“Sophie,” Hereford said brightly. “How lovely to see you. As I was telling Smythe, I just popped in to pick a few things up.”
“And here I flattered myself that you’d missed me.” She reached the ground floor and floated over to him. She cupped his cheek than ran her hand down his throat and across his chest. “I’ve missed you, Eddie.”
Cassie stared at the tableau they made, fascinated. The familiarity of the woman with Hereford. His apparent free access to her house. Cassie was looking at a man with his mistress. She’d known they existed, of course. She’d just never expected to meet one.
“You know I dislike that nickname.” Hereford stepped away from her touch. “We really are in quite the rush. I’ll come back later and we can…talk.”
Cassie and Sophie both snorted at that.
“I’ll just run up, shall I?” Hereford glanced between his mistress and Cassie. His eyebrows drew together. “On second thought, you’ll come with me.” He grabbed Sophie’s wrist and tugged her up the stairs behind him.
Leaving Cassie and Smythe to stand as so much baggage. “Lovely day today, isn’t it?” she asked finally.
“Yes, mum.” He stood at attention beside the door, staring at a point fixed over her head. If having his master bring another woman to the home of his mistress was an event out of the ordinary, Smythe had the good sense not to show it.
“And that rain last night…”
“Quite dreadful, mum.”
Well, she was out of polite nothings to say. So they waited in awkward silence. Shouts reached their ears, at first muffled but becoming louder and louder until Hereford and Sophie reappeared at the top of the stairs.
“I told you, none of these items are yours.” Hereford bounded down the steps, looking as if a hell-hound was nipping at his heels. He clutched a bundle wrapped up in a kerchief in one hand and the railing in the other. “I was merely storing them here for safe keeping.”
“Just as you’re storing me here.” Sophie gathered the hem of her gown in her hand and raced after him. “You can’t throw me aside. I won’t have it. Do you know how many men would kill to be in your position?”
“They won’t have to kill.” Hereford strode towards Smythe and reclaimed his hat. “I’ll give it away freely.”
Sophie gasped. “How dare you? And who are you throwing me aside for? This little nothing?” She jabbed her finger at Cassie. “Your Roger is truly leading you astray this time.”
Hereford drew his shoulders back and turned to his mistress. “Enough,” he said, his voice low and biting. “I won’t have you insulting a lady. I’ll be back later tonight and we’ll discuss this.”
“Oh, I know why you’ll be back tonight. One last fu—”
“Enough!” Anything that had been easygoing in Hereford’s manner disappeared. He glared at Sophie with an authority that demanded obedience. “I have been attempting to politely disengage myself from you these past weeks, with no success. Now I will be blunt. Your services are no longer required. You can leave now in anger, or you can await me tonight where we will discuss our parting terms. Do you understand?”
Sophie dropped her head, her lips pressed tightly together. “I understand,” she muttered.
Hereford cupped Cassie’s elbow and led her to the door. Smythe opened it before them. “Good day, my lord. Mum.”
From the butler’s collected tone, Cassie could only assume screaming matches were commonplace in this house. She peeked up at the viscount as he helped her into the carriage, but his face was a mask.
“Well.” She settled her skirts around her on the bench seat. “That was interesting.”
Hereford dropped into the seat across from her. “I must apologize, Miss Moore. Her behavior was inexcusable. My taking you there was inexcusable. I should have left it for another day.”
“I’m not sure the agency’s owners would let you leave it ‘til another day.” She settled her reticule on her lap. “They are most anxious for you to return your ill-gotten gains.”
“Yes. Well.” He sniffed, and looked out the window.
“Being led by your….” Cassie covered her mouth to muffle her laughter. “I understand it now. Roger B. Hardigan. That is truly naughty.”
A brick-like flush crept up his cheeks. “Yes, well, I seem to have made several poor decisions of late.”
Taking pity, Cassie leaned forwards and nudged the bundle by his side. “Let’s see some of those poor decision, shall we? What do we have to return, and to whom?”
He undid the knot to the kerchief and laid the small bundle on the seat next to him. He picked out something shiny and sighed. “It will hurt to give this one back.”
But Cassie didn’t see it. She couldn’t make out the shapes of any of the items. Save one.
