“It’s the eyes, you see,” Sir Richard said. “They’re soulful, as if they think more deeply than other dogs. There is really nothing so nice as a cozy night in, brandy in hand and fire going, and Edgar and Jack staring up at me with those soulful eyes. Do you know, I recently hired a butler named Mr. Edgar and I made him change his name to Mr. Edmund. I could not very well go about shouting for Edgar and have them both come running.” Sir Richard paused and then murmured, “I wonder what he’s doing just now.”
Grace presumed he wondered what Edgar the spaniel was doing just now, rather than his butler.
As other couples were turning and Sir Richard seemed to notice, he nodded to her and said, “Remind me to tell you what direction they prefer for a walk. It is very amusing!”
He then turned to his other partner and Grace heard him say, “Lady Easton, you’ll want to know how Edgar got on with your suggestion about his diet. You are to be congratulated, madam…”
She had turned and Lord Gresham had turned, and there they were, seeming to have nothing to say among the chattering all round them.
They sat rather more close together than would be usual, as Lady Redfield’s table was not oversized and it seemed to be better suited for thirty-four, rather than the forty that just now crowded round it. The room was sizable enough to accommodate a far larger table, but Grace could guess that it had been another of the deceased baron’s Indian purchases that Lady Redfield could not bear to give up.
Grace could practically feel the heat of him coming through his coat and he had a scent that smelled…what was it? It reminded her of early morning walks through her father’s forest—fresh and clean and of the woods. It was a scent to fall into and Grace scolded herself that it was only a soap his clever valet had secured from France or some such place.
She resisted the urge to lean closer to it.
Finally, Lord Gresham said, “How do you get on, Miss Yardley?”
“Well enough, Lord Gresham. “And you?”
It was a bland enough reply, but for some reason Lord Gresham seemed dissatisfied with it.
“I know that you know about the watch on the house,” he said quietly.
“He is not a watch on the house, he is a watch on me. And of course I know,” Grace said, almost finding some amusement in the idea that the man in the black suit had run to his master to report on their silent exchanges. “You could not have discovered a less subtle fellow had it been your primary purpose and it took me not a moment to discoverhim.”
Lord Gresham sighed. “He is rather ridiculous, I’m afraid. He feels you are taunting him.”
“Then he is not as dull-witted as he looks.”
“You are angry that I did it,” Lord Gresham said, “but I only wished to ensure…”
“That I would not make another attempt.”
“Yes,” Lord Gresham said. “As it stands now, you can face this down. You are here, everyone can see you do not hide, they’ve been told it’s not even true, and when you encounter Jacobs you will not acknowledge him. But if it were to occur again, there would be no way to save the situation.”
“It will not occur again,” Grace said, “if only for the reason that I discovered the braces holding the drainpipe to the wall are not particularly secure. As for Mr. Jacobs, I do not imagine I will ever encounter him again.”
Lord Gresham’s brow wrinkled. “Of course you will, the fellow is everywhere. He’s bound to be at Lord Ryland’s mystery ball the day after next and my aunt said she had plans to take you to it.”
Grace felt a bit flustered upon hearing of encountering Mr. Jacobs. She had thought she understood from Lady Heathway that would not happen.
“But,” she said, “Lady Heathway assured me that the letters she and the duchess have sent off everywhere would prevent it.”
“What letters?” Lord Gresham asked, his expression at once appearing to darken.
“The letters they sent round to say Mr. Jacobs ought not be invited anywhere we were expected to attend. Lady Heathway said that he would be told not to come to whatever he’d already accepted that we had accepted too. Some excuse would be made.” Grace paused, then said, “I did worry that he might become very angry over it, but your aunt assured me it was the right course.”
Grace watched in some alarm as Lord Gresham’s hand tightened on his fork. “That is the worst thing they could have done! It was only a joke to Jacobs, now it is to be his obsession. What man who finds himself thrown out of his society does not become enraged?”
Grace felt herself go very pale. She did not answer, as she did not have an answer.
“It’s not your fault,” Lord Gresham said grudgingly. “You couldn’t have stopped those two if you tried. They can be so intemperate—especially when they are together.”
People were beginning to turn to their opposite dinner partner. Lady Redfield was a jittery hostess and it seemed the moment she ran out of things to say to the duke, she turned to Lord Heathway, and vice versa. It had been like a tennis match so far and Grace wished she’d had more time to continue the conversation with Lord Gresham.
She felt a sense of foreboding over what he’d said. And also a feeling of shame, as if she were responsible for the letters being sent. It had not been her idea, but shewasresponsible. She had climbed out a window and now Mr. Jacobs was to be enraged. It felt frightening.
Grace turned to Sir Richard and forced a smile.
