Page 58 of His Sinful Touch

“No doubt.”

The duchess came over to her sons, reaching out to pull Con into an embrace. “I didn’t have an opportunity to greet you before, love. How are you? And why are you wearing that horrid disguise? Some case, I take it.”

“Yes. The Divine End congregation. They thought they, the righteous group of eighty-one, would be transported straight up while the rest of us would plunge through great cracks in the ground down to the fiery pit. Though why anyone would choose those eighty-one souls to spend eternity with, I cannot imagine.”

“Eighty-one? What a peculiar number,” Miss Holcutt said, then looked a trifle embarrassed and added, “Not that it’s anything but nonsense.”

“They decided eighty-one was the sacred number because three times three is nine and nine times nine is eighty-one, so that’s the maximum extension of the Trinity. Personally, I thought three times three times three would be the most trinity-invoking, but I suspect their leader wanted the worldly possessions of more than twenty-seven people.”

“Well, I do hope you are going to change back, Constantine dearest,” the duchess said, patting his arm. “Those checks are dangerous to one’s eyesight.”

He grinned. “I’m going to change right now. Then I’m off to investigate the Dearborns. Alex, it seems to me that it might be good for you and Miss Blair to go back to her London house, give it another try.”

“Oh, no! You mustn’t,” Lilah protested, and the others turned to her in surprise. “I mean, well, of course you can, but I don’t think it would be safe for Sabrina to leave the house, with that man watching it.”

“What?” Alex stiffened. “What man? What are you talking about?”

“The man standing across the street, staring at the house. At least, he was there a while ago when Sabrina and I came upstairs.”

“Perhaps you should ask Miss Holcutt to work at your agency, Con,” his mother said in an amused tone.

“It was Sabrina who noticed him, actually.”

“Where?” Alex asked. “Show us where you saw him.”

Miss Holcutt swept out of the room, followed by Con and Alex and the curious duchess. She led them to the bow window and its plush window seat. “Oh. He’s gone. He was right there by that lamppost.” She pointed. “No, wait! There he is. He’s farther down the block, by that carriage.”

All of them leaned in, peering at the figure beside the carriage.

“Are you sure that’s him?” Con asked. “It’s a long way away.”

“Unless you think there are two men wandering about this street dressed in workman’s clothing and wearing green caps.” Lilah raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, yes, I didn’t mean to insult your eyesight,” Con responded. “Wait here—keep an eye on him. I’ll be back in a tick.” Con took off down the hall at a trot.

“Where is he off to?” Lilah asked.

“I’d guess he’s looking for his spyglass,” Alex replied, studying the carriage. Below them, a maid walked past the house in the opposite direction, and a hackney rattled down the road, but Alex didn’t bother to glance at them. “Do you recognize that carriage, Miss Holcutt? Could it be the Dearborns?”

“I don’t know, but I would guess that they aren’t at their London home often enough to have a carriage here, unless that’s how they arrived in London.”

“Probably renting it, then.” Alex wished Con would hurry up.

“If that is them in the carriage.”

“I think it’s unlikely that this isn’t related to them.”

Con returned, spyglass in hand. “Here.” He handed the instrument to Lilah. “See if you can tell who is in that carriage.”

“Me?” Lilah looked up at him in surprise.

“Yes. You know them better than any of us—you’ll be more able to tell if it’s one of the Dearborns.”

Lilah nodded and held the instrument up to one eye. She jumped as a window loomed before her. “That’s so close.”

“Yes, it’s powerful. Here.” Con gently pushed the glass downward toward the carriage. “Just move it slowly. It’ll come into view.”

“Oh! There he is. Yes, that is definitely the man who was standing across the street. I can’t see anyone in the carriage, just an arm on the window. A man’s arm, but his face is too far back in the shadows.” She watched silently.