He pulled out some money and handed it to the waiter, then leaned closer to speak to the young man, who in turn nodded. Mr. Howarth returned to them.
“What was that about?” Gabe asked.
“The only thing that quiets Blimley is food. I just had those buns redirected to him, so we should have some peace for a while.”
“Cousin, I thought you a staid, gentle individual who rarely broke the rules when first we met,” Lord Raine said. “It appears I was wrong.”
“Clearly you are all corrupting me.”
They started walking toward the tea shop once more.
“Is that Ryder with the Sinclairs and a slew of children?” Mr. Deville asked.
“The duchess is a Raven, but yes, it is,” Lord Raine said.
The group he was looking at were seated around two tables that had been pulled together. Four big men who all looked similar sat with another who had lighter hair. With them was a woman. Children sat at another two tables, making a lot of noise.
“I shall be extremely put out if they have eaten all the food in Gunter’s,” Mr. Zachariel Deville said.
Ruby felt a tingle of awareness and searched for what had put it there. She saw a man standing by a tree some distance away. He was looking at her. It was the same man she’d seen in the park that day.
Why was he here?
Something about him made her feel uneasy. Looking away, she focused on Ella, who was laughing at something her uncle was saying. Her eyes went back to the tree, but the man had gone.
Was it a coincidence? Ruby didn’t believe so. A shiver of unease traversed her spine. Why was he following her?
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Ruby hung back and let the others walk on after a last look to check the man was indeed not watching her. Mr. Blimley had stopped preaching, and was now seated eating buns. Mr. Howarth had dealt with him because he was frightening Ella. That was what parents should do for their children. Care for them.
“Make haste, Miss Knight.”
“I will follow, sir,” she said to Mr. Zachariel Deville. He was a man with a dangerous smile and wit. A man she’d heard the staff say could get anyone to do his bidding with a few words. Especially women.
Staff were an excellent source of gossip.
“Why?”
“Because it is the way of things,” she said.
“Enlighten me as to the way of things?”
“I am here to watch over Miss Howarth. I am not from your world, sir. You are all very generous in accepting me, but in a setting such as this, that familiarity would surely not be right.”
It humbled Ruby how this family treated her, but she would hate for anyone to think anything bad about them because of it. Her family were absolute sticklers for society’s rules, and none of them had set foot in it, but these people were very lax indeed. Which, if she was being honest, she liked about them.
“You seem very well versed in the rules of behavior for staff, Miss Knight.”
“As I should be.” She added a small smile in acknowledgement.
“And yet you picnicked with my family and your friends. I believe you all ate Mrs. Wood’s fine plum cake. Why now is it you must distance yourself from us?”
Before them, Mr. Howarth glanced over his shoulder.
“That park was less frequented, with no likelihood of you running into your peers,” Ruby whispered loudly. “It is best I walk behind you all.”
“Not in our family. Come along, no need to tarry.”
