Page 9 of Not His Usual Style (Diamonds of London #10)
Grey strolled into the library with Sarah at his side and his thoughts going in a hundred directions.
A half hour ago, he’d met a young woman who’d been interesting enough that not only had he chatted with her in a darkened garden, but he’d also kissed her on the pretense of shutting her up.
That hadn’t been a lie fully, for he did need her to stay quiet, but also he’d wanted to kiss her.
And right now, he couldn’t evict the way her nearly full lips had felt against his own or the warmth of her pressed into his chest as he’d held her trapped between him and the wall of the townhouse.
The knowledge that she was trying to smuggle out or outright steal a horrifically valuable diamond necklace only made her that much more intriguing.
He thought he could forget about Victoria once he was successful in navigating her out of the house, but the second his gaze fell upon her as she reclined on one of the leather sofas in their host’s home, an odd sort of heated need slammed into him, and it was something he couldn’t explain though he tried his best to hide it.
“Well, Miss Amherst, how are you feeling now?” he asked as he approached her location. In many ways, he wished Sarah weren’t at his side, for there were specific questions he wished to ask this lovely stranger.
“Oh, Lord Greystone, I’m not sure.” She struggled into a sitting position then frowned as she bounced her gaze between him and Sarah.
To be fair, his fiancée wore an exquisite saffron-colored gown, but though she was quite lovely, her looks slightly paled when compared to Victoria.
“What is happening? Have they started dancing upstairs?”
“Not a bit of it, for there’s been a bit of a kerfuffle that has temporarily interrupted the rout.”
“What has happened?”
It was Sarah who answered. “It seems our host, Lord Dawson, has lost something valuable, and he’s losing his mind over it.
” With a curious expression, she peered at Victoria as if the younger woman was something to study.
“He is conducting a search of the house as we speak, so that has rather put a damper on the gaiety.”
“I see.” When Victoria frowned, she briefly bounced her focus to him before addressing Sarah. “I’m afraid my mind is a bit fatigued. Who are you?”
“I’m Lady Sarah, Greystone’s fiancée.” Shadows at the back of her eyes made Grey frown, but they were gone at her next blink.
“When he mentioned the problem upstairs and came to fetch your father, I came down with him to render assistance if you needed it. He’s not the most intuitive when a woman is in crisis.
” As she spoke, she cast a speaking glance at him.
“Women need other women during those times.”
“Noted,” he said in a low voice, for it was quite the criticism of him and their relationship.
Then he harrumphed in what he hoped was a good bit of acting.
No one would suspect they’d met without being formally introduced or even that he’d kissed this stranger.
Not romantically, of course, but it still mattered.
“If women wouldn’t succumb to hysteria or histrionics every time something went wrong, men wouldn’t need to pick up the pieces.
” God, it made him seem like a nodcock, but he needed to deflect attention from Victoria’s presence.
“That is quite rude and very arrogant of you to say, Your Lordship,” Victoria shot off, before she slumped against the decorative pillow again while her father patted her hand.
Lady Sarah huffed. “Good Lord, Grey, do something. Fetch a pillow and put it beneath her feet.”
“Yes, right.” With a grunt, he took a cushion off a nearby chair, then with a murmured apology, he lifted Victoria’s feet and shoved the cushion beneath them. “Someone should take her home.”
Baron Irvington finally decided to join the conversation. “I will do that.”
When Victoria shot what appeared to be a frantic glance at Grey, he cleared his throat. “That can be arranged.” For it made sense. Anything else would seem strange.
“Oh, that’s not necessary, Lord Irvington,” Lady Sarah said as she glanced between them. “It should be Greystone who conveys her home.”
Both he and the baron protested.
She continued with a shrug. “Listen, Grey, it’s no secret you aren’t enjoying yourself here tonight, and Lord Irvington was having such a lovely time talking with friends he hasn’t seen in years.
” She laid a hand on his arm. “Perhaps the baron should return to the card room while you do this small thing. After all, if Lord Dawson continues, the rout will turn sour rather quickly.”
“Bah. Thank you for volunteering me for a task I have no interest in.” It was all part and parcel of the acting he’d been forced to indulge in.
“Stop acting the ogre, Grey.” Sarah perched on the curved arm of the sofa near Victoria’s feet. “I beg your pardon, Miss Amherst. Here we are discussing your fate, and we haven’t been introduced.”
“It is quite all right.” She let a hand flutter in response.
The baron nodded. “That is a good idea. I did wish to speak with another acquaintance here tonight, for he is having me repair a few pieces of a parure for him next week and we need to discuss the details.”
“See, Grey? You’ll be doing the man a favor.” Sarah pressed on. As she spoke, she went around the room and lit a few candles to lend the space more illumination. “I’m Lady Sarah Burston, a daughter of the Marquess of Beckworth. That is the Earl of Greystone.”
Victoria nodded as her gaze slid to him. “Lovely to meet you both.”
Then the tranquil scene was once more interrupted when Lord Dawson burst into the room with a couple of his cronies. Tall, with a thick head of silver hair, he certainly had a presence about him, but it was the thunderstorm of his expression that gave Grey pause.
“Ah, there you are, Greystone. And Irvington as well. Good.”
“What did you need, Dawson? We are involved in a bit of a delicate situation.” If there was annoyance in his voice, he couldn’t help it. The whole thing was confusing yet exciting, but it made him feel more alive than he had in many years.
“I am looking for a thief,” the host said as he glanced about the room, ignoring both Sarah and Victoria.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.” Grey crossed his arms at his chest. “And frankly, why the devil should I care?”
“There has been a theft of an extremely valuable diamond necklace.”
He frowned. “From your private quarters?”
“Uh, no. It was… elsewhere.” Dawson snapped his gaze back to Grey. “It matters not, for it’s not where I left it.”
Color drained from Victoria’s face, but she kept quiet.
“Ah, and why do you need me involved? And for that matter, how do you know the theft occurred tonight?” he continued, for seeing Victoria so vulnerable, a wave of protection came over him.
He would keep her safe for as long as he could, to say nothing of that very necklace weighing down the pocket in his tailcoat.
Dawson narrowed his gaze. “It must have been taken tonight, for I looked at the necklace only a few days ago.” He shook his head. “Regardless, I am having a couple of Runners from Bow Street called in. I want them to inspect every person present at this rout.”
“Oh, dear,” Victoria murmured, and when she collapsed back against the pillow once more, Grey fully believed that wasn’t an act. “I think I’m going to be ill,” she whispered to her father, who was immediately concerned enough to pat her hand.
“Is that truly necessary?” Grey asked with a glance at Sarah, who shrugged. “Do you truly think one of your guests stole a necklace?”
“Well, it certainly wasn’t me,” Dawson shot off with a frown. “Regardless, you are the highest-ranking member of the beau monde in attendance tonight, so you can take charge of the investigation.”
“Like hell I will. I was just on my way to summon my carriage. Miss Amherst has fallen ill, and her father has asked that I convey her home.” When Dawson blustered, Grey stared him down.
“Do you think that I stole your necklace? As an earl?” He made certain there was a warning growl in his voice.
“Then I invite you to come over here and search my person.” He ignored the tiny gasp that came from Victoria.
It was a bold dare, especially since he was, in fact, hiding that very necklace, but he was anticipating that Dawson was a coward at heart and enjoyed making people fear him. And why the devil was he even doing this for a stranger he’d only met an hour past?
“That isn’t necessary, of course, Greystone, but I am still having the Runners called out. While you might be above reproach, some others here are not.”
“Do what you will, Dawson, but I won’t take part in it, for none of this has anything to do with me.
” Then he dismissed the man from his mind while Dawson’s contemporaries exchanged uneasy glances.
He focused on Victoria. “Miss Amherst, I’ll summon my carriage and then I’ll convey you home.
Irvington, will you come with us or do you remain here? ”
The baron cleared his throat. “I would like to stay on for an hour or so. Of course I’ll assist Lord Dawson in locating his necklace. From what I understand, it is quite impressive, and being a jeweler, I’m curious.”
I’ll wager you are, even more so once you discover your daughter is the thief.
“Fair enough.” Then, bouncing his gaze between Victoria and Sarah, he crossed the room, skirting about Dawson and his friends, to the bell pull at the front of the room, which he gave a hard yank. “I wish you luck in discovering what happened to your missing jewels, Dawson.”
After clearly being dismissed, Dawson uttered a curse then left the room with his two friends following quickly on his heels.