If she did not know any better, she would swear he could see through her disguise. He surveyed her from head to toe, his expression momentarily puzzled but otherwise betraying nothing.
Irritated by his scrutiny, she responded testily, ‘Might I enquire why I have been summoned here?’
Unruffled by her tone, the gentleman stepped fully into the room. He seemed to take up all the surrounding space, exuding confidence—too much confidence, she thought—and she instinctively took a step back, suddenly wary.
Is he one of Gibbs’s cronies? No. Taylor would have warned me.
Steeling herself, she squared her shoulders, hoping her stance conveyed defiance rather than trepidation. The movement did not go unnoticed.
‘Rest assured, madam,’ he said, his voice deep and steady, ‘I mean you no harm. I simply wish to ask you a few questions.’
This surprised her. ‘What do you mean?’
He did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned to call for a maid, instructing her to bring tea. Grace, already uneasy, was further annoyed by his calm, measured demeanour.
He gestured for her to sit by the window as the tea was served. Taking a cup, she smiled warmly at the maid. ‘Thank you, Martha.’
The gentleman arched an eyebrow at her familiarity. Grace knew full well that acknowledging servants was frowned upon, but she had always found such etiquette ridiculous.
Seating himself opposite her, he withdrew a letter from his inner coat pocket and handed it to her.
Grace’s breath caught. She recognised her own writing at once. A jolt of alarm shot through her—the letter!
She had taken such great care to ensure its safe delivery to Lord Armitage. How had it fallen into his hands?
Panic surged through her, heart pounding. She scanned for an escape and was relieved to find the door still open.
‘What is the meaning of this?’ she demanded, though she cursed the slight tremor in her voice.
His expression remained calm and unreadable. ‘Madam, when I say that I will not harm you, I mean it.’ His tone had an honest reassurance, which settled some of her nerves.
Grace took a moment before answering, carefully placing her teacup and saucer on the table. After all, was it not natural for the Duke to give his ‘new’ man of business the letter? She feltfoolish for being so quick to startle. But she excused herself in the next moment—these were unusual circumstances. She second-guessed herself. What if the letter had fallen into the wrong hands? How would she know? Giving the man time to talk seemed the best way to uncover the truth. Rather than making a further fool of herself, she remained silent.
‘This letter reached Lord Armitage safely and unadulterated, I assure you. He sends his most sincere gratitude. I might also add that His Grace will offer you any assistance should you ask. In fact, because of you, he was made aware of the corrupt ring of criminals under his employ. You were quite right—his letters were being intercepted by Barnes, his previous man of business. We believe he was the mastermind behind the operation and in league with Gibbs. Since His Grace began investigating the matter, suspicious activities have been reported from several other Estates as well. Barnes and his accomplices were extorting the tenants for higher rent and pocketing the difference. Lord Armitage has sent trusted men to investigate them.’
Mr Stone now relaxed back in his chair, his confidence unwavering. ‘And I am here to investigate the suspicious activities at Skye Estate and act as a steward until I can recruit a trustworthy replacement. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived here to remove Gibbs from his post, he had already vanished. He is still at large, but I am sure we will find him eventually.’
His deep voice lent an air of gravitas to the situation, but she was certain there was more to this story. Still, for some reason, Grace found his presence oddly reassuring.
He continued, ‘The problem is that I am His Grace’s man of business and have little experience in stewardship. Not to mention that I have been greeted rather frostily by the staff and tenants so far, and they appear reluctant to cooperate with me.’ He raked a hand through his wavy locks, clearly bemused by the locals and their opinions.
Grace’s breath hitched at the gesture.Stunning.
‘That is all very well, Mr Stone, but what is it you wish to ask me?’
His smile did not reach his eyes as he asked, ‘What do you know about Gibbs? I would like to know what else you discovered about him.’
A chill ran through her.Is he investigating Gibbs on behalf of the Duke? Or is he working for Gibbs, checking to see if I know too much?
‘Why do you assume I know anything more about him or his activities here?’ she replied blandly.
‘I...’ He hesitated. ‘Did you see or hear anything else about them?’
Grace stilled. ‘Them? I did not mention anything about his associates in my letter.’
‘Oh?’ He smiled disarmingly. ‘One of the tenants must have told me.’
She remained silent, her mind racing. Something was amiss.
