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“Is Miss Dowding available for callers this morning?”
The butler closed the door. “I shall inquire, milord.”
Baldwin watched as the butler walked across the entry hall and stepped into a side room. He turned his attention towards the blue wallpaper and ornate woodwork that ran the length of the hall.
The clip of the butler’s heel on the tile alerted Baldwin to his return. Stopping in front of him, the butler revealed, “I apologize, but Miss Dowding is not available for callers at the moment.”
“Will you kindly inform Miss Dowding that I will not leave until I have the opportunity to speak to her?” Baldwin pressed, not deterred by her rejection.
The butler’s face remained expressionless as he replied, “Yes, milord.”
Baldwin watched the butler walk across the entry hall again and disappear into the same room. After a moment, he reemerged and approached.
“Miss Dowding will see you. Please follow me to the drawing room.”
After Baldwin stepped into the drawing room, he walked over to the mantel that sat over the fireplace and admired the vases on display.
It was a long moment later when Miss Dowding stepped into the room, wearing a white gown with a green sash tied around her waist.
“Good morning, Lord Hawthorne,” she said, her words uncharacteristically soft.
He turned to face her, and he was surprised to see that she appeared tense. “Good morning, Miss Dowding,” he greeted. “Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
“I’m afraid you left me very little choice in the matter.”
“That may be true, but I wanted to see how you are faring after yesterday’s ordeal.”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “As you can see, I am well.”
“Are you?”
Her smile dimmed. “Why do you ask?”
“Pardon me, but I can’t help but notice that you seem rather out of sorts.”
Miss Dowding walked over to the settee and placed her hands on the back, creating more distance between them. She refused to meet his gaze. “I’m afraid yesterday was rather taxing, and I will need time to recover,” she said.
Liar.
Why is Miss Dowding lying to me, he wondered. He decided to pose another question. “Was Miss Hardy amongst the missing girls?”
She shook her head. “She was not.”
“Then I will keep searching for her.”
“I appreciate that,” Miss Dowding responded as she played with the fringe of a pillow.
Baldwin frowned as he tried to make sense of Miss Dowding’s odd behavior. “My brother informed me that he escorted you home last night,” he attempted.
“That he did,” Miss Dowding confirmed as she continued to avert her gaze from his. “I was most appreciative of that.”
Taking a step closer to her, he was astonished when she took a step back and a panicked look came to her face.
What in the blazes?
“Miss Dowding,” he started, “I must pose the question, were you harmed in any way yesterday?”
Her gaze snapped up to meet his. “I was not.”
