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Chapter Sixteen
Byron groaned as he got ready for another ball. He shouldn’t let the duke get to him. He’d worked with plenty of demanding people in the past. They hadn’t bothered him. So why was Eleanor’s father different?
It couldn’t be the difference in his and the duke’s social stations. Byron had worked with nobility before, though he had been far more discreet in his job. He had never had to dance with someone’s daughter or go to dinner parties before. But dancing and dinner parties weren’t difficult. He knew the dance steps, and he was familiar with the things expected of him at dinner parties.
No, there was something else that bothered him, something that prodded at him from the corner of his mind. He was almost afraid to give it attention. He might not like figuring it out. In his experience, some things were better left in the shadows. Not all secrets should be exposed.
Byron pulled on his cravat too tight, which ruined the look he was going for. With another groan, he removed the cloth from his neck. He released his breath and slipped it back around his neck, making sure one end was slightly longer than the other. Then he proceeded to wrap the longer end around the shorter one.
When he was done with the cravat, he tucked the fabric under his waistcoat and released his breath. He left the mirror and retrieved his dress coat. He couldn’t believe the thing had cost him so much money. It was good the duke was paying him well, or he’d abandon the case because these clothes were expensive.
No, he couldn’t abandon the case. Not when it involved Eleanor. He put his hat on then slipped on his gloves. He took another look in the mirror and shook his head. He didn’t look anything like the person he was. He looked like a doll someone crafted to put on display in one of those fancy shops. Were people like Eleanor’s father really happy with this kind of life? Didn’t the endless pursuit of socializing and straining to impress others ever get exhausting? Wasn’t there a time when they thought it might be nice to do whatever they wished without worrying about what others thought about it?
It didn’t matter how he felt. What mattered was that he do his job. “Your job is to make sure nothing bad happens to Eleanor. It doesn’t go any farther than that,” he told his reflection.
He took a deep breath, released it, and left his house. The walk to Eleanor’s townhouse wasn’t all that far, at least not in his opinion. He rather enjoyed long walks. It gave him time to relax and think over how he should proceed with his investigations.
When he reached the street of Eleanor’s residence, his gaze went to Lord Swenson’s townhouse where he’d seen the Duke of Winnett leave in a huff a few days ago. After some investigating, Byron learned that the Duke of Winnett was in debt to Lord Swenson. Byron had discovered as much as he could about the debt. Given that this debt was accumulated at White’s, which was an establishment known for keeping secrets among members, he couldn’t find out too much. In the end, he’d concluded that it boiled down to a series of card games. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to pin a crime on the Duke of Winnett.
Byron reached the front door of Eleanor’s home and knocked on it. He glanced up and down the street. Already, carriages were on their way to the ball. No doubt, this was going to be a long evening. He could only hope Piers would leave him alone.
The footman opened the door then escorted him to the drawing room. Byron sat and waited for either Eleanor or her father to show up. This time, her father happened to be the first one to see him, and judging by the slight scowl on his face, he wasn’t happy.
“What’s wrong?” Byron asked, straightening up in the chair.
Her father sat across from him and placed his hands on his knees. “You are a gentleman. Sure, you don’t have the same upbringing as the nobility, but you certainly have the same passions that noblemen do when it comes to ladies.”
Byron resisted the urge to shift in the chair lest he give his apprehension away. Her father hadn’t detected his interest in Eleanor, had he? Just the thought made Byron mentally curse himself. He had been fighting the truth, even from himself, for a while now. By admitting it, he had allowed it to come to light. And he didn’t like that. There was no way he could ever end up with someone like her. Their social stations would never allow it.
Her father leaned forward. “I insist you be honest with me. I need to know if my daughter is attractive to gentlemen who are looking for a wife.”
Byron relaxed. Good. Her father hadn’t picked up on his attraction for Eleanor.
Her father let out a heavy sigh. “Not a single bachelor other than the Duke of Winnett has expressed an interest in marrying my daughter. I don’t understand it. She had gentlemen lining up to dance with her at the last ball. A couple of those gentlemen have excellent connections with influential members of the Ton. Tell me, is my daughter appealing or is she not?”
Given that the duke was oblivious to his feelings, Byron felt he could safely—and honestly—answer the question. “I assure you that your daughter is desirable for marriage.”
“So why is no one interested in visiting her?”
“I don’t know.”
“I paid the Duchess of Ashbourne to make it so that Eleanor wouldn’t have any trouble securing a husband this Season.”
“The Duchess of Ashbourne can’t guarantee a lady will get a husband. All the duchess can do is teach the lady how to dress and act in a way that will attract gentlemen.” And the duchess had done that. Byron hadn’t been aware of how desirable Eleanor was until she’d had those lessons. He cleared his throat. “The duchess did her job, Your Grace.”
“Then why has no one except the Duke of Winnett asked to talk to her?”
Noting the frustration in the gentleman’s voice, Byron shrugged. “I haven’t the slightest idea, but it’s not the duchess’ fault, nor is it your daughter’s fault.”
“Are you telling me there’s something wrong with all of the gentlemen in London?”
Of course, there wasn’t. To suggest such a thing would be ridiculous. There was no way all of the gentlemen in London except for him and the Duke of Winnett wanted a romantic relationship with Eleanor. He frowned. Was it possible the Duke of Winnett had something to do with this?
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Eleanor said as she came into the room. “I couldn’t decide on the best type of necklace to wear.”
Byron joined her father in standing. He turned his attention to Eleanor, and on its own accord, his gaze went to the pearl drop necklace just above her cleavage. There wasn’t much of her cleavage exposed, but the little that was there tempted him with ideas on how she might look if he were to take her gown off. Face warm, he glanced at her father. Thankfully, her father wasn’t looking at him.
“I spent the entire day practicing everything the Duchess of Ashbourne taught me,” she told her father. “I won’t disappoint you.”
