‘I love shopping and singing, but most of all, I love teasing Grace.’ She winked at her sister.
He quirked a brow in amusement. ‘Tease the unflappable Miss Skye? And how is this accomplished?’
‘Oh, it is very easy. I spill all her secrets and embarrass her at every opportunity. I am particularly skilled at irritating her. It is most amusing to watch her reactions, I assure you.’
Mr Stone’s gaze turned to Grace, his lips twitching. ‘I should very much like to know her secrets. Pray, do tell...’
Grace launched herself at her sister, covering Heather’s mouth with her hand. ‘Thisirritating patch of skinbeside me is talking nonsense, Mr Stone. I have no secrets, I assure you.’
Heather pried Grace’s hand away. ‘Did you know she is an excellent chess player?’
Mr Stone’s expression lit up with interest. ‘Is that so? In that case, I challenge you to a game, Miss Skye.’
The gauntlet had been thrown. There was no refusing. Grace simply had to wipe that smug smile off his ridiculously gorgeous face.
Several hours later, Mr Stone emerged victorious—but only just. Grace had given him a run for his money.
Looking around the room, they realised they were all but alone—Mrs Merriweather was gently snoring in the armchair and Heather had abandoned them. The fire had burned low, and the candles flickered in their stands.
‘Not bad, Miss Skye.’ He strode to the fireplace and stoked the flames. ‘It is not often I meet a worthy opponent. We should have a rematch—you nearly caught me with that knight move.’ Their gazes locked.
With a snort, Mrs Merriweather awoke from her slumber. The spell broke. Grace felt oddly elated as she rose from her seat. With a final nod, she skipped to her chamber, her spirits inexplicably lifted.
THE NEXT MORNING WASspent on Estate duties, while the afternoon was dedicated to the investigation.
True to Heather’s plan, Grace—with Betty’s help—reduced the cream and padding, making her far more comfortable.
Unfortunately, this did not go unnoticed.
She often caught Mr Stone glancing at her throughout the day—sometimes with curious scrutiny, other times withundisguised amusement, and occasionally... with something else entirely.
After interviewing the fifth maid. Mr Stone turned to her and remarked, ‘Miss Skye, I must say, you seem to have made a miraculous recovery. Hardly any coughs today. And your face is positively luminous.’
She froze.
He leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head, smirking.
‘And at last, I must have perfected the temperature in this room, for you appear to require fewer shawls.’
Grace’s mouth went dry.
She forced a smile. ‘Yes, well... I suppose I have been feeling better.’
‘I am relieved to hear it.’
Grace had the distinct feeling he knew everything.
Despite her irritation, she could not help but notice how broad his chest was as he reclined, his muscles flexing beneath his coat.
She swallowed. ‘Ye-yes, thank you for your hospitality. I have been feeling much better.’ In an attempt to shift the subject, she added hastily, ‘The interviews with the maids do not seem to be revealing much beyond what we already know.’
It worked.
He sat upright, his playful expression turning serious. ‘I agree. So far, we have established that Gibbs and his three associates were increasing the rents without the Duke’s knowledge—likely to fund Gibbs’s gambling and... other habits. He lost far more than he won and took his frustrations out on the servants. The ledgers show that he was stealing from the Estate to support his expensive lifestyle. No wonder he resorted to extorting the tenants.’
Grace frowned. ‘Even so, in the last quarter of the ledgers, most tenants had stopped paying. That still doesn’t explain how Gibbs managed to keep up his payments to the Duke of Armitage.’
Mr Stone exhaled. ‘Perhaps he was forced to resort to kidnapping girls and selling them to the highest bidder. We have no direct evidence linking him to the missing girls, but we may have found a motive.’
