“And we won’t,” Ellie sent her a reassuring smile. “You had nothing to do with your father’s affairs, and you were in no position to stop him. No one will blame you.”
“Thank you,” Liv said, deeply grateful for the steadfastness of her friends. “I appreciate the support. But I don’t think I’m ready to go back to town quite yet. Someone needs to keep an eye on whatever Uncle Hubert’s doing up here. Unless there’s any pressing work at King & Co. you’d like me to do?”
Daisy shook her head. “We’re always busy, but there’s nothing that won’t wait a week or two. I don’t mean to pry, but I assume your father didn’t leave you any sort of inheritance?”
Liv shrugged, unoffended by her concern. “He did not. Every last penny from the estate will go towards paying back his creditors, and even then, I suspect there won’t be enough to go around. They’ll be cursing his spirit in this life and the next.”
“Well, just know that your rooms above the office are there for as long as you need them, and we’ve all agreed to stop charging you rent.”
“You don’t have to do that!” Liv protested. Her pride rebelled against being offered any sort of charity, however kindly meant. After her father’s antics, she didn’t want to be beholden to anyone for anything.
“I know we don’thaveto,” Tess said, joining the conversation as she strolled through the door. “But we want to, and that’s completely different.” She poured herself a cup of tea and selected a buttered roll from the sideboard. “If anything, we should be paying you for staying there. Having you live above the office provides extra security. What if someone tries to break in during the night and steal all the evidence we’ve gathered?”
Liv chuckled. “If you think I’ll be racing down the stairs with a poker and fighting off would-be burglars in my nightgown, then you’re sadly mistaken. I’m notDaisy.”
Daisy chuckled at what she undoubtedly saw as a compliment.
“Any burglar who’s loud enough to wake you up doesn’t deserve the name of thief,” Harry grumbled. “Why, one time in Venice I broke into the Doge’s palace and stole a dozen things without alerting the three guard dogs and four sentries who were supposed to be on duty.”
Ellie gave a fond eyeroll at his boast. “Ah, but not everyone has your impressive skills, my love.”
“True,” Harry said, without any trace of modesty.
“We’ll all be heading back to Lilford Hall in about an hour,” Tess said to Livvy. “If Devlin’s right, and there’s rain or snow on the way, better to set off earlier rather than later. You’re welcome to come and stay with us, if you don’t want to be here.”
Liv bit her lip. Unfortunately, her foolish desire to spend more time with Dev was stronger than any more sensible impulse.
“Thank you, but I’ll stay.”
Daisy nodded. “We’ll send word when we’re heading back to London, then, in case you want to share the carriage.”
“Thank you,” Liv repeated, trying not to make it too obvious that she was watching for a glimpse of Dev over Daisy’s shoulder.
Dev’s prediction of bad weather proved correct as ominously tall, dark clouds rolled in over the next hour, and a light rain was just starting as the carriages with Daisy, Ellie, Tess, Lucien, Harry and Justin rumbled down the drive.
Liv sent them a final wave as they disappeared, hotly aware of Dev doing the same just behind her left shoulder. As if they were already a married couple bidding their visitors goodbye.
She glanced up at the darkening sky, acutely aware that even though there were a dozen or so servants in the house, the last of the invited guests had gone. In the eyes of theTon, she and Dev were alone.
Just as she opened her mouth to tell him he’d been right about a storm coming, a blinding flash of lightning streaked across the underside of the low clouds. She instinctively began counting the seconds; one for every mile the storm was distant. When she reached ten, the corresponding rumble of thunder rolled across the landscape, and she smiled in anticipation.
She’d always loved a good storm, loved listening to the lash of the rain against the windowpanes and feeling the thunder reverberate through her chest—provided she was safe and warm inside, of course. She glanced up at Dev, a smile on her lips, certain that he’d share her feeling of excited anticipation, daredevil that he was, but his dark brows were drawn down in a frown, and his jaw was clenched tight.
She turned and put her hand on his forearm in an automatic gesture of concern.
“Dev, what is it? Are you all right?”
His muscles were rigid beneath her hand, and he glanced down at her with an expression that looked almost like annoyance. He tugged his arm from her grip and stepped back, nodding to a hovering Fletcher to close the door.
Liv quashed a flutter of confusion. Had she offended him in some way? Where was the teasing, relaxed partner who’d showed her such passion last night?
Dev sent her another impatient glance. “Sorry, Liv. I have some important matters I need to attend to.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and sent her a softer, more rueful glance. “And the devil of a sore head. Shouldn’t have tried to keep up with Justin on the brandy last night.”
Liv smiled, relieved that his moroseness was due to a hangover and not because of anything she’d done. For a minute, she’d thought he was regretting last night in his study.
“You haven’t changed your mind about me staying here, have you?” she asked. “Because I can always?—”
“No!” he said sharply. “It’s not that. Never that. It’s just that I can’t be with you this afternoon.”
