“He will have the same as the rest of our party.” Ash knew me well, and I was grateful he had agreed to come. By the way Miss Collin continued to quiz him, she liked him as well. The meeting boded well for my friend. Ash had never told his mother about Suzette, and she despaired that he would never find a wife. Today was the first time he agreed to meet someone, and his mother’s eager expression revealed how thrilled she was. I prayed he would find someone else and forget Suzette. Perhaps Miss Collin might be the one.
A movement from the other end of the room caught my attention, but I kept my gaze focused on Mrs. Engel. I wasn’t here to stew over Nigel but to find a prospective bride. “You and your cousin run a dress shop, and from what I understand, it is quite successful. Have you always had an affinity for fashion?”
“Indeed, I, oh my,” her eyes widened, and she leaned in to whisper, “Is that the Duke of Moreland?”
All heads turned in his direction save mine and Ash’s. I clenched my jaw, unable to stop the bitter anger. Ash stared at me, a frown marring his forehead. He inspected me for a long moment, and I resisted the urge to squirm in my seat. I was doing a poor job of holding back my upset, but hold back I must. He would no doubt be furious if he ever found out who I was.
“It would seem so.” I lifted my glass to hide my face and drank deeply. If he asked, I would simply repeat my mantra about hating the gentry. It was only a partial truth. I disliked my family in particular. But I disliked lying to Ash as well.
“How very exciting. I have never seen a duke.” Miss Collin straightened her shoulders, a touch of color to her cheeks. She beamed at Ash, laying her hand on his sleeve once more. “Although I have designed dresses for a few ladies.”
Connie watched the men with keen interest. “Do you know the man he was with?” she asked.
“His name is Reverend Brown.” The words came out through clenched teeth. The dour man dressed from head to toe in black looked daunting, his iron-grey hair combed in a conservative style. He might intimidate many, but I wouldn’t allow him to bully me.
Recognition lit Ash’s eyes. “That is Brown? Of course, that explains it.”
“Explains what?” I asked. Surely he hadn’t guessed the truth about my ties to Moreland? Ash was very intuitive thus it wasn’t surprising that he knew something was wrong with me.
“Your obvious upset.” Ash continued to study me, which added to my discomfort. Seeing Moreland was bad enough, but seeing him in Brown’s company was a hard slap in the face. I wouldn’t put it past the two men to conspire against me.
His mother scowled. “That is unfortunate. The Reverend is a bit of a fanatic, or so your father says.”
“Indeed, he is correct.” I took another sip of my wine, wishing to change the subject and quickly. Turning my attention to Mrs. Engel, I asked, “I am eager to hear more about your shop.”
The sound of cutlery and low voices drifted from behind me as Mrs. Engel began to speak. I tried to keep my attention on the conversation at hand and not on Ash’s foot which had made its way over to mine. With the toe of his shoe, he began to run it up my leg. I kicked it away, wishing to concentrate on her words.
The waiter returned with the food, and I lowered my head, pretending to be interested in the soup. While Mrs. Engel was engaging, our conversation paled in comparison to my discussions with Birdie. In the short time she worked for me, Birdie had made herself indispensable, and try as I might, I found it hard not to think about her constantly. Ash laughed at something Miss Collin said, and I glanced at him. He caught my eye, a mischievous gleam in his stare. And then there was Ash. He fired my blood with a mere glance, our passions forever bound to each other. But passion and friendship weren’t enough for me.
Between Ash’s antics and the thoughts of Mrs. Worth, the encounter with Mrs. Engel was less than stellar. It wasn’t her fault, but my own. Seeing Moreland and Brown still rattled me, even though I told myself not to fall into the bitterness I carried for both men.
Angling my head in her direction, I kept a smile of interest pasted on my lips. Moreland be damned, he had no place in my life. Mrs. Engel had everything I wanted in a wife, except a spark was missing. I could blame Ash or Birdie, but the only one I had to blame was myself. If I were to move on, I needed someone dynamic to capture my attention.
No matter the slow start, I would give Mrs. Engel a chance. Time was on my side. Except it wasn’t. I wanted to find a wife sooner rather than later. The timing couldn’t be better to marry. Once I found the right woman, I was one step closer to my dream of having a family to call my own.
Was Mrs. Engel that woman? I met her animated gaze. Like Mrs. Worth, she had green eyes, but they lacked the sparkle Birdie’s always seemed to have. Frustration continued to dog me but for a different reason. As much as I didn’t wish to notice, no other woman thus far seemed to eclipse my growing obsession with my secretary. The only thing I could do was use restraint and remember my promise to keep our relationship professional.
It sounded wonderful in theory. In practice, I wasn’t so sure.
Chapter Twenty-One
Inspector Liam Ashton
I closed the outer door to my parents’ house after exiting with Moran and squinted up at the snow that was falling at an alarming rate. By my estimation, there was a good foot already on the ground. The usual bustling street was devoid of anyone save us. He hunkered deep into his greatcoat, and we maneuvered the stairs with care. “I think we’re having a blizzard.”
