The Formidable Earl (Diamonds in the Rough #6) - Sophie Barnes Page 0,8
than ever before.
Nothing was going to stop her from finding out who was behind this.
“Good. Then I will escort you there.”
“You really don’t have to.”
“I absolutely insist.”
Ida clenched her jaw and tightened her grip on her satchel. He clearly wasn’t going to leave her side, and the truth was she wasn’t keen on walking alone after what had just happened. So they continued to wind their way through the intricate maze that was St. Giles. The air was thick with the pungent stink of refuse, and with dusk starting to fall, the streets here would soon be filled with criminals.
“Come on,” she said, cutting across to Crown Street where they were less likely to be accosted. Quickening her pace, she led Fielding north toward Soho Square.
“I should have known you’d come here,” Fielding said when they reached Windham House.
Ignoring him, Ida climbed the steps and knocked. The heavy iron knocker fell hard against the front door. First once, then twice, until Guthrie’s butler finally answered.
With one raised eyebrow and a pinched expression, the butler regarded them with reserved interest. “Yes?”
“Is Guth…er…the duke at home?” Ida asked.
“No. He is not.”
Ida’s stomach clenched, but she refused to give up just yet. “What about the duchess?” Ida had met Regina a few times before and considered her a friend.
“I’m afraid she’s also away.”
“Away?” A horrible sense of foreboding settled over Ida’s shoulders.
The butler raised his chin a notch. “The duke and duchess have travelled to Scotland. They’re not due back for another three weeks.”
“Dear God.”
As if sensing her distress for the first time, the butler’s expression relaxed a little. “If you have urgent business, you may leave a note, and I shall make sure it is posted to them.”
Ida considered the offer. By her estimation it would take one week, possibly more for her message to reach them and at least another for them to respond, at which point they would almost be back in London anyway. Not to mention she really didn’t want to disturb their holiday with her concerns. “Thank you,” she said, “but there’s no need.”
“Perhaps you would care to leave your name?”
“No. I should go.” As it was she’d already stood about on the front step for too long. “I will call again once the duke and duchess return.”
“As you wish,” the butler murmured. And then the door closed, leaving Ida alone with Fielding without the slightest clue what to do next.
He grabbed her upper arm and drew her swiftly around the side of the building.
“I propose we go somewhere more conducive to conversation,” he said as he glanced around. “There’s a decent tavern about a mile’s walk from here.”
“I’d rather not.” Even if Fielding had known her father, he was still a stranger to her. The last thing she wanted to do was depend on him in some way or become his burden.
As if disagreeing with her, her stomach rumbled.
“You’re obviously hungry. Making sure you’re properly fed is the least I can do after all the trouble I’ve caused.” He leaned in, causing a prickly heat to wash over her skin. “I can assure you I harbor no ill will toward you. If I did, you would already be on your way to my secret lair.”
“Nevertheless,” Ida stubbornly muttered while trying to picture what Fielding’s secret lair might look like. Judging from his neat appearance it was probably sparsely furnished and tidy, with furniture upholstered in—
“Nevertheless?”
She stared at him. “Are we hiding for my sake right now or for yours?”
Fielding blinked. “Yours, of course.”
“Really?”
“Very well, if you must know I think discretion would serve us both well at the moment.” When she prepared to argue, the edge of his mouth drew upward in a manner that served to disarm her completely. He swept his arm forward. “Windham can’t help you right now, but I am prepared to do so instead. Shall we proceed?”
Seeing no other option, Ida relented with a small nod and stepped past him, only to hear him sigh. “It’s not that way, Miss Strong.”
Ida turned, waited for him to indicate the right direction, and promptly adjusted her course. He fell into step behind her, telling her where to turn as they went.
Besides this, they refrained from speaking until they were comfortably seated in a private corner of The Red Cockerel, each with a tankard of ale. On the table between them was a platter containing a tempting selection of various hams and cheeses. Ida grabbed a couple of pieces and popped them into her mouth.