over her loveliness. There would be plenty of bees circling that bloom. And Auchdun, in particular, was one of those for whom normal measures were insufficient. Delville smiled. So was he, but his motivations were at least better than Auchdun’s.
The foreman continued to rattle on, but as Delville finished smacking his lips over the last of his breakfast, his ears pricked. What had the foreman just said? Something about a general inspection? Well, what was the point of that? Still, he did not really care. He was as strong and able as any of the others, and it really did not matter if they let him go, as they had never really hired him in the first place. He had just sort of insinuated himself into the project.
A queer feeling crept over him while he watched the other men stand up tall and try to straighten their clothes. He could not shake the gnawing sensation that he was missing a very important part of the foreman’s briefing. Shit. Perhaps he should have been paying closer attention.
Then Frobisher came around the corner of the great house and strode toward the foreman. Ah. So there was the crucial bit of information he had missed. The lord of the manor himself was performing the inspection. Double shit.
Delville slouched, pulled his hat down low over his eyes. There were not enough men in the crew to conceal him for very long, no matter how tall they were standing. He slunk back to the servant’s entrance, slipping inside the manor as smoothly as a cat.
He did not want to explain to Frobisher why he was posing as one of the workers. People so rarely understood the nuances of what he did, and the fewer who knew about an operation of questionable legality, the better. Even good old Frobisher.
“Oh, Mr. Dee, sir!” It was the housekeeper, emerging from her office. “You gave me such a start, sir. His lordship has not mentioned your arrival, but I will have a room aired for you immediately. And what of some tea and a bath to refresh yourself after a long journey?”
More blasted luck. This was not his day. Mrs. Tredding—whom everyone else called Tredding, but Mr. Dee knew how to charm—was one among the few servants who would recognize him as someone other than a workman who sneaked into the manor to charm the kitchen maids out of food and wine.
He turned and donned a broad grin, “Mrs. Tredding! Lovely to see you. I hope you are doing well?”
“Oh yes, sir, and thank you for asking. What can I do for you, sir?”
Delville thought quickly. “I will be staying, of course. But first, as you can see, I am not fit to be seen in these, um, travel clothes. There was a bit of an incident with my luggage and I have not had a change of clothing for some time. I am afraid my things will not arrive here for several days. Could I trouble you to find me something clean to wear? Something very plain will do quite well.”
“Oh certainly, sir. Right away sir. And I shall have a bath prepared.”
“Mrs. Tredding, you are a gem among women!”
She blushed and smiled. “You are too kind, sir.”
Delville wondered whether he should feel guilty about taking such advantage of the charms he held over the female sex. Then he scoffed at himself for such a silly thought. He should not hide his talents under a bushel, after all. That would be an impious disregard for God’s gifts.
He sweetened his smile. “Not in the least, Mrs. Tredding. Do you suppose you might see your way to getting me one of those delicious chocolate drinks laced with brandy after the German art, like I had here on my last visit?”
Sample Chapter 5
Eleanor sipped delicately at her piping hot tea and enjoyed the heat trickling down her throat and seeping into her chilled soul. The tannins mingled with the more dulcet flavouring of milk, while the smoke from the fireplace teased her nose and danced around her palate. It was the perfect sensory combination, enveloping her in warmth and the domestic magic of simple comforts, lulling her into some semblance of calm.
Certainly meeting with that strange man had been confusing, coming as it did, wedged between the shock of overhearing the bad man in the cave and the affront of Lord Auchdun’s unwanted proposal. It was unsettling that the scoundrel might have been the one to save her from Auchdun. Yet,