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“No. And now, if you’ll both excuse me, I have fifteen women who I need to investigate.” Lord Dunsmore bowed to them both, and then swept out of the room.
* * *
Arabella and Charles were left alone, as Lord Dunsmore closed the door behind him. They smiled at each other for a moment. Charles leaned back against his desk, folding his arms.
“What brings you here?” he asked, curiously. He was glad to see her, no matter what her reason was.
“My father has gone to speak with the constables,” she explained. “I came to check on you.” He was touched.
“The constabulary has not been here,” he assured her. “Although I have no doubt that they’ll be stopping by to check my alibi.”
“Do you have one?” she asked.
“My housekeeper, Mrs. Osbourne,” he replied. “She saw me come in, and she saw me several times throughout the evening.”
“Good,” she replied.
“I’ll need to come and see the house,” she replied. “So that I can start making plans.” As mistress of the house, she would have to make sure that everything was to her liking. He would be happy to bow to her wishes.
“Of course,” he said. “You may decorate it as you see fit. It’s a bit of a blank canvas at the moment.”
“I have to meet Mrs. Osbourne,” she said, excitedly. “After her help over the summer and fall with the letters, I’m dying to meet her.”
“She’s excited as well,” Charles assured her. “Only this morning, she began a thorough clean of the place. Not that it needed it.”
Arabella beamed. “I came to talk about this,” she said. “I—I wanted to know what it was like to talk to you about our future.”
He smiled. “Our future,” he replied.
“Such a beautiful thing. Although my mother is in a frenzy to have me married,” she replied. “She’s excited to have me wed at eighteen.”
He got up from his desk, and she walked over and into his arms. He just held her, in silence. Her mind was full—she raised her eyes to his. He kissed her.
“Did you and Annette come unaccompanied?” he asked, suddenly concerned.
“Yes,” she replied.
“With this murderer about, I don’t think that’s safe.”
She frowned.
“Before you tell me about your fencing abilities, which I recall are far better than my own.” He smiled at her. “Let me accompany you to your door. For my sake, so that I’m not worrying about you.”
“Must you?”
“I absolutely must,” he replied. “Because I love you. I wouldn’t bear it if anything happened. You know, I saw Lady Violet Fanning, just after Lord Drysdale’s death. I don’t want that for either of us. We’re not taking any chances, love.”
“Very well, Annette and I will allow you to accompany us.”
Charles saw them to the door. They all walked, even though that meant leading her horse. She was blissfully happy. At the front door, he bowed gallantly to the both of them.
* * *
“Well, Mr. Conolly should have come in,” her mother said, a little put out.
“He likely had something of the barrister sort to do,” Arabella replied. They were both having tea in the parlor.
“We’ll need to have the engagement announced,” her mother said. “Then, there will have to be a party, of course.”
