“I’ve been in Canada, actually, visiting one of my sisters.” Nora’s gaze had gone to Sebastian and was lingering.
“Forgive me, I haven’t introduced my friend,” Wesley said. “Don Sebastian’s father is the nineteenth Count of Animales. And this is Lady Nora,” he continued. “Her father was the late Duke of Valemount.”
“Enchanted to meet you—is that the English expression?” Sebastian said.
“It certainly is.” Lady Nora’s eyes were still on Sebastian as she let him take her hand. “Spanish, then?”
“Yes, he’s kindly indulging me in a visit to London,” Wesley said. “But where’s your companion? I thought I saw you with someone last night.”
“Oh.” Lady Nora’s expression went instantly vacant. “Perhaps you mean Dr. Wright?”
She was traveling with a doctor? Was she sick? “I hope everything is all right,” Sebastian said, before he’d meant to.
“Thank you for your concern, but I haven’t taken ill,” she said wryly. “Dr. Wright is a doctor of nerves, and Uncle Louis has been snookered into believing that a woman who likes to travel alone must need one. Do you know my uncle well, Lord Fine?”
That wasn’t much of answer, and she’d changed the subject back to Wesley. Had her companion actually been sent by the duke himself to accompany her, then?
“Well enough, I’d say,” Wesley answered. “We’re in a club together.”
“I know the one,” Lady Nora said, her face still unreadable. “I heard Lord Thornton is throwing quite the ball for all of you on Friday, isn’t he? Uncle Louis unsurprisingly asked me to attend as well.”
She didn’t seem particularly thrilled at the idea. “I’m sure any party would be lucky to have you,” Sebastian said.
Lady Nora’s gaze flitted to him, slightly thawed. “And you’ll come too of course, won’t you?” she said. “I think you would make the ball quite a bit more interesting. I don’t particularly see anything to celebrate myself, you understand; I’d just as soon leave animals be. But perhaps the club is to your taste.”
Sebastian frowned. “What do you mean—”
“You know, I’ve had terrible seasickness this voyage,” Wesley said quickly, over him. “You mentioned your companion is a doctor? Perhaps he has something that might help. Do you know where I might find him?”
“I think he was planning to indulge in some trap shooting this afternoon. But no need to find him.” Lady Nora had already opened her purse, and a moment later withdrew a small box. “Here. I always keep some on hand for other passengers.”
That obviously hadn’t been Wesley’s intent—Sebastian had never seen him get so much as queasy—but he said appropriate thank-yous to Lady Nora nonetheless.
As Lady Nora resumed her walk, Wesley and Sebastian stepped out of the path of the promenade to lean on the railing next to each other. “Her companion is a doctor of nerves,” Wesley said quietly. “And here Mr. Findlay was likely murdered in his mental hospital. A doctor might have been able to sneak inside without raising alarms and slip Mr. Findlay something deadly under cover of medicine.”
That was a good point. “Lady Nora said her uncle had sent Dr. Wright with her.”
“Yes,” Wesley said, a little more grimly. “Perhaps the new Duke of Valemount used his niece as an excuse to send a doctor to New York. Or perhaps Lady Nora would prefer us to think her uncle is behind this.”
Sebastian pursed his lips, gaze on the ocean waves far below. “Why would the duke want Lady Nora to attend the ball on Friday?”
“It could be for nefarious reasons, I suppose, but it’s also quite possible he’s trying to find her a suitor. If Valemount is looking for eligible bachelors to marry his niece, we’re obviously going to have several in our—” Wesley cut himself off. “That’s probably what it is.”
Sebastian glanced to the side, looking at him suspiciously. “You’re going to have bachelors in your what?”
“Ah.” Wesley was now staring intently at the ocean, not meeting Sebastian’s gaze. “Circles.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed a fraction. “Lady Nora mentioned yourclub.”
“Did she?” Wesley said weakly.
“And would this happen to be the sameclubyou were in with your other friend, Sir Ellery?”
“Well—these circles I’m in, they’re not large, you understand—”
“You knew Sir Ellery because he was in yourhuntingclub.”
Wesley rubbed his forehead. “Christ, of course you remember that part.”
