“Some of the men you spoke with last night are hardly suitable for you to wed.”
“How could you know that?” Lucy countered. “You were too busy flirting with Misses Bastion and Billingsley and who knows who else to notice with whom I was exchanging words.”
“I’m never that busy.” Roderick’s reply silenced her briefly. How was she to answer such a statement? What did he mean? Excitement and dread rose in her in almost equal measure.
“Where are we going, by the way?” she finally asked when she felt as though she had her tongue back under her control.
“I need to return you home before your family starts to worry,” Roderick replied calmly.
“Have we been so very long? I confess to having lost track of the time.”
“Not yet, but it wouldn’t do to anger his lordship without reason.”
This made Lucy laugh. “Would you do so with reason?”
Roderick shrugged. “That would never be my intention,” he answered with a shrug. “But if needs must.”
Lucy was impressed with his response. Most young men found her brother intimidating and would never even consider crossing him for any reason. Roderick’s matter of fact way of speaking led her to believe he meant what he said, he wasn’t speaking big in an effort to impress her. But she was anyway.
“Are you truly not going to tell me what happened back there?” she finally asked as they neared her brother’s home.
“My apologies, Lucy. It isn’t from a desire to keep a secret from you. It’s just that I really ought to tell Gilbert first, since it was he who initiated the thing.”
Despite her disappointment, Lucy nodded. “I suppose that makes sense,” she said as politely as she could muster. “But if he permits it, you will tell me, right?”
“Of course. In fact, even if he doesn’t, I shall tell you as much as I can. I just think, since he said timing is a factor in this matter, I need to hurry to tell him. If I tell you, it is likely you’ll have at least a dozen questions and I’ll never get to him.”
Relief swept her disappointment to the back of her mind and Lucy was able to laugh even though she was impatient to know what had taken place.
“Which events are you attending tomorrow evening? You mentioned the gown you were to wear, but I don’t think you said where you would be wearing it. I apologize if you did and I wasn’t able to pay attention to it.”
Lucy’s laugh might have had a tinge of hysteria sounding through it. “You weren’t meant to be paying attention,” she said. “If I thought you were truly listening, I would have tried to make more sense.”
“You made perfect sense, but sometimes I had to concentrate harder than others in order to follow the other conversation.”
“Of course,” Lucy murmured. “As to where we will be tomorrow evening, if I recall correctly, we are to supper with Lady Beatrice before the Haversham ball.”
“Very good,” Roderick answered with a nod as they arrived at her address. “I am not invited to that supper, but I will see you at the ball for certain. We may not be able to discuss much of import as it is likely to be a crush of people, but I will be able to tell you what my brother has said, at the very least. Are you committed to anyone the following afternoon? Might I take you for a drive or another stroll?”
“How could you take me for a drive?” Lucy asked with a frown before waving away her question. “Never mind, we can confirm something at the ball. Let me just say that I will not accept another invitation for that afternoon until after I have spoken with you. If we can see each other, so be it.”
“I promise, I will try to talk to you even sooner than that, but if I am too tied up with Gilbert, at least we have something arranged.”
He ought to have looked relieved to be rid of her for the moment, but he didn’t, Lucy thought, as Roderick hurried away after a polite bow to her and a nod to her maid. What a curious situation she had walked into. She certainly wasn’t bored anymore.
Chapter Ten
When Lord Wiltshire called to take her driving the next day, Lucy tried to be delighted. Or rather more delighted. Because shewasdelighted, she insisted to herself with amusement. Perhaps she was protesting too much. But it was good to have something interrupt her agitated thoughts. Waiting had never been her strong suit, and not knowing what had taken place between the Northcott brothers was driving her to distraction. Wiltshire’s interruption of her disordered thoughts was welcome.
“What a perfect carriage, my lord,” she complimented. “I cannot say that I’ve been in one exactly the same. It’s not as high as a phaeton but far sportier than a barouche. It feels safe and yet not staid. I didn’t think this particular combination existed. I must compliment you.”
“Why thank you, Miss Scranton. I am delighted that you approve.”
Lucy almost snorted over his word choice. Apparently others besides her were full of delight that day. She hoped he was going to be able to hold her attention. Guilt assailed her for the uncharitable thought. He was a pleasant man who seemed to have formed an attachment of sorts to her. She ought to be thrilled. But her mind was preoccupied with Gilbert Northcott’s investigation, and she would far rather be following suspects or whatever one does while investigating than be involved in a rather tedious courtship.
A sigh threatened to interrupt her. It would seem Isabelle’s constant harping on falling in love was rubbing off on her. She didn’t want to find a future spouse tedious, that was for certain.
That wasn’t to say that she found Wiltshire tedious. Far from it, most of the time. But it was hard for any man to compete with a plot of treachery. Who really could?
