“You can’t be serious, Chief,” Lord Danforth said. “She picked everyone out?”
Sebastian stared into the empty fire grate, not looking up at the small group of Nexus agents assembled in the drawing room. Had he done so, the mixture of irritation and pride alighting his eyes would have confused them all.
“Everyone but you and Bingham, and that’s only because you were both walking the perimeter.” Many years ago, Sebastian had hired Bingham, along with Dinks and Jack, to watch over Cora while she was on assignment in France. Bingham acted the coachman, Jack the footman, and Dinks the lady’s maid. The quartet had become close, each protecting the others like beloved family members.
“No one ever pays attention to servants,” Danforth grumbled.
“I have come to realize Mrs. Ashcroft isn’t like most people.”
His statement was met with a thick fog of silence. He glanced up then and found four pairs of fascinated eyes on him. Danforth looked more appalled. Lord Helsford stared without expression. Cora appeared on the verge of happy tears. And Dinks chortled until she snorted.
“I’m doomed.” Danforth groaned and slumped back in his chair.
Cora sent her brother a sharp look. “What are you nattering on about?”
“If a woman can steal the chief’s heart,” Danforth nodded toward Sebastian, “there is no hope for my continued bachelorhood.”
“Ethan!” Cora scolded.
Sebastian’s muscles coiled into bands of steel. Although Danforth had a tendency to blurt out whatever was on his mind, inappropriately so at times, the man’s instincts tended toward genius. Which, in this particular case, did not bode well for Sebastian. “I assure you, my heart is where it should be.”
He resumed their former discussion. “In addition to identifying each of you, Mrs. Ashcroft noted an unfamiliar tall, black-haired woman. Anyone else notice her?”
Danforth perked up. “Black hair, you say?”
Nodding, Sebastian asked, “What do you know?”
“Nothing for certain.” The viscount’s gaze turned inward. “But that description matches the maid who helped nurse me back to good health.” His brow clenched together. “Except the tall part. That’s not how I would describe her.”
“You were also flat on your back,” Helsford said, “with a concussion and a number of other injuries hampering your judgment.”
“True.”
“Let us set aside the black-haired maid for now,” Sebastian said. “Catherine will be here soon, and I think it best to keep your presence a secret for a while.”
“Are you sure?” Cora asked. “She might like knowing help has arrived.”
“You’re no doubt correct,” Sebastian said. “But she’s not accustomed to prevarication. Ignorance will protect her while interacting with her gaolers.”
Danforth interjected, “What next? Track down Cochran, or wait for him to come to us?”
“Find him,” Sebastian said. “He’s somewhere close. The three of you, go into the village and ask around.”
“Guy and Ethan can interrogate the villagers without me,” Cora said. “I should like to stay here and keep watch.”
“I don’t need you underfoot.” Or nosing into my affaire with Catherine.
“You won’t even know I’m here.”
He would know, but let the topic go. To Helsford, he said, “You delivered my message to Reeves?”
“I had to leave it with his clerk Bradford. The superintendent is attending a family crisis at the moment. Bradford expected him to return this afternoon.”
“Very well. Report back here tomorrow morning.”
As they began filing out of the drawing room, Sebastian halted Danforth. “Stay in Showbury.”
The younger man’s face hardened. “I learned my lesson well last time, Chief. I will be where you tell me to be.” He strode from the room.
Helsford bent to kiss Cora’s temple. “Don’t do anything foolish—”
She leveled her blue-green eyes on her betrothed, retribution in their depths.
“Until I return,” he finished.
She waved her hand toward the door. “Go play nursemaid to my brother, while the chief and I develop a plan to bring down our enemy.”
A feminine snort sounded from the back of the room.
“Yes, dear.” Helsford winked at the buxom lady’s maid. “Behave.”
Dinks laughed. “I’ll work on it, my lord.” She sobered. “Watch over that hothead for us.”
“You can be sure of it,” Helsford said.
“And that shite-scooping mongrel,” she muttered. “Watch over him, too.”
Helsford shared a look with Cora. “Is that your way of asking me to give Bingham a kiss for you?”
The maid’s face heated. “Bah!” She marched away.
“Do you think they’ll ever declare their feelings for one another?” Helsford asked.
“No,” Cora said, smiling. “They’re having too much fun tormenting each other.”
Helsford nodded, then turned to Sebastian. “I’ll send word of any developments.” After one last long look at Cora, he followed in Danforth’s wake.