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She noticed that in chess yesterday. A slow strategy. Which made her smile and some of the tension in her chest lessoned. “Thank you.”
Emily gave her another squeeze. “Any time. You know that.”
Mirabelle left the kitchen, not going outside but toward the front of the house instead. She wasn’t certain where she was going, but she needed to think and then she needed to contact Ken. Either way, she owed him an apology.
Was he still here? If he wasn’t, might she deliver a message herself? Her brothers would have a fit but…
A knocking at the front door interrupted her thoughts.
She started up the stairs and crossed the foyer, opening the door. She knew Ace had meetings today and she assumed one of his guests had arrived.
Her assumption was confirmed when a man in a smart but plain waistcoat, monocle, and top hat stood on the other side of the door. “Good day,” she said, opening the door wider. “How may I help you?”
The man gave her an easy smile, adjusting the eyepiece before he pulled on the lapels of his coat. “Good day. I’m here to see the Marquess of Highgrove.”
She gave a nod. “Of course, Mister?” She paused as she waited for a name he didn’t provide. Not sure how to proceed, she cleared her throat. “My brother is expecting you?”
“Your brother?” he asked, his smile growing as he looked her up and down in a way that filled her with dread. “I’m sure that he is.”
She crinkled her brow at the answer as he stepped through the door. “Forgive me, but did you say that he is or he is not? I can deliver your card of course, but I know he has appointments all afternoon.”
The other man stopped, turning toward her. “My card would be fine. A message would be better.”
“A message?”
“What did you say your name was, my dear?”
The smile remained on his face, but unease continued sliding through her. Something was not right. “I didn’t.”
“Didn’t you?” He took a step closer and she took one back.
The umbrella stand was just behind her and as she bumped it with her foot, she tucked a hand behind her. Surely, one of her brothers’ walking sticks was inside; she’d use it if necessary. “No.”
He pivoted closer. “No matter. The message will be the same either way.” And then he reached for her arm with his hand, quick as a snake, his face growing hard.
She jerked to the left, grabbing not a walking stick but an umbrella that she immediately pointed in his direction. It was lacy and likely useless, and she might have cursed her own bad luck if the jerking motion of the umbrella didn’t send the entire stand over, crashing to the floor.
The clatter alone would bring the whole house and the man must have known it as well, because he froze for a moment and then spun toward the door.
She hardly had time to thrust the umbrella in his direction as he raced down the steps to a waiting carriage before a hand touched her elbow. She let out a scream, spinning away and raising her umbrella again, but it was Ken’s warm, brown eyes that met hers.
With a cry, she dropped the umbrella and launched herself into his arms.
* * *
Ken easily caught Mirabelle,though he had no idea what was wrong. But the feel of her trembling body pressed to his rankled every protective instinct he possessed.
“Mirabelle.” He pulled her tight against his chest. “What’s the matter?”
“That man,” she gasped, and the fear that had been beating in him leapt to double time. “He tried…”
“Sweetheart,” he soothed, pulling back just enough to look in her eyes. “Tell me.”
“What the hell is going on?” Rush yelled from the top of the stairs. “What was all the noise?” He started down the stairs, looking ready to hurt anyone who’d been involved. His gaze swept over Ken and Mirabelle, noticing the knocked-over stand and the abandoned umbrella. “Tell me you did not interrupt my work because you were…” and his lip curled.
But no explanation was possible as more people poured into the foyer from all parts of the house.
Finally, even Ace, Upton, and Somersworth were there. Not that he let go of Mirabelle. She trembled all the more even as Rush snarled at Ace. “I was seven columns in. Will you get our sister to explain how she and Boxby managed to knock over the umbrella stand and disrupt the entire house? Then I can decide how badly I need to beat him.”
