AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Wes hated her. She was alone.
She had to remember that.
{ Chapter 12 }
An amused crook at the corner of his mouth, Wes watched Laney staring down at Mr. Filmore’s clerk standing behind his desk. Her lips twisted as though she was stifling the urge to scream but only barely succeeding. “What do you mean he is not present?”
“Mr. Filmore is not in the building, my lady. He hasn’t been for the last two days.”
Her gloved knuckles tapped onto the desk in front of the clerk, her reticule holding the Box of Draupnir swinging from her wrist and clunking onto the wood. “Well, when will he be present? I have urgent business with him.”
The lad shriveled, his shoulders curling at the exasperation in her voice. “I do not know when exactly he will return, as he sent word the day before he would be absent yesterday and part of today. He didn’t say why. Urgent business must have taken him away from London. He has several clients currently in the nearby countryside, so it is possible that is where he is. If anything, he should be due back this afternoon.”
“But—”
Wes grabbed Laney’s elbow, finally taking pity on the misery of the clerk. As much as he enjoyed watching Laney battle adversity, he couldn’t have the young whelp quitting his post before Mr. Filmore returned and Wes’s business with the solicitor was complete. “Come, Laney. I’m sure Mr. Filmore will arrive back in a short amount of time.” He looked to the lad. “You will send word to my residence when he arrives?”
The clerk’s head bobbed up and down. “Yes, of course, sir.”
Laney’s head swiveled toward Wes. “He knows where you live? You’ve done business with Mr. Filmore?”
Wes shrugged. “A limited amount.” He tugged on her elbow, pulling her from the desk and the cowering clerk.
They stepped out into the daylight where odd streaks of sun poked through the cloud cover and Wes looked about the street.
He pointed in the direction of the Thames. “St. James Park is only a short distance past parliament and the river, perhaps we should walk through there on our way to my townhouse. The open air will do you good.”
Her lips pursed as she looked over her shoulder at the front window of Mr. Filmore’s place of business. As admirable as her glare was, it wouldn’t make Mr. Filmore appear for her.
This was supposed to be easy. Let Laney find the Box of Draupnir. Have her deliver it to Mr. Filmore.
Done.
Her problems solved. His problems solved.
The plan had been fairly well concocted. Except that Mr. Filmore was supposed to be here in London as he said he would be, not on some random mission in the countryside.
Next to him, Laney tugged on the sides of her crisply cut pelisse that had been dyed black. She heaved a sigh, waving her hand and reticule in the air. “Fine. Anything to pass the time. All I want to do is get rid of this silly box and settle the inheritance so I can go home to Gruggin Manor.”
He offered her his left elbow and she took it before they descended the stairs to the walkway and across the street to follow Westminster Bridge over the river to the park.
After passing parliament Wes glanced down at her. A frown still held to her mouth.
“Looking to escape me?”
The quickest glance up at him and she set her look forward. “I’m already resigned to the fact that I will never quite escape you.”
Not exactly agreeing with his question. Not exactly arguing against his question.
“Maybe, possibly, if the inheritance is a piddling amount, you will find it fit to be done with me as it won’t be worth your time to meddle in my affairs,” she said. “Or if I marry, you will be done with me as well.”
His gaze jerked toward her, searching for her eyes past the black rim of her small bonnet. “You wish to marry?”
She looked up at him, the smallest smile teasing her lips. “No. But that doesn’t mean I won’t meet a man that will change my mind. Especially if the sum Morty left for me is substantial. Men will sink to touching scandal if it means filling their coffers.”
His glare moving forward, Wes bit his tongue, not sure if she was baiting him or if she truly did have intentions of putting herself on the marriage mart.
True, she was a spinster, but still in her twenties and of good birthing age. She’d left society in scandal—a scandal that was a distant memory to most, no matter how raw it still was for her. She was tall, but that had always been one of the things he’d liked most about her—she stood near to his equal which was deuced hard to find in a woman. He couldn’t be the only man to want that in a mate. She was clever, but that made for fun banter.
