His focus slid over her in a quick assessment before he brought his eyes back to hers. She could see the appreciation in his stare and her body warmed. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself with a rueful smile and a barely perceptible shake of his head.
“That gown is a lovely shade of purple,” he muttered then.
Eleanor glanced down as her day dress of dark violet. It was one of her favorite colors. “Thank you.”
He started toward her. “Are you ready?”
“Ah, yes. We’ll have to leave carefully so as not to be spotted. Luckily, Father is quite frugal and does not keep a full staff when he is not in residence so there should only be a few servants around that wemight encounter. Do you have a carriage somewhere?”
“No. But I don’t expect it to be difficult to obtain a hackney cab.”
Eleanor nodded. “I suppose I should throw on a cloak. To ensure no one sees…” Her voice faded, shock stealing her voice as she suddenly acknowledged that she was planning to sneak out of her house to go to a bachelor residence alone to question a man who’d attacked her the night before.
Whose life was this?
The viscount chuckled. “Rather exhilarating, isn’t it?”
She met his sparkling gaze. It didn’t surprise her that he knew what she was feeling. A smile curved her lips as she answered just a bit breathlessly, “It is.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
They encountered notrouble as they left the house via the garden. Then they continued along the mews until they were able to hail a cab to take them to Waring House.
Phin found his gaze continually sliding toward Eleanor to gauge the nuance of her expressions. He knew that she was adept at concealing much of her feelings behind a stoic façade, but this morning, her subtle delight in their covert caper was evident. Despite the shock of what had occurred in her garden last night—followed by what he could only hope had been a memorable experience in her bed—she appeared poised yet filled with a quiet anticipation.
It was fascinating to observe her pragmatic focus.
Shewas fascinating.
He was quite possibly head over heels for the woman.
No! Where the hell had that thought come from? Phin quickly stuffed it back into the farthest reaches of his mind.
The cab pulled up in front of his house. After paying the driver, Phin placed a light hand at Eleanor’s back and guided her into his home.
Waring House had been purchased by Phin’s father shortly after his marriage to his mother. Intended as a family home, it had replaced the prior viscount’s bachelor residence. When Phin inherited it upon his father’s death, Maggie had already been married and ensconced in her husband’s home years prior so it had housedonly himself. And even that, rarely.
He maintained very minimal staff when he was in London, mainly consisting of Iago as butler and general manservant, Mrs. Conner as housekeeper, as well as a driver, two footmen, and two maids. When he was not in residence, the staff was reduced to the housekeeper, maids, and footmen, simply to maintain the property. Due to recent events, however, he’d had Iago hire on a half dozen additional menservants, each well-trained in security.
Even so, the house was quiet as they entered. With Iago undoubtedly occupied with their “guest” there was no one waiting to greet them. Phin helped Eleanor with her cloak, hanging it on a hook near the door, then offered a smile.
“Shall we see to our prisoner?”
She gave him a brief frown. “I wish you wouldn’t call him that,”
“It’s what he is at the moment, and for good reason. The man attacked you at your home. Best remember that.”
“I doubt I could forget it,” she replied in a flat, cool tone—one he was coming to realize indicated discomfort rather than annoyance as one might initially assume.
Lightly brushing his hand at the small of her back to guide her across the hall—he couldn’t seem to keep himself from touching her—he added, “Stay close to me. A step behind would be best. The man is extremely skilled at going undetected. He may have other talents and we must be wary.”
She nodded and he felt the subtle tremor transfer through her slim frame to his fingertips.
Instinctively, he stepped closer to her. “I won’t let him hurt you.”
Her dark eyes flicked sideway up to meet his, before sweeping down and forward again. The fact that she continued along the hallway which brought them to a stairway that led down to the cellar, suggested she trusted him to keep her safe.
She probably shouldn’t.
