“Oh, my.” Mrs. Browning giggled. “Cinderella? That is just adorable. So, tell me,” she leaned forward and raised an eyebrow. “Do you think of him as your Prince Charming?”
The comment took Nicole completely unaware, and she couldn’t stop the blush of embarrassment flooding her face. Mr. Nickerson and Mrs. Browning must have noticed because they laughed.
“Well, I can’t deny that during the ball—before I learned his identity—I thought of him as my charming prince.”
“So, you don’t think of him that way any longer?” Mrs. Browning asked, still wearing a smirk.
Nicole couldn’t stop her smile from widening. “Perhaps from time to time, I do.”
For the next little while of their ride, neither Glynn nor Mrs. Browning asked Nicole anything personal, which relieved her greatly. However, they curiously looked at her as if they suspected her of something. She hoped not, but then she reasoned that because she had been on edge all evening, that was why she felt this way.
When the carriage came to a stop in front of a large residence, Nicole’s jaw dropped. Ashton’s house took her breath away. Such splendor and grandness etched in each brick, column, and window. The yard was superbly manicured as well.
As she walked with Glynn and Mrs. Browning up to the front door, Nicole couldn’t take her eyes off the house. Deep in her gut, a knot formed and tightened with every step closer. Doubt sneaked over her and made her seriously wonder about Ashton’s wealth. He hadn’t been a partner in the railway for very long, and his father hadn’t been deceased very long, either. Could he have really made so much money to afford a grand place such as this?
A well-dressed butler opened the door for them and took their cloaks before pointing toward a large room off to Nicole’s left. As they entered, she was disappointed that she hadn’t seen Ashton yet. Instead, another man and woman were sitting together on the sofa. When the man noticed them, he quickly stood. By the white strands of hair threading through his blonde sideburns and beard, she guessed him to be middle-aged like Glynn Nickerson.
“Larson,” Glynn began, motioning his hand to Nicole, “let me introduce you to Miss Bastian.” Glynn’s gaze swung to meet hers. “Miss Bastian, this is Mr. Larson and his wife.”
Nicole greeted both with a hearty handshake. Glynn and Mrs. Browning gave a nod to Mr. Larson and his wife, and Nicole soon realized they were all on more casual terms and first name basis.
Seconds later, strong footsteps came down the corridor, and she turned to watch the door, hoping it would be Ashton. When he strode in, her heart did a silly flip. Each time she laid eyes on this man, he became more handsome. Tonight he was breathtaking, wearing a dark gray suit jacket, a white silk shirt and cravat, with a midnight blue vest.
His gaze skipped quickly over the others in the room and landed on her—and stayed as he sauntered toward her. The closer he came, the faster her heart knocked against her ribs. He reached her and lifted her hand to his mouth. She couldn’t stop watching the way his lips moved across the back of her fingers.
“Miss Bastian, welcome to my humble home. Your presence makes these dreary walls brighter.”
His words, along with his hypnotic stare, were melting her. His mind must not be functioning either because there was no way his walls were dreary, and his home was for certain far from being humble.
“Mr. Ashton, I fear you are exaggerating.”
He straightened but still kept hold of her hand. His smile widened. “Not at all, my dear. Seeing your beauty makes everything brighter in my world.”
She could get lost in his eyes, and right now, she had no wish to find her way out. Being under his scrutiny suited her just fine. However, if she didn’t do something to break this incredible contact, she feared she would swoon in his arms at any moment. Either that or she would make the first move to kiss him.
“Actually, Ashton,” she lowered her voice, “you are the one who makes the world brighter.”
She didn’t think it possible for his hazel eyes to turn a darker green, but sure enough, they were heady with desire right now. It was all she could do not to press up against him and let him hold her in passion’s embrace.
It took all of her control to yank her gaze away from his and glance at the others. They were far enough away from Nicole and Ashton as not to hear their conversation. Mr. Larson’s wife and Mrs. Browning stood near the window chatting, and Glynn and Steve were over in the far corner, whispering. Both of them aimed accusing glares toward Nicole. Unease ran through her. What had she possibly done to cause them doubt?
Ashton seemed to have snapped out of his haze as well. He straightened and turned to his other guests. “Thank you all for coming this evening.”
Glynn and Steve broke apart as the women joined them. All four walked closer to Ashton and Nicole. The glares from Ashton’s partners disturbed her, yet in the back of her mind, she tried to convince herself that they had nothing to be curious about. They didn’t know she was a detective. Perhaps they looked at her in such a way was because she had captured the interest of their co-partner. Indeed, that must be it.
Ashton greeted the others and brought them into a conversation, yet it didn’t distract from the way his eyes kept meeting hers or the tender way he smiled at her.
Soon enough, the meal was announced, and Ashton took her hand and escorted her into the dining room. He sat her next to him at the end of the table. As she ate, she wasn’t paying attention to the meal as much as she concentrated on Ashton, and especially the two other men in the room. She couldn’t shake the feeling of trepidation warning her that something was not right. Although the feeling brought a bitter taste to her mouth, she continued to eat the food placed in front of her.
Keep them in the dining room for at least one hour, Angela’s voice echoed in Nicole’s head. Snapping out of her dazed state, Nicole remembered that her brother was here—somewhere in Ashton’s house.
Her palms moistened, and her heartbeat hammered irregularly. Just one more thing to be nervous about. Yet it made no sense why she was nervous this time when she had never acted this way before. She often had to distract their suspects so that her brother or father could sneak around. Really, this time wasn’t that different from the other times. Then again...it was. She had allowed herself to become attracted to the suspect, and dare she admit, she even loved him?
No, she dared not admit it and wouldn’t until this case was solved.
“Mr. Lee,” she began after a moment of silence, “I haven’t told you yet what a lovely home you have.”
He smiled wide and straightened his shoulders. “Thank you, Miss Bastian.”
