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“Oh, ah, I apologize, Your Grace, but that’s not possible. He was part of the entourage Her Grace took with her to London.”
25
Sebastian
“London, he’s in bloody London,” Sebastian seethed as he and Drake strode through the nearby fields.
It was the one place they could ensure they would not be overheard.
“You did not think to ask your staff there?”
“No, because I did not see him there.” Sebastian’s fast pace slowed as the revelation in his automatic response registered. “Why did I not see him there?”
“Perhaps because you need to pay better attention to your staff.”
Drake’s dry answer was not entirely incorrect. Sebastian was mostly content to let Riggs and Mrs. Mays, the housekeeper, run his household. His interactions were mostly with them and his valet. While he, technically, was introduced to each new employee so they could recognize him in the future, he was not always very good about remembering all of them.
There were so many of them after all.
If he needed something, he would inform Riggs. Or perhaps Sackwell if they were here at the Hall. Sometimes, he might speak with his mother. It was entirely possible his mother would know who Mr. Heywood was, though she did not spend much time around the stables or horses.
However, the man’s description and the scar he had on his face should be memorable enough. Yet Sebastian could not recall seeing a scarred man around the stables. Surely, he would have noticed?
Yet perhaps not.
“As soon as we return from the house party, you will have to go check.” Drake rubbed the back of his head. “Or I could leave tomorrow.”
“There are only three more days. It can wait.” Sebastian grimaced. “Lady Astrid would murder you and then me if you left mid-party. My sister would not be best pleased as well.”
“You do not think they would be understanding, considering what we are investigating?”
Sebastian raised his eyebrows and gave Drake a significant look. “Are you planning on telling Lady Astrid that you need to leave the house party to search for Heywood in London? I was under the impression that you want to keep the ladies out of this as much as possible.”
Personally, he thought Tiffany deserved to know, at the very least. The other wives, too, as their fates were now tied to their husbands, and there was a very real possibility of danger with ignorance. Lady Astrid, on the other hand, was not yet married to Drake and yet seemed determined to push her way into the investigation with the other ladies.
Did Mei know about it?
He presumed she did, but he would have to find out.
Drake looked away, as though he was studying the landscape, though there was very little to look at other than golden fields with a fringe of green at the tree line in the distance.
“We should not be too rash.” He sighed. “Doing so could put your mother in danger, and you would not be there to protect her.”
“Very true.” Sebastian tensed. “And I did not tell you about Harleen.”
He’d focused on Heywood because that was the threat to the group as a whole, but without Gregory there, he felt himself needing to unload his concerns about his mother on someone. Drake was currently the only option.
Drake listened seriously, his expression growing more concerned, gaze focused on the horizon.
“You’re right, we should finish out the house party,” he said when Sebastian finished. “Your mother has been safe so far, and we do not want to alert anyone to our suspicions and change that. Especially knowing that Heywood is in London.” He shook his head. “I have been distracted, or I would have thought of looking among your newly arrived staff.”
“Yes, well, pleasuring all those ladybirds is extremely distracting,” Sebastian drawled, glancing at Drake. He did not know what his friend was up to, but he and the others agreed that it was not what it seemed. Though he’d been seen in some of the seediest parts of town—including the auction house where Matthew had purchased his bride—everyone in their group of friends agreed that Drake was not sowing his wild oats.
But no one knew exactly what he was doing.
“Mm,” Drake replied noncommittally. “That and handling Mr. Blash for Falmouth, as well as continuing to look for Montblanc. And handling my estate matters.”
Immediately, Sebastian felt a wash of shame. Drake truly was busy, much of which he’d taken on his broad shoulders willingly. It was not that Matthew would not be able to handle Mr. Blash, the previous guardian of the Earl of Falmouth, his wife’s brother, but Drake was far better at it. He’d hunted the embezzler down, had him thrown into Newgate, and barely blinked an eye at the task. He’d sent his men to America after Montblanc.
