He kissed her softly on the lips. “I see you now.”
“And I am still certain this is all a dream. Phoebe and Eloise are also walking on a cloud. Their first protégé lands herself a duke. Although I should not count my chickens before they are hatched. We are not yet married and anything can happen between now and then.”
“Nothing is going to happen,” he said, securing his hold on her as though she might slip away. “You will not get out of marrying me, nor do I have any intention of backing out. As for your dowager matchmakers, they had better quit while they are ahead.”
“Why ever would they do so after this stunning victory? I have already enlisted them to help my friends, Syd and Gory. That is, Lady Sydney Harcourt and Lady Gregoria Easton. You’ll meet them today, for I have invited them to join us for Dr. Nordberg’s lecture. They are excited.”
“To meet me?” he teased, knowing Adela and her friends found dead things far more fascinating than a living, breathing male.
“Yes, you,” she said with a giggle. “And Dr. Nordberg, too. It turns out, they could not attend his lecture last week at the British Museum either and were devastated to miss the opportunity. Come to think of it, they missed this entire week oftonparties, too. I wonder why?”
“They might not have been invited.”
“Perhaps not to all, but surely to Lord and Lady Knightly’s ball. I’ll have to ask them when I see them.” She sighed and shook her head. “They really are eager to meet you. I’ve told them how wonderful you are. But do not be put off if they pay you little attention. They will have many opportunities to speak to you in the coming weeks and only this one chance with Dr. Nordberg.”
She put a hand to his cheek and cast him a soft smile. “I will never forget your kindness in bringing him here for me.”
“It is my pleasure. I knew it would make you happy.”
“It has, Ambrose. No one has ever done anything so thoughtful for me. You did this even though I had just accused you of being inconsiderate and manipulative. I am so ashamed of my words. I wish I could take them back.”
“No, you were right. Don’t be ashamed. I deserved the set down. Your words struck home and I was angry with myself for being so callous toward you. Suddenly, it was important for me to make it up to you and this is the best way I knew how. I hope you will forgive me.”
“Of course, I do.” However, she pursed her lips. “But can you ever forgive me? Runyon has not yet returned your stolen book. I led that loathsome man here and now it is up to me to find the book and get it back to you. I will do it, I promise.”
“Absolutely not,” he said, his heart shooting into his throat at the very idea. “Put the notion out of your head immediately. I do not want you anywhere near that bounder. My Bow Street men will take care of him.”
“But it has been days and nothing has happened.”
He could see Adela’s mind was already awhirl and she was going to fret about it through Dr. Nordberg’s lecture. “Adela, stop thinking about Runyon.”
“I cannot. He might sneak in here today because this lecture will draw quite a crowd. In fact, I would not be surprised if this is what he does, slip in and discreetly drop the book somewhere it will be found.”
“What is wrong with that? Is this not the best solution?” Ambrose doubted that slimy lizard would do any such thing. On the other hand, Adela seemed to know the workings of the man’s deceitful mind better than anyone else.
Perhaps she was right and the book would miraculously reappear today.
All the more reason to keep her close, for he did not want her confronting the sinister dolt.
That concern was set aside when he suddenly heard thundering footsteps outside his office.
Adela glanced toward the door. “What on earth…?”
Ambrose chuckled. “My brothers have arrived.”
“Oh, my.” She hastily drew out of his arms, her cheeks quite rosy with embarrassment when he refused to let go of her hand and insisted on keeping her close. “What will they think?”
“That I like you.” Which he did, but was not yet ready to reveal quite how much because it did not seem possible that Adela could so effortlessly make her way into his heart.
But he did release her as his brothers bore down on him with youthful zeal. “Oh, hell,” he muttered with a deep, rumbling chuckle.
They were grown men, Octavian all of twenty-six years old and looking quite dapper in his Royal Navy uniform, although his present assignment was not at sea but in Oxford working with noted professors on secret government projects.
Julius was only a year younger and in charge of the Huntsford businesses in the north of England. However, he used Oxford as his base of operations.
They were excited to see him and had reverted to their silly childhood ways, pouncing on him as they used to do whenever they wished to irritate him because he was their older brother. In their eyes, just because they were all now older did not mean they had to behave like grown men.
He withstood their ebullience with patience as they finished playfully harassing him.
