“Infuriate, desire… I do not see much of a difference.”
A growl sounded from deep in Maria’s throat. “I regret showing you that dratted book, Heather. You’ve become positively indecent. Now, hush.”
She raised her hand, poised to knock on the duke’s door, when it swung inward. A waft of warm air rushed past her, and she shivered.
“Maria! Er—Miss Roberts, Miss Morgan.” The duke bowed his head. “I was just on my way to find Juliana.”
“As we have been for—”
“She just left,” the duke clarified, scowling at Maria.
“She washere?” Heather’s eyebrows arched high.
His gaze narrowed. “You did not expect her to come home at first, did you? You both knew about her intentions to become a Bow Street runner.”
Maria chewed on her bottom lip before she responded. “She did not wish for you to worry—”
He bared his teeth in a snarl. “I must find her. She left only moments ago with a footman. Both of you get into my carriage; we are going to Bow Street.”
* * *
The door closedwith an ominousthunkthat echoed in the empty foyer. With a shiver, Leonard strode toward his study, keeping his gloves and cloak on. He passed two rooms and idly glanced inside. White sheets draped the furniture like short, misshapen ghosts.
Before that day, it had been more than three years since he’d stepped foot in that building, and longer since he’d kept it staffed, so it oughtn’t have been a shock how damned cold it was inside.
Thump.
Leo’s spine straightened, his ears trained toward the closed door to the parlour.
A low rumble of a voice set the hairs on the back of Leo’s neck to standing on edge. Someone was in his house.
As soundlessly as he could, he crept toward the door. And it burst open.
“Uncle Leo!” The trilling voice of Elizabeth split the air as she ran toward him, her arms out wide.
Relief washed over him, and he dropped to one knee. She barrelled into him in a mass of stickiness and crumbs. Leo pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled the scent of sweet soap and sugar.
“I missed you, Uncle Leo.”
“I’ve missed you, as well, Lizzy.”
He glanced over her head at Percy standing in the parlour’s doorway, and narrowed his eyes at the man. “What brings you both to London?”Why did you bring Elizabeth to town?his gaze asked.
“Your letter!” Lizzy pulled back and stuck one hand in the sleeve of his coat, her fingers playing with the hair on his wrist.
Leo glanced once more at Percy. The man knew very well that he had been directed to bring Elizabeth to the estate before continuing on to London alone.
“May we please have tea?” Elizabeth asked, her hands clasped pleadingly beneath her chin.
Heart clenching, Leo nodded. “Come along, then.”
He led the way to the cold kitchens and set to arranging materials in the hearth for the fire. Leo had been forced to care for himself on several occasions, and while he knew what to do, he was hardly adept at it. Most particularly when his mind was consumed with both the mystery of Lizzy’s presence in London and the bewildering grief he felt at losing Juliana.
Percy’s heavy footfalls came to a stop at his side, and Leo looked up at him, his eyebrows raised.
What is she doing here?his eyes asked.
Percy responded with a jut of his chin and a single-shoulder shrug.I hadn’t a choice, the gesture said.
