Page 17 of Enchanted By the Lyon
“You are well-connected with everyone who is anyone in Society. I highly doubt I can be of much help when your connections will outweigh my own,” Lucius said.
Don’t agree to anything, he told himself.Stay focused!
If only Mrs. Dove-Lyon would stay still and stop turning into a fuzzy-edged twin. And if only the room would stop tilting. And spinning. Bloody hell.
“You underestimate yourself, Lord Blackthorn. As I said… it’s a delicate matter and I need someone who can be discreet in order to find the truth of the matter,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon proclaimed as she stood.
Lucius leaned as far back in the chair as he could and dug his fingers into the arms of the chair. He wanted to tell her, Stop! Don’t move! But then she went to the sideboard to pour herself a sherry. “Would you care for a drink, my lord?”
His stomach lurched and he remembered Valentine’s quick trip to…someplace. A drink?Good God, no.“No and…” What was it he needed to say?Oh.In spite of everything, he remembered. There was a debt to be paid. “Please get to the point of how I can repay my debt to you,” Lucius said fighting impatience.
“My client, Mrs. Cassandra Vaughn—”
Whatever else the widow began saying was suddenly drowned out.Cassandra.A vision of the lovely lady swept into his mind. Her beautiful green eyes—the perfect color—her shining blond hair, her tempting figure that he would never see…and the idea that the widow would be pairing his friend Val with the lady. He frowned. It was inconceivable. A man he knew—a friend!—would be paired with the woman who had rejected his offer only a few days earlier. Not as a wife—Good Heavens, no—but as his next possible mistress. His. She was his!
“My lord!” Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s voice cut through the fog, ringing like bells. “I’m speaking to you!”
Blinking his eyes, Lucius realized he hadn’t heard a single word the woman—only one, now—standing before him had said. If she’d said anything. It was hard to know. Once again, he squinted at her.
“You really must pay attention, my lord, if you want to settle your debt with me,” the lady told him, and he swore he could hear the smugness in her tone.
“Tell me again, madam.” He managed to stand and then moved in front of the fireplace hoping it would help him to keep his wits about him and perhaps get him out of this drugged state.
The widow’s heavy sigh swung her veil away from her face. For a moment her chin was visible, but nothing more. Lucius leaned an elbow on the mantel of the hearth. He stared down into the flames. If nothing else, the mantel gave him support to stop swaying on his feet and staring at the dancing flames meant he didn’t have to look at a dancing, morphing Mrs. Dove-Lyon.
“Very well,” came her reply before she continued. “As I was just informing you, Mrs. Vaughn’s previous marriage is steeped in old rumors that her husband’s older brother wasn’t the executor of her husband’s will. It’s also possible he was illegitimate, but that had never been proved nor publicly discussed.”
“Then Mrs. Vaughn should hire an attorney to look into the matter,” Lucius replied, sweeping his hand across the back of his neck to wipe away the sweat that had formed there.
“Mrs. Vaughn knows nothing about her brother-in-law’s situation nor that, as the widow of her deceased husband, she should have possibly inherited her husband’s share of whatever wealth their parents left them when they died. This would include keeping her husband’s possessions when he perished.”
Lucius scowled, still fixated on the idea that she might become Valentine’s bride even though he didn’t want to marry her—or anyone. Mrs. Dove-Lyon cleared her throat, remindinghim to focus. He said, “With no title involved, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find the truth of the matter. Again, she could easily hire an attorney.” He halted his words thinking of Cassandra’s association with his own friends now married toherfriends. “I assume that it is Mrs. Vaughn’s goal to become a respected member of Society and this is your main objective… to see the lady settled as well as her other friends.” The words echoed in his head.Respectable member…settled. Settled. Respectable. Settled…
“Just so,” the widow murmured. Lucius watched as she returned to her chair with her sherry—the room tilted sideways. She really was like a Black Widow spider, sticking to surfaces no matter which way they went. Good Lord, he needed to sober up.
Once seated, she slightly lifted her veil to slip her glass underneath the lace before placing the delicate glass on to the small table between the chairs.
“She could still just hire an attorney to handle this for her,” Lucius repeated wondering what the reason was for the widow to call him into her office. Other than paying the debt, of course.
Apparently, she could read minds. Astounding but truly, not surprising. At least anymore. Because she said, “But that would hardly pay your debt to me, now would it, Lord Blackthorn?” She gave a light laugh. “I think you could do the job just as well, my lord. It would mean she wouldn’t have to hire an attorney and risk being exposed to Society, or her late husband’s brother. And it certainly would relieve you of the debt.”
Without warning, Lucius suddenly felt sober. He returned to his chair and sank into his seat. Since he knew very little about Cassandra, he realized, she could have created her own last name to hide her identity. Rather like his current mistress, whose name—though appealing—reeked of something contrived. “Who exactly is the man whose past I should be investigating?”
“Mr. Barlow Vaughn.”
A frown formed across his brow. The name meant nothing to him since they had never crossed paths before, at least as far as he was aware.
“I’m not acquainted with the man. I still don’t see how I can help.” He shrugged. His head swam a bit but not as badly as it had earlier.
The widow inclined her head regally. “I’m certain you’ll think of something, my lord. After all, you are well received in the best of houses and have many connections both with your friends and with your family that you can use. Above all, I have faith you can right the wrong that has been done to the lady.”
A sudden—coherent!—thought occurred to him. “If your plans are for her to marry Lord Carrington, why not enlisthisaid? After all, he is to be her future husband?” Why did the thought of Valentine and Cassandra leave a sour taste in his mouth?
“Lord Carrington has his own debts to settle with me, and are none of your concern. Do we have a deal, my lord?”
Lucius reminded himself of his warnings to his brother about getting indebted to the widow by getting snared in one of her webs. “Let’s clarify our arrangement. I investigate Mr. Vaughn to ensure he wasn’t entitled to his younger brother’s fortune and property thus restoring anything due Mrs. Vaughn as the widow of her deceased husband. After that, my debt to you is settled. That’s it?” he asked to ensure there was no additional, hidden agenda he might have missed.
“It’s reallythatsimple, my lord. Figure out the mystery of Mrs. Vaughn’s past, discreetly of course, and your own future will be free to live as you see fit to enjoy your bachelorhood,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon replied, reaching again for her sherry.
