She took it. “Thank you, and of course I will return so you can win it back,” Liberty said, feeling sorry for the man now. He looked like a lost puppy. Clearly, it hurt that she’d beat him.
“I’ve never lost that piece to anyone,” he added solemnly.
“Don’t do it.” The words were whispered in her ear as Liberty moved her hand to pass it back to Mr. Hasslebach.
Liberty ignored Tobias and clenched her fingers tighter around the chess piece. How dared he tell her what to do.
“My sister will, of course, be happy to challenge you at your earliest convenience, sir,” Edward said.
Mr. Hasslebach pulled out a card and handed it to Edward with mournful eyes, instead of Liberty, who would actually be the person he needed to contact. He then walked away. Without a backward glance, Liberty did the same, needing to put some distance between herself and Tobias Corbyn, and his sweet-faced little ward.
Chapter Nineteen
“Will you neverlearn?”
“What? I’m just fencing with him,” Tobias said swishing his blade back and forth. “I’m quite good at it, you know.”
His friends had lured him out of the townhouse today to exercise, telling him he would grow lazy if he did not. He’d agreed to come, but not about the lazy comment. He was busier than ever now Florence and Barnaby lived with him.
Life for Tobias was settling into a rhythm. He was now comfortable in leaving Florence at home for a few hours at a time, and she was more comfortable around him. They walked in the gardens daily with Barnaby, and he shared meals with her. He’d also taught her to slide down the banister, which had produced a genuine laugh from his ward.
The dog had also infiltrated the Corbyn household. He’d caught Chadders out the window handing Barnaby a large bone yesterday.
Tobias had also thrown himself into investigating what was going on in Bidham, and why a few of the villagers were turning up in London… well, two of them anyway. Edward had told him he’d seen Cecil Todd, and Liberty and Helen, Sydney, Helen’s brother, delivering barrels to that warehouse. He’d gone there to investigate.
“Jamie’s fitter than both of us, and we have yet to beat him,” Anthony said, drawing him from his thoughts.
“You have grown soft since your marriage to Evie,” Toby said,lunging to the left and right. “The hard, unfeeling man you once were has gone, and in its place is this whining creature who talks about his feelings.” Jamie, who was stretching his muscles beside him for some reason, snorted. The man was always moving.
“You are hardly one to speak. Since Florence entered your life, I’ve seen a definite change in your rakish behavior,” Anthony said.
Which he couldn’t deny.
“Back to this Bidham business. You say that warehouse definitely had barrels in it, and little else?” Anthony asked.
Toby rolled with the change, as that was their way. They were always discussing two things at once, while annoying each other.
“Something didn’t feel right there,” Toby said.
“Tell us again exactly what happened when you went to the warehouse alone, without one of us for backup,” Jamie said.
Toby rolled his eyes. “I am quite capable of asking a few questions in daylight, alone,” he carried on before they spoke. “I told them I’d come to inspect the shipment of goods I ordered.” He’d gone along with Liberty’s theme of pretending to be there for another purpose. Not that she should have been there at all, infernal woman.
“The man who opened the door told me they were not holding anything for Lord Corbyn. I pulled out the piece of paper I’d had the forethought to write with the address for this warehouse on, and handed it to the man.”
“That was quite clever considering it was you who thought of it,” Anthony said crossing his legs at the ankles, relaxed, which was something he’d once rarely been.
“Very amusing. I looked in the doorway and saw all the barrels, and then the man returned so I stepped back outside.”
“How many men in there?” Jamie asked.
“Five.”
“No one you recognized from Bidham or society?” Anthony asked.
“No.”
“We probably need to go back after dark and have a good look around,” Jamie said.
