She was surprised, and touched, that he’d be willing to do that. She knew how much he hated social gatherings. “You don’t have to.”
“I want to. Consider this, if you will. If not for your father, I wouldn’t be here, my children wouldn’t be here, and George wouldn’t be the happiest woman alive.”
He said it with such a warm grin, she couldn’t help but return it. It made her realize the debt he owed her father was more important to him than she’d guessed.
“Well, when you put it that way…”
“Exactly. Now run along. I believe I heard one of your suitors arrive for a visit.”
She would have explained that her visitor wasn’t a suitor, but James had already turned to go upstairs, and she’d kept the young man waiting long enough. James had managed to cheer her up, but her visitor was going to take her mind off last night completely, she was sure.
“Avery! How nice to see you again!”
She held out her hand as she approached him. He didn’t see it because he couldn’t take his eyes off her face. “Good God, I barely recognize you, Miss Brooks. I knew you had promise, but you’ve far exceeded it.”
She blushed at the compliment; actually, it was his expression that embarrassed her. He really did appear incredulous—and delighted.
“You’re looking well yourself, Avery. But how did you know to find me here?”
He was blushing now, severely. “I’m afraid I bring you bad news.”
She immediately thought of her father, and yet this couldn’t be about him. She’d made a point of finding out what had happened to Avery after she’d left that pirate isle. Her father had assured her that he’d been ransomed and had returned to England shortly thereafter to find a less “exciting” occupation. So Avery couldn’t know anything about Nathan. And he hadn’t actually answered her question. How did he find her or even know she was in London, when they didn’t travel in the same circles?
He could have just seen her about town, she supposed. She’d ridden in the park twice, attended a day concert, even gone shopping on Bond Street several times with Margery. She’d also gone to the less affluent side of town last week when she’d wanted to warn Richard of Malory’s lethal promise. So Avery could have just noticed her out and about and merely followed her to this location.
“What is the bad news?”
“Your name is on everyone’s tongue this morning. That’s how I found out that you were in town and why, and even who you’re staying with. Half of the town is apparently aghast that a pirate would try to infiltrate their ranks through marriage, while the other half finds it hilarious, seeing it as quite the joke on the ton. Oh, dear, so you didn’t know?”
She was so shocked her complexion must have gone white, giving him that clue. “Lady Dunstan,” she said tonelessly. “I was assured she wouldn’t spread what she overheard last night, but obviously she thought it was a juicy enough tidbit to risk even James Malory’s wrath over it.”
“I don’t know about that,” Avery said. “Never heard of the lady. It’s Wilbur Carlisle who’s telling anyone who’ll listen that you aren’t who you pretended to be.”
She almost laughed. It would have sounded hysterical, though, so she cut it off. Wilbur? Unassuming, nice, desperate-for-a-wife Wilbur? Why would he do this to her? Why wouldn’t he demand proof first before launching her into a scandal? Because he felt she’d deceived him?
It’s not as if she wouldn’t have told him about her father if their relationship had grown more serious. Well, she might not have confessed that her father actually plied the seas as a pirate, but she would have warned him that he was in trade. Many upper-crust families would consider him a black sheep of the family, but it wasn’t as if many of them didn’t have black sheep of their own. And her mother’s social credentials were impeccable.
She’d been so deep in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard the knock at the front door, but the scuffle going on out in the hall was certainly loud enough to draw her attention. She glanced quickly at Avery and said, “Excuse me for a moment.”
“Certainly.”
But she no sooner stepped into the hall than she gasped, incredulous at the sight of Ohr grappling with the Malory butler on the floor. There was no contest, of course. Ohr was barely straining. He was a strapping man in his prime, while Artie was a crusty old sea dog, very slight of build.
She almost laughed, but instead prudently mentioned to Ohr, “That’s not a proper way to come calling.”
“It is, when you get the door slammed in your face,” Ohr countered, glancing up at her.
Ohr was lying there on the floor with his arm locked around the head of the butler, who was also lying on the floor, one hand gripped tightly to Ohr’s long braid. The men were clothed in a similar fashion, with scuffed boots, cut-off pants, and billowing shirts. She never had got used to the fact that the Malorys had a butler who looked and sounded as if he belonged on a pirate ship.
The two men had stopped struggling as soon as she’d spoken. Now Artie told Ohr, “Think I didn’t ’ear the cap’n say ye weren’t welcome ’ere? I know m’duty, ye bleedin’ blighter, and that’s keeping ye unwelcome.”
Ohr made a scoffing sound. “I would have been happy to stand outside the front door and wait, you old salt, if you had agreed to let Gabby know I needed to speak with her, instead of telling me to get lost.”
“She were busy! I told ye that, too!”
“And I toldyouthis couldn’t wait.”
Gabrielle tsked. “Let him up, Ohr. What is it that couldn’t wait?”
