He looked up then and met my gaze again. Had something in my little speech actually managed to capture his attention?
There was something in his eyes as he looked at me… Something different from before. It was intense - but I had no idea what it was.
‘You are wasting my time,’ he said. But his voice wasn’t quite as hard and immovable as just a second ago. ‘I need to catch Simmons.’
‘Then let me help,’ I pleaded.
Instead of answering, he returned to rummaging through the last drawer. Slamming it shut, he turned to Karim, who stood waiting at the entrance to the safe.
‘Nothing here. Get the men here. The entire team. Tell Warren to go over this place with a fine-tooth comb. Anything he finds, and I mean anything, is to be brought to me immediately, understood?’
‘Yes, Sahib.’
‘Why not just tell the police about this?’ I dared to interject.
‘Because I do not want this business in tomorrow’s newspapers,’ was the curt reply. ‘And because if we find the thief, they will get in my way.’
I had to swallow. Taking into account his recent threats towards yours truly, I could only imagine too well what he meant by that.
‘So what now?’ I asked.
‘Now you will go home.’
‘No. I will not!’
Karim, who had been striding towards the door to embark on his errand, hesitated there. ‘Do you truly wish me to leave you alone with her, Sahib?’
I rolled my eyes. Oh, please.
Mr Ambrose nodded. ‘Yes, go, Karim. I need Warren here as soon as possible.’
‘As you wish, Sahib.’ But Karim still looked doubtful under his beard as he unlocked the door and left the room.
When the door closed behind him, I stepped up to Mr Ambrose until only a few inches separated us. There was no point in beating about the bush further.
‘Why won’t you let me do my job? What exactly is your problem?’
His eyes, seeming darker than usual, almost black, bored into me like a steam-engine-driven drill. ‘You know.’
Angrily, I put my fists on my hips. ‘You mean the fact that I’m a girl?’
He didn’t say anything, but from his look I knew that was it. What was the matter? This was going beyond chauvinism. Wasn't he even able to say the word ‘girl’ aloud? Did he have such a strong distaste for it? For me?
‘Do you behave like this to all females?’ I demanded.
A faint noise escaped him. It might have been a snort.
‘Hardly. All females don't put on trousers and trick me into giving them jobs!’
‘I did not trick you!’
‘Maybe. Get to the point.’
‘I already have. Why won’t you let me help you, let me work for you properly?’
He shook his head in exasperation. ‘You don't understand. Where I am going, what I will be doing… It will be dangerous. Very dangerous. I cannot let you accompany me.’
‘Why not?’ I asked, heatedly. ‘Simply because I am a girl?’
He stared at me for a second, seemingly lost for words. For this one moment I saw something flicker in his eyes, something different from the iron determination that was usually there. He looked almost… frightened? Longing?
Then the shutters came done again, and he nodded. ‘Yes, that’s exactly the reason. I am a gentleman. As such I cannot allow any lad- person of female gender to be in danger.’
It did not pass my notice how he had avoided using the term 'lady'.
‘Oh really?’ Sarcasm was dripping from my voice. ‘If I may remind you, you were threatening to do away with me yourself not ten minutes ago.’
‘That,’ he answered in a chilling voice, ‘was when I thought you had betrayed me. I do not take kindly to traitors, Mr Linton.’
The sarcasm drained from my voice and face.
‘I am not a traitor,’ I said, my voice full of hurt.
For one instant, I thought his granite face softened a bit. ‘I know. You have done an acceptable job so far - for an Ifrit.’
My eyes flew wide open. Had my ears betrayed me, or had Mr Ambrose, Mr Silent and Sullen Granite Face Ambrose, just made a joke?
‘But your capabilities as an office worker don’t have anything to do with this. You simply can’t get involved in this matter! You see that, don't you?’ he continued so quickly that I immediately forgot about the maybe-joke and my hackles rose.
‘No! I most certainly do not see. You have taken me on to work for you!’ I folded my arms in front of my chest. ‘I demand work! I demand to work bloody hard for every penny you will pay me, just like Karim and this Warren fellow and every other man you employ, do you understand? I want to earn my own money, and I will, whether you want me to or not.’
Once again, he studied me with his dark, sea-coloured eyes. There was something growing there - slowly, very slowly. Acceptance? More likely it was resignation.
He took a step towards me. Whereas before our faces had been inches apart, now it was only a fraction of an inch.
‘I will not be able to change your mind, will I?’ he asked. His voice was arctic. But for some reason I didn’t feel cold. Instead I felt heat rush over my body. Where his face and mine almost touched, my skin began to tingle. The tension between us was burning.
‘No.’ I grinned. ‘And you don't have the time anyway. You have to catch a thief.’
‘Good point.’ Again, he studied me. ‘You really wish to help?’
‘Yes!’
‘Very well then. Follow me.’
He whirled, and before I knew what was happening he was striding away. I followed instinctively, only now realizing how my breath had sped up during our little standoff.
Strange. Why had I reacted like this? It must have been the exhilaration of finally triumphing over him. Yes, that had to be it.
He led me back towards the entrance of the safe. There, he stopped and turned to me. I had to work hard to keep a triumphant smile off my face. This was it. He was finally going to accept me and give me responsibility.
‘I have a very important assignment for you,’ he said, looking me directly in the eyes. ‘One of vital significance, which I expect to be finished by the time I return.’
‘What is it?’ I asked, breathless.
He pushed open the door to the safe, which had fallen closed behind us. Then he pointed to the chaos of files on the floor. ‘Clean up that mess.’