Leo struggled to keep his voice level. “Everything? Simon, what have you done?”
“I met a man at the cards table one night when my luck was down. He offered to forgive my debts in exchange for information about Briarwood Manor.”
A cold chill washed over Leo. “Information?”
“He knew I had visited here often as a boy. He asked how to best enter the house without being seen.”
“When was this? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Simon winced. “The night before I arrived. I know I should have said something, Leo. I feared you would cast me out. I might not have another chance to convince Miss Angelica Summersby not to marry the Duke of Canterbury.”
That explained how the intruder had known exactly which window to attempt. It had to be the Ravenmore the thief had been after.
“What did this man look like?” Leo asked.
Simon shook his head. “I don’t know. He wore a cloak and spoke in a low voice. He was shorter than me, though, and very thin. I did not get a good view of his face.” Simon snapped his fingers. “His hands. They were clean, the nails trimmed. Those were not the hands of a laborer.”
Leo searched his cousin’s face for some sign that he was lying but found none. Unfortunately, the information was not as helpful as Simon seemed to think.
“We can’t be sure it was the same man who broke in,” Leo said. “One or both might have been hired by an unknown third party.”
Simon shrunk before him. “I’m sorry, cousin. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing.”
Simon’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”
“I will do nothing,” Leo repeated. “Other than tell you I am disappointed. I expected more from you. But if this happens again, I will visit every gambling hall in London and tell the owners that you borrowed more than you could repay, and if you appear, to summon me at once.”
A nervous laugh. “You cannot be serious.”
“I can be very convincing. I have no children, Simon, so as my heir presumptive, you will become the Viscount Briarwood when I die.”
Simon blanched. “B-But surely, you will marry.”
It was Leo’s turn to laugh. “I would not bet on that, cousin.”
Chapter Sixteen
Saffron perched onthe stool in her room, trying not to dwell on her encounter with Leo the previous day and failing miserably. Every time she was certain she had put it behind her, the memory of her plaintive cries returned and brought with it a wave of embarrassment. She peeked in her mirror at the bed where Leo had crawled beneath her skirts.
She buried her face in her hands with a groan. How could she face him in a crowded ballroom without simpering like it was her first Season? A fleeting glimpse of him was enough to render her speechless.
This is ridiculous, she told herself harshly. She did not have time to be swooning over a man.
Once she left her bedchamber, she would continue her interrogations. There was only one night left before the auction and she had accomplished very little to uncover the thief or the artist.
*
“A touch tothe right,” a muffled voice said. Saffron lifted her skirt and moved it to the side as Lily finished pinning a dust ruffle to her hem, a collection of pins held in her mouth, her brow furrowed in concentration.
The lavender calico evening gown had been lying on Saffron’s bed when she’d returned from a dull afternoon held hostage by Rosemary, watching the men knock wooden balls around the lawn. The woman had sent it along with a note that the others would be ready by morning.
Don’t get used to this, she reminded herself. Soon enough, she would be back to her humble patchwork gowns and plain food. It might take weeks to track down Basil, and she had only a small amount of money saved for the journey. She would have to find her brother before Mr. Grummet returned to claim their home.
“That’ll be it,” Lily said, coming to her feet. “Madam, you are lovely, if I might say so m’self.”
Saffron stood and shook out her skirts. The dress was a marvel. The gathered sleeves were decorated with French lace, and the heart-shaped neckline stopped just short of indecent. The flared skirt and lowered waist emphasized her slim figure, and the silk-covered dancing shoes that went with it were soft and sturdy.
