arrival.

"Nothing of the kind." Steeling himself against the pain and the tormenting memories it stirred, Itachi moved forwards again, trying not to be too obvious