“Indeed, we do,” she returned sourly. “You can’t make a habit of entering my rooms unannounced and uninvited—”
He shook his head. “Luke went out earlier this afternoon and hasn’t returned yet.”
That put a brief halt to her tirade. Over the past few weeks, she’d quite come to respect Mr. House, even if his record as a thief might not normally have recommended his good character, she had never felt threatened by him. “How long has it been?” she asked.
“Almost three hours.” Devin said evenly. “He’s normally not gone this long.”
“Where did he go?” Although she hadn’t expected Luke and Devin to remain in the house like prisoners, Granelli and his gang were still out there prowling the streets. While they were staying in a better neighborhood than any of Granelli’s men might be expected to inhabit, that didn’t mean Luke hadn’t been coerced away to somewhere more nefarious.
Or that his gang hadn’t decided to keep an eye on their movements.
“He mentioned something about seeing an old friend.”
When nothing else was forthcoming, she blinked. “That’s it? You didn’t question who or where?”
He shrugged. “I understand that it’s important for women to know everything, but I have never asked Luke details before. He is allowed to have a personal life beyond me.”
“Even when it might be dangerous now?” she gritted out.
Devin lifted a brow but didn’t reply as she headed for her bedchamber where she began to go through her things. As she was tossing undergarments on to the bed and riffling through her wardrobe, Devin asked, “What are you doing?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” She snorted. “I’m getting dressed and going to look for Mr. House.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Can’t I?” she retorted over her shoulder. “You might be reticent to search for him, but I’m not a coward who intends to sit around and do nothing when—”
Her upper arm was grasped roughly, but it wasn’t until she looked up into those dark eyes that she gasped, not in fear, although they were flashing with fire. “You’re not going anywhere,” he growled.
“Oh? And who’s going to stop me?” she taunted.
“Luke will return.”
“If you believe that,” she countered, “why did you seem to think there was an issue with his absence?”
His nostrils flared. “Maybe it was just an excuse to see you in all your naked glory, sweetheart.”
She glared at him. “That’s not funny. Luke’s disappearance might very well be serious and you’re making a jest like that?”
He sobered instantly. “Luke was like the second father I never had. Being forced to sit here and wait for him to return is not something I prefer to do, but it’s the only option we have at the moment.”
Chapter 11
In all good conscience, Constance couldn’t leave the house, considering Luke was missing, so she sent around her regrets to Lady Blessington. As much as she wanted to see the inside of Almack’s, it would have to wait for another time.
Dinner came and went, and although the cook had been kind enough to bring them both a tray where they had retired to the parlor, the food had gone untouched. Time seemed to move at a snail’s pace as they waited for Luke to return. Thus far, the only sound was the ticking of the mantel clock with the occasional chime to proclaim the passing of another torturous hour.
Devin stood by the fire and stared into the small flames, while Constance paced back and forth in front of the window, anxiously checking on any noise she heard.
She finally sank down onto the settee and rested her elbows on her knees, covering her face with her hands. Tears threatened, but she did her best to keep them at bay. Turning into a watering pot wouldn’t do anything but make her eyes puffy and red. It certainly wouldn’t help to bring Luke home any faster.
She could just imagine Bow Street knocking on her door with news of a body found floating in the Thames that needed to be identified…
Needless to say, she felt sick at the very thought.
“Here.”
Constance glanced up to see that Devin was holding a brandy out to her. When she looked at him quizzically, he shrugged.
