Page 46 of An Honorable Deception
It was hard to stay angry at someone whose shoulders hadn’t unslumped for the last five hours, though. Even if shehadleft him to come up with the reasons to give Alethia foryet another trip to London and she hadn’t seen fit to come down the stairs until Hector had the carriage ready.
She paused beside him now and nodded down the street. “There it is.”
Lionfeathers. Even her voice sounded muted, frayed around the edges. He studied her for a moment before following her gaze to the Empire House with its stately Georgian columns.
What if ithadbeen her heart acting up this morning? What if the kiss had been some weird result of lack of proper blood flow? What if his exercise regimen was working the organ too hard, and she relapsed—ordied? How would he ever forgive himself?
She sighed. “I imagine they’re closing up for the night, if they haven’t already. Should we come back tomorrow? We know where it is now, at least. I can get an appointment for the morning, no doubt convince them to show me about.”
Though it took far more effort than it should have, he fastened a grin into place. “Vinia, Vinia. You reallydoneed to learn a thing or two about surveillance. The least likely time for normal business is often theperfecttime for the shadier sort—and that’s what we’re looking for.”
She startled, presumably at his attempt at a teasing tone. “I thought we were looking for evidence that Lord Vernon and company are using it as a cover for something. That’s not likely to be on display, is it? It will be buried in files somewhere. Parading under the auspices of charity work.”
Yates shrugged as they strode forward again. “Who’s to say? But we’re in luck.” He pointed toward Kettner’s, positioned in perfect view of the charity. “We can have dinner and keep an eye on things.”
Instead of keeping pace, Lavinia slowed to a halt again and spun in a slow circle, her brows lowered. “I’ve been tomy share of charity houses. But never one in Soho. That’s odd in itself, isn’t it?”
She did have a point. Charities could rarely afford to headquarter in the poshest parts of London—and the residents of said posh neighborhoods didn’t generally care to have such individuals as needed their charity on their streets. “Someone must have donated the building. It was a residence in times past.” He hadn’t been able to tell that from the miniature of it, but looking at it now, there was no doubt. It was a mansion, not a place of business.
“I suppose.” Her frown didn’t ease as they watched a matronly woman step out of the Empire House’s front door, close it, and lock up. Her gaze drifted to Kettner’s. “I’m not hungry.”
Eating wasn’t the point—but the statement only returned him to his previous worry. She hadn’t come in for breakfast that morning after the disaster in the stables, and she hadn’t gone down for lunch, and the plate of dinner Marigold had taken up to the study for her last night had been untouched when he’d gone in. Which meant her last meal had been over twenty-four hours ago. More like thirty.
Maybethathad been what inspired her insanity. Hunger could do strange things to a person. “You need to eat something, Lavinia. You won’t be doing anyone any good if you faint from lack of sustenance.”
Her lips parted, but then resignation fell over her face. She shrugged. “All right.”
“Just the sort of enthusiasm a chap is looking for when he takes a lady to one of London’s finest restaurants.” Ordinarily he would have chosen a less expensive place to set up surveillance. But they were on the Strand. Therewereno less expensive places. He offered his elbow. Stared at her with the most pointed of looks he could sharpen.
She averted her eyes, but her hand took up position on his forearm, her arm looped through his so awkwardly that anybody would see at a glance that she was doing her best not to make any contact with him.
Far cry from that morning. Which reignited the fuse of his frustration. “You should probably pretend you like me if you want to avoid curious looks.”
Her fingers dug into his arm. “Idolike you.” The words stabbed at him, low and throbbing.
“Then kindly inform your face.”
An angry Lavinia was at least better than the mask she’d been hiding behind all afternoon. Her chin came up a notch, and the smile she fastened to her lips would look convincing to anyone who didn’t search for its match in her eyes. “So sorry, my lord.”
“Better. A bit.”
Her smile tightened. “You aren’t exactly beaming affection down atmeeither.” Then a grimace twisted her face again. “Sorry. I understand. I’m sorry.”
“Leopard stripes, Vin.” The last of his anger—or at least the current infusion of it—seeped out. “You’re forgiven. I mean it. And I’m sorry too. It was half my fault, and I wasn’t kind about it.”
She blew out a long breath, let her eyes slide closed along with it, and looked a bit more like herself when she opened them again. “All right. Dinner. Two friends out to solve the world’s mysteries and save a life or two.”
He patted the fingers that had finally relaxed properly onto his arm. “Quite right.”
Though it was late for a charity to be open for touring ladies, it was early for dinner, so his request for a table by the window required neither a long wait nor a tip slipped to the maître d’. They were soon positioned with a perfect view ofthe Empire House, and when the waiter brought them the menus, Lavinia wasted no time.
She smiled up at the poor unsuspecting bloke with enough charm to blind him and motioned toward the window. “I was so pleased to note the direction of our view. My mother has donated to that charity, I believe—though I didn’t realize it claimed such a prestigious location. Do you know much about it? You must spend far more time on the Strand than I do. I never get out of the house, it seems.”
The waiter clicked his heels together in his eagerness to answer. “Oh, that’s a top-notch place, without question. None of the residents ever cause a bit of ruckus, and its reputation is so sterling that it seems half the aristocracy is dropping by at one point or another. The women and children there must feel blessed indeed to receive the attention of people so able to help them.”
“How encouraging to know our donations are going to such a good cause. Thank you so much.” She sent him away with a bat of her lashes.
Yates suppressed the roll of his eyes until the waiter had gone. Barely. “Ask him for his recommendation for your meal and he may give it to you on the house.”
