“Indeed it is,” Sebastian replied, rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner. “Consider it done. I’ll be sure to discuss it with Jenna at once.”
A sly grin curled his lips, making him feel ridiculously triumphant. “My thanks, Hembly. You’re a good man.” He made a show of checking his fob. “Now if you will excuse me, I have an appointment in a few minutes.” He stood and inclined his head in Sebastian’s direction before turning and striding out.
Now to find just the right sort of man for the task he had in mind.
###
“Well, all bloody right then,” Jenna exclaimed. “I’ll wear the locket if you’ll just stop taxing me over Stuart!”
“Jenna!” Sebastian said in a strangled voice. His face was a mask of scandalized shock. “If Father were here, you’d have your mouth washed out with soap.”
“Well, he isn’t here, and I am bloody tired of Stuart this, Stuart that, Stuart bloody Stuart!”
Sebastian’s face whitened in anger. “That is quite enough, young lady. You wouldn’t speak like that if Mother and Father were here, and you won’t do it in their absence. Do I make myself clear?”
Jenna shot daggers at him with her eyes, but stopped her tirade. Her mouth formed tight lines as she compressed them together, and she was sure they were bloodless. She wished Stuart and his whole bloody family would just bugger off. For that matter he could take her family with him for the moment.
She wanted to scream in frustration. All she wanted was a few weeks. Was that too much to ask? But no, Stuart was hanging about, her brothers were hanging about, and Stuart’s bloody father was hanging about making a complete ninny of himself. Perhaps it wasn’t completely baffling that Stuart displayed the traits he did. His father was just as annoying.
Her hands curled and uncurled at her side as she fought to contain her tide of anger. What she really wanted to do was throw something. Break something. Step out of the polite confines of her life for more than a few stolen hours in Gray’s arms.
Why was she expected to bend to everyone else’s wishes? Did hers count for nothing? She didn’t want the answer that, and furthermore, she didn’t want to wallow in a self-imposed muck.
“I said I’d wear the bloody thing,” she said tightly. “Now, is that all? If so, I’d like to go to my room.”
Sebastian’s eyes sparked at her blatant disregard for his command, but he said nothing. Instead he turned and stalked out of the drawing room, leaving her standing alone.
Well, if that was what she had to do to be left alone, she’d adopt bloody into her vocabulary all the bloody time. Bloody good idea it was too.
Curling her lip in disgust, she gathered her skirts in her hands and strode out of the room. She nearly ran into Thomas, who she was sure had been listening at the door. She gathered her breath, ready to do battle, but he shook his head, put a finger over his lips and pointed up the stairs. “I think the garden would be a better place at the moment, my lady. I believe your other sibling awaits you upstairs.”
“Bloody hell,” she swore, liking the way the oath rolled so nicely off her lips. Thomas’s eyes widened at her unladylike expletive, but to his credit said nothing. “On second thought, Thomas, I am going out. If anyone inquires as to my whereabouts, you may tell them I am going out shopping. I’ll return later in the day.”
Sebastian’s bloody locket would have to wait. She wasn’t going upstairs to retrieve it and suffer through a lecture from Quinn.
“I’ll inform Margaret so she may accompany you, and I’ll have the carriage brought around at once.”
Jenna waited impatiently outside the door, hoping the carriage pulled around before her brothers came out. She wasn’t in the mood to argue with them over something as absurd as a locket.
The clatter of the landau spurred her into action and she set out at a brisk pace for the street, Margaret hurrying behind her. The footman ushered her in. “To Bond Street,” she said, and the door closed.
###
“That ‘er?” The beefy man scratched his dirty beard and eyed the viscount with his beady stare.
“Yes.” Viscount Dudley swore under his breath. The chit probably wasn’t wearing the locket. She’d came out too soon after Sebastian returned. It wouldn’t do to be hasty in his plan. He’d give Sebastian time to talk with her. He needed that locket!
“Wot ye want me to do to ‘er, Guv?”
“I don’t want you todoanything to her,” he said sharply. “I want you to retrieve a locket that will be on her person. No harm is to come to her, is that understood?”
The grizzled man shrugged. “Whatever you say, but if I am not to harm ‘er, I’ll be needin’ to hire a few accomplices. That’ll cost ye extra.”
“You’ll have your extra, just make sure you get the job done to my specifications. If you botch this, I’ll have your head.”
“Oi’ll take care of it, yer lordship.”
“See that you do. Don’t contact me again, until you have good news for me.”
