“A tipple or the whole bottle?” asked Fletcher.
Owen just laughed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Adele wanted toget some kind of a present for Hugh. The legal issues keeping him in town were clearly adding some stress to his life, and the weather in London had been unusual for summer—not too hot, but a great deal of rain—which was probably adding to how tense he felt. But what did one buy for a man who had everything?
Lady Louisa accompanied her to the shops and knew just where to go to find gifts befitting a duke. Adele had been at a bit of a loss; she’d been frugal most of her adult life, and in particular when handling the Countess of Sweeney’s money, so she was not sure which shops had finer quality items. They’d had a nice day out, shopping and chatting, and stopping for ices. It had been a long time since Adele had a female friend whose company she enjoyed so much.
But as they approached their last stop, Adele had still not found a gift she thought appropriate for Hugh. They headed to a shop on Savile Road where Louisa had been instructed to pick up an order for her brother. When they arrived, the tailor brought Louisa to a side room to wait while he wrapped up a jacket. Adele examined a display of cufflinks in front of the store while she waited. She spotted a set of emerald cufflinks that were such a smart match for her wedding necklace that she knew at last she’d found a wonderful gift for Hugh. She called a clerk over.
“May I take a closer look at these?” she asked.
The clerk gave her a long look at her. Daisy had done up Adele’s hair in a fashionable style that day, and Adele was wearing a fine walking dress from her trousseau, so she was not her normal plain self today. But perhaps she had not quite grown into her status as a duchess.
The clerk said, “Of course, my lady,” with reluctance in his voice.
She wondered if she should correct him. What was the social protocol on this?
She leaned over the cufflinks and examined them closely. Conversationally, she said, “I am looking for a gift for my husband, the Duke of Swynford. Do you think these would do?”
The clerk’s whole demeanor changed. He stood a little taller and the scowl vanished from his face. “Oh, yes, Your Grace. As you can see, the clarity on these emeralds is quite good. Each emerald is thirty-four carats. An emerald of this size is quite valuable.”
Adele knew cufflinks like this would be quite expensive, but she had no idea what a reasonable price would be. She haggled with the clerk a little, knowing better than to accept the first offer. Probably she was still getting swindled, and she felt odd about spending the duke’s money on a gift for him, but she arranged for the purchase.
As the clerk wrote up the purchase, a man behind her said, “Hello, Your Grace.”
Adele turned. The man standing next to her was familiar but she could not immediately place him. “Hello, my lord.”
“Do you recall who I am?”
She squinted at him and tried to remember, but she could not. “I apologize, my lord, but I do not.”
“I’m George Baxter. Lord Collingswood. You’re husband’s cousin. I was at the wedding breakfast.”
“Oh, yes, of course. I apologize. I’ve met so many people in the last month that is nearly impossible to keep them all straight.”
“Naturally. I wonder if I might have a word with you.”
“Can it wait until I complete the purchase of these cuff links for my husband?”
“No, I’m afraid not. Will you step outside with me please?”
Something in his tone set off all of Adele’s alarm bells. She looked for Lady Louisa, who was absorbed in conversation with a tailor in the other room. “What is the urgency?” she asked.
“It is about your husband. Something has happened to him. Will you step outside?”
Adele was reluctant to go with this man, but something very well could have happened to Hugh. Had his assailant returned? Was he injured? Perhaps Collingswood also did not want to call attention, and this was why he was asking her to step outside. He did seem agitated, so this could have been a matter of some urgency. Adele did not think she could ask him to leave or ignore him.
“Is everything all right, Your Grace?” asked the clerk, perhaps sensing that something strange was occurring.
“Yes,” she said, not wanting to make a scene. She stepped close to the clerk and said, “I am going to step outside to have a conversation with my husband’s cousin for a moment. I shall be back in a few moments.”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
Adele tried to make meaningful eye contact with the clerk and lowered her voice. “If I do not return promptly, please alert my friend. She is collecting an item in the next room.”
“Of course, Your Grace.” His tone was cheerful, but she met his gaze and he seemed to understand.
