Julius cleared his throat. “It’s nothing for you to concern yourself over, My Lady. Now how about a nice glass of sherry. You can show us all the lovely needlepoint designs you’ve been working on.”
Summerset hooted and flung himself into the chair next to the older woman. He draped one lilac-clad leg over the arm. “You’ve duped another one, May. I thought you were going to drop your act?”
She sniffed. “It isn’t all an act. I’m allowed to express different aspects of my psyche.”
Julius scratched his jaw. “What are you talking about, John?”
“Just that crazy Aunt May isn’t nearly so vapid as she likes to appear.” Summerset shook his head. “I had you figured out the first five minutes we met.”
“Yes, well, luckily for me dear Marcus wasn’t nearly so discerning.” A tiny smile crinkled the paper-thin skin of her cheeks. “He might have wondered more over my nightly comings and goings.”
Readjusting the diamond pin in his cravat, Summerset said, “He knows more than you think. He just chose to turn a blind eye on your eccentricities.”
“But …” Julius placed his hands on his hips. “Why the deuce would anyone do that? And to fool the woman in your charge …” He looked at Amanda.
Holding her hands behind her back, Amanda toed a circle on the floor.
“You knew.” Julius rolled his eyes. “Why am I not surprised?” He sank onto a wide settee.
Lady Mary tugged at the end of her sleeve. “You men think we’re blind as well as dumb. Did you really believe you could hide the fact that you’re doing a job for the government?” She held up a blue-veined hand and uncurled her index finger. “One, you’ve come home bloodied and bruised on more than one occasion. Not typical for a man of your station. Two”—she raised another finger—“there have been some very nice gentlemen watching this house. During my daily constitutionals, I would chat them up. After I got one of them talking about his wife and new baby daughter, he let slip a few details.” She glanced over at Summerset. “Your men, I presume.”
The dandy opened and closed his mouth. “Bloody hell. Dunkeld’s men, actually. But they were supposed to be professionals. They shouldn’t have let anyone see them, much less speak to them.”
She patted his hand. “He didn’t reveal specifics. But he did enough dancing around that I could identify the waltz he was in. Besides, you know I can get people to open up.”
“Liverpool has been employing the wrong Montague.” Sutton snorted in disgust.
Julius rubbed his temples. “I should be horsewhipped. I didn’t think I’d need to employ subterfuge.”
“In your defense, I did have an advantage knowing that Marcus was involved with Liverpool.” Lady Mary bestowed a kindly smile on him. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Sutton stroked his beard. “Interesting as all this is, we do have a plan we need to devise.”
Dunkeld cleared his throat and pulled a chair from along the wall. “Ladies present,” he said in a low, warning voice. He flopped down, and the chair’s legs creaked in protest.
“Yes.” Julius lounged back. “Amanda. Lady Mary. If you would excuse us for a couple minutes more then I’ll send for some tea and we can all have a visit.”
“But Julius”—Amanda plopped down next to him—“I can help. You want Lord Hanford out of his home. Perhaps if I write to him and invite him here to discuss our disagreement …”
Amanda bit her lip and looked at the surrounding faces. She wasn’t supposed to know that. She didn’t know if she felt honored or insulted that Julius didn’t look surprised by her admission.
“It won’t work,” Julius said. “He may debate you in the papers, but he won’t deign to meet you here, one on one.”
“It would be beneath him,” Dunkeld agreed.
Julius glared at him.
“Is how he would feel,” the Scotsman amended. “I, of course, am not saying that visiting Miss Wilcox would be anything but delightful.”
Amanda flapped her hand in reassurance. “But there must be some way he would agree to come. Perhaps if I imply I have something scandalous to write to the papers about him?”
Summerset crossed one leg over the other and bobbed his foot. The diamond-studded broach pinned to the top of his shoe winked in the sunlight. “And set yourself up as his next victim? Hardly smart.”
“And never going to happen.” Julius growled, and the gazes of his three friends swung their way. The men eyed Julius and Amanda like they were the catch of the day, trying to decipher if the smell they’d caught wind of meant something was off. Dunkeld raised an auburn eyebrow, looking contemplative.
Amanda leaned back over the armrest, trying to put space between her and Julius. The men all must know she and Julius were intimate. But she didn’t need them suspecting Julius might actually care for her more than a lord should. It would be most awkward for him later.
“But what if she set herself up as another type of victim?” Lady Mary scooted to the edge of her seat. “Lord Hanford loves to take someone down in print and I’d bet he’d jump at the chance to humiliate her verbally, as well.”
