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Hobbes was at the doorwhen Fiona returned to Eaton Square with Aylesbury.The butler looked them up and down, clearly bursting with questions, but even Hobbes wouldn’t break form long enough to ask about the state of their clothing, their rumpled hair or the bloody handkerchief Aylesbury held to his neck.
“Where is everyone?”Fiona asked quietly.
“The gong rang some fifteen minutes past, my lady.They should be dressing for dinner.”
“Where is your telephone located, Hobbes?”Aylesbury asked.
The butler didn’t even blink.“In my pantry, my lord.Shall I ring up someone for you?”
Aylesbury shook his head.“I’ll do it myself.”He turned to Fiona, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her cheek.His blue eyes were grave.“I’m going to call the authorities.You need to speak to your brother.In all fairness, he needs to be told.”
Fiona nodded and watched him as he walked away, his heels beating decisively against the marble floor.
“My lady...”
“What is it, Hobbes?”
There were a dozen questions in the old butler’s eyes when she looked back at him.
“You have a visitor in the library, my lady,” he said at last.“He insisted on waiting.”
Fiona glanced at the closed doors of the library off the foyer, wondering whom Hobbes would have considered worthy of not only the private room but admission itself.Harrowby?Temple.Regardless of whatever future she may or may not have with Aylesbury, she knew that kindness demanded that she let them both down gently.“Who is it?”
“Lord Ramsay, my lady.”
Her jaw sagged in surprise, and she simply couldn’t help but gawk at him.“Ramsay?You let him in?Nowyou let him in?”
The butler said nothing but stared steadily over her shoulder.His expression was as impassive as ever, but she swore she could see his lips twitching.“Proving your point?”
“I don’t know what you mean, my lady,” he said without expression.“You asked me to admit him next time he called.This is nothing more than that time.”
Fiona scoffed.Oh, yes, she knew what he was doing.He was trying to teach her a lesson about who knew what was best for her.Unfortunately, this was the last thing she needed today.
With a grimace, she glanced at the door again.Lord, she was so tired already.The mere thought of confronting Ramsay was exhausting.
“Consider yourself sacked, Hobbes.”
“Of course, my lady.”
* * *
“Lord Ramsay,” she saidas pleasantly as possible, leaving the library door opened wide behind her as she entered.“I wasn’t expecting you tonight.What brings you here?”
“What?”he asked bitterly, displaying none of the buoyant charm he usually put forth.“No kisses, darling?”
She frowned as he closed the distance between them but refused to yield her ground.“You seem upset.Is there something amiss?”
“Yes, there is.”He stopped, looking down at her with frigid blue eyes that were nothing, she decided, compared to the warmth of Aylesbury’s.“I’ve waited for you as you asked.Patiently.”
She couldn’t help but raise a brow, but he didn’t notice as he continued.
“I thought you loved me.”
“You know I did not,” she pointed out immediately, but he ignored her.
“I thought you wanted to marry me as well.”
