Page 27 of A Scandalous Bargain
Chapter 5
Half past two. She was probably still dancing.
Thomas set his empty glass on the sideboard. He was tempted to pour another, but he ought to turn in. It wasn’t as if she would come. He’d told her it would be too late, and it was.
Still, he could see her in his mind, her blonde locks curling about her face with ribbons and silk flowers entwined in the style atop her head. Her ivory gown was trimmed with lace and dark coral ribbon that matched those in her hair. The costume was simple but elegant, allowing her beauty to shine instead of the garments and accessories.
He’d stood in the shadows nearby and watched her enter the assembly rooms. It was as close as he could get in his current state of mourning, and he was grateful for the glimpse. He’d lingered for a while before returning home. Since then, he’d imagined her laughing and dancing, captivating every gentleman at Almack’s. How he envied them.
Blowing out a breath of frustration, he turned toward his chamber. The soft snick of a door drew his head around.
A black-clad figure stood just inside the sitting room. If he didn’t know better, he would have been concerned. Instead, he pivoted, unable to keep from grinning.
She swept her hat off and set it on the writing desk as she’d done on her last visit. “I know you said it would be too late, but I had to come.” She cast off her gloves as well, setting them atop her hat.
“It is late, but not as late as I thought it would be. Miss Whitford, you should still be at the ball.”
“It was so boring.” She waved her hand and strode toward him. “And do call me Beatrix. It’s past time. I heard Bow Street is investigating you. You must tell me everything.” She took him by the hand and pulled him to the settee.
She sat, and he squeezed in beside her, pleased she’d chosen to sit with him here.
Angling herself toward him, she stared at him expectantly. “Well? Why didn’t you tell me Bow Street was conducting an inquiry?”
He stifled the urge to laugh. He adored her enthusiasm. “Do you wish to hear about it, or would you rather I answer that question first?”
“Both.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “Tell me about the inquiry.”
“The other question is simpler. I didn’t mention it because I haven’t seen you. Furthermore, there isn’t much to share. Two constables came to interview me and the entire household on Friday.”
Her hazel eyes rounded. “Theentirehousehold? You didn’t let them speak to Regan?”
That she had the same reaction he’d had and with apparently the same affront made him want to kiss her.
It did?
Manythings made him want to kiss her.
“Of course not. They wanted to speak to her nurse, but she was too busy with Regan and I refused to let them speak to her when Regan was present.”
Beatrix flattened her palms on her lap and leaned slightly toward him. “What did they ask you?”
Distracted by her spicy floral scent, he had to think about her question. “Ask me? Ah, they asked what happened that night.” Dammit, he didn’t want to talk about that. He wanted to ask her about Almack’s.
She narrowed her eyes at him briefly. “You seem rather unconcerned.”
He put his arm along the back of the settee. “Sheffield said it was a formality.”
“Harry was one of the constables who came?”
“Yes. He accompanied the lead investigator—a young man called Dearborn.”
“I don’t know him, but I’ll find out what I can.”
“There’s no need. As I said, the inquiry is a formality. My mother-in-law is causing trouble, that’s all.” His hand was close to her head. Her hair was still dressed as it had been for the ball, though the ribbon and flowers were gone. He could almost touch her curls. Or her cheek. Or the slope of her neck. His fingers twitched with want.
“Why would she do that?”
Thomas was having a hard time keeping his focus on the conversation. He didn’t want to talk about his mother-in-law—ex-mother-in-law—or his deceased wife. “Because she’s upset that her daughter died, and she dislikes me.”
