“I think you know my intention was not to cause pain.” Wrexford quelled the urge to reach out and touch a reassuring hand to her cheek. “You’ve often told me that looking at a problem from a different perspective can help one see the solution.”
“How very lowering to have my own words thrown back in my face,” she murmured.
“Especially when they are right?” He smiled. “If it’s any consolation, the reason I’m here is because I, too, am at sixes and sevens. Ashton’s murder has taken another serpentine twist and I would greatly value your view on it.”
“You’ve discovered another clue?” she asked quickly.
“Yes,” Wrexford set down his awkward burden. “But first—”
A quicksilver flutter in the corridor caught his eye. “You may step out of the woodwork, Weasels. This concerns you.”
The two boys darted into the room.
“See, I told ye,” whispered Hawk to his brother. “It’s a corking big bundle.”
Charlotte fixed them with a basilisk stare. “Spying on one’s elders is ungentlemanly.”
Raven returned the look without a flinch. “We weren’t spying. We were simply making sure you didn’t need our protection.”
“Gentlemen are s’posed te be knights in shining armor,” piped up Hawk. “Isn’t that right, m’lord?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Wrexford replied dryly. To Charlotte, he added, “You may have new reason to be furious with me, but the lads mentioned there was a small swath of garden here. And so I took the liberty of bringing . . .”
He gestured at the canvas-wrapped bundle. “May they go ahead and open it?”
* * *
Charlotte took a seat on the sofa before answering. The day was unraveling into a series of surprises. She wasn’t quite sure she wanted another. However, Wrexford’s expression was somewhat reassuring. Despite his show of sardonic humor, he looked a little uncomfortable.
What in the names of Hades was beneath the canvas wrapping? Had it been wriggling, she might have guessed a snake.
Oh, surely he wouldn’t . . .
“M’lady?” Hawk’s wistful voice roused her from her reverie. “May we?”
Wrexford, she noted, had perched a hip on the arm of the facing chair and folded his arms across his chest. His face gave nothing away.
“Yes,” she answered, and steeled herself for . . . only God knew what.
The boys flew to the bundle and made quick work of unknotting the cording. With a grunt, Raven lifted it upright while his brother stripped away the cloth.
Metal clinked against metal as a glint of light flashed off polished steel.
Mother of God.
The earl must have read her thoughts. “Before you’re tempted to cut out my liver, allow me to say that the points have been ground off and the blades have been dulled.”
“Swords!” Two gleeful shouts rose in tandem.
Charlotte couldn’t contain herself. She started laughing.
Clang! Clang!
“Are youmad?” she sputtered, as the two weapons hit together.
“Stop!” called earl.
The boys instantly obeyed.
