Have we met?
E
vie strode into the library and found Mr. Winchester standing by the window, his hands in his pockets, his attention fixed on some faraway place.
“Tom,” Evie whispered.
When he turned, she barely recognized him.
Tom had changed out of his chauffeur’s uniform and into a soft collared shirt with a demure forest green tie and a fashionable two button suit jacket in earthy tones.
A tall man with broad shoulders and narrow hips, he did the suit justice. In fact, she would easily mistake him for a country squire.
He strode up to her, his manner casual yet brisk and commanding.
“Ma’am. I hope you don’t find me impertinent. I heard about the commotion at the
house.”
Word had spread? Already?
“By the way, I received your note and I can see the advantage of staying at the pub. In the brief time I was there, I heard enough conversations to realize how quickly word gets around. It would definitely serve as a vantage point. However…”
Evie nodded. “Things have changed.” She gave him a brief summary of the events leading up to the shooting. “This time, there is no doubt. Someone took a shot at… Well, I don’t know. So, I suppose there is still some sort of doubt.”
“How is the Duke?” Tom asked.
“He’s fine. He only suffered a flesh wound. Thank heavens. But it could have been worse. In fact, it could have been fatal. If I hadn’t moved…” Evie pressed her hand to her throat. “I think I’m having a delayed reaction to the shock.”
Tom gestured for her to sit down.
“Yes, I think I will.”
He took the seat opposite her.
“By the way, how did you get here so fast?” Evie asked.
“I drove.”
“And no one noticed you drove the car I’d arrived in?”
He shrugged. “Actually, I acquired a new car.
”
Evie’s eyebrows curved upward, curiosity getting the better of her. She wondered how much effort she would have to employ to get Tom to share more details and expand his vocabulary from his usual monosyllables.
Although…
He’d already said far more than he had in the two months he’d been working for her.
“A roadster,” he explained.
Evie couldn’t hide her surprise. “How did you manage that?”
He gave her a small smile. “I made an offer to a local man.”
Anyone she knew? Evie couldn’t help wondering.
“Sir Bradford. He’s new to the area. When I arrived at the pub, he’d just settled down for a drink and engaged me in conversation about cars. As it turns out, he has quite a collection. Later, when I heard about the incident at the house, I approached him and… we made a deal.” He shifted in his seat. “I thought it might be best if I came incognito.”
The fact he had delivered such a lengthy explanation left her stunned. Recovering, Evie realized her chauffeur seemed to possess some interesting skills.
Her granny had mentioned something about Tom being in the war, but she had been short on details.
“At this point, ma’am, I would strongly
advise against staying in this house.”
Evie straightened and lifted her chin. “Nonsense. I will not be driven into hiding.”
Tom pushed out a breath. “If you choose to stay on, I would advise against remaining alone.”
“But I’m not alone, Tom.”
“With all due respect, ma’am, I doubt your host is trained in such matters.”
“Which matters?”
“Security, ma’am.”
Evie’s eyes widened again. “And you are?”
He held her gaze for a long moment. Evie had the feeling he might be weighing his words with great care and deciding what could be revealed and what needed to remain hidden.
Finally, he relented and said, “When your grandmother sought out the services of a chauffeur, she had very particular requirements. They included the ability to look after your safety.”
Evie gave him a small smile. “Are you by any chance referring to military skills?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, rest assured, His Grace was an officer in the war. He fought in the Battle of the Somme and he survived.”
Tom looked down and made an attempt to hide his smile.
“You’re not impressed.”
“On the contrary, ma’am. However, during
the war, it would have been my job to look after officers such as His Grace.”
To say she felt astonished over the revelation would be putting it mildly. Although, she had suspected Tom had been harboring some sort of secret past.
“Very well, Tom. What do you propose we do? I won’t scurry away and hide like a scared rabbit.”
He stood up and strode to the window. It seemed to be everyone’s favorite place to gather their thoughts.
A few moments later, he declared, “I could be Mr. Winchester, a distant relative or a friend you encountered in London… You might have suggested calling on you here. No one would find that suspicious.”
No, they wouldn’t because, despite always trying her best to conform and adhere to the strictures of polite society, she couldn’t avoid being true to herself, sometimes indulging in having her way and behaving like an eccentric.
Miraculously, she had never waltzed into anyone’s drawing room with a trained pet monkey adorning her shoulder. Although, it had been a fantasy of hers since reading all about some ladies doing just that in the previous century when pet menageries had been all the rage.
Evie tossed the idea around.
Mr. Winchester. A distant relative
.
Or… A friend, visiting London.
“We’ll have to let the Duke in on the secret. I think he’ll rather enjoy it.” Evie shifted to the edge of her seat and tapped her chin in thought. “You’re his height and… you’ll need suitable clothes.”
Tom looked pensive for a moment and then gave her an assuring nod. “I’ve already taken care of it.”
Evie could barely hide her surprise. “I take it this person you met has been extremely accommodating.” He looked puzzled, so she added, “Sir Bradford.”
“Oh, him… Yes. He served during the war so we struck up an instant camaraderie.”
“All right.” Evie sat up. “How do we go about this exactly? Do we need to work on a story, something that will be credible to the others?”
“I suggest we try to stick as close as possible to the truth,” he said.
And what would that be? Evie wondered, now more than ever feeling as though she knew next to nothing about Tom Winchester.
“If we are to be acquaintances, you could say your grandmother introduced us,” he suggested. “Or perhaps… We could be childhood friends.”
“How exactly would that work?” He looked to be at least three… maybe five years older… Yes, somewhere in his mid-thirties
.
“It pays to be vague,” he said. “We avoid specific dates and talk about instances that bring up relatable images. For instances, if anyone asks how old we’d been when we first met, I could pretend I’m giving it some thought and finally say, I remember teaching you to skate or swim.”
“Really? Well… yes, I suppose that could work. Fine. We are long-time friends.” Evie agreed with a nod and turned her thoughts to practicalities. “Larkin will need to be informed about the extra guest at the table. First, I will bring His Grace up to speed.” Evie sat back and nibbled on the tip of her thumb.
She wished Bicky could come down for a moment.
Looking toward the library door, she wondered if Larkin had seen fit to hover nearby. If not, she could try to sneak Tom upstairs.
Reaching a decision, Evie gave a firm nod. “At my signal, follow me.” She strode to the library door and eased it open a fraction. Peering out, she made sure the coast was clear. Seeing no one about, she signaled to Tom and they both hurried up the stairs.
“Actually, ma’am… It would be best if we simply pretend we’re going about our business. If anyone sees us hurrying, they might suspect us of being up to no good.”
True.
Evie murmured, “This is highly unusual, to
say the least. But exhilarating.”
They strode along the corridor at a more sedate pace. Evie prayed Bicky had been left alone to rest. She eased the door to his room open and whispered, “Bicky. It’s me. I’ve brought someone with me.”
It took some explaining but Bicky eventually came on board with the plan, agreeing with the idea of Tom joining the house party.
Tom said, “We’ll need to hash out the details, Your Grace.”
Bicky seemed to experience a momentary loss of attention, which he recovered by saying, “You are employed as the Countess’s chauffeur and bodyguard.”
Tom nodded.
When Bicky looked at Evie, she simply shrugged. “It’s news to me too. Well, the latter part, at least.” All along, she’d had a bodyguard. Had he followed her at a discreet distance when she’d stepped out for a stroll in the nearby parks?
“Do you believe there will be another attempt?” Bicky asked.
Tom set his mouth into a firm line. “I had a wander around the estate. No one stopped me. In fact, I didn’t see anyone about. If someone is determined to get results, there is nothing to impede them.”
“All right. I suppose I should ring for
Larkin and let him know there will be an extra guest for dinner… In fact, for the weekend. He shall have to prepare a room. Now, more than ever, I will insist on attending dinner.” As Bicky rang the bell, he murmured, “What an extraordinary turn of events.”