Bell turned his full attention to Ewan. “Other houseguest? What am I missing?”
Ewan glared at Phillip. “Thank you for mentioning it,Your Grace.”
Phillip inclined his head. His smile had widened. “You’re quite welcome.”
Ewan expelled a breath before facing Bell’s questioning stare. “Don’t you read the papers, Bell?”
“Papers?” Bell frowned again.
“Specifically, theTimes,” Ewan ventured.
“The gossip pages of theTimesto be precise,” Phillip added.
Bell rolled his eyes. “No. I’m somewhat busy doing his Majesty’s bidding during a time of war, I’m not exactly interested in theton’s silly gossip.”
Ewan brought his brandy glass to his lips, but before taking a sip, he said, “I had a houseguest for a few weeks this autumn. A lady. Lady Theodora Ballard.”
Bell shook his head. “Not familiar with the name.”
“She’s young. Early twenties. Lives here in Devon,” Ewan replied, a vision of Thea’s beautiful face haunting his memories. “She’s the daughter of the Earl of Blackstone.”
Bell’s brow furrowed. “What was she doing staying here if she lives in Devon?”
“She, er, broke her leg here,” Ewan said, before clearing his throat.
Bell eyed him warily. “Broke her leg?”
Ewan set his glass on the desktop in front of him and threaded his fingers together. “It’s a long story and the details aren’t important, but Dr. Blanchard said she shouldn’t be moved so she stayed here for a bit.”
“A bit?” Bell arched a brow.
“A few weeks,” Ewan clarified.
“Lovely young lady, simply lovely,” Phillip added, taking a sip from his glass.
“But what does that have to do with the gossip pages of theTimes?” Bell asked.
“Oh, right. Well, theTimessomehow got wind of the fact that Lady Theodora was staying here and published the rumor.”
“Somehow got wind?” Bell arched a brow.
“Yes, we’ve yet to discover how that happened but that’s not the point. The point is that I offered for Lady Thea, but I’m supposed to become engaged to Lady Lydia Malcolm one day.”
Both of Bell’s brows shot up. “What? That’s the first I’ve heard of that.”
Ewan shrugged. “Nothing official. Just some preliminary discussion with her father. It was to be—ahem,isto be— a politically advantageous marriage.”
“All right,” Bell said. “But what does that have to do with Lady Theodora?”
“Lady Thea showed up and broke her leg,” Phillip said, taking yet another sip of brandy.
Bell swiveled his head back and forth between the two men. “Wait. Clayton, are youmarryingLady Thea?”
“Not any longer,” Ewan said simply, picking up his glass once more.
“What? Why?” Bell looked completely confused.
“Suffice it to say the lady prefers to live down the scandal rather than to marry me,” Ewan replied with a sigh.
