Leighhall looked up at a sign on a shop before halting as if to make sure he was in the right place. Then he walked in.
Quickly, Anthony crossed the street. As he strolled by, he noticed two things. First, the shop was a cobbler’s. Second, looking in the window, Leighhall was nowhere to be seen.
Anthony continued his stroll, turning at the corner of the street, his destination the back of the shop. However, the alleyway behind the row of buildings was not a place a peer would wander, and in his disguise, he would definitely attract attention. So he continued on before turning and walking back up the side street until he reached the main road once again. He crossed and entered a confectioner’s, taking a seat at a table next to the window. After ordering coffee ice cream, he waited.
He had long eaten his sweet and just finished his second cup of tea when Leighhall emerged with a large package. It was far too large to be shoes or even boots.
From his vantage point, Anthony studied it, noting how round it was and the protrusion from the center, though it was wrapped in brown paper. It was almost the shape of an open parasol, but the handle area was far too short. Leighhall started walking back toward the inn.
Rising, Anthony waited a moment before exiting the shop. He’d just started down the street again when Leighhall’s carriage came to a stop before him, and the viscount entered it. The carriage had been loaded with Leighhall’s many trunks, so it was no surprise that it continued out of the village.
Quickly, Anthony crossed the road and stepped into the cobbler’s. No one was in the front of the shop, so he took time to scan the contents. Nothing had the shape of what Leighhall hadleft with, which meant it was a custom design or had nothing to do with boots.
A young man of maybe a score emerged from the rear of the building. “My lord, can I be of service?”
“I was hoping to find my friend, Lord Leighhall, here. He did say he would be stopping in.”
The man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he studied him. “I fear he has already left. If he returns, can I tell him who looked for him?”
Either the cobbler didn’t know Leighhall was on his way to Corby, or he hoped to gather information from Anthony to give the viscount. “No, it’s of no matter. I’m sure to see him in a few days’ time.” Anthony gave an aristocratic nod before exiting the premises.
Now to retrieve his belongings and head for Denton Hall. There was no reason to follow Leighhall to Corby, where he’d be visiting his mother. It was highly unlikely the viscount would be bedding his usual women there.
The next three days would be a good time for Anthony to return to Lord Harewood and report his recent discoveries. It would also give him a day to take Lissa into the village at Talley on the Green. No doubt she had already met everyone in Northampton, as she was nothing if not thorough.
He grinned, causing a young woman on the street to shy away from him. He kept forgetting about the scar. When he smiled, it made him look quite dangerous. Changing to a slight frown, he continued to the inn.
It took little time to have his small trunk loaded on his coach before he was off for Denton Hall, and Lord and Lady Harewood. He’d purposely purchased a coach with no coat of arms. Being recognizable did not further his occupation. He thought he could give up his need to investigate and bring men to justice after leaving the Bow Street Runners to join the calvary, but he’dbeen mistaken. It wasn’t as if what he did with his life mattered to anyone. As he was the fourth son of a duke, three of them married, two with children, the family line had been secured by time he attended university. His life was his to do with as he pleased, and he was quite pleased to do what he enjoyed, which aided those who needed his services.
Now, Lissa was the one who needed his services. He smiled fondly as memories of their time together in France flooded his mind. He’d always known she was a woman, but she was rough and tumble like any young man, and they’d become fast friends, comrades in survival while Captain Marcus Stratton, the Viscount of Blackmore, recovered at her grandmother’s home from multiple wounds on the battlefield. If he hadn’t been so bent on solving the mystery of where Captain Blackmore had disappeared to, he would have never met Lissa.
Seeing her in a dress for the first time had been a shock. She was beautiful, not in an angelic way, but in a way that was far different from her old self. She looked fragile with her paler skin and long black hair. He was quite confident he could find her a wealthy gentleman to marry. Now that he thought upon it, he would make a few inquiries of the vicar at Talley on the Green. It wouldn’t do to introduce Lissa to a man that was not wealthy enough to provide well for her and her grandmother.
He also looked forward to discussing the odd-shaped object Leighhall had taken with him. If it were another weapon, how did it connect to the women he bedded? And if it weren’t a weapon, what could it be? And would it be of any help in discovering a weakness to exploit for the sake of Lady Harewood?
Some might be frustrated by the lack of information, but he found it exciting. There were so many possibilities, and he enjoyed discovering them all. That he could share this particular puzzle with a good friend just added to his pleasure. Yes, hewould definitely take Lissa on a ride with the proper chaperone, so that she might also appreciate the complexities of the case. The best part of it all was that he could be himself.
Lifting the wig off his head, he scratched his scalp. Being himself for a few days was definitely something he looked forward to.
Chapter Four
Lissa took Anthony’shand as he helped her down from his coach. She stepped aside to allow Ellie room to descend. It also gave her time to digest the newest bit of information she’d just learned about him. The coach was no hired hack, but his own and of very high quality, according to Ellie. Did working for the peerage provide such a substantial income, then?
There was so much she wished to talk about with Anthony. As soon as she’d been informed by the duchess that he wished to escort her and Ellie to the village of Talley on the Green, she’d been anxious to discover what else he’d uncovered in his investigation. That he had chosen this village, which was farther away from the school than the one in Northampton, also piqued her curiosity. Were there perhaps some men he hoped to introduce her to?
Mrs. Kingman, their chaperone, and a new instructor at the school, addressed them once Ellie had alighted. “What a lovely little village. It appears we will have plenty with which to occupy ourselves. Mr. Taylour, did you have any suggestions as to where to start? I admit, since I am rather new to Northampton, I have never visited Talley on the Green.”
“Then might I suggest Miller and Sons first? It has a plethora of items, from scents to books.” Anthony gestured to a sign on the right side of the street.
Mrs. Kingman raised a brow. “Truly, all in one shop?”
“Indeed.” He gave her a nod.
“Then we shall start there. Come, Eleanor. I’m sure we can find something to purchase as a memory of our day here.” With that, Mrs. Kingman and Ellie started forward.
Anthony held out his arm. “May I suggest we follow?”
Lissa hooked her arm around his as she’d been instructed, not particularly comfortable. “Yes. I’m curious why a shop would have such a variety of items. Is the owner in trade, then?”
