Inside, he spotted Danby standing near the doorway. The man paced in front of an empty bench next to a curtained alcove. “Ho, Danby.” Malcolm strode over to his friend.
Danby’s habitual grin was absent. “Iveson. I didn’t know you’d be here tonight. Good to see you.”
Malcolm glanced around. “Are you waiting for someone?”
“Oh, no, not at all. Just taking a breather.” He paced away but then spun around on one heel. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyebrows lowered. “Malcolm, can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything,” Malcolm assured him. His friend seemed strung tight as a bow.
“There you are, dear. We wondered where you were hiding.”
Malcolm turned toward the new voice and was pleased to find Lady Adeline Amberley and an older woman who, with her similar dark hair and wide brown eyes, must be George and Adeline’s mother.
Danby ran a finger along his collar. His gaze met his sister’s. “I haven’t been hiding, Mother.”
Malcolm watched a silent conversation flow between the siblings. Like the other week when he first met her, Adeline’s expressive features conveyed some frustration with her brother. But she soon turned her attention to Malcolm.
“Mother, may I introduce Lord Kingsbury. Lord Kingsbury, this is our mother, Lady Rawlings.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Lord Kingsbury.” Lady Rawlings extended a hand.
Malcolm bowed over it. “A pleasure to meet you, Lady Rawlings.”
“I have heard so much about you already. You are in London after a long absence?”
“Yes, ma’am. I command a ship in the Royal Navy. We have been at sea for the past nine months. Our assignment is to track and deter smugglers from bringing contraband into Britain.”
“That sounds exciting. Do you catch many criminals?” Lady Rawlings asked.
“Yes, ma’am. I am very good at my job,” he replied.
Danby froze in place. His hands clasped tightly in front of him. “I did not know that was your job, Kingsbury.”
“Yes, normally. But I am on leave currently and focusing on pleasurable pursuits.” Malcolm smiled at Lady Amberley. “Do you have any space on that dance card for me tonight?”
“I’m sure I do.” She stepped forward and held her hand to offer him her dance card.
He penciled his name in for a slot later in the evening. “I look forward to discovering what subject we might debate this evening.”
“As do I.” Her lips curved into a small smile.
Like her quiet chuckles, the lady seemed to always moderate her expressions of pleasure. The urge to make her grin wide and toothy, like she had the other evening at the Hartwicks’ dinner party, thrummed through him. Whenever she was near, this need to bring her pleasure consumed his focus. And there were so many ways he could think of to pleasure this lady.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Lord Rawlings walking past an open door. Malcolm mentally shook free of his increasingly carnal thoughts. He needed to focus on his assignment.
He gave Lady Amberley and her mother a short bow. “Please excuse me. I have seen a gentleman I must speak with.”
Before he exited the ballroom, Danby grabbed his sleeve. “Meet for a drink later? After hours at the Blue Angel?”
Malcolm nodded. If Danby wished to talk, then he would listen. He’d like to believe his friend wasn’t involved in this investigation; regardless, it was his duty to find the missing items and return them. He exited the door he’d seen Rawlings pass by and turned in the direction he had seen the man heading. A long corridor stretched out in front of him. This one flanked the other side of the front hall, opposite the hallway where the card rooms were. The plush carpeting muffled his footsteps as he walked and peered into darkened rooms.
Halfway down, he paused when he heard voices. The fourth door on the left was ajar, and a slice of light spilled out. Malcolm slipped into the room across from it and closed its door halfway. Standing in the dark, he hoped he was hidden enough to go unnoticed if the men were to exit. From his vantage point, he saw Rawlings pacing in front of the ajar door.
“Listen, we must sell the pieces immediately. I have debts to pay. They are not the type of men to wait politely.” He ran a hand over his mostly bald head before walking out of Malcolm’s line of view.
“We cannot,” a much calmer voice replied. “It is too soon, and the pieces are too rare not to be noticed. We must be prudent if we want to get the best price.”
That voice niggled at Malcolm’s brain.
