Page 71 of A Duchess to Fight For
Chapter 18
“Nothing on my end either,” Percy said, “which leads me to believe he is either an inspector for the crown or a private investigator.”
Hobart, Frederick, Cecil, and Kent all groaned. They could all talk freely at Hobart’s office, throwing out any theories they had about Stafford.
“Hear me out. You don’t have anything better to go on. In fact, I am not impressed with any theories thrown out tonight. We know next to nothing about this man. His whereabouts on any given day are suspect. He slithers in and out of town on one flimsy excuse after another.”
“What does he want with Louisa?” Frederick asked.
Percy said, “She’s peripheral to this. Barton is the key. She’s caught up in the Barton thing with Jack and Barton’s interest in her. I don’t believe Stafford is courting her sincerely. I think he’s keeping close to Barton that way. Or Barton has something on him.”
“Pardon me for saying, Percy, but you don’t want anyone courting Louisa sincerely. Could it be wishful thinking?”
Hobart let out a noise of disgust then said, “Percy would you get on with it with Louisa? We are all so tired of this crap about how you don’t care. Put us all out of our misery.”
“She doesn’t want me,” Percy spat out. “Leave it alone.”
“Let’s not get off track by Percy’s love life. What would he be investigating? Are we sure it’s Barton he’s interested in?”
Cecil said, “It’s better than anything else we’ve got. But it’s all conjecture. Hobart, weren’t you planning on looking into Stafford?”
“I was. I’ll get on it in the morning. This is the best we’ve got?”
“I think so. For now. Let’s sleep on it and see what we can come up with when we have clear minds.”
*****
Percy dragged his feet on the way to tea. He had nothing to tell Louisa. Stafford was as tightlipped as ever, and Barton and Victor had a complicated association the men hadn’t yet figured out.
Amelia greeted Percy when he walked into the parlour. After his bow, he said, “Is Louisa joining us?”
Amelia was grim. “No. She has chosen to stay in her chamber today. She received a note from the Earl of Wessex this morning.”
Percy adjusted himself in his chair. “Oh?”
“Yes. He wrote her that he would be very busy over the coming months, coming in and out of London at unpredictable intervals. He suggested it might be in her best interest to explore companionship elsewhere. He actually named you as someone she might want to consider.”
“Really. That’s odd. I wonder why he would say such a thing?”
Amelia grimaced. “Why would he say such a thing? You are here every day; you are her protector during ton events, she turns to you for help. The list goes on.”
“We are best friends. I couldn’t live without her, and I think she feels the same way, but we agreed long ago that we would ruin our friendship by courting. If the courting didn’t work out, we would part. Neither of us wanted to take that chance.”
Amelia nodded. “I know, Percy. God knows I have heard it enough through the years. But what I want to know is if you didn’t have the ‘no courting’ agreement, and you weren’t afraid you would ruin her friendship, would you court her?”
Percy laughed. “I’d marry her today if she asked me.”
Amelia looked puzzled, “Then why don’t you ask her?”
“She has given me no indication that she feels that way toward me. She would turn me down and then feel uncomfortable around me. Don’t you see? It won’t work.”
“Humph. Then tell me Percy, why aren’t you courting anyone? You’re handsome, smart, personable, and wealthy. Why aren’t the young ladies of the ton batting their eyelashes at you?”
Percy turned red and changed his position in the chair. “I courted a lady earlier this season. She threw me over for someone else.”
Amelia said, “Why did she do a thing like that?”
“The gentleman was wealthier and had more holdings. Pardon me, but could we please change the subject?”
