“Says the woman who doesn’t trust anyone.” But he alreadyknew he would do as she commanded. He was starting to believe he would follow Diana to the ends of the earth if she asked him, as well as fling himself in front of a speeding bullet.
“I shall see you tomorrow, Giles. All packed and ready for our next adventure. Hopefully this one doesn’t involve any midnight crouching in the shadows.”
“I rather like crouching in the shadows with you. It’s always entertaining.”
“It is, isn’t it?” She grinned as she turned to leave and he caught her hand.
“Diana, I…” There was so much he wanted to say and do and none of it appropriate for a man in his precarious legal position. So instead he settled for bringing her fingers to his lips and pressing a soft, lingering kiss on the back of them. “Until tomorrow, my Goddess of the Hunt and Hornet-Kicking Hunter of the Truth. I suspect I shall count the hours.” Just as he always did.
She smiled as if she understood all he had left unsaid and so did he, so caught up in the poignancy of the moment that neither of them noticed they were being watched.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Well, isn’t this exciting?” Vee pressed her nose to the carriage window as the outskirts of London gave way to the countryside beyond. “Half of me is thrilled that we are all off on the most daring adventure while the other half still feels dreadful for lying to the others.”
And lie Vee had.
Through her angelic, conniving teeth.
And with such convincing aplomb it forced Diana to reevaluate every aspect of her baby sister. For a young lady who gave off the impression that butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, she had certainly convinced everyone of her illness this morning, coughing and sniffing for all she was worth, while her face had burned scarlet with fever. But while Diana panicked at the unforeseen scuppering of her plans and Olivia and Minerva had been on the cusp of canceling their family trip to Hampshire, she had burned some more—but like a righteous martyr.
Of course they all still had to go to Hugh’s estate without her.
It was the right and proper thing to do. Olivia had made plans to host a New Year’s party for all his tenants and they would bedevastated if that did not go ahead. Especially when they deserved it so, and in all likelihood, all Vee had caught was their maid’s nasty sniffle, which would likely be over in a day or two just as it had for Tabetha. So there was every chance she would still be well enough to travel up to join them once it had passed. Besides—and she had stared at Diana with such fake gratitude as she clutched her hand on the top of her bedsheets—Diana would be here to look after her and she would send an express if Vee’s fever worsened. Wouldn’t she?
Cornered, Diana had nodded, but as Olivia and Jeremiah, Minerva and Hugh, as well as Payne, their trusty butler, all left in the carriage with great reluctance, and before she could pen a hasty note to Giles regarding the unexpected change of plan, poor sick Vee had rallied.
Instantly.
Then all hell had broken loose.
Her sister had seen her in the garden with Giles from her bedchamber window. Seen the way he had kissed her hand and her apparent expression of heartfelt adoration, cracked open her window and heard that they were heading to Shropshire as soon as the coast was clear, put two and two together, and completely got the wrong end of the stick.
Now Vee was intent on saving Diana from original sin. Of sacrificing her precious virtue before any holy vows had been taken. And while she heartily approved of the new romantic developments in their relationship and firmly believed they were meant for each other, a gentleman did not purchase anything from the bakery if the baker was giving away the apple tarts for free.
Therefore, and Vee had wagged her schoolmistress’s finger inDiana’s face, she had no choice but to chaperone the pair of them. To save them both from their palpable lust while they courted in the proper way. And by proper, that would be in full view of Mayfair and not two hundred miles away alone in his romantic estate in Shropshire.
Diana was still unsure if the conniving she-devil believed all the lies she had constructed to explain the need to go to Shropshire without giving Giles or herself away. Giles certainly had no clue what Vee knew or what she didn’t, so sat opposite them tight-lipped, shooting Diana baffled looks that she couldn’t answer properly until they stopped at the first inn to change the horses and she could snatch a private moment.
Ifshe could snatch a private moment, because Vee had appointed herself Diana’s shadow, glued toherperson in casehisperson got too close and the valuableapple tartswere given away gratis.
“If you had asked me what was going on before all your theatrics, I could have spared you the effort of lying.”
Diana hoped her bemused glance at Giles looked as convincing as Vee’s imaginary sniffle had. “Then I would have happily confided that Giles was in a fix and desperately needed some help finding enough evidence to prove his former steward’s fraud.” Subtly she nudged his foot with hers. “You suspect foul play, don’t you, Giles? And need someone with a keen eye for detail in the reams of disorganized paperwork he left you in the hope that you can find enough evidence to get him arrested.”
He nodded, still not trusting himself to speak, and did so with such a lack of conviction that Vee’s eyes narrowed.
“Being a gentleman, he only asked for my advice.” Diana triedto fill the tense void with more of her fabricated backstory. “That is why he asked me to meet him in the garden late last night. Isn’t it, Giles? You sent a note. To ask my advice. Nothing more.” She tried to communicate more with a pointed stare. “But being headstrong and stubborn, and knowing the idiot didn’t have the skills to find the truth”—she gave Vee her isn’t-he-useless eye roll—“I offered to accompany him. Obviously he argued vociferously against it, didn’t you, Giles?” She nudged his foot again.
“Obviously.” He attempted a smile.
“But you know me, I am headstrong…”
“So you keep saying.” Vee was frowning now. All trace of the naive eighteen-year-old evaporating under her suspicious schoolteacher’s glare.
“Because it is true.” Diana aimed for blasé, even managed a wry smile as she wafted her hand in the air. “I am well aware of that failing. Once I get an idea about something I am like a dog with a bone. I’ve always been the same, haven’t I, Vee?”
Giles’s eyes were begging her to shut up, but while she knew they were right, she plowed on regardless. Spewing all her hasty lies aloud for a second time when the first had been bad enough, cringing that they sounded so much worse this time than they had in the panicked heat of the moment.
