Page 39 of Beauty and the Rake (Endless Love #1)

G raham joined Arthur in his study the following morning.

The rain had stopped at least for the time being, but the skies overhead were still gray and menacing.

Today was their meeting with Crenshaw about whether or not they had a deal for the ships, and for them to try and understand the man.

His father had been the guide to India for Arthur and Roxanne’s parents.

They had never returned, and Arthur wanted answers.

“Crenshaw’s an hour late. I wonder if he’s even going to show.”

Graham ran his hand through his hair and sat back in the brown leather chair. “He’ll be here. I’m sure the roads are in a dreadful state after all this rain.”

“True. I simply hate being kept waiting.”

“Don’t we all.”

The detective they’d hired had expressed to them how hard Crenshaw made it for anyone to keep him in their line of sight.

It was obvious the man had more debts than he could handle.

His spice trade had shrunk in the past year.

He wasn’t paying attention to what had been a thriving business.

Crenshaw seemed to want to make fast cash.

One was to guide tourists as his father had.

It was lucrative, but not to his expectations.

A knock on the door as it was being opened caused both Arthur and Graham to jerk their heads back around to the door.

“Mr. Crenshaw, Your Grace,” the older man said, and Crenshaw went around him and into the study.

“That’ll be all,” Arthur bid the butler with a nod.

With the butler gone, Arthur guided their guest to where they had been seated moments ago. “How are the roads from here to London?” Graham asked as the man sat down.

“Muddy and rutted. There are sections of the road where you need to make sure not to get into one of the ruts left by an earlier carriage or you’ll get stuck.”

“Hopefully the rain is gone, and everything will get a chance to dry out,” Arthur added.

“It’ll take at least a week if not longer, but at least everything will be greener for it,” Graham said.

Crenshaw grunted. Obviously, the man did not make small talk or like it because he jerked the conversation back around to him and why he was there. “I must admit the two of you are quite persistent.”

“Really?” Graham shot back. “Because the only thing I see us being persistent at is trying to find out why the sudden change of mind and why the ships were moved north.”

“In regard to the ships, they were in need of maintenance work before going back out to sea.”

“There are plenty of good shipyards here to do that,” Arthur said.

“True, but I wanted a more thorough inspection before sending the ship back out. I had a scheduled time, so it isn’t as though it was a last-minute decision,” Crenshaw said.

“So you intend on keeping the ships?” Graham asked.

Crenshaw peered down at the floor as though knowing this question was coming but still not sure how to answer without causing a potential argument among them.

“Yes, I intend to keep both. I apologize if you feel I misled you. I thought and thought about it and realized I wanted to keep my father’s dream of not only trading in goods from India but also taking people who wish to see the beauty of the region.”

The room fell silent. Graham and Arthur glanced at each other.

They had expected this since the investigator had advised them of his findings.

Neither of them believed Crenshaw’s story.

Arthur felt Crenshaw didn’t want to sell to them because it might lead them to things he didn’t want to be rehashed.

His parents’ unusual deaths and how nothing added up.

The answers they received about the incident were ever-changing depending on who they spoke with.

“No one can fault you there,” Graham said, stretching his long legs in front of him.

“Though you could have just told us the moment you changed your mind,” Arthur added.

The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “You’re right. I didn’t handle that right.”

“I find it interesting that you accepted our invitation. You could have just as easily told us your decision and how you came to it in a letter. Especially with the roads as they are,” Graham bit out.

He couldn’t just let this man go this easily.

He had to find out what happened to Roxanne and Arthur’s parents.

If he let the man go, they might never find the answers they were looking for.

“It was something I felt needed to be done in person,” Crenshaw said.

“We appreciate that,” Arthur replied.

Crenshaw rose to his full height. “Again, I appreciate you seeing me. I need to get back to London. Hopefully one day we might be able to do business together.”

“You’re going back? So soon? I thought you accepted my invitation to dinner,” Arthur said.

“My apologies, but I cannot. I need to go now because I don’t care to travel in the dark with these roads in such a state.”

Arthur and Graham both stood up and faced Crenshaw.

“We appreciate you coming all the way out here. Good luck with your ventures,” Arthur said, shaking Crenshaw’s hand.

“Yes,” Graham added. “It shouldn’t take you too long to get the import business back up and running. I’ll have to get some information about your trips to India. My bride and I are to take our wedding trip next spring and India would be a far better choice than Italy.”

Crenshaw gave an odd look but quickly headed to the door. “You needn’t see me out. My carriage is still out front.”

“I wouldn’t be a very gracious host if I didn’t give you a proper send off,” Arthur said.

Arthur led Crenshaw and Graham to the front hallway. The butler opened the door, handing Crenshaw his hat. He stepped into his carriage and a moment later, the horses began walking down the drive.

“That was certainly odd,” Arthur said as the two men stood and watched as the carriage slowly made its way down the long drive.

“He knows something. I think we made him uncomfortable because we’re close to whatever he’s hiding.”

Arthur nodded in agreement. “Shall we keep on looking into him, or did today satisfy you?”

“Keep on with what we’ve been doing. He may think that’s the end of it, but he will trip up.”

“You’re right. He may start breathing more easily because he believes he’s ended any arrangement we might have had, but he’ll fall flat.”

“I should be getting back. We’ll still have dinner as planned. Roxanne would be most unhappy since I’m sure the meal is being prepared as we speak.”

“We can’t have my sister unhappy. I look forward to it,” Arthur said.

Graham took his leave, heading home on the same rutted roads as he earlier used. Crenshaw would not get away with whatever he was involved in. Especially after today. He might try to minimize his involvement in his father’s business, but Graham, on his own, had discovered the reason behind that.

He’d noticed Crenshaw’s uneasiness while in their presence.

The man had one thousand and one reasons to be uneasy, but Graham believed he’d found a major one.

On Crenshaw’s right hand was a ring. Not any ring, but one that Arthur’s father always wore, boasting it had been worn by every duke.

Graham had recognized it because of the ruby at the center and he’d seen it on the late duke’s hand since his childhood.

He would tell Arthur his finding this evening.

Was Crenshaw aware of where the ring came from? Had his own father gifted it to him with some wild story about its origins? So far, this was the most solid lead they had.

His thoughts turned to his bride as his carriage slowed down and it turned right down the drive to his home.

She wasn’t going to be happy about their guest backing out, but she’d play the gracious hostess through the evening.

If there was one thing he’d discovered about his bride, it was her ability to put on a mask and pretend everything was fine.

He knew her better than that. But with Arthur as their only guest, she might let out all her anger and frustration on the two of them.

She wanted closure on her parents’ deaths, as did Graham and Arthur.

She’d told him that much. God, he loved her, every single thing about her.

Finding her on the terrace soaking up the sun which had come out brought a smile to his lips. She was one of those women who didn’t necessarily conform to the ideas men had about what women should or should not do. He couldn’t think of another woman who would come out and simply enjoy the sunshine.

He approached her from the side, kissing her on those pouty lips, and nuzzled down her neck. “I hate to disturb you. You look so peaceful.”

“I am. The sun feels wonderful after those days of torrential rain.”

He took a seat to her left and covered her hand with his. “I have to agree.”

“How did your meeting go?”

“It was rather unusual. He probably wasn’t there for fifteen minutes before he took his leave.”

“What do you mean, ‘took his leave,’” she asked.

“He explained to us why the ships had been moved and why he was now uninterested in selling them.”

“But I thought he was going to stay and have supper,” she said with a hint of frustration.

“He had some excuse about wanting to get back while it was daylight because of the roads being so bad right now. Don’t worry, Arthur’s coming.”

“Of course he is,” she snapped.

“We aren’t going to give up so easily.”

She shifted in her chair. “If the man doesn’t want to do business, what else can you do?”

“It seems he’s going to begin offering guided trips to India and the region. That I thought was quite interesting.”

“I wonder if he’s going to be involved in the actual trips?”

Graham shrugged his shoulders. “I may have mentioned that you and I might be interested for our wedding trip. That caught him off guard.”

“You didn’t. I have no desire to travel there, at least not for my wedding trip.”

“It was a ploy to see how he’d react.”

She said nothing except to nod her head thoughtfully.

“You want to hear the best thing?”