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Hargrove made a face.“It’s a compliment, Mrs.S.Ninjas are esteemed warriors on the other side of the world.I guess you missed what our Lord just said.The French chump he shall be dining with tonight is none other than Comte Beaulieu.”

Mrs.Sinclair blinked, nonplussed.

“The count is in London?”she asked Evander warily, ignoring Hargrove the repeat offender.

“Yes.”Evander sighed at the manservant and the housekeeper’s uncomfortable expressions.“Leon is an Arcane Investigator working for the French authorities.He arrived in England this morning and will be participating in a joint investigation with the Met.I have no say in the matter.”

“Well, this is going to put the cat among the pigeons,” Hargrove muttered darkly.“You best not let Mr.Stonewall see you two together.”

Evander bristled at the warning.“It’s not as if Leon and I are intending to resume our former relationship.”

“Yourintimaterelationship,” Hargrove corrected.

“Mr.Hargrove!”Mrs.Sinclair gasped.

“What?”Hargrove said with a shrug.“It’s not exactly a lie.”He narrowed his eyes.“I must admit though, there’s no way that Frenchman could keep up with the Ironfist Brute when it comes to satisfying his Grace.”He paused deliberately.“Sexually, I mean.”

Heat suffused Evander’s face.

Mrs.Sinclair looked like she was contemplating walloping Hargrove over the head with the closest blunt object.

“If you’ve quite finished talking about my personal affairs, I would like you to send a message toNightshaderequesting Mr.Stonewall visit me tonight,” Evander instructed the manservant coolly.

A salacious twinkle appeared in Hargrove’s eyes.

“Don’t,” Evander warned, his ears hot as he realised belatedly how the command might come across.

He climbed the stairs to his chambers while Hargrove departed to make the arrangements, his thoughts churning.Not just about the case, but about Leon himself.

Seeing his former lover again after six years had stirred memories better left undisturbed.Their parting had been less than friendly—bitter words had been exchanged, promises broken, and hearts irrevocably wounded.

Evander could not deny that he had once loved the Frenchman.But he was over him.Had been for years.Yet Leon seemed intent on acting as though those final painful weeks of their relationship had never happened.

Evander swallowed a sigh as he entered his bedchamber.Tonight’s dinner would be a delicate balancing act.He would have to extract valuable information from Leon while maintaining an appropriate distance.It was a challenge he wasn’t particularly looking forward to facing.And it made him feel guilty towards Viggo even though he knew he wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Chapter19

Viggo and Solomonstudied the two handwritten notes on the weathered oak desk in his office inNightshade.One was the resignation letter Tom Simmons had supposedly sent to Lord Fairfax.The other was a shopping list Emma Simmons had brought in that day, a mundane document that now held potentially vital clues.According to her, her brother had written it a week before his disappearance.

“The slant of some of the letters is wrong,” Solomon finally murmured, his brow furrowed.He pointed out the difference between the two notes.“Look at how he formed his S’s and T’s.”He straightened.“I doubt this resignation letter was written by Tom Simmons.”

“So you do think it’s a forgery?”Viggo asked grimly.

“Yes,” Solomon replied.

Viggo frowned heavily.This confirmed what they had already suspected.

Tom Simmons had not willingly left Lord Fairfax’s employ.

He became conscious of Solomon fidgeting beside him.“What is it?”

Solomon scratched his cheek awkwardly.“Although I’m certain it’s a fake, it wouldn’t hurt to get it confirmed by the Met.Especially after what happened to you last night.”

Viggo hid his surprise at that.Still, he was pleased his friend was coming around to the idea that they should involve the authorities.After all, there were more important things at stake here than their pride.

Besides, these dark mages are watching our every move.Which means whatever their mission is, it’s far from over.

“I shall inform Evander straightaway about these disappearances and our findings so far.”Viggo rose to his feet.