"I remember."
The front doors swung open, and a figure emerged to greet them. Harriet had expected a butler, but instead found herself face to face with Lord Davies himself.
He was younger than she had anticipated,perhaps three and thirty, with the sort of golden good looks that belonged on a Greek statue. Blond hair artfully disheveled, blue eyessparkling with amusement, a smile that suggested he found everything and everyone thoroughly entertaining. He was dressed impeccably, his coat cut to emphasize broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and he moved with the easy confidence of a man who had never been denied anything in his life.
"Lady Harriet!" He bounded down the steps with the enthusiasm of a retriever greeting its owner. "I am positively delighted, that you've accepted my invitation. I've heard so much about you."
"Have you, my lord?" Harriet offered her hand, which Davies took and held rather longer than strictly necessary. "Good things, I hope."
"Fascinating things. They say you're the sharpest tongue in London. That you've sent at least three suitors fleeing in tears. That you once reduced Lord Hathaway to stammering incoherence with a single raised eyebrow." Davies's eyes danced with delight. "I simply had to meet you for myself."
"I'm afraid the rumors are exaggerated. Lord Hathaway was already stammering when I arrived. I merely provided an excuse."
Davies laughed a warm, rich sound that invited the listener to join in. "Oh, you are everything I was promised. Please, come inside. You must be exhausted from your journey."
He offered his arm, which Harriet took with a polite smile. Behind her, she was aware of Sebastian falling into step with the footmen, his expression unreadable.
The interior of Davies Hall was as impressive as its exterior, all marble floors and soaring ceilings and artwork that probably cost more than Fordshire Park's annual income. Davies led her through a succession of increasingly opulent rooms, pointing out treasures and telling stories about their acquisition with the casual pride of a collector showing off his prizes.
"And this," he said, pausing before a portrait of a stern-faced man in antiquated dress, "is my grandfather. He made the family fortune in shipping, though we don't like to talk about that. Trade, you know. So vulgar."
"Yet so profitable."
"Precisely." Davies grinned. "I've always admired practicality in a woman. How rare it is to find a young lady who will confess that wealth is the very axis upon which the world turns.”
"I've learned that lesson rather thoroughly, of late."
"Yes, so I gathered from your letter." Davies's expression shifted, becoming more serious. "We shall discuss business later, over dinner. For now, let me show you to your rooms. I've put you in the east wing, the views are quite spectacular at sunset."
He led her up a sweeping staircase and down a long corridor, finally stopping before a set of double doors.
"Your suite, my lady. Your maid has already been installed in the adjoining chamber. And Lord Vane…" Davies glanced back at Sebastian, who had been following at a careful distance. "I've put you in the west wing. I hope that's acceptable?"
"Quite acceptable," Sebastian said. His voice was perfectly polite, but Harriet could hear the tension beneath it.
"Excellent. Dinner is at eight. I'll send someone to fetch you." Davies bowed over Harriet's hand once more, his lips brushing her knuckles. "Until then, Lady Harriet."
He departed with a final, dazzling smile, leaving Harriet standing in the corridor with Sebastian and a growing sense of unease.
"He's very... charming," she said, when Davies's footsteps had faded.
"Yes." Sebastian's voice was flat. "He is."
"You don't like him."
"My likes and dislikes are irrelevant. What matters is whether he'll negotiate in good faith."
"And will he?"
Sebastian was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the direction Davies had gone. When he spoke, his voice was carefully controlled.
"Be careful tonight, Harriet. That's all I ask."
"I'm always careful."
“I must beg to differ. You're reckless and stubborn and entirely too willing to throw yourself into danger if you think it will help your family." Sebastian's eyes met hers, and something in their grey depths made her breath catch. "Just... be careful. Please."
"I will."
