Page 90 of The Duke's Mysterious Lover
“His daughter,” breathed Fawkes, his gaze finding Kit.
Bull sat up straight, eyes bright. “A musicale! A musicale with Kit as the star. We announce it, introduce her as Blackrose’s daughter, sponsored by Thorne—everyonewill expect him to be there, and he willnae be able to turn down the invitation without judgement.”
Griffin’s hand landed on his son’s shoulder. “If yer mother asks, that was my idea.”
“Because it was brilliant, but I’m no’ supposed to be here?”
Griffin nodded to the lad. “Aye, exactly.”
Beaming, Bull sat back.
Thorne’s fingers squeezed hers, and she felt him take a deep breath. “Well, friends, it seems the time has come to ask for yer help in planning our most important mission of all.” He glanced around the room, meeting everyone’s eyes. The men stood straighter, the women lifted their chins, ready to fight.
“I need yer help,” Thorne began, “and I ask ye to give it freely, for it’s nae for the faint-heartened. We must come together, leveraging all our skills to plan our most difficult and potentially dangerous campaign of our careers: amusicale.”
Chapter 18
“Would you care for a whisky,Your Grace?”
Titsworth’s quiet question yanked Thorne’s attention from the marble tile in the foyer. Damnation, had he been pacing again? He scowled at his butler. “What?”
“You look as if you could use a restorative.” The not-quite-elderly man’s hands were behind his back, his gaze locked over Thorne’s head, his back stiff enough he could be picked up and laid across small streams as a viable footbridge. “Perhaps something to calm your nerves?”
“I dinnae need arestorative,” Thorne spat, spinning around on his heel to pace away again. “My nerves are fine.”
“Are they, Your Grace?”
Unbidden, Thorne’s gaze darted to the top of the stairs. There was still almost a half-hour before they needed to leave for the Stallings assembly, having decided they would arrive late and leave early.
But aye, he kept waiting—hoping—for Kit to appear.
“Perhaps,” he muttered, admitting the fault to his butler.
To his surprise, he heard the man sigh behind him. When Thorne turned, Titsworth offered him a gentle smile.
“Your lady is certain to be beautiful, Your Grace. And equally nervous.”
Thorne snorted and tugged at his waistcoat—the green one he and Kit had chosen the last time he’d been expected to dance with Lady Emma. Tonight, though…tonight he’d be dancing withKit. As awoman.
“I cannae imagine her nervous about anything,” he finally confessed, allowing his butler to see just a grain of his worry. “This was her idea, ye ken.”
“No, I do not actually know anything about why you keep having these secret meetings, Your Grace, or why you hired your lover as your valet.”
Thorne raised a brow. “I didnae ken she was a woman when I hired her.”
“Yes, Your Grace, andthatwas a topic of much discussion among the staff, I can tell you.”
There was a twinkle in the older man’s eyes which had Thorne frowning. “Dinnae sayyesaw through her disguise? Bull’s been ribbing me for a week!”
“I did not exactly, Your Grace, but I had my suspicions. Even I could tell young Pastorino was something remarkable. One day, will you tell me why Master Bull was required to dress in a gown?”
Thorne’s lips reluctantly curled. “Likely no’. Let us just pretend the lad’s admiration of fine quality materials and patterns extends to ladies’ wear as well?”
Without missing a beat, Titsworth bowed his head regally. “Yes, that is indubitably the answer.”
Thorne’s gaze dragged back up to the top of the stairs. “He’s up there with her right now, ye ken. I appreciate ye dragooning Betty and Other Betty into helping Kit dress, but Bull insisted he be allowed to oversee the process, in case the gown needed any last-minute alterations.”
“I am certain the lad will do splendidly,” the butler intoned. “And you will notice I have not askedwhereyoung Master Bull acquired a ball gown on such short notice.”
