change when she looked his way, something bright and breathless that made her glow. He was fortunate that was his view, and not the besotted expression his own face wore when he looked her way.
“What did you want to discuss?”
Charlie blew out his breath and gazed away, across the neatly scythed lawn. “I had hoped you would come with me in pursuit of this scoundrel, but I sense that isn’t likely.”
Gerard quit watching his wife from the corner of his eye. “No. I have to settle Kate in a proper home, fit for a family.”
“Good God, already?” exclaimed Charlie.
“Perhaps. I’ve taken quite a liking to marriage.”
He sighed. “That’s clear, from the state of your trousers; Bragg will never get the grass stains out.” He gave Gerard a sly look. “You always were fond of fresh air and exercise.”
Gerard laughed. “I’ve given you all I know, Charlie. Hiram Scott passes through Bath every so often, it seems, from the post dates of the letters. If he lives near Bath, he must be a recluse—I’ve looked everywhere in the town and never heard the name. And it’s conceivable the postal clerk made a mistake. Whatever you find in Ogilvie’s journals may prove helpful, or useless, but at least someone else—namely cousin Augustus—hasn’t got them. If we’re correct that Scott is tormenting us, you should be amply prepared to turn the tables on him.”
They had discussed all this on the journey to Cobham. Charlie was quiet for a moment. “Lord Worley’s name was mentioned.”
“Yes. He spoke to me one night. Seems to take a bit of delight in our humiliation, but he’s hardly alone in that. It caught my attention, but I saw no other connection, even if he spent every waking moment with Mrs. Hollenbrook.”
Gerard expected some insight, but Charlie just nodded. “Well. Shall you remain here, or may I take you as far as Bath tomorrow?”
“Once you leave, the sun may stop shining here,” said Gerard wryly. “Kate and I would be very glad of your carriage back to Bath.”
“Ah, yes. I believe nothing so splendid as my arrival has ever before occurred in this part of the country.” Charlie’s mouth twitched in amusement. “Be sure to settle yourself in a house without a dower property.”
“Rest assured, it won’t be large enough for all our family.”
Kate was coming toward them. Gerard drew her to him, slipping his arm around her waist. God, it felt good to have her at his side again. “My mother humbly invites you to dine with us this evening, Your Grace,” she said to Charlie. “She hopes you will stay the night as well, as the inns nearby aren’t half-decent enough for such an illustrious person.”
“By God, you have to leave tomorrow,” declared Gerard. “Your head will be swelled to enormous proportions if you stay.”
Charlie laughed. “I fear you are right. I most gratefully accept your mother’s invitation, my dear. But you must remember to call me Durham, or even Charlie.”
She blushed but smiled. “It is an honor merely not to curtsey when we meet, sir.”
Still amused, Charlie turned back to Gerard. “So it is. If I haven’t congratulated you yet, Gerard, allow me to say you are a fortunate man.”
He looked at Kate, whose eyes shone back at him, brimming with love. “Exceptionally so,” he said. “More than I ever expected.”
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You’ve spent One Night in London
and found a way to Blame It on Bath.
Now discover The Way to a Duke’s Heart. . .
Charles de Lacey, Lord Gresham, has had his life turned upside down. Instead of inheriting his father’s ducal crown, he’s got a messy scandal that could strip him of his title and his fortune. After years of pleasure-seeking, he suddenly finds himself required to track down a blackmailer, discover the truth about his father’s first marriage, and defend his right to a dukedom from a grasping relation. But he has no idea where to start, until a tart-tongued beauty inadvertently leads him to the possible blackmailer.
Tessa Neville is a businesswoman, plain and simple. She gets off on the wrong foot with Lord Gresham, and then the blasted man follows her across England. He makes friends with her companion. He makes her laugh even when she wants to dislike him. And, worst of all, he somehow sees the darkest secrets of her heart in a way she never would have expected from a man of his wicked reputation. Tessa knows he’s the wrong sort of man for her. If only the thought of