Page 11 of Companion to the Count (The Seductive Sleuths #1)
A fter seeing to her family’s health and comfort, Saffron was reluctant to return to the entrance.
I should observe each of the guests as they arrive.
How they interacted with their host might provide clues as to their motives.
Her reluctance had nothing to do with her dislike of meeting strangers, however, and everything to do with the memory of Leo’s face as she’d left him. She’d been angry at him at first, when she’d seen Lady Allen, but the softness in his eyes had nearly undone her.
With a mere glance, he shatters me.
She paused at a corner and straightened her back. It was a lapse in judgement, nothing more. He had made his view on marriage clear. The physical attraction between them would soon fade, and they would go their separate ways.
Solidifying that idea in her mind, she returned to Leo’s side and plastered a wide smile on her face through a dizzying array of arrivals. Thankfully, there were enough people milling about that her presence at Leo’s side was not commented upon. Most of the well-dressed couples entering through the grand entrance skimmed their gazes over her as if she were invisible and plied their attention on the viscount.
That is fine with me , she thought. Their disinterest was to her advantage because she could listen in on conversations without being noticed.
Then the footman flung open the oak doors and revealed a sight that made her stomach churn.
What is the Duke of Canterbury doing here?
Leo tightened his hand on her arm. “Your Grace. I was not expecting the pleasure of your company.”
The duke’s black coat was slick with rain and his cheeks were flushed, although how much of that was from the unpleasant weather, Saffron could not guess. Distantly, she realized her legs were trembling. Canterbury’s presence threatened to derail her plans, as it certainly meant the man intended to continue his pursuit of Angelica.
“Briarwood. I heard about your little soiree and decided to pay a visit,” the duke said. “I have a particular fondness for beautiful things, you understand.”
A horde of servants streamed in behind him, heavily laden with trunks and boxes. Each one kept their eyes carefully downcast, like a pack of abused dogs with their tails between their legs. It was another subtle sign that the duke was not what he appeared. What kind of man treated his servants like pack animals?
I cannot let this beastly man marry my sister.
Finding her brother would not help her if Rosemary convinced Angelica to marry the duke first. She would have to keep him occupied and far away from her sister.
The first step was to ensure his rooms were not in the east wing. She inched back, set on finding Mrs. Banting and arranging things to her advantage, but Leo kept an iron grasp on her hand.
“There are several pieces on the docket that would suit your preferences, Your Grace,” Leo said. “If you would excuse me, I must speak with my housekeeper about preparing a suitable set of rooms.”
Canterbury’s brows furrowed, and his gaze dropped to land on Saffron. She tensed and shuddered as the duke’s eyes swept down her body to her toes and back up again. He did not leer, but she felt uncomfortable, like she needed to bathe to remove the stain of his lecherous interest. “Miss Summersby.”
She curtseyed just slightly. “Your Grace.”
“Come, Miss Summersby,” Leo said, his tone as hard as granite. “I must introduce you to the Duke of Hawthorne.”
She allowed him to lead her out of the room, her hand clenched on his arm. When they were out of earshot, she forced herself to relax, one muscle at a time.
“Believe me when I say that I did not invite that blackguard,” Leo said. A vein pulsed at his temple. “I wish I could throw him out on his ear.”
The repressed anger in his words somehow made her feel better. Perhaps because she had expected him to shrug off her concerns, as so many others did.
“He will attempt to secure the closest rooms to ours,” Saffron said, running through the options in her head. Where could she put him such that he would cause the least amount of damage? What if he was already talking to the staff, arranging things to suit his plans? She thrust away from Leo. “Please excuse me. I must speak to Mrs. Banting.”
She scurried away, but before she could find the housekeeper, she ran into her aunt, who pinned her with a stare.
“There you are. Your sister requires your assistance in her room.”
A dozen awful scenarios flitted through her mind, all at once, and she abandoned her task to join her aunt’s side. “Was it the cold, after all? Has she come down with fever?”
Rosemary huffed. “Of course not. It is her attire. I checked in on her, and she is not dressed appropriately. She must look her best for His Grace tonight.”
Saffron sighed. “I would rather she stay as far away from that man as possible. He is much too old for her.”
Not to mention cruel.
“Spare me your dramatics,” Rosemary said. “I am glad I sent off that missive before we left, or he might not have arrived in time.”
Saffron stopped dead in the middle of the hallway. “You did what ?”
It had not been a coincidence, after all. Rosemary had sabotaged her.
Her aunt opened the door to her room, then stood in the doorway, one eyebrow arched. “What did you expect me to do? We have mere months before we lose our home. Angelica must get engaged as soon as possible.”
“But Basil might still be—”
“Your brother is dead, Saffron. You are no longer a child. Put your fantasies away.”
It’s not a fantasy.
The proof was in the painting. All she had to do was find Ravenmore, and he would confirm that Basil lived.
While there remained a chance, however slim, that she could restore their family, she would pursue it. She would not give up her task, even with her aunt and Canterbury standing in the way.
No matter the cost.