Page 14 of Summoner of Sins

“I’ll correct that. Not to worry. It was only your job to observe. Well done, Uncle Allister.”

Both men laughed at the name.

Sophie dropped her face into her skirts to muffle her cries. What was she going to do?

CHAPTER FIVE

Max searched the ballroom, but there was no sign of Sophie. It was the third event he’d been to this week, and he’d not caught a glimpse of her at any of them. Tonight, Ironheart joined him. Max stood silently, observing, scanning the room in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Sophie. Ironheart, however, was anything but silent, and Max’s lack of words seemed to only invite the man to speak.

“Do you think she’ll attend this one? How many do we have to go to before we give up?” Ironheart barely paused for a breath. “And speaking of giving up, how long do I have to wait tonight until I begin pursuing interests of my own?”

Max looked to the side, glaring at Ironheart. By interests he either meant liquor or women. Those were the only two interests the man possessed. “Stop. Talking.”

Ironheart rolled his eyes. “Standing in silence doesn’t suit me.”

“I sh-shouldn’t have b-brought you.”

Ironheart shrugged. “Maybe not. But then, how will you ask after your lady?”

“Sh-she’s not my lady.” Even he could hear that his voice lacked its usual edge. The longer he went without seeing her, the more he wished to. Aside from his worry—and he was worried—he missed her face. It was a good face.

“Then why are we hunting for her? She seems tangential to the investigation at best.”

He’d written down his thoughts on the matter, but Ironheart struggled with the written word. Max had a feeling the other man hadn’t read the missive. Which was damned difficult. He’d never get an explanation like that out. It took him a long time to speak freely in front of someone, and he didn’t trust Ironheart to be kind or patient.

“Excuse me,” a feminine voice called from his other side.

He turned to see a lovely red-haired woman standing at his elbow. He was mildly relieved to realize, pretty as she was, he felt no interest in her. Somehow it was comforting to know that all of the walls he’d carefully constructed around his feelings were not falling. That was specific only to Sophie. Not that he could afford to let his guard down with her either. He’d just gone and made himself Lord Whitehouse’s target.

He met her gaze, his brows lifting.

She cleared her throat. “Right. You’re not one to talk. I’m Lady Tabetha.”

“Hello,” Ironheart said, grinning while leaning around Max to look at Lady Tabetha. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Save it,” the woman huffed. “I know who you are.”

Max smiled then, liking her a great deal more already.

Her gaze returned to him. “I’m a friend of Sophie’s.”

He jerked his chin in acknowledgment, though he’d already known who Lady Tabetha was in relation to Sophie. He’d followed Sophie to Lady Tabetha’s home last week.

“We attended a lunch together a few days ago, and she was supposed to visit me the next day, but she never came.”

His brow furrowed. What?

“There’s more,” Lady Tabetha said as she stepped closer. In hushed tones, she explained all she knew about first Lord Whitehouse and then her suspicions about the uncle.

He’d have many of the same concerns, though he hadn’t known that Allister had been a recluse. Who even knew what Allister looked like? Which meant… “Damn it.” His words came out perfectly, without a stutter.

“I’m worried about her,” Lady Tabetha looked up at him with troubled, green eyes. “I don’t know why you danced with her that night, but I have to assume that you know more about Lord Whitehouse than I do. And Sophie said that her uncle was very angry so I can only assume you’re not his friend.”

Lady Tabetha had the right of it on several facts.

“He’s most certainly not,” Ironheart confirmed. “But what is it to us if he marries her? It doesn’t help or hurt our cause either way.”

“I don’t know what your cause is, but it must not be very noble if it involves allowing a lovely young woman’s life to be destroyed.” Lady Tabetha’s chin notched up as she glared at Ironheart.

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