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For once, Sian didn’t argue. Instead, she settled back against the pillows and looked at Ryan. He looked tired, but so vibrantly handsome that she wanted to reach out and touch him. There were so many things she wanted to say that she wasn’t at all sure where she should start. In the end, while listening to the lull of her mother and Ryan’s amiable conversation, Sian fell sound asleep once more.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“That’s interesting,” Ryan murmured with no small measure of relief.
He threw the newspaper back onto the table and leaned back to finish his toast. The breakfast room was otherwise quiet; the ladies having taken breakfast trays in their rooms. Sian, he knew from having already checked twice that morning, was still sound asleep.
“What is?” Norman mumbled around a mouthful of egg. He picked up the broadsheet and read the page Ryan had left open for him. He finished chewing and then grinned. “Oh, that.”
Ryan squinted at him. “Would you happen to know anything about it?”
Norman shrugged. “Might do. A good friend of yours might have gone to the newspaper office yesterday and blocked the notice of her engagement being printed.”
R
yan shook his head at him but ruined it with a grin. “Have I ever thanked you for interfering?”
“No, but you can whenever you like,” Norman smiled. “I think that you would do best to amend the advertisement and announce your engagement to her.”
“Sian would have a fit,” Ryan snorted. “I want things done properly with Sian. I don’t want any part of our relationship to be forced because of other people’s machinations. I want things to happen naturally, so we progress whenever we feel ready.”
“You are in love with her, that’s what you are. You need to tell her how you feel and make it clear to her father that he cannot find anybody else more titled or worthy than you, so he can bugger off with weaselly Cedrick, and take that Wilhelmina witch with him.” Norman nodded before snatching a mouthful of bacon. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “How do you want to handle them? I take it you are going to do something?”
“Of course,” Ryan murmured smoothly and with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I am not going to allow the love of my life to marry someone else. I fully intended to do whatever I have to, even if that means I do a few underhand dealings of my own.”
“Like what?” Norman temporarily forgot his breakfast and stared at Ryan while he waited.
“We have to go and to Wilhelmina’s house and see if we can find out just how damaged it is, and how swiftly it can be repaired. Arthur may not be able to afford its repairs, but it won’t make a dent in my purse. I do think there is more to this Cedrick than meets the eye. We need to find out who he is, but I doubt he moves about in society, and we don’t have time to go trawling around back alleys to find people who might know him.”
“Ask Mabel if she knows who Cedrick’s family are. Maybe all it is going to take is a quick visit to his relations to find out a little more about where this Cedrick comes from.”
Ryan huffed a laugh. “You should be a private detective.”
Norman nodded. “I would, but I am too lazy to chase after anybody.”
Ryan grinned.
“But you cannot go after this Cedrick alone, my lord. It won’t do to have you making enquiries. I will go in your stead. Nobody knows who I am.” After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Norman slammed a fist down onto the table. “That’s it!”
“What?” Ryan blinked at him and wiped coffee off his shirt. “What is it?”
“I am going to have a little adventure of my own. First, we will go and see this Wilhelmina’s house and then I will pay a visit to this Cedrick’s mother. We need to find out what he does for a living, where he lives, who his connections are, and what his connection to Wilhelmina is. I can pretend to be a solicitor or something.”
“It won’t hurt to make a few enquiries about Wilhelmina as well,” Ryan advised.
“You are far too well known in the area for any of that. You must leave it to me,” Norman warned. “You look after Sian. I will look after Cedrick and the witch.”
Ryan laughed and shoved out of his chair, not least because he was eager to be on his way and get matters progressing that would get Wilhelmina out of everyone’s lives once and for all. He barely reached the door before Norman had caught up with him. Ryan paused beside the buffet long enough to snatch another strip of bacon before racing out of the door.
An hour or so later, Ryan dismounted and studied the house before him before he shook his head at Norman. Together, the men sauntered through the squeaking iron gate, and traversed the weed strewn path that led to the front door. While Ryan lifted the knocker, Norman peered through the huge bay window of the tall, narrow terraced house.
“It isn’t what I expected,” Ryan murmured.
“It’s small, and not very well maintained.” Norman kicked at the weeds. “The shutters are open, but there is no sign of fire damage.”
Ryan removed the small piece of paper Mabel had given him which contained Wilhelmina’s address. This was definitely the right property.
“No wonder Wilhelmina prefers to live at Arthur’s house. It is much nicer than this decrepit dump,” Norman snorted in disgust.
