The casement doors that led to the back terrace whipped open, making everyone jump. Wind rushed inside, blowing out every candle. In the threshold, a figure loomed, black against a flare of lightning. It looked human in form but it was misshapen. Wrong.
The men jumped to their feet.
Miss Walker screamed.
Chapter Two
Lady Mary
“Good gracious.” Ipressed my hand to my thumping heart. “There’s no need to scream down the rafters. It is only Mr. Evans.”
The man in question ambled in sheepishly, clutching something to his chest, his shoulders curled around it. He shut the doors and the whirlwind sweeping about the room stilled. “I apologize for startling you. The wind took the doors from my hand, opening them harder than I would have liked.”
Miss Walker pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh, goodness. My heart nearly stopped.”
Mr. Taylor busied himself relighting the candles in the candelabra along the wall.
Perrin went to the sideboard and poured himself another glass of wormwood wine. “You look a disaster. And you’re dripping all over my floors.” He sniffed. “What were you doing out in the storm?” He went back to his chair and dropped onto it heavily.
“I thought I saw something moving out the window of the library.” Mr. Evans held up the bundle he cradled. When the beast caught sight of me, it started to wriggle. “And I was right. Southey was caught out in the rain.”
All the women in the room cooed: all except me. That dog had been underfoot ever since I’d arrived, putting tiny holes in my gowns and slippers and nearly sending me down a flight ofstairs. The little black terrier might be a fetching-looking dog, and was undoubtedly proficient at his job as he’d left a dead mouse on my bedroom’s doorstep, but frankly, I would have preferred the rodents.
“Well, don’t let him—”
Mr. Evans bent and let Southey jump to the floor.
“—go.” I watched with dread as the dog raced around the corner of a settee and headed straight for me. He made to jump onto my lap, but a cleverly placed elbow dissuaded him from that action. Instead, he stood in front of me and shook with all his might. It started with his head, the swinging to and fro moving down through his spine, until only his rear end vibrated. He sat back on his haunches and panted happily up at me.
Jaw clenched, I removed my spectacles and dried them with my handkerchief. There was nothing I could do for my gown.
I leveled a glare at the man who had brought the fur demon into the room. Mr. Henry Evans had been at Perrin Manor when I’d arrived. He was Perrin’s attorney and here to draw up a marriage contract if the gossip of the servants could be trusted.
I looked to the woman on the other end of that contract.
Miss Katherine Smith had much to recommend herself to becoming the wife of an earl. Most significantly, a sizeable fortune. Her father was a wealthy man of business who had already successfully married off his two elder daughters to peers.
Not that the woman herself didn’t have her own charms. A little shorter than my own five foot five inches, Miss Smith had honey-colored hair and a healthy figure. She couldn’t have been older than five and twenty, but her large, brown eyes held the wariness of someone much older. Or perhaps what I saw was sadness.
That wariness was on display when Mr. Taylor again seated himself next to her, turning an unctuous smile her way, and she popped to her feet. I nodded. If she wanted to marry the earl, shecouldn’t let his secretary make cow eyes at her. Miss Smith went to the oil lamp on Perrin’s right side and lengthened the wick, making the light flare.
Perrin flinched. “Turn that damn thing down.”
Miss Smith blinked, but did as he asked. “As you wish,” she replied, a hint of ice in her voice.
Perrin groped for her hand. “I apologize, my dear. It’s been a long day.”
Miss Smith smiled tightly while sliding her hand free. “Of course.” She left Perrin’s side and stood by me.
“Indeed, it has been a long day.” Miss Walker rose and took Miss Smith’s place by Perrin’s side. “After calling for the servants to bring a hot bath for Mr. Evans, how about I direct them to set one up for you, as well? It will do you good on a night like this.”
I blinked. Even for close neighbors, ordering a man’s bath was a bit presumptuous. All Miss Walker needed was a chatelaine fastened to her waist and her image as mistress of the manor would be complete.
My brother-in-law must have felt the same and disapproved. Perrin pushed to standing. “I don’t need anyone telling me what is good for me.” Frowning, he tromped from the room, his shoulder bumping into the doorframe.
Miss Walker swallowed and looked down at her clasped hands.
“Well, a hot bath sounds good to me,” Mr. Evans said kindly. “Chasing after dogs has left me drenched to the bone. I’ll pop down to the kitchen to ask—”
