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Authors: Caroline Linden
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mustn’t depend on seeing him in London.”
“You’re right,” murmured Eugenie after a moment. “I know you are. Still . . .” She sighed and plucked at her shawl.
Tessa felt a little sorry for her companion. No one as elegant and urbane as the Earl of Gresham had ever paid Eugenie any heed, and it was clear to see the experience had been utterly bewitching. She felt terrible for squashing all the lingering delight of her companion’s tea with the earl, but it would be harder if Eugenie lived in constant hope of meeting him again in London—or even worse, filled Louise with false expectations of an acquaintance. “Is he as charming as he appears?” she asked, trying to atone for the disappointment. “I don’t think we’ve seen a handsomer man in Bath.”
Eugenie’s face lit up. “Indeed! I knew even you could not deny how very attractive he is. And he is even more charming! He said I reminded him of his aunt, the Countess of Dowling. My dear, can you imagine? I reminded him of a countess !”
Tessa smiled. “I like him a little better now.” A very little, but she did. Not every man would pay so much kind attention to a lady like Eugenie. It shocked her that the earl would do so out of nothing more than Christian charity, but perhaps she was judging him too harshly. She had a tendency to do that, according to her sister.
“And he spoke of his brother, who has been living this summer in Bath. He’s a decorated army captain, newly married and very dashing. And— Oh!” She tittered with laughter. “Here is something that will amuse you: he is a passionate coffee drinker, like you! Although he has a low opinion of the coffeehouses here in Bath. What was the one you particularly liked? I tried to remember to recommend it to him.”
“Gardner’s,” said Tessa.
“Oh, yes, now I remember. But he said they were all dreadful, so he only drinks tea in Bath.”
“How very principled of him. Who could possibly dislike such a paragon?” She rose and went to kiss Eugenie on the cheek. “I’m sorry I arrived to cut short your visit with him. If only something half so pleasant would happen to me!”
“Oh, but it would, dear, if only you wouldn’t—” Her companion stopped suddenly, her fingers on her lips.
“If only I wouldn’t lose my temper and insult perfect strangers?” Tessa gave a wry, guilty smile. “How fortunate I am to have you along to smooth the way after my wayward tongue.”
Eugenie sighed wistfully. “And he wished us to dine with him! Dinner with an earl, could you imagine it? If only we weren’t leaving tomorrow.”
“If only.” But inside Tessa was glad. The earl might be as handsome as the devil, and even more charming, but the way he looked at her made her skin prickle. The sooner they were away from him, the better.
C harlie was mildly shocked at how resourceful his valet turned out to be. He expected Barnes to discover a few mundane details about Mrs. Neville, but his man came back after dinner with far more.
“They arrived the same day Your Grace arrived, from near Malmesbury. Mrs. Neville paid the bill in advance, and she got a very pretty price, too.”
“How do you know that?”
Barnes glanced up from the trunk he was packing. “I nipped into Mr. Lucas’s office and read the account books.”
“Oh, indeed?” Charlie raised an eyebrow.
His valet didn’t look abashed in the slightest. “As Your Grace’s man, I expect I could go anywhere in this hotel and not be said nay.”
“Right. Go on.”
“The lady left word she was expecting a gentleman, a Mr. Hiram Scott.” Barnes paused at Charlie’s sudden stillness. “Your Grace?”
“Nothing,” murmured Charlie. “Who, pray, is this Mr. Scott?”
“A businessman of some sort. The waiter who served them in the tearoom said Mr. Scott had brought a number of ledger books and plans with him, and Mrs. Neville read them with great attention. He thought he heard them talking of
“You’re right,” murmured Eugenie after a moment. “I know you are. Still . . .” She sighed and plucked at her shawl.
Tessa felt a little sorry for her companion. No one as elegant and urbane as the Earl of Gresham had ever paid Eugenie any heed, and it was clear to see the experience had been utterly bewitching. She felt terrible for squashing all the lingering delight of her companion’s tea with the earl, but it would be harder if Eugenie lived in constant hope of meeting him again in London—or even worse, filled Louise with false expectations of an acquaintance. “Is he as charming as he appears?” she asked, trying to atone for the disappointment. “I don’t think we’ve seen a handsomer man in Bath.”
Eugenie’s face lit up. “Indeed! I knew even you could not deny how very attractive he is. And he is even more charming! He said I reminded him of his aunt, the Countess of Dowling. My dear, can you imagine? I reminded him of a countess !”
Tessa smiled. “I like him a little better now.” A very little, but she did. Not every man would pay so much kind attention to a lady like Eugenie. It shocked her that the earl would do so out of nothing more than Christian charity, but perhaps she was judging him too harshly. She had a tendency to do that, according to her sister.
“And he spoke of his brother, who has been living this summer in Bath. He’s a decorated army captain, newly married and very dashing. And— Oh!” She tittered with laughter. “Here is something that will amuse you: he is a passionate coffee drinker, like you! Although he has a low opinion of the coffeehouses here in Bath. What was the one you particularly liked? I tried to remember to recommend it to him.”
“Gardner’s,” said Tessa.
“Oh, yes, now I remember. But he said they were all dreadful, so he only drinks tea in Bath.”
“How very principled of him. Who could possibly dislike such a paragon?” She rose and went to kiss Eugenie on the cheek. “I’m sorry I arrived to cut short your visit with him. If only something half so pleasant would happen to me!”
“Oh, but it would, dear, if only you wouldn’t—” Her companion stopped suddenly, her fingers on her lips.
“If only I wouldn’t lose my temper and insult perfect strangers?” Tessa gave a wry, guilty smile. “How fortunate I am to have you along to smooth the way after my wayward tongue.”
Eugenie sighed wistfully. “And he wished us to dine with him! Dinner with an earl, could you imagine it? If only we weren’t leaving tomorrow.”
“If only.” But inside Tessa was glad. The earl might be as handsome as the devil, and even more charming, but the way he looked at her made her skin prickle. The sooner they were away from him, the better.
C harlie was mildly shocked at how resourceful his valet turned out to be. He expected Barnes to discover a few mundane details about Mrs. Neville, but his man came back after dinner with far more.
“They arrived the same day Your Grace arrived, from near Malmesbury. Mrs. Neville paid the bill in advance, and she got a very pretty price, too.”
“How do you know that?”
Barnes glanced up from the trunk he was packing. “I nipped into Mr. Lucas’s office and read the account books.”
“Oh, indeed?” Charlie raised an eyebrow.
His valet didn’t look abashed in the slightest. “As Your Grace’s man, I expect I could go anywhere in this hotel and not be said nay.”
“Right. Go on.”
“The lady left word she was expecting a gentleman, a Mr. Hiram Scott.” Barnes paused at Charlie’s sudden stillness. “Your Grace?”
“Nothing,” murmured Charlie. “Who, pray, is this Mr. Scott?”
“A businessman of some sort. The waiter who served them in the tearoom said Mr. Scott had brought a number of ledger books and plans with him, and Mrs. Neville read them with great attention. He thought he heard them talking of
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