Annalise shot a quick glance to Alexander. He enjoyed the manner in which she ignored Theodora’s indifference. “Naturally, we may speak in the front drawing room, my lord. However, if you wish for tea or cakes, we should take our discussion to the kitchen. I fear there are no servants to prepare us a meal nor to serve it.”
Duncan bowed to her. “I assure you, Miss Moreau, neither Lord Marksman, my daughter, nor I will stand upon ceremony. Let us begin in the drawing room.”
Yet, before they could remove to the nearby sitting room, Lord Amgen appeared in the still open door. “Pardon.” Amgen bowed to them. “Although the knocker is still removed, the door was open. I thought perhaps Lord Honfleur had returned.”
Alexander noted Annalise’s fear and responded when she could not. He extended his hand to Amgen in greeting. “Good day, my lord. I fear Lord Honfleur is still away on business in…”
“Scotland,” his sister responded.
Alexander noted Duncan’s raised eyebrow, for they knew without a doubt that Honfleur had returned to France. Had Annalise been coached to say “Scotland” or did she truly not understand the situation in which she found herself. “Yes, in Scotland. How foolish of me to forget. Lady Theodora realized her new friend had been left without company, and our Lady Theodora insisted upon spending part of the afternoon with Miss Moreau. Lord Duncan and I have escorted his lordship’s daughter this afternoon.”
Amgen said, “I did not note your carriage.” The man glanced back to the busy street.
Alexander assured, “You must simply have overlooked it. We sent it around to the mews as we expect to spend an hour or more with our new friend.”
“I suppose I must continue to wait for Lord Honfleur’s return,” Amgen said in obvious disappointment.
Alexander looked to Duncan for permission to respond as he planned. Duncan nodded his agreement. “Why do you three not remove to the drawing room? I will join you momentarily,” Alexander said.
Lord Duncan motioned the ladies to lead. “Come along, lasses. It will be good to enjoy time with Miss Moreau, will it not, Theodora?”
“Yes, Papa,” Theodora repeated, but Alexander recognized the strain in Dora’s voice.
Alexander waited until they disappeared before he said, “I do not wish to embarrass you, Amgen, but I am aware of your situation with the house’s rents.”
Amgen pulled himself up royally. “Whatever you intend to say, my lord, the debts are mine to disperse. I could not accept whatever you intend to offer.”
“I admire a man with honor, my lord,” Alexander said in honest tones, “but it would break Theodora’s heart to have her new friend put out on the street at no fault of the young lady.”
“I would never…” Lord Amgen protested.
“I know you would not,” Alexander assured. “However, neither can I stand by and watch an honest man be placed in a dire situation when I have the means to prevent it. My man of business will call upon yours first thing tomorrow morning. He will see the rents are paid until the year’s end. When Lord Honfleur returns, I will see my efforts rewarded and claim my expenses directly from him. If you wish to negotiate another contract with the marquis for the new year, you may do so then.”
“Are you assured, my lord?” Amgen asked humbly.
“Never more confident,” Alexander said as he shook Amgen’s hand again. “Now, I should join the others.”
“Naturally.” Amgen looked as if Alexander had lifted the weight of the world from the man’s shoulders. With a bow, Amgen hurried away, while Alexander closed the door behind him and crossed the foyer to the still open drawing room door where he overheard Dora say, “Why would Marksman care to defend Miss Moreau? She can be nothing to Alexander.”
“You err, Theodora,” Alexander interrupted. “Miss Moreau is the most important person in my life.” He extended his hand to his sister, and she rushed to his side.
“Most… most important… important person?” Dora sputtered. “Pray tell, when did Miss Moreau take on such a role?”
Duncan shook his head in apparent disbelief and added a familiar reprimand, “I have told you repeatedly, boy, not to rile a Scottish lass.”
Alexander grinned as he brought his sister’s hand to his lips. “I apologize, Dora.” He could not suppress the smile rushing to his lips. “Miss Moreau is very important to me, for she is my sister Annalise.”
Theodora did notknow whether to embrace Alexander, for she knew it had always been his wish to locate his mother and sister, or run screaming into the street. If what Alexander said was true, and she held no doubt it was, for her father had spoken no objections to Xander’s assertion, then any hopes she had of marrying Alexander soon were lost. Xander would be too involved in settling his sister in society, that is, if he was able to extract her from Honfleur before the British government moved against the French marquis.
“You could have told me,” she accused. Her tears slipped into her words. “One of you could have taken me into your confidence.”
“Marksman was not to tell anyone,” her father explained. “He has placed our investigation in jeopardy. Such is the nature of our call upon Miss Moreau today. We must save the investigation.”
Theodora normally would be sympathetic for her father’s dilemma, but, for once in her life, she did not care what was happening in the constant drama known as the British government. She was thoroughly exhausted by the idea that she was nineteen years old, and, though she was the daughter of a prestigious earl, she had no prospects thanks to the two men with whom she shared the room.
Her fears of losing Alexander to Miss Moreau had proven how foolish she had been to have trusted either of these men with the course of her life. “You could have…” she began, but her tears had arrived, and she would not permit either of them to witness her complete collapse. “You have no need of my presence any longer. I assisted in the ruse of calling on Miss Moreau, or I suppose I should say Lady Annalise. If you have no more need of my inconsequential efforts and my less-than-pleasing person, I shall claim the carriage to return me to my quarters at Duncan Place until you require me to rap upon another door.”
“Dora,” Alexander began, but she stopped him with a glare.
