Page 108 of Intolerable
They’d heard nothing from Miss Lancaster, but they weren’t worried. She’d been quite clear in her note that she was happy. Cassandra looked forward to when she returned.
“It feels so different now that I’m a member,” Cassandra said as they walked through the foyer on the men’s side of the club. Since it was Tuesday, she was allowed access to the entire premises.
“Does it?” Ruark tipped his head up toward the painting of Pan and pointed, drawing Cassandra’s attention. “If you look in the corner there, you can see your brother along with me, Deane, and MacNair.”
Her jaw dropped. “That’s you? How clever!”
“Your brother is a sentimental sort.”
“I came to that conclusion when he gave me the miniature of my mother.” It sat on her nightstand in their bedchamber.
Ruark wished he’d been able to know her mother, just as he was sorry she couldn’t meet his father. He was quite glad that his mother and sisters were able to attend the wedding and welcome Cassandra into the family, which they’d done quite happily. Ruark didn’t know who was happier—his mother or Kat.
At last, he’d convinced their mother that Kat should remain in London. He credited the fact that he’d finally taken a wife. She was happy to claim one victory, at least, even if she’d had nothing to do with it.
“Where shall we go first?” Ruark asked. “I would offer to give you a tour, but you’ve been here before.”
“I saw very little of it. Mostly just the inside of a cupboard.” Her gaze was suddenly filled with heat. He nearly turned around and took her back home.
“Then allow me to show you.” He led her from room to room, exploring all of the ground floor then escorting her upstairs. The members’ den was bustling, as it typically did on Tuesday evenings.
Mort was seated in his favorite chair but rose as Ruark and Cassandra approached. “Good evening, Lord Wexford, Lady Wexford.” He bowed.
“Cassandra, allow me to introduce my former boxing coach, Mr. Mortimer Dodd. Mort has been something of a father to me.”
She smiled broadly and curtsied to Mort. “It’s a true pleasure to make your acquaintance. I didn’t realize Ruark had someone like you in his life.” She glanced toward Ruark, murmuring, “How lovely.”
“I will miss him at the boxing club,” Mort said with deep regret. “At least your last time in the ring was absolutely brilliant.”
“Has Glastonbury been to the club?” Ruark asked.
“No one’s seen him since the fight. I wonder if he’s gone back to Wiltshire to lick his wounds.”
Ruark suspected as much. He’d lost the fight—and the money that would have come with it—and Cassandra’s dowry. More than licking his wounds, he was likely trying to come up with a new scheme to come up with the funds he needed.
They spoke with Mort a few more minutes before moving on into the library. Evie met them just as they came in. “How wonderful to see you both. My goodness, but marriage agrees with you, but then I’m not surprised.”
“Why is that?” Ruark asked with a smile.
“Aside from the incident at Cassandra’s birthday party?”
Ruark stifled at laugh at her use of the word incident. He glanced toward Cassandra and noted she was doing the same.
“There always seemed to be an undercurrent of…something between you,” Evie continued. “But I suppose it’s because I knew you’d been closeted in a cupboard together all those weeks ago.”
Cassandra gasped. “You knew?”
“A maid saw Ruark leaving the cupboard. I added things up and came up with the only answer.” She smiled at Ruark. “Ada would be so proud.” Ada was the bookkeeper at the club.
Ruark couldn’t help but laugh. “You are marvelous at keeping secrets.”
“In my position, one has to be,” she said wryly. “If you only knew what trouble people got into within these walls.” Her gaze moved to the doorway. “Excuse me a moment.”
Cassandra shook her head. “I can’t believe she knew all this time.”
“Shall we finish our tour?” he asked.
“Why, yes we shall.”
