“Change can be a good thing,” Peabody replied, though he didn’t sound certain.
Will smiled. “Agreed.”
Peabody then helped Will into his evening coat and smoothed the fabric across his shoulders and arms with practiced care. Will stood still as Peabody performed his final check. He had never really gotten used to being dressed by a valet, but the old duke had explained that for men like Peabody, this was their life’s work, a point of pride and the highest honor to dress aduke. That had sounded a little self-serving to Will, but he had to admit that Peabody did a far better job shaving him than he ever could. Not to mention he kept Will’s clothes pristine. Most of the time, though, Will dressed himself unless he had an event to attend that required him to look particularly fashionable, like tonight.
“There,” Peabody said. “What do you think?”
Will stared at his reflection in the dressing room’s full-length mirror. The beard had seemed a good idea to help further conceal his identity when he attended Fleur later, at least from this Maude woman. If anyone else happened to recognize him, his presence at such an establishment, while unusual, was not extraordinary. He was a duke, after all.
“Excellent, Peabody.”
The man beamed and gave a bow before leaving the room. Will checked his pocket watch. He needed to leave in a few minutes.
Or you could stop playing detective and focus on finding awife.
Will grimaced. This business with Phoebe had turned into a wild, distracting goose chase. He had properly stuck his foot in it with Lady Gwen when he completely forgot about their afternoon ride earlier in the week. The poor girl had been left waiting in Hyde Park with her chaperone for nearly an hour before she gave up on Will. When he arrived at her home breathless and full of regret, she had graciously accepted his apologies, but Lady Fairbanks had been visibly irritated.
Understandable, given that she and Lord Fairbanks were expecting a proposal that Will had yet to deliver. And it hadn’t seemed like the right time to explain that one would not be coming, so he stayed for an awkward cup of tea with mother and daughter before making his exit.
Since then he kept his social schedule to a bare minimum and instead focused on the never-ending business of being the duke while trying to tie up a few loose ends. His secretary still hadn’t been able to uncover the identity of the owner of that decrepit tenement building and Inspector Holland hadn’t made any progress regarding the untimely death of Mr. Felton nor the whereabouts of Alice Clarke. But Will needed to see this through—hewantedto.
He felt more invigorated these last few weeks than he had in years. Helping Phoebe gave him a purpose that went beyond simply standing about and looking important. He was actuallydoingthings. Not just signing papers or listening as his peers complained about the crumbling state of the world from the confines of their luxurious homes while doing absolutely nothing about it. Will knew his own contribution was laughably small, but he was determined to do more starting tonight.
He planned to stay at Fleur only long enough to discreetly ask about Alice Clarke, as Phoebe was worried the girl was working for Maude. Obviously it would be better if Phoebe herself was with him, but that was absolutely going too far. Then he could stop by Lord Fairbanks’s club afterward, as it was nearby. Better to tell him first that an engagement to Lady Gwen wouldn’t work. Will’s stomach clenched. The earl would not take such news well. Their relationship had already grown chilly thanks to Will’s reluctance to support his bill. No doubt it would grow downright frigid once Will revealed his own competing plan and he could no longer rely on the goodwill of his mentor.
Will let out a sigh as he pocketed his watch and left the room. Time to get to work.
Half an hour later, Will’s carriage stopped at the corner of a quiet West End street not far from Soho. A remarkablyaverage-looking town house was up ahead. The third in the middle of a row of equally unassuming houses. He checked the card Maude had given him, but this was the correct address. Will stepped down onto the pavement and looked around. The street was as silent as a graveyard, but he had the distinct sensation that he was being watched. Will gave himself a shake and headed toward the house. As he grew closer, someone emerged from the shadows and his heart stopped. They passed under a gas lamp, and he could determine that it was a woman wearing a veil.
“I was starting to think you wouldn’t show,” the ghostly figure said.
Will blinked rapidly, then hardened his jaw.Phoebe.“What are you doing here?”
She threw back the veil and grinned. “I fooled you, didn’t I?”
“Only until you opened your mouth.”
She shrugged, unconcerned. “Then I won’t speak.”
“Don’t think for even a moment that you can come inside,” he growled.
Phoebe drew closer and Will couldn’t stop his eyes from tracking down her figure. She wore a dark sapphire gown with a bodice that was surprisingly low cut. He made sure to immediately look back at her face.
“It’s Freddie’s,” she explained unprompted. “And the veil is from a dress-up box I found in the attic.”
Will raised his eyebrow. “You kept amourning veilin your dress-up box?” Phoebe began to answer, but he shook his head. “Never mind. Of course you did,” he muttered.
“All right. Let’s go then,” she said briskly and charged forward, but Will grabbed her arm.
“I don’t think you understand what goes on in there.”
As she turned to him, her eyes caught in the glow of the gaslight, giving her an otherworldly look. “You needn’t condescend to me, Margrave.” She lifted her chin. “I assure you, I do.”
Will tugged her closer and watched her pupils grow larger as he leaned in. “If anyone realizes you’re there, you will be absolutely ruined. And not even I will be able to save you.”
Phoebe held his gaze. “Then we had better make sure they don’t,” she said before pulling the veil down over her face.
Will grumbled but dutifully donned the black domino mask he had brought with him. Then he noticed Phoebe staring at him. At least, hethoughtshe was staring at him.
