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“Right this way, sir,” Harold said, turning on his heels.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, My Lady,” Mr. Brawn said to her, tipping an imaginary hat. “I do wish that next time we’ll have the chance to speak longer. Perhaps without William here bothering us.”
“Leave, Nelson,” William growled, making Elizabeth’s heart jump.
Mr. Brawn straightened, saluted William and proceeded to follow Harold, whistling as he left. Elizabeth stared after him, not knowing what to think. She didn’t look away until Harold and Mr. Brawn were completely out of sight.
“Are you out of your mind, Beth?” William asked sharply. “Do you not realize that no one should know that you’re here?”
She cut him a glare without thinking twice, her shoulders straightening at his accusatory tone. “It is not my fault you two decided to leave the parlor at the same moment I was standing outside the door.”
His brows dipped into a confused and shocked frown. “Certainly, you do not mean to say that I am to be blamed for him seeing you?”
“No, but neither am I,” she shot back. Elizabeth watched him blink, watched his eyes cloud with surprise before she realized that she was raising her voice again. Feeling suddenly at odds with herself, she swallowed the sudden annoyance.
“Who was that, exactly?” she asked William, looking up at him.
“An old friend of mine.”
“A friend? It didn’t seem that way.”
“He simply enjoys getting on my nerves.” William sighed again. “Usually, I do not give in, but…”
Elizabeth frowned. “But what?”
He caught her look and shook her head. “Forget I said anything. Is there something you wanted with me?”
“What do you mean?”
“You were waiting outside for me to exit, were you not?” he asked.
Elizabeth’s entire face went hot. Usually, she would have no qualms with admitting such a thing, but considering she’d so shamelessly lied before made it difficult to get the truth past her lips.
Goodness, I surely have quite a knack for humiliating myself, don’t I?
“I was not waiting for you,” she continued to lie. “As I said before, I happened to be walking through the hallway when you two exited.”
“Is that the story you’ve decided to use?” William asked, his lips twitching. Elizabeth looked away, folding her lips back. He chuckled. “Very well, then. When you are ready to tell me, I shall be in my office.”
Elizabeth winced at her foolish words as he walked by, still chuckling. She was tempted to follow, but she’d done enough embarrassing things for one day. She would question him about the new gowns later, perhaps at dinner. For now, a little distance was needed.
Chapter 16
“Good afternoon, Mr. Wilson. Please, have a seat.”
James looked over his shoulder at the man who’d just entered his study, noting how broad-shouldered he was in the brief look he’d gotten. He refocused his attention at the task at hand, pouring two glasses of brandy before leaving the decanter on the sideboard and turning to face his guest.
Mr. Wilson had done as James had offered, choosing to sit in one of the plush, dark armchairs sitting at one end of the study. He sat with his back straight, the spectacles perched on his nose looked to be on the verge of sliding right off. He was glancing around room, each move of his head as sharp as a bird and James resisted the urge to grimace in displeasure when the man looked at him with that same jerking head movement.
“Thank you, My Lord,” Mr. Wilson said as he accepted the glass offered to him.
James said nothing. He sank into the chair opposite Mr. Wilson, reclining back comfortably and watching as the man sipped gingerly at the liquor. Mr. Wilson grimaced at first, then seemed pleasantly surprised a moment later. Even so, he set the barely-touched glass down and finally pushed his spectacles up his nose.
“I am pleased, Lord Horenwall, that you have chosen me to conduct this delicate business for you.”
“Yes, well, I have heard a great many things from a friend of mine,” James responded. He didn’t bother to hide his scrutiny of the man before him. It wasn’t as if he were a part of the nobility, so he had no reason to be proper to him. “Though I must say, Mr. Wilson, you are certainly not what I’d expected.”
Mr. Wilson huffed a laugh. “Yes, well, it would not be the first time that I’ve heard that. Looking the way that I do, I would be surprised if I do not inspire much confidence in you at first glance.”
Nor at second, nor at third. The man had a decent build, but that was where the manliness ended. His hair was completely bald in the very center and only a few wisps were hanging on for dear life near the front. He dressed rather decently, but somehow managed to look quite unkempt at the same time. His shirt and trousers appeared to be rather crushed, his cravat tied hastily and his waistcoat seemed to be missing a button. He’d brought in with him a satchel that looked tattered and he clutched it in his lap with both hands.
