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Authors: Alice Gaines
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with the place than she is. We can find her.”
“And we shall, my lord.”
“Good man. Book passage for me on the next ship,” Derrington said. “We’re going home.”
And heaven help the woman when he did find her. They had unfinished business, and finish it, they would.
Chapter Five
London, 1886
Russell and the rest of the staff had prepared the town house so well it appeared Derrington had never left it. The place felt comfortable, rather like an old slipper. It would make a fine base of operations as he set about locating the elusive Miss Foster. With her height, her remarkable looks, and her American accent, she should stand out wherever she went. He only needed to talk to the right people to bring her to ground.
He sifted through the various invitations. They’d started as a trickle, but more accumulated every day now that word had gone ‘round that he’d returned. Balls, the opera…the usual fare. He’d worked his way through much of it when a rap came at the door.
“Enter,” he called.
Russell stood on the threshold with a salver in his hand. A lone calling card sat in the center. He brought it to Derrington. He hadn’t expected anyone, but this visit was more than welcome. “Send him in.”
In a few seconds, Gabriel Hammond, Viscount Blandings burst into the room with his usual enthusiasm. “Derry, you old bastard. You should have told me you’d returned.”
Derrington rose and went to his school chum, his hand extended. “I’d planned a visit soon.”
The two men shook, and Derrington pointed Blandings toward a chair.
“Oh no, old chap. I’m far too excited to sit,” Blandings said. “In fact, I had to run right over here to show you, despite the early hour.”
“So, what’s got you so excited?”
“My latest acquisition.” Blandings reached into his pocket and produced what looked like a jewel box of a size that usually held a ring. The man had been married, more or less happily, for over five years now. Granted, he was an absent-minded fellow, but he couldn’t have forgotten Lady Blandings and have started buying jewelry for a new woman.
“My latest coleoptera.” Blandings held the box out toward Derrington. “A magnificent specimen.”
Derrington didn’t take it. “One of your bugs?”
“My dear man, they’re beetles, not bugs. An educated fellow ought to know the difference.”
Derrington still didn’t take it. “It’s not alive, is it?”
Blandings shoved the box into his hand. “Dead and perfectly preserved. I paid a small fortune for it.”
Of course. The man had more money than sense. He would pay a great deal for a mummified bug. Derrington walked behind the desk, set the box on the blotter, and sat down.
“Open it,” Blandings said.
He carefully pried the top up. Though many beetles had bright colors and magnificent mandibles, this one was merely brown and, well, buggy.
“It’s a very nice beetle,” Derrington said.
“Nice?” Blandings ran his fingers through his blond, thinning hair, making it into a more tangled mess than it usually was. “It’s more than merely nice.”
“It’s a truly wonderful beetle. The best beetle that’s crossed my desk for months, if not years. If there were an award for Beetle of the Realm, this one would surely win it.”
“Now, you’re making fun of me.” Blandings snatched the box back.
“No, really. I’m glad you brought it to me. I’ve never seen one of these before.” He could say that easily enough.
“Have pity, man. You know you’re the only one I can share my specimens with.”
Sharing specimens had an odd ring to it, but knowing Blandings, he’d only meant the best. Blandings’ tongue ran ahead of his brain sometimes, and everyone knew his mind was a maze of random, unconnected thoughts.
“Sorry, old fellow. I meant no harm,” Derrington said. “I never would have passed zoology at school if it weren’t for you.”
“And I never would have survived boxing if it weren’t
“And we shall, my lord.”
“Good man. Book passage for me on the next ship,” Derrington said. “We’re going home.”
And heaven help the woman when he did find her. They had unfinished business, and finish it, they would.
Chapter Five
London, 1886
Russell and the rest of the staff had prepared the town house so well it appeared Derrington had never left it. The place felt comfortable, rather like an old slipper. It would make a fine base of operations as he set about locating the elusive Miss Foster. With her height, her remarkable looks, and her American accent, she should stand out wherever she went. He only needed to talk to the right people to bring her to ground.
He sifted through the various invitations. They’d started as a trickle, but more accumulated every day now that word had gone ‘round that he’d returned. Balls, the opera…the usual fare. He’d worked his way through much of it when a rap came at the door.
“Enter,” he called.
Russell stood on the threshold with a salver in his hand. A lone calling card sat in the center. He brought it to Derrington. He hadn’t expected anyone, but this visit was more than welcome. “Send him in.”
In a few seconds, Gabriel Hammond, Viscount Blandings burst into the room with his usual enthusiasm. “Derry, you old bastard. You should have told me you’d returned.”
Derrington rose and went to his school chum, his hand extended. “I’d planned a visit soon.”
The two men shook, and Derrington pointed Blandings toward a chair.
“Oh no, old chap. I’m far too excited to sit,” Blandings said. “In fact, I had to run right over here to show you, despite the early hour.”
“So, what’s got you so excited?”
“My latest acquisition.” Blandings reached into his pocket and produced what looked like a jewel box of a size that usually held a ring. The man had been married, more or less happily, for over five years now. Granted, he was an absent-minded fellow, but he couldn’t have forgotten Lady Blandings and have started buying jewelry for a new woman.
“My latest coleoptera.” Blandings held the box out toward Derrington. “A magnificent specimen.”
Derrington didn’t take it. “One of your bugs?”
“My dear man, they’re beetles, not bugs. An educated fellow ought to know the difference.”
Derrington still didn’t take it. “It’s not alive, is it?”
Blandings shoved the box into his hand. “Dead and perfectly preserved. I paid a small fortune for it.”
Of course. The man had more money than sense. He would pay a great deal for a mummified bug. Derrington walked behind the desk, set the box on the blotter, and sat down.
“Open it,” Blandings said.
He carefully pried the top up. Though many beetles had bright colors and magnificent mandibles, this one was merely brown and, well, buggy.
“It’s a very nice beetle,” Derrington said.
“Nice?” Blandings ran his fingers through his blond, thinning hair, making it into a more tangled mess than it usually was. “It’s more than merely nice.”
“It’s a truly wonderful beetle. The best beetle that’s crossed my desk for months, if not years. If there were an award for Beetle of the Realm, this one would surely win it.”
“Now, you’re making fun of me.” Blandings snatched the box back.
“No, really. I’m glad you brought it to me. I’ve never seen one of these before.” He could say that easily enough.
“Have pity, man. You know you’re the only one I can share my specimens with.”
Sharing specimens had an odd ring to it, but knowing Blandings, he’d only meant the best. Blandings’ tongue ran ahead of his brain sometimes, and everyone knew his mind was a maze of random, unconnected thoughts.
“Sorry, old fellow. I meant no harm,” Derrington said. “I never would have passed zoology at school if it weren’t for you.”
“And I never would have survived boxing if it weren’t
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